What does “The Social Network” mean to you?
“The Social Network” has been out for awhile now and most everyone has seen it. It’s been unanimously praised for Sorkin’s script, Fincher’s direction and the performances within so, I’m not going to talk about my thoughts about the film that are, no doubt, less important than the critics who have said the same things before me. Instead, I want to focus on some of the things that the film brings up about the way we interact with each other in the Web 2.0 era and, perhaps, spark a little discussion in the process.
After I saw the film, I asked myself this question: What is the goal of using Facebook? Or rather, what is MY goal for using Facebook?
For Mark Zuckerberg, if you follow the film’s story, it was about creating an exclusive social network and putting the college experience online. For Eduardo Saverin, it was about taking that network and turning into a business for financial gain. But, we are way past that now. Aside from being a BILLION dollar empire, Facebook has been integrated into our daily lives and has become an “essential” part of both our social and professional existence. We connect with our friends and with our past. Organizations use it to raise awareness, businesses use it to find and connect with clients, and artists and musicians use it to develop their fan base.
As I look out over my friends on Facebook, I see a lot of variety in the way that they use it. Many, like me, use it to post bits of daily life they want to share, news about upcoming events, funny videos or interesting articles they’ve come across and to catch a glimpse of friends both near and far. It’s a dialogue that allows you to feel an instant connection to friends (old and new) no matter the distance between you or the time that has passed since last you saw them. A great example of that happened recently when a classmate of mine from high school passed away. Though we are spread out across the country, my classmates and I were able to hear the news that morning and rally around her sister to show our support and send our love, thoughts and prayers in a way that 10 years ago wouldn’t have been possible.
For others, it’s less about them and all about the dialogue. They post interesting questions, articles, news items as a way to start the ball rolling on a discussion. They act as a moderator in a debate happening through the comments section of each post.
For others, it’s more of a monologue than a dialogue. But, let’s be honest, those people aren’t reading this anyway.
So, I ask, what is Facebook for you? Do you have a goal in using it? Or is it simply a way to pass the time at work when nothing else is going on?
P.S. – I don’t use Facebook Places. It creeps me out.
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I am that person who will remember some person from my past –even if it was a fleeting relationship (friendly or romantic) and wonder what they are doing now… So I look them up.
–hoarder??
I have decided that I am a friend collector
For the most part my old Army and HS friends are found by me, added, and then filed away. It’s nice to know that I have found them, know where they are, and can reach out when I want to.
BUT my time mgmt skills are hideous, so that is usually never.
For the most part I find I use it to connect with my home-bound, or otherwise distant friends. The ones I “talk with” the most are my fellow autism parents. These people get me best –and they are all over the globe. So social media is a way for us to find a little empathy and to bounce ideas off each other, b/c we can’t find that anywhere else.
The interwebs and all it’s tubes have found a way to connect like-people over far distance. When I was pregnant with Liam in 04 I found a message board full of moms just like me. We have kept in touch. We get together as much as we can too –which doesn’t seem often enough.
In one way it is fascinating and awesome –instead of finding a handful of local people I can “kind of” relate to, I can find a crap ton of people that are just like me… but then there is the depressing part, I can’t hop in the car to go see them. Online interactions are many things… but they are not human contact.
November 11, 2010 at 7:01 pm