Social Networking and Privacy

My top two most consistent habits are eating at least two meals and drinking enough liquid to be hydrated. After these comes my checking of Facebook several times a day.

I admit, that was a slight hyperbole, but I cannot deny that Facebook and text messages have become a very important part of my life. On average, I probably only spend about 10 minutes on Facebook per visit, but I check it many times a day, especially when I am expecting an important message. After confessing to all of this, it would make sense if I were the type to embrace the flood of connectivity that has come to define our generation. However, this is not necessarily the case.

The advantages of social networking media are difficult to deny. They not only help friends coordinate and interact on a more regular basis, but, as I have seen in the past, they have the potential to reunite lost family members and other such important things. These sorts of advantages make the use of social networking media an important part of living a social life, yet I believe it is important to acknowledge the disadvantages of its use. While this may not be apparent to some, in using social networking media, one is essentially voluntarily making their private information into public domain. Even with the increasingly better privacy settings of websites such as Facebook, there are still ways that one can have their private information taken from them while using these media. I am referring to the sale of one's preferences to advertisers. This does not adversely affect the average person on a normal day, but I cannot help but feel a little uneasy about the potential such information could have. That fear of mine is intangible at this point, so I cannot say that it really effects my views of social media. There is one thing, however, that does.

As a cyclist, I am able to see a lot of our campus quickly. One thing I have noticed in particular is the large amount of time that people seem to be using their phones to send text messages. Our generation seems to be intent on constantly checking our phones, updating our Facebook statuses, et cetera. It is not our fault. We have been socialized into acting this way. But I cannot help but feel that we have become like zombies, wandering from place to place, not enjoying our surroundings or appreciating our lives. Instead, we are too busy waiting to see when we will get our next message.

Perhaps I am overreacting. It is very possible that my limited observation skills are not giving me an accurate portrait of my peers. Yet I cannot help but wonder, are we becoming more separated from our surroundings by diving into a digital world? I do not the answer, but perhaps it is best that way. I may not be satisfied with the reality.