It's a noun - "I checked Facebook before I went to work."
It's a verb - "I'll Facebook you later."
It's an adjective - "We need a Facebook picture!"
It's a social network. It's an obsession.
But honestly, I think it's one of the best things to come out of the internet in a long time.
Aside from having the potential to be a complete time-waster, Facebook brings people together. Since I joined a few years ago, I have been reunited with people I thought I'd never see again. I've rekindled old friendships and built new ones. I saw pictures of myself that I forgot even existed. (Hmmm... maybe that last one isn't such a good thing...)
For me, Facebook's value lies in the sense of community that it offers. If I'm having a bad day, there are people to cheer me up. If I need advice, it only takes seconds to get an opinion. Friends can keep in touch with me from all over the world. It's an amazing thing. Thanks to Facebook, I'm in a bookclub again, we've resurrected Game Night, and many of the plans I've had this month have involved people I haven't seen in years.
Sure... some people share a little TOO much on Facebook. (Do we really need to know how many times your baby pooped today?) And some people use Facebook to bitch and complain every time they update their status. I try to avoid those people.
I like to think of Facebook as my own personal support group. My mom and my cousin were teasing me yesterday, because I like to put the details of my workout as my Facebook status: "I walked 3.5 miles!" I don't think of it as bragging. I think of it as motivation. If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know I've always had trouble making exercise a priority. By putting it on Facebook, I get the support of friends and family, which motivates me to keep going. (I know I should be self-motivated, but I'm not quite there yet. It's a process.)
So... do you Facebook? Is it a way to kill time, or do you actually see some genuine value in it?
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