Jan 20

Written by:
2009/01/20 09:41 AM 

There is no doubt that social websites like Facebook is a phenomenon. It has taken off by storm and has also produced the youngest billionaire in the world. Man why didn't I think of that? In South Africa Facebook is taking off at an alarming rate. But is it producing a society of misfits?

I was introduced to Facebook merely to use as a tool. If used correctly social networking is a great tool for webmasters to promote their sites and drive traffic to them. It is part of SEO, Search Engine Optimisation, and SEM, Search Engine Marketing. So I joined Facebook with the hope that I will be able to reap some benefit for my web site.

However this is not the case for the majority of Facebook users. Many spend hours in front of the computer screen, interacting with Facebook. Reading friends profiles, and postings, reading their updates, checking out their pictures. Then they themselves post updates or pictures, ramblings or just one liners.  I've seen postings like, "Off to the toilet", "Going to sleep", "just blew my noise", "What a sneeze". I mean really, do I really need to know that? Does anybody need to know that?

Many who have family and children, rarely find time for visits, phone calls or even e-mail, to their so called friends. What they prefer to do is to regularly update their status on Facebook ("Jenny is fixing a birthday dinner," "John took the kids sledding", "Mary is going to sleep"),  upload photos (son in the school play, a day with the dogs). After many years, many friendships are now relegated to the online world, filtered through Facebook. Call it Facebook Recluse Syndrome — social hermits.

Although Facebook started as an online hub for college students, its fastest-growing demographic is the over-25 crowd, which now accounts for more than half of the site's 140 million active members. Why is Facebook catching on among parents and professionals? "It makes me feel like I have a grip on my world," says Emily Neill, a 39-year-old single mother of two. Neill isn't a techie, per se — "I'll never have a phone that does anything but make calls," says the fashion consultant in Watertown, Mass. — but she stays logged on to Facebook all day at work and then spends an hour or two — or lately three — at night checking in with old acquaintances, swapping photos with close friends and instant-messaging those who fall somewhere in between - Time.com

This is not unlike many here in South Africa. In fact "Facebooking" has become somewhat of a problem in the work force. Where production has stagnated because many are addicted to Facebook. Feeling that they are missing out on something important if they do not check the updates or make updates themselves. In fact many businesses have banned the use of Facebook entirely from their network. I can understand why. Many estimating that between 15% and 20% of their current bandwidth is being taken up with social networking sites.

In some extreme cases, family and children have suffered, because mom or dad will not leave the computer to make supper, help with homework or spend quality time with the kids and family.

There is little live, face-to-face social interaction now-a-days. Many would prefer to interact on the internet than have a real live conversation with someone. In fact many know more about their friends, found out on Facebook, than they ever did before Facebook. Also, it seems that a lot of people feel more comfortable about sharing their feelings and thoughts on computer screen than doing the same face to face. We are indeed becoming social misfits.

I wonder, maybe we can start a new business here. Online Psychology. Have a Facebook type therapy session, where you can share your innermost thoughts to a psychiatrist of your choosing. You would probably open up more on such a network than you would if you were to visit a therapist in a live situation.

Oh and remember I though of it first. So if you want to do something like this, remember its my idea.

But seriously, Facebook is not the only social networking site, there are the likes of MySpace, LiveSpaces, Friendster, hi5, Ning, Xanga, Orkut, Twitter, Plurk etc . The list goes on.

In a way I suppose it suites South Africa to the tee. What with all the crime, high walls electric fences, barred homes. We lock ourselves away from the rest of the world, only to come out when absolute necessary. The only time we meet up is online where we feel safe and secure. Gone are the days of personal visits, regular chit chat.

Soon the South African institution of the "Braai" will be gone. Yes it will. Already you can leave presents to someone on Facebook, give them a kiss, send them flowers, poke them, and even Kidnap them on Facebook. Soon you will be able to invite everyone to a "Facebook Braai".

So then, how many hours a day do you spend on Facebook? Do you interact more with your friends on Facebook, or any other Social Network, than you do face to face?.

 

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