You Don't Exist if You're Not on a Social Network

[Samurai Goomba]

As information becomes even more easily shared, we will probably end up with some kind of cyber disaster. Imagine the PSN hack applied to Facebook or the Cloud. There are a few advantages to making somebody actually work for that personal info.

I don't use social networking because I don't approve of the privacy policies of the biggest networking sites.

 

[freaper]

I can't wait for anonymous or lulzsec to take down Facebook. THAT, will be hilarious.

As a matter of fact, is Lulzsec even around anymore? Haven't seen any related news lately.

 

[LordFisheh]

I can't wait for anonymous or lulzsec to take down Facebook. THAT, will be hilarious.

As a matter of fact, is Lulzsec even around anymore? Haven't seen any related news lately.

Didn't they officially disband, as they'd apparently only agreed to operate for a few months, make their point and then go back to their lives?

 

[Arafiro]

While most of the people in that article are clearly rather silly, I find it difficult to disagree with the first quote. If you aren't on Facebook, at all, then you quite simply aren't going to have a life. Or at least, you're making it extremely difficult for yourself for no good reason. It simply isn't possible to do things without Facebook, and if you (upon being asked for your Facebook) reply that you do not have a profile, that's an instant question mark in the head of the asker regarding what you have to hide and what is wrong with you enough that you wouldn't have a Facebook.

I can't think of a single person without a Facebook profile. If I met someone who did not, I'd question whether they had something quite wrong with them socially.

I'm 19, by the way, so not in school anymore. If anything my post has become more true since I left school.

 

[smithy_2045]

Although we may be a bit hypocritical, it's still very unhealthy. Hell, sitting down's unhealthy. Human beings are designed to be hunter/gatherers and to be active, not sitting down for most of the time. Yes, it would be impractical and impossible to change this completely, but maybe if we change and encourage these girls to change a bit on a day to day basis, like taking walks or biking or whatever, then maybe it'll be better. Don't kill it, that's too extreme, but don't support it either. Take a passive and calm approach to it. It'll make the world better.

Yes, it's unhealthy to be spending all of your time on facebook. But most people don't. Used correctly, facebook can only enhance your social life. The few who let it consume their life do not detract from the value of it as a social tool.

 

[AzureRaven]

-snip-

Little harsh isn't? Some people just don't want to arse with it. I had a facebook, and after years of it really doing me no good at all I ditched mine. And I'm perfectly fine without it. If people really want to talk to me there are other ways to get a hold of me. It's just a matter of personal preference really. I'd rather not deal with checking what everyone is up to constantly, or being expected to check every app invite, group invite, random message, random wall post, status update...GAH. I have email, and MSN. It works fine. And it's way simpler.

 

[chiMmy]

Shouldn't it be more like this;
"If you are online, you don't have a life, you don't really exist."

Because that's what I heard a few years back and why would that have changed?

*gulp*

You know there are these other things you can do instead? Like meeting them in person and talk or use a phone.

Sure facebook can be good if you're planning an event and don't want to make 50 calls, but there is a world outside.

Moderation is good, that is all.

 

[Arafiro]

-snip-

I have email, and MSN.

Nobody I know uses those anymore. At all.

Perhaps this is the reason for our difference of opinion over Facebook.

Anyway, based on what I've observed, if people don't have a Facebook then others aren't going to make a huge effort to try and contact them in other ways.

 

[putowtin]

I don't exist!
WooHoo!

 

[AzureRaven]

Nobody I know uses those anymore. At all.

Perhaps this is the reason for our difference of opinion over Facebook.

Anyway, based on what I've observed, if people don't have a Facebook then others aren't going to make a huge effort to try and contact them in other ways.

I still know tons of people with MSN, fairly common. As for email, not many may use it directly, but texting is fairly common, and since you can send texts to email addresses, it stays more convenient than you might think.

I will have to agree that some won't bother if you're not on facebook. And indeed I may be a cynical bastard for thinking this, but if they want me to have a facebook just to talk and refuse to otherwise, even knowing that I have no love for the site...then they probably don't care enough to really want to talk to me anyway. I have no illusions that it's not the best view to have, but it hasn't harmed my life any at all, so I'm not losing sleep over it.

 

[artanis_neravar]

"There's more 'life' happening online than offline. If you are not online, you are completely out of the loop--you don't have a life, you don't really exist."

27 here and I can totally agree with the bold part, at least for my life.

While you may miss out on some stuff, at least you're here, at least YOU EXIST.

I disagree, one of my best friends from high school doesn't have an online presence at all, and I mean nothing a Google search turns up a page she never filled out for her college and a page about the scholarships we got in high school. Nothing else, nothing about graduating no news about anything at all, as far as I know she could not exist at all anymore.

 

[Craorach]

Nobody I know uses those anymore. At all.

Perhaps this is the reason for our difference of opinion over Facebook.

Anyway, based on what I've observed, if people don't have a Facebook then others aren't going to make a huge effort to try and contact them in other ways.

This is the problem I have with things like Facebook.. and even texting to an extent.

Why do we all suddenly need to be in each others pockets all the time?

Previous generations have had friends, and family, people they really enjoy spending time with.. but they don't need to know what is going on in their lives every minute of every day. They don't need to be constantly contacted, or contactable.

They might have regular events they go to together. My friends and I, for example, have a semi regular BBQ on a sunday or an evening.. but we don't feel the need to constantly chat outside of that, we leave the catching up for the event.

A former workmate of mine complained that another workmate wasn't answering her texts... I looked at the time and said "Well, no duh, she's at home.. with her husband and kids, it's dinner time"... the response was just.. "so? she can text at the table"

Really? this is the mindset.. that we need to be constantly "connected" if we are friends?

 

[Zarmi]

99% of all teens are stupid as shit. Just look around you in a normal day.
/thread

 

[justacop]

I'm a teen and I don't use Facebook because I don't agree with it's privacy policies . I also find it incredible boring and it seems the majority of people who use it obsess over it and I consider them to have no life. However I do use the internet a bunch, but not to snoop about in other peoples business or tell people exactly what it is I am doing every 5 minutes in the day.
Offline I believe I have a great social life. Also if people don't want to bother contacting me in any other way than facebook then why would I want them to contact me?

 

[iLazy]

Heheh, now I really want someone to take down facebook for a day. Oh the lives that will be "ruined".

OT:

I'm annoyed and disappointed. I'll admit, I spend a lot of time on the internet but holy shit I don't get depressed when someone doesn't "like" my stuff. Seriously children. GO OUTSIDE. Take up a hobby, read a book, go cliff diving, I don't know just go experience life. It's way more thrilling then the internet.

Then again 13-15 year olds are still trying to find who they are, so give'em another 3-10 years. If they haven't changed their opinion by then, they can rot.

 

[chuckey]

I'm a teen and I don't use Facebook because I don't agree with it's privacy policies . I also find it incredible boring and it seems the majority of people who use it obsess over it and I consider them to have no life. However I do use the internet a bunch, but not to snoop about in other peoples business or tell people exactly what it is I am doing every 5 minutes in the day.
Offline I believe I have a great social life. Also if people don't want to bother contacting me in any other way than facebook then why would I want them to contact me?

I agree entirely with you. This is/was my thought process during my whole time on facebook. I deleted mine a few weeks ago. I had 460+ friends but I only really talk to about 18 or so and those same friends would also either text me or call me to hang out. Also the privacy on facebook is awful. All it could take is just one friend and one tag and shit hits the fan. I got incredibly bored of it. I stopped using it for about 3 months before I just deleted it. I am starting college in a few days so we'll see if I NEED to use it again.

 

[teisjm]

1) delete facebook account, thereby ceasing to exist
2) rob a bank
3) re-create account, come into existence, plead not guilty, since you couldn't have robbed a bank when you didn't even exist
4) PROFIT!!!!

Who would've thought it would be kids, who would figure out the missing third step...

 

[Slowpool]

I don't use Facebook because I hate the thought of having my name and face plastered on the internet and being made to feel that I have to tell the world how my life is going. It ain't the worlds goddamn business.

 

[redisforever]

I do keep facebook open in the background on my laptop at school, but that's to talk to my friend on the other side of the class. Only because Steam has been blocked by my school. Usually it's actually about the stuff we're learning.

I saw a girl allowed to use my teachers computer to do work because the other computers were all in use. She sat there, on Facebook, the whole class.

I also use facebook for Tetris. Because it's there.

 

[SilentCom]

If I don't exist then I can't commit crimes. Yay, now I have a free ticket to do some crazy shit.