In Defense of Facebook


It’s difficult deciding my blog topics because I’m confident I know exactly who is reading.  So when I decide on a topic, I always worry that someone reading thinks that I’m calling them out.  I’ve decided against a few posts because I was worried about doing so.

However, let me say right here and right now: I love my wife’s potato salad.

But more on topic: This is not meant to be an attack on anyone’s position on Facebook. So, yeah.

I was noticing a trend on the technology blogs I read.  More and more, I see articles bashing Facebook.  Some citing privacy concerns.  Others detailing out the social impacts on our youngsters.

Wow, do I sound like a really old man when I use the term youngsters?

I’m not saying these concerns are invalid.  There are plenty of concerning aspects to Facebook.  Some people have a hard time not pressing refresh every 2 seconds like Stephanie pressed her epidural pain medicine button. Others start to feel their friendships becoming shallow.  If you feel that Facebook isn’t good for you or just a big time waste, stay away from it.  Even I can only take so many “Man, I’m so bored today.” or “<insert inside joke, even though a few hundred people are going to see this>” status posts.

But I want to say that Facebook rocks.  I like the connections I’ve been able to make with some older friends or family that lives far away.  I like seeing new pictures of people that I care about.  And yes, I like hearing about what is going on in other people’s lives, even if it’s mundane.  Although I will totally unfriend you if I get status updates about your pooping.  For poop, I read blogs.

Just this past Sunday, an old friend from high school stopped by church.  He was in town for a week or so, and thought “Hey, I’ll check out Mike’s church!”  How cool is that?  Not only did I get to meet his family, but because of Facebook, I knew he was studying to become a pastor.  That’s the sort of cool news I wouldn’t be aware of without Facebook.

So, to Facebook I say: Like.

 

 

  1. #1 by Stephanie on March 8, 2011 - 8:12 pm

    Yay! I’m so glad you like my potato salad :)

  2. #2 by Your Mom on March 9, 2011 - 7:55 am

    You read Christie’s blog for poop, specifically.

  3. #3 by Christie on January 9, 2012 - 12:32 pm

    Haha! I think you were talking about me in this post a couple of times. But I would like to point out sadly that I was not reading your blog right then, and only just read this article. :( I am a bad friend. Also, I have no problem with FB in general, but I had some experiences that I didn’t like on it, and it was causing me stress and strife and all other manner of evil things in my life. And I wondered: is it worth it to keep it up when my actual benefit is slim to none, and in the end, I hate it? It wasn’t worth it for me. But for you? I think it’s awesome that you like it!

    P.S. I don’t think I ever talked about pooping on FB. I guess I’m one step ahead of the game in that respect!

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