I must make a personal confession. I hate Facebook. I did not like it from the beginning and my mood for it did not get better until now. But still I am using it. Each day. Just like the 800 million people who are registered in this best working “social” network. But somehow I have the feeling that I am not the only one out of these more then 11 percent of the world population, who is living under these double standards.
Social network, what is the meaning of this? The probably best way to describe it, is that it is a network of relationships between people, including their interaction. If this “network” is meant in a virtual or real world remains to be seen. Focusing on the virtual social network there is a high danger of a degeneration of the old model of community.
Do we not abandon our more intense strong ties with childhood friends in favour of superficial weak ties with acquaintances? True is that our connections are more widespread and by this high quantitative and ideal for a aggregation of social capital.
Positive effects are the most visible in the sector of communication which is much more simplified with the help of digital social networks. Virtual social networks can sustain friendship or communication over distance, but it also can launch and support whole revolutions such as the “Arab-Spring”.
Nevertheless, if overused, it can support the before mentioned degeneration of true communication and viable face to face relationship, what will lead to isolation and then one day, we will find ourself lonely under billions of people. From this perspective, perhaps this fear from isolation and loneliness is the driving force of the worlds love-hate relationship with Facebook. For my part, I hope that a “chat” will never ever replace a good old chat in a café with a friend who I do not just now from a picture in the internet.
By Robert Hoegerle
JAPANsociology 
Just as you mentioned in the post, I believe that there are always both positive and negative side in every convenient stuff of modern civilization. They may get you able to do what you could not do, but depending too much on them actually get you unable to do what you could do, just like people who have meals outside every time in a day would not be able to cook by them selves. I think it is all up to you if you take advantages of them or depend on them.
Ciao Wash, thank you for your comment.
You say that it all depends on the individual, if you want to join and participate in a SNS.
I totally agree with you in this point. Everything in Sociology stands and falls with the personal behaviour.
Anyhow, I want you to think about this:
If all your friends are online and part of Facebook, their main communication will also go through this way.
They will talk about events in their live and appointments and you will not notice that, due to the fact that they use other ways of communication.
You would de facto sanction yourself and loose social connections, until you one day be pressured to join in.
Is this not a questionable structure?
All the best, Robert.
I totally agree with you Robert! There are positive and negative sides to the use of social networks, but I think Facebook is a total TIME VAMPIRE! >.< I fear for the next generation! We already had problems when it was just tv and video games keeping kids indoors, but now we have facebook on top of that. Yeah facebook is great for older people to keep in touch with old friends, but now I see my little cousins updating their facebook 5 times a day! I want to message them on facebook telling them to go outside and throw a rock or something! I wish there were more restrictions to joining facebook, but needless to say, they may turn that into discrimination someday! ONLINE harassment is even possible now <-< really? I think facebook is taking the social network to a new level, but in all honesty, i think things will level out in the end. Maybe facebook should start charging~ haha
Ciao AJ, thank you for your supporting comment.
As you said, what we talk about now as questionable or parallel was of society, will probably be normal for our children.
But I do not want to talk about a dark future here. The restrictions will probably set by the parents in the end. Like they just did with us and the TV and video games, sending us outside to play with friends when it took overhand.
About the next level of Facebook: It is already there. Facebook as a complete curriculum vitae? You even can set an event when you divorced or broke up with your partner. What is this, or what will this be?
All the best, Robert.
I agree with you. I am not a big fan of facebook, but I keep using it. SNS is easy and simple way to keep connected with friends who are not around anymore, but as you mentioned in this article, it keeps people away from communicating in real sense. I know many people who open facebook chat available and stare the screen whole day waiting somebody starts talking to him/her. Or update their statuses saying “I’m bored”. In my opinion, why don’t they go outside and meet their friends and talk. I feel that SNS is making people craving for other’s attention.
Ciao Naoko!
I just know people like this too well.
A personal observation, those people are most of the time those, who would be too introvert in a non virtual social network to speak up.
It may just be a coincidence, but if not: is it good for them to express themselves this way or should they learn more about what I called “real social networking”.
However, thank you for sharing!
All the best, Robert.
I think everyone has moments where they “hate” the social networks (especially Facebook with it constant “improvements”), yet people keep using them. I think it’s come to the point where people have become so dependant on social network sites like Facebook that they don’t delete them out of fear for losing out on social events. Sure, people have cellphones, but isn’t it easier to throw together a social gathering on Facebook? Everyone has it, after all.
Perhaps eventually the need for Facebook and other social network sites will die down, or perhaps it’ll be replaced by something else? Either way, I think it’s important that people don’t get too obsessed with their social network sites. Because even though they are practical, they’re not everything.
Ciao Sindre!
Very good point. I by myself do not have a mobile-phone here in Japan, yet I was always able to now about appointments, just by asking the people directly at university.
A further example: in my home town, I reintroduced the phone call on a conventional telephone instead of chatting with Facebook for getting in contact with me, in my “real” social network there.
So as you said, the future of Facebook is not yet determined.
Thank you for your contribution!
All the best, Robert.
I find it funny you should post about hating Facebook when you have a Widget to ‘Like’ your Blog from Facebook. 😮
But I digress. I’m thinking of deleting my profile(s) all together. That’s right, I have one w/ 400 (lame..) general friends from school/work/social networks that I’m rarely on, and a 35 friend profile. Yet, the smaller one still drive me nuts.
Damn Zuckerberg for inventing this.. in-your-face, “my dog is better than yours” everyone must jump off the bridge, status-quo communication addiction trap.