Is Facebook ruining our lives?
I joined Facebook in 2007. I can only imagine how many hours of my life I have wasted on it. It became a part of my lifestyle and I checked it regularly (by regularly I mean hourly). However last summer I decided to test myself. I deactivated my account. YES I DEACTICATED MY ACCOUNT! When told people this they looked at me with an expression of shock.
I am now off Facebook for the last nine months and counting. I did have a slip up and did reactivate my account at one point. I was only on for an hour and I was getting mail from people asking me ‘Where had I gone?’ It made me question why these people are talking to me now!? If I haven’t spoken to them in the last six months did they really care ‘where I had gone?’ and since when did mobile phones, email, and landlines stop working?!
According to a spokesman from Nielsen Online, the company which conducted the research, the average person who used Facebook in each of the last 12 months has spent 70 hours 26 minutes on the site during that period.They also calculated that the most addicted users have spent over 125 hours on the site during the last year which is the equivalent of more than a whole working week. Here is an interesting article you should check out.
Since I have come off Facebook I have missed some events and I have been told that I am missing out on all the ‘juicy gossip’. Facebook has become a site used to ‘creep’ on people, break up with people, meet new people….the list goes on. This makes me question is it more of a burden to society than anything.
Facebook users are becoming younger by the year, research has shown that more than a third of children aged between nine and 12 are thought to be on Facebook, despite the social network’s rule that users must be over 13. Is Facebook not only taking our lives, but our children’s? I have read an article on this which can be seen on this link. I find it interesting to read in this article how facebook can have an impact on a childs academic and social behavoir. Also below is a youtube clip that shows young kids speaking about their knowledge of facebook. I think it is quiet bizzare to think that these young children know so much about this site at such a young age.
I can imagine many people who will read this may disagree with my negative view of Facebook but I for one am a happier person for it. I get a proper sleep and now make my nine o’clock lectures (now that may a little white lie)
laura's Social Media Blog 
[…] Well we are approaching the end of another year and I must say this year has been the most enjoyable for me. This semester we got to modules that were interesting and interactive. To be honest at the first NTFM class I was apprehensive and a bit cautious about creating blogs. However from these weeks I have enjoyed the experience. I enjoyed the topics of conversation especially ‘Is Facebook taking over our lives’ It allowed me to express my own thoughts on the matter and share these views with others. If you haven’t yet read this blog you can check it out on this link. […]