Facebook: Satisfying My Stalker Tendencies Since 2007

I've silently and verbally heralded the virtues of Facebook (FB), but I've never written about it in my blog (although I've been meaning to) until now.

I first heard about FB in probably 2006 or 2007, when it was primarily a social networking tool for college students. Working in a college, I would often see our student workers logged in, but they would also be really involved with MySpace, and I didn't see much value in either. Soon enough, though, I heard that I should create a FB page in case prospective students would like to connect with me to learn about our graduate programs. So, onto FB I went, and created a professional-looking profile which went on to attract no attention whatsoever. After that, I would check the page maybe once every four months to see if there was any action - there wasn't.

Then something happened: FB exploded! I mean it literally exploded as more people started to create profiles and, for me, FB shifted from a recruiting tool to my own person time capsule. Friends from the past, current friends, long-lost relatives, and co-workers began to "friend" me, and I, in turn, would browse their lists looking for friends to invite to connect.

Young, old, it didn't matter. FB seemed to fill a need (actually, a desire, more than need, I would expect) for people to reconnect with those who knew them as their "former selves." I suspect in many cases, it provided validation and absolution, as in: "See how good I look now? I'm really doing okay..." Whatever the motivation, it doesn't matter. I've heard people call FB "CrackBook" (like the drug) because it's so addicting; and it is!!

Many articles have been written about how older age groups have hijacked FB from the younger generations, and how the young folks will soon be leaving FB and creating a new social network to get away from their parents and the adults who are now gaining on them to make up the biggest demographic of FB users. I say, "Adios! Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"

The advent of technology and the Internet often gets a bad rap because many say it creates a distance between people, and that no one ever communicates "face-to-face" anymore. But, I feel really fortunate to live in a time where I can reestablish relationships with people who were an important part of my younger life. Not to mention staying in touch with those faraway relatives that you only see once every couple of years, if you're lucky. Sure, it's sort of mundane to know that your college buddy has a really important meeting this morning and is then heading to the gym for a workout, but it breeds a certain familiarity that is both engaging and comforting.

Want to see for yourself? Send me a friend request and off you go!