Facebook: pros and cons

S

swatiraohnlu

Swati Rao
The Good

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Connecting with those who live far away. In the society we live in today, our relatives aren't a mere stone's throw away. They could be in different states, different countries, and sites like Facebook provide a great way to keep in touch with loved ones who are far away. Of course, there is always email too, but there's something about Facebook that allows for ultimate understanding of what's going on in someone's life. The pictures, the status updates, the postings all render a better picture of what's going on. For this reason, Facebook really is an amazing tool when it comes to keeping in touch.
* More social interaction. For those who are less than super-social (um, like me), Facebook and other social media sites provide a great way to integrate more social interaction in their lives. Social interaction is key for human happiness; after all, we're designed to be social creatures. So, for those not as keen on the face-to-face stuff, Facebook provides an alternative way to get a daily dose of being social. And, for those who are super busy, Facebook is a great way to add some social interaction to a day that might otherwise not allow for it.
 
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Keeping up-to-date on friends' lives. You might live only a few blocks away from your best friend, but life can get pretty hectic sometimes and it can be really hard to keep track of it all. Facebook allows you to stay up-to-date on whatever's going on with your besties without having to talk to them or see them every single day. Useful? Yes. Absolutely necessary? Probably not. While it might be nice to know that your best bud just saw an awesome concert last night, it's probably not a vital piece of information. That being said, it can still be a good way to keep current on what's going on with those you care about.
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Opportunity to meet new people. Social networks like Facebook provide opportunities for you and others to meet new people, which can be a really great thing. By making new connections, you're not only being the social creature you've been designed to be, but you're also broadening your horizons and (hopefully) learning new things about yourself and the world. Meeting new people can be incredibly difficult, even if you're an extremely outgoing person, and Facebook is a great way to make connections -- and to do so with a little more background information about the person. You instantly have an opportunity to see what you have in common and to understand that person on another (albeit potentially superficial) level, making Facebook a great tool for making friends.
 
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Ability to create large social network. There are plenty of people you probably would never call up and have a chat with, but you find them situated nicely among you friends on Facebook. This is one of the great beauties of Facebook; you can create a large social network without having to put in tons of face (or phone) time. Not only does this save a ton of time, but it also allows you to stay in touch with people who may be able to help you in the future. No matter what your needs might be -- a used couch, a job change, or a last minute idea -- if you have a large enough network on Facebook, there's probably someone who can help you out. Regardless of your age or interests, Facebook is an excellent networking tool.
# Lots of great resources and information. Of course, you can always find information online, but sometimes there is information out there that you might not even know you are looking for and, on Facebook, it may present itself to you. On Facebook, you keep in touch with your friends and family and they might post some information or links that really interest you -- information you might otherwise have been unaware of. And it's all there, all in one spot, a tool to learn not only more about your friends and family, but also about the world of your social network. You can gain great understanding of those you surround yourself with (and, indirectly, of yourself) if you take a look at what's being posted on Facebook.
 
The Bad

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Connecting with those you don't really need to. It seems to me that most people have a lot of friends on Facebook. Hundreds. Thousands, in some cases. And it makes me wonder: do you really need to have all of those connections? Sure, some of them are important and some are useful, but aren't some of them just a waste of time? I really believe it's a huge plus to be able to keep in touch with those that live far away, but I don't see much value in keeping up-to-date on a some guy you met in a bar. And never saw again. I'm sure there are many people out there who socialize only with close friends and family, but, for some, Facebook can be an endless string of information about people that don't matter.
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Less face-to-face social interaction. Above I mentioned that there's great value in the level of Facebook-based social interaction. It allows people who otherwise might not socialize or who are too busy to socialize often to get their fill of social interaction. However, it really can take away from the amount of face-to-face interaction one has in his or her life. Facebook can sometimes serve as an excuse not to see someone in person, since you're already up-to-date on his or her life. Without the absolute need to go out and interact with friends and family, it's possible that Facebook may take the place of all social interaction for some, which is definitely not a good thing.
 
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Keeping up-to-date on your exes' lives. When discussing the positive aspects of Facebook, I talked about how great it was to keep up with your friends' lives. However, there's a flip side to this coin: you also have the privilege of keeping up to date on everyone else's lives, including your exes and enemies (if you have any). From what I've seen, this is the absolute downfall of Facebook for many people. It is a serious problem when people keep track of their exes, checking their statuses and knowing way more about them than is healthy or acceptable. I've seen some pretty heavy heartaches as a result of checking Facebook, and, for that reason, I have to say that this is a big negative when it comes to thinking about how the site affects lives.
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Opportunity to lose all privacy. Facebook offers the opportunity to meet new people -- and connect with old friends -- but it also offers you the lovely opportunity to take your privacy and throw it out the window. Yes, I know there are settings and Facebook does work on creating the most privacy for those that want it, but, no matter what, information about you is still available on the internet and even if only your very best, best friend is allowed to see it, there's still a chance that someone, somehow, will see it too. Some people are very careful with what they put online and I'm sure they have nothing to be private about...but others... well, there are plenty of people who have suffered from a lack of privacy due to Facebook and that makes it a really hard site to want to be a part of.
 
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Potential to be addictive. Now, if we're honest, we all have our addictions. For some, it's ice cream or crack or cigarettes. For others, it's the internet. And, for those who like to get really specific with their addictions, it's Facebook. I wouldn't be surprised if there are already self-help groups for Facebookers, because there are some people who are seriously, detrimentally into it. They cannot get enough and find themselves checking it constantly, updating themselves on the statuses of people they probably don't care all that much about. It might sound silly, but Facebook and other social media sites absolutely have the potential to be addictive. If one is prone to this type of addiction, creating a Facebook account is just like playing with fire -- there's a serious risk involved and the effects could be dangerous.
# Overload of information. As great as Facebook is for information (there's tons of it!), there can definitely be too much of a good thing when it comes to checking up on the status and posting of others. In addition to all of the information you can gather about friends and family, there's also all of the links they post and tidbits of info they share via Facebook. It can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you choose to filter the information. For many, it can be extremely overwhelming and it's difficult to determine what's useful and what's not. Less is more when it comes to online information, and Facebook certainly isn't providing less.
 
This is really very good discussion.Facebook have many good effects on students, as there are many cons are also present.As above told.In our class we had this discussion,i can add some of these points from my side. This is global topic for debate. Thanks for your views.








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Punjab college
 
Well, well done Swati. Really that was a very vary useful thread by you. You have covered many aspects of the facebook. Just to add to this discussion I would like to add one of the most increasing uses of facebook. Now a days it has become a great platform for advertising and I think its better than google coz unlike google your ad on facebook does not seem to have lost on the sea of posts. So, this also seems to be platform to put up ads for the right people and get the expected viewers of the ads which doesn't happen in case of google. So, this also quite a benefit, especially for SMEs which can not put a great budget for advertising.
 
Pros :
You find your lost friends over there.. whom you haven't met from years....

Easy to Navigate

Users can create their own apps..

Cons :
Privacy not at its best.

Marketers spoils friendly environment.

Now you wont find strangers to become friend of your but just to be in your list

People search can be more advanced

here are some from my side.. :)
 
anjalicutek said:
Pros :
You find your lost friends over there.. whom you haven't met from years....

Easy to Navigate

Users can create their own apps..

Cons :
Privacy not at its best.

Marketers spoils friendly environment.

Now you wont find strangers to become friend of your but just to be in your list

People search can be more advanced

here are some from my side.. :)
Click to expand...

It really depends on us as to whether the people in our list are just meant to be there or we actually move a step forward to make friendly relations with them. Still people are using FB as a tool for making new friends, may be in our nation people are not that extrovert online but it is not the same abroad. FB can also be seen as a tool which provides information. You can actually take help from the people in your list rather than just keeping them there. This can eventually be the most reliable source of information. So, it really depends on us as to how we use the tool.

And to talk about marketing, we can just ignore them; but sometimes we may find really useful pages as well. Such as pages for competitive exams such as CAT, GMAT, GRE etc. So, these provide a forum, a platform where like minded people where we can share knowledge for the benefit of all....:))
 
FACEBOOK
PROS
-clear and easy to use
-lil smaller community, making it more bound to friends and family only
-targets (usualy) college students and adults
-MUCH less risk of viruses or loading unwanted programs
-good history source, telling people whats going on
-Facebook CHAT which has really innovated facebook
CONS
-less entertaining, somewhat more boring
-can not to changed as much as myspace
-interface is not as amazing
 
The good news about Facebook is it has 400 million users and counting, nearly half of whom engage on the site daily. It is the strongest social media platform online today. If users like your brand, they are likely to fan your page if you actively request their friendship. If you are diligent in keeping your Facebook fan page updated with fresh content, fans will also see that content through their feeds, giving them opportunities to engage and develop a bond with your brand. This should NOT be discounted. Consider Facebook as a leading portal for personalized customer service and public relations. Building trust and credibility is essential to creating a long-term stable business and Facebook provides you a FREE outlet for expanding your brand.
 
THE CONS OF FB:
You will get bombarded with unwanted friend requests from many unknown people.
Your pictures could be misused.
You will waste many hours because Facebook is addictive for most people.
 
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