You've Got Mail

So I’m sure you’ve all heard of the networking websites known as Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter. In the last 5 years or so they have swept the nation, connecting millions all over the world. Starting out with teen and young adults, these websites have made their way to the fingertips of all adults, yes, even my mother has a Facebook. You would probably have to live under a rock to not know what these websites are but just for an overview, they are a place to update a personal profile with pictures and a “status” letting you’re friends know what you are currently doing. They have become a source of networking for businesses and colleagues. Teens have a tendency to be on their profile for hours, talking to friends, looking at pictures, and meeting new people. I can’t help but notice that society’s relationships with one another are becoming less and less real and tangible but more electronic with text messages, e-mail, and websites like Twitter and Facebook.

For instance, two days ago there was an earthquake and I happened to be on Facebook when it occurred. After earth stopped shaking, in a matter of 5 minutes I watched my “Online Friends” numbers go from around 75 people to 136. And within 2 minutes after that a ridiculous amount of people put up a status saying something about the earthquake, as if we didn’t feel the earth rumbling beneath us? The website even froze because there was so many people on at once trying to “Facebook Chat” with one another to discuss the events that just occurred. So what happens when face-to-face contact is eliminated and technology takes over as the main means of human communication? The intimacy is abolished is our day-to-day relationships.

Everyone has one, including myself, but it just amazes me how consumed we are by a website on the computer screen. In fact, I’m currently in the library and my friend next to me just said, “wow, I should be studying but I’m on Facebook instead, don’t you hate when that happens?” I have definitely been a victim of getting on Facebook and next thing I know its an hour later and I have gotten absolutely nothing done but view different friends’ profiles and pictures.