When Social Media Takes Over

I secretly hoped that upon coming to college Facebook would be less prominent than I expected- not because I oppose Facebook, I just felt that if I got any more hooked on social networking, I would be too distracted from my schoolwork. No matter what my addiction level was before becoming a Terp, I quickly realized that the rumor was true, and Facebook not only gets bigger once college rolls around, it also redefines the meaning of relationships, and promotes artificial self-expression.

Amidst unpacking my things from my oversized suitcases and army surplus duffle bags, I began the process of meeting new people after already having met them- virtually, of course. I could recognize my three roommates because I had seen their profile pictures on Facebook, and only hoped that they would be as nice as they appeared to be online. Our first conversations went well, and before long, all three girls turned out to be even better than I thought they would be. In this case, Facebook worked in my favor.

Soon after, I came realize that most people asked for my last name not to get to know me better, but to friend me on Facebook. I received many friend requests and barely any cell phone numbers, and I too soon started to ask for full names instead of numbers. In a time when I was hoping to build lasting relationships, I felt I was cheating others and myself by seeking a more virtualized friendship rather than seeking friendships through face-to-face communication.

There is no doubt that Facebook has also impacted my friendships positively during my short time on campus. Checking my ‘news feed' on Facebook is just as much a part of my daily routine as checking the weather. Even though my Facebook to homework time usage ratio is something to blush about, I cannot deny the fact that I enjoy sharing links with friends, and getting that extra time to chat online.

Yet, ‘friends' automatically becomes a term that has a separate meaning when dealing with social networking. A friend in reality could be a person I met years ago and have developed a close relationship over time, while a friend on Facebook could be a person I met at the diner ten minutes ago. Even more ironic is the fact that the website was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, a man commonly described as a social misfit that was seeking to better his social standing when he first launched Facebook. It's quite ironic that someone who was so unknowledgeable about being social started an online database for trendy communication!

Not surprisingly, the same social awkwardness seems to manifest itself in many Facebook users today. Numerous social networking users, including myself, feel much more comfortable posting comments and photos that they would not normally portray in public. Someone could appear to be one way online, but they are a completely different person in public. How can we trust a virtual version of anyone if it is inconsistent with the real person?  

The newly coined term, "Facebook stalker," is no joke; with minimal privacy settings, Facebook ‘friends' can read anything a user posts including pictures, quotes, and activity updates. New college friends may not be interested in how high you scored on Farmville, but they are certainly interested in looking at your awkward middle school pictures or checking out your senior prom date. Even if a Facebook user can control his or her privacy settings, there is little possibility of keeping information away from Facebook itself.

I can't dismiss the fact that Facebook is an incredible tool for college students to keep in touch with friends and family at home, as well as new friends at school. My journalism professor even encourages me to continue to (tastefully) involve myself in social networking to be marketable for future employment opportunities. However, while I look forward to checking out my friends' latest activities on cyberspace, there is clearly no substitute for getting to know those people past the details on the computer screen.