What would life be without facebook, twitter, etc?

[shallowplastic634]

I remember growing up with the basics- pay phones, hand written letters, and ringing someones doorbell.
I'll admit , I used to use facebook a lot, but feel life has been much more relaxed after I cancelled my account a while a go.
Is our society so reliant on social networking sites , that it's beginning to have a harmful effect on young people today?

[【ⅇMⅈLℽ】]

Unfortunately, it's not the social networking sites that are causing the problems. It's our society's tolerance of a low level of willpower. Facebook and Twitter, and other sites, are useful tools for keeping in touch with colleagues, friends, relatives, students, etc. However, if you abuse them, then stereotypes are going to form.

For example, Farmville. It's a great application - I play it myself. HOWEVER, I don't abuse it. I play it to pass the time - I harvest my crops whenever I stop by Facebook to check updates, usually once a day. Unlike many people today, I don't sit there feverishly awaiting my beloved imaginary farm animals to become "ready" so that I may make another 5,000 imaginary coins to show off to my friends how much time I have on my hands. That's abuse, and a waste of time. Unfortunately, it's one of the top items on most human beings' priority lists nowadays.

Another example - Facebook is often taken way too seriously. People have learned that they don't need to control themselves in society, therefor the behavior gets worse and worse and is looked at as the norm. I've seen many questions in the Singles and Dating category asking whether a couple should break up because one party did not make the relationship "Facebook official." Are you KIDDING me? That and, many relationships BEGIN on Facebook. I much cherished when my boyfriend asked me out on a date - it was in person, in the real world, asked out loud, so that I could hear it. Not written in a private message, or worse, on my wall so that everyone could see it. That's highly immature, not very chivalrous, and honestly, cowardly.

Facebook was actually at first created with the intent of keeping college students together and connected - nowadays it's used as a popularity contest to see who can get to 5,000 friends first, whether or not you actually know them or even know if they're real people. The family options are for organization purposes, not to list every one of your friends as your siblings and parents. Status updates are for letting people know what you're up to, where your life's been going, etc. - NOT for telling everyone that you're going to the bathroom, that you're in the middle of a boring English class, or for posting some completely random, cryptic, irrelevant song lyric.

[LL Cool K]

I think it'd be great! Life is easy and meaningful with little to no social networking sites. I've learned to appreciate a lot of little things that I was missing out on thanks to Facebook.