What are your thoughts on Facebook?

[Mary Smith]

I think it's causing a huge reduction in productivity. It's a huge waste of time, which really just appeals to our desire for attention. For the true narcissists it is basically a place where they can entertain the belief that they truly are extremely important. For the narcissist that exists in us all it's our 15 minutes of fame.

It's not only a stupid waste of time, but it is a huge factor in depression, especially among teenagers and young adults. The ability to be selective about what you post means that you have the opportunity to present yourself and your life in the most positive light. This leads to people feeling inadequate about their own lives.

Some people argue that it is great for staying in touch. It's definitely more convenient to organise an event. This is because most people are on facebook, so within 5 minutes you can invite almost everybody you want to your party.

However, the site encourages a very superficial way of staying in contact. Because it isn't quite as personal as an email, a phone call or a face-to-face meeting you have the chance to
a)be more of an asshole
b) be more selective about what you write for fear of other people seeing it on your wall and judging you
and
c)develop an internet persona which is very different to how you are in real life. While this may present many an opportunity for shy people who do not have the ability to express themselves in real life, it also gives us a warped perception of other people and ourselves. Sometimes, we may end up more disappointed when we discover a person is not how they've portrayed themselves to be over the internet.

I honestly wish the site had never been created.