I have chosen Facebook to represent "My Social Identity" because that is where I have spent most of my time in regards to social media. Over the years Facebook has become my biggest connection to the world of social media. I have spent many hours checking on my friends' profiles, looking at pictures, sharing my thoughts, and changing how the world sees me. Facebook has opened me to the world of connection. It has kept me up to date on the on how my friends are and what they are up to, which is nice especially now that I have moved away from many of them. Facebook is good for the most part, but I can't help but wonder, why are we so obsessed with it?
Facebook was started by a 19 year old sophomore at Harvard on February 4, 2004. The website, then called "thefacebook.com," was an instant hit. Only 8 years later and one month for Facebook means over 955 million views, contributing to over 700 billion minutes logged on. Facebook had a record breaking 750 million photos uploaded over New Year's weekend alone. So what makes Facebook so great? A study from Boston University says that Facebook's success comes from it's ability to provide people with two basic social needs: "the need to belong and the need for self presentation." Facebook gives us the opportunity to make friends and connect with them. It gives us the opportunity to express ourselves and our ideas. So how has Facebook become so popular in the world of social media? One word. Adaptation. Facebook does an amazing job at learning from its users. Whether we know it or not, Facebook is watching us and changing the website to better suit its audience.
One of my first profile pictures...
I started using Facebook in January of 2009 and I have used it almost daily ever since. I originally started using Facebook because I had heard so much about it that I decided I would at least give it a try, and obviously I liked what I saw. I immediately started posting pictures and updated all of my information so everyone would know who I was. I occasionally posted random status's about this and that, but I mainly just stayed on Facebook to see what everyone else was doing. I stayed up to date on relationships, events, and the party scene. Facebook became the ultimate social tool. On this one sight I could post pictures from a trip, chat with friends, and publish my thoughts for the world to see. A place where I could say whatever I wanted with no worries about my parents seeing what I post. It's like Facebook became my very own journal that I could share with anyone who wanted to see it. I tried to become "friends" with everyone I knew and before long I was becoming friends with people whom I had never met before. Heck I didn't care, the more friends the merrier.
If you look at my Facebook profile today you would see that I have 715 friends and 405 pictures. To me 715 friends sounds like a lot. I don't even think I actually know 715 people to be friends with. I am certain that I haven't met many of my Facebook and I'm sure I never will, which makes me wonder why I even agreed to be friends with these people. Regardless if I thought I may have known these people or if I just thought that having more friends made me look cool, these people can now see everything that I do on Facebook. I'm sure I am not the only person who doesn't know all of my friends, and that makes me wonder why we would become friends with people that we don't know. As I have stated earlier, Facebook creates the sense that we belong, that we are a part of something. Having friends, whether we know them or not, gives us a sense of pride and builds our self esteem. Everyone wants to belong, and what better way than having as many friends as you can? I know it sounds ridiculous to think that your Facebook friends that you have never met are your real friends, but lets face it, we all take a little pride in seeing how many people we know.
The thought I had as a began censoring my posts...
It seems like everyone has a Facebook these days. Both of my parents, several aunts and uncles, and even my sweet dear grandmother are now using Facebook, which means the number of things I post has declined dramatically. Since they started using Facebook I have had to live in the shadows of Facebook. I can still watch what is going on and see what all of my friends are up to, but it is no longer safe to post anything that can be deemed "inappropriate." This personal censorship has caused me to stop using Facebook as much as I used to. I can no longer post a status, comment, or picture that may or may not get myself or one of my friends in trouble.
At one point I even succumbed to the world known as "Facebook Stalking." I know most of you know what I'm talking about and I'm sure some of you have experienced this at some point in your social media lives. Today, when I get on Facebook, I don't even care about posting anything. The sole purpose of getting on Facebook is to just see if I have any notifications. I don't even care about looking through my newsfeed because it is just full of "Truth is," song lyrics, and the ever-present Facebook drama. Even though I still find myself logging onto Facebook nearly every time I get on my computer, the amount of time I spend on it has decreased dramatically. I know longer stare blankly at the screen reading up on status's because it is almost not even worth sifting through the junk.
My newest safe haven...
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