Rough Draft

Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and countless others are what are enthralling this generation. Some would say that this has a negative effect on us while others have only good things to say. Whichever side you find yourself on, by now your curiosity has forced you to at least visit one of these sites.  I know what you are thinking; I have heard about it and everyone around me is on it and rambling about this and that and how great it is, but I am going to stay away because it has nothing for me. I know this because this was my first reaction to Facebook. I kept hearing about how everyone is on it and it was going to consume your life as well if you get on, but I was determined to be the odd man out. That mode of thinking, however, did not last very long. According to Facebook, I became a member in 2010 but to be honest I could not remember if you paid me. I like Facebook and I think that it is a cool site, but I never understood the hype. I most definitely would not say that I am a diehard Facebook fan; I am just an average user that uses it to talk with my friends. Facebook has kind of been my only social identity so that is why I chose it for my essay.

Facebook was started by a guy named Mark Zuckerberg who attended Harvard. There was a lot of controversy the site in the beginning, but now he is the sole owner.  There was a movie about Facebook’s beginning which did a real good job of telling Mark’s story. Facebook started as something that was just for college students to talk to one another and share experiences, but now is a global website that many people are a part of. I think that it has drastically changed how we all use the internet. It has introduced us with people from all around the world, most of whom we would have never met in our regular life. It allows us to be friends with different people of different races and learn about different cultures. I myself have never befriended anyone I don’t know because that is just weird to try to talk to someone online you do not even know. In my book you are supposed to leave strangers lone, but not everyone online would follow those rules. I think Facebook has done a great job of maintaining its message of staying connected with friends. That concept was something I did not understand for a while until I came up to UK. I mean I see my friends everyday so why do I need to get on Facebook to add them. If I was already friends with you in real life I did not see the point of getting on Facebook. Luckily, I did get on and I am glad for it.

Facebook has always been just something for me to do when I am bored so I have never understood why people are so addicted to it. I did not have internet at home so I would only get to check my Facebook when I went to the library. I would usually just check my messages and friend requests nothing too major. If I was really bored, I would look at my friend’s profiles and comment on their statuses.  I was never the one that wakes up at three in the morning because my phone buzzed from a Facebook alert because one of my friends, who was an obvious an insomniac, like a picture I took a month ago. Or at work procrastinating because my friends uploaded a new album and I had to go through each and every picture and “like” all the good ones. I was never like that and I cannot really understand how anyone does get like that.

The biggest problem with Facebook today is the security of your personal info. If you sit back and think about it, you put more on your Facebook than on any other site. To be honest Facebook probably knows more about you than all of your friends combined. Most people are not cautious of what they put on Facebook because they do not think about who is looking at their profile. I keep my profile locked down like Alcatraz with only certain people who can see certain things. I do not really trust the ads and other stuff they put on Facebook because I do not want anyone stealing my identity. I can see myself getting furious if I had to prove that I really am me so I just stay away from anything asking for my personal info. Most users do not know how the companies on Facebook use the info they make available on their pages. Most legislation is real lax with online laws so you better protect your personal info before you end up with nowhere to turn to. If users would actually learn up on the different ways to keep their profiles safe from online predators, then the negative attitudes towards Facebook would change.

Facebook still remains a very popular site with billions of users and I am one of them. Over the years, I have never changed my use of the site. I just check it when I get bored. Now that I have a smart phone I can check it on the go no matter where I am. Facebook is a great site that I would recommend to anyone who wants to keep up with old friends. Just stay away from anyone you do not know is my best advice for any new users. It’s a great site with a lot of good things on it you just have to look in the right places. I would not say that Facebook has been a big part of my life it has just been something I enjoy in my free time. No matter what happens I think I will always be on Facebook.

Sources:
Pros and Cons of Facebook
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-facebook.html

History of Facebook: The Beginning of Social Networking Revolution
http://suite101.com/article/history-of-facebook-a217306

Facebook Users Share and "Like" Too Much
http://www.pcworld.com/article/255100/facebook_users_share_and_like_too_much_report_says.html

9 Reasons Why You're Hooked On Facebook
http://allfacebook.com/nin-reasons-why-youre-hooked-on-facebook_b38349