Yes, Facebook is a HUUUUUUGE timesuck. I waste seconds “liking,” minutes commenting and hours staring blankly far more than I should.
There are days when I close the Facebook tab, so as not to hear the little blip noise, or see the parenthesed number indicating a new interaction. I tell myself I do NOT need to know everytime someone else got into a heated conversation, or liked that lame eCard.
It’s the only way I can get any work done.
But, I want to say, for the record, why I think Facebook isn’t all bad. Why it might even even be a valid timesuck from time to time.
Human connection.
Sure, it’s a web site, viewed through a machine and often invaded by bots and other unsavory sorts. But no one can deny one of the huge reasons we all love it so much. It’s the connection to other people. As someone who spends a ton of time alone, with my laptop and the squirrels outside the window as my only co-workers, I get daily (non family) social time through the Book of Face.
I’ve loved reconnecting with people I’ve not seen since high school, meeting women who became mothers around the same time I did and wishing a best friend Happy Birthday with ridiculously elaborate digital images. I love sending an important message to 10 people at one time, and creating online invitations that can be (hello!) UPDATED! Let’s face it – without Facebook, it would actually be more difficult to connect, at least with a large mass of people.
I’m not saying there’s no drawback. The majority of Facebook time might in fact be spent finding yet another Buzzfeed list, or scrolling past the same posts you’ve been seeing for two days. And talk about the arguments that start!
However, when I see something like this, my faith in the Internet is restored, and Facebook wins.
Enjoy your weekend!