Facebook - the good, the bad, and the OMGs!

The other day I had to ask myself if social networking websites, such as Facebook, are a positive or negative influence on society. After debating the subject with myself, I have come to the conclusion that social networking sites have both good and bad aspects.

The Good – I have found that Facebook is great for reconnecting with people from High School and keeping in touch with friends from college. That is really what Facebook was created for. I have also been able to connect with family members that live in different states . . . some of whom I have never met in person.

The Bad – The ease of sharing your thoughts has allowed too many people to post information that others may not want to know. I understand that parents are very proud of their children’s accomplishments. I understand that these parents are probably posting these accomplishments as a way to share with grandparents. I personally don’t want to know your child’s potty training mishaps or accomplishments. I don’t care if your child threw a temper tantrum or refused to take a nap.

Many people use their Facebook accounts to vent anger or frustration towards relationship partners, bosses/coworkers, and random strangers. Please keep in mind that anything you post can come back to bite you in the rear. I have heard several stories of people getting fired because of posting something they posted about a boss or coworker. I have also heard of couples breaking up, getting divorced, and families torn apart because of what one of the pair posted.

The OMGs – As stated in “the bad” section, people abuse the ability to share their thoughts. Some people post the most outrageous comments just for the shock value. Not everyone wants to know how drunk you got last night, what you did while drunk, or who you had sex with. You should never post comments about smoking pot, getting high, or any other drug related activities. Never post pictures of your drugs or the gun collection you have to protect your drugs – especially if you have children living in the home in which you are doing/selling your drugs. Hello! Child services should take your children away if you are dumb enough to post stuff like that.

The Games – The games and other apps on the social networking sites also have positive and negative aspects. With the large number of games available, everyone is sure to find at least one or two games that they will enjoy. Most of the games are repetitive and easy to play, so children and elderly people are able to play. The down side is that the games are extremely addictive. Most of the games require you to pay real money for fake money to be able to buy certain items. A few people have maxed out credit cards, mortgaged their homes, and completely bankrupted their family because they are addicted to the games. People forget to eat, can’t sleep, and they can’t keep a job due to the obsessive need to play the games. Word of advice – if you have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or obsessive tendencies – do not use real money to play the games and limit yourself to one or two games.

Now I will be one of the first to admit that I am not perfect. I have been known to post comments just for shock value – but I don’t post things that are morally questionable. I posted negative comments about my former fiance before I ended the relationship but that was the only way I could get his attention because he was so addicted to the social networking sites. I also have to limit myself to playing one or two games at a time but I don’t have any real money to put toward playing the games. So my last words of advice to my readers is to be aware of what you are doing and saying on the social networking sites . . . it may come back to bite you in the butt.

In the time since I originally wrote this article, I have come to realize a few things that I had not considered at the time I wrote this.

Social media is the fastest way to communicate with several people in different areas of the world at one time. I may not enjoy reading about parenting issues - such as potty training - but I now understand that people post those things because being a parent is a big part of their lives and they want to share all of the joys and battles with family, friends, and other parents. I share a lot of posts about my cats that I am sure some people do not enjoy - but it is easy to skim over the stuff you don't care about.

I still have no idea why people would posts stuff like small children holding guns, drugs, and/or wads of cash. Posting stuff like that is just asking for trouble.