Just over three years ago, the only people who knew what I was doing were my close friends and family. Now the whole world progressively seems to be watching you.
Who is responsible for this?
We all are. We post our writing, pictures of friends, family, outings etc for ‘friends to see’. People we probably haven’t seen since the last day of school. Yet we worry ourselves about people stalking us and hacking into our bank details, passwords. We are handing it out on a plate for these people.
Why do we do it?
Well to me it seems that if you are not on facebook, with at least 500 ‘friends’, you’re a nobody, so in some respect it’s peer pressure to be ‘part of it’.
Why do we want so many people to know what we are doing, where we were last night, whether we have just put something in the oven, or been to the toilet. What difference does this make to anybodys life, except maybe a jealous partner?
Contrary to this, i have an account on facebook, i very rarely use any more, and find it slightly amusing now and again to peer at new ‘ i was very drunk last night’ pictures. However we are setting ourselves up for a ‘Big Brother’ style world.
Is this really how we want things to progress??
Something to think about.
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August 12th, 2009 at 8:43 am
August 12th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Well put, we just like to think people are interested in the boring details… liked the big brother eye at the end.
August 12th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Hmm… I rarely use Facebook anymore also… Usually for when I really need to like school sport details or for homework…
great write btw
August 12th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Nice one, Pab.
August 14th, 2009 at 4:19 am
I seldom use Facebook too, only when I’m sharing something or viewing a message. This is very interesting.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:03 am
I’m rarely on Facebook, and I regularly delete people from my “friends” list. It is certainly something to think about, though.
August 31st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Hmmm…it is something to think about. “I am at the MTV awards”, “I have the flu”, “My baby just got her first tooth”- these kinds of comments I have seen on Facebook- but “I just went to the bathroom”??? I would delete that person from my friends list- with extreme prejudice.
I am not on Facebook much (I’m more of a Twitterer), but I think it’s great.
I have more than 20 first cousins- all in college, getting married or working- this is a free way for us to talk, show pictures and keep in touch.
*You* are fully in charge of how much information you reveal and when you reveal it. Big Brother doesn’t give you those kinds of options.
What a fascinating article- great topic!
August 31st, 2009 at 8:32 pm
thanks for your inputs.
September 1st, 2009 at 3:25 am
Very interesting Pauline – they’ve gone one step further now and invented DEATHBOOK
September 1st, 2009 at 6:27 am
Well, well, well…
It seems that these days you don’t need no Shewstone of Doctor Dee anymore to see what people are doing, everywhere & all the time!
September 8th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Guess I’m a nobody
I agree though, people are far too open online.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:23 am
You raise some interesting points. Big Brother is watching but we are the ones who are leaving the windows open!
September 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
certainly makes me think twice about what I post online.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
September 9th, 2009 at 1:11 am
The sad thing is most stuff on facebook is probably never looked at by anyone but the author. Good Article as always Pablina! Im checking your page out soon. : )
September 9th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Good take Pablina–on a dangerous web, if not used very carefully.
Good article— I hate reality t.v. too.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Good article. Facebook? People jabbering on without ever saying anything.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:14 am
The “eye’ has it; You never know who is watching these days. Noww, I dress up and comb my hair BEFORE I go the bathroom.
September 14th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
This seems to be a large over reaction to it. There is only as much data on facebook as you decide to post. I admit that I sometimes enjoy hearing what my group of family and friends are up to (within reason, I admit) and when I don’t want to, I don’t read it.
Your comparison to banking information is way off base. Most people do not have enough public info to steal their identity which is the main reason to protect your bank info.