I log on to FB everyday without fail. I check on it on my mobile whenever I'm idle. I like to share any good food / places with my Facebook friends via Foursquare or Foodspotting. Some will say that I don't have a life ..meaning..I don't have anyone to talk to..so the phone, the computer, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, etc are my only companions.
The entire world is caught in the race..catching up with the latest technology, gadgets, social media tools ...the smartest Phone, the thinnest Netbook / Touch Pad, the biggest LCD TV, the fastest Broadband Connection, having the most friends in Facebook, bla bla bla.
At the same time many are also worried about the way human behaviour had evolved in just over a few years. Communication - used to be talking face to face or over the phone or in the form of proper sentences in letters, and then we had Emails at a later stage. When mobile phone, Short Message Services to be specific, came into our world and we started enjoying the wonders having the option of "Not Talking". I do believe that the world's proficiency is verbal and proper written communication skills had dropped tremendously in the last decade. I can't even type a full sentence without having to backspace to correct typo errors nowadays. How did people survive using typewriters..I wonder?
In recent years, Facebook, Twitter and Blogs took the world by storm ~ 'sharing' is the key element in the world of social media nowadays. One post, in the form of a word, sentences, photos, regardless..opens upone's life to tens, hundreds or thousands of people in the network. The understanding of Privacy and Security issues is very important here.
Firstly, think about who reads your updates and postings before you say anything silly or sensitive. For instance, some do not post family photos especially children's in the net..for privacy reasons. It is actually quite easy to copy and paste pictures from the net. E.g.I don't post any photos with friends' faces here in this space ..for obvious reasons..to respect my friends' privacy. But on the other hand, I post all kinds in Facebook :) It's quite a dilemma...how much should we share?
I still like Foursquare. I don't check in into every location...work and home are definitely no no. Only random leisure outings..mainly food related. And I am careful not to over share in Facebook...it can be quite irritating to your friends when you post 5 check ins a day...like anyone care where you had your breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner in a day. Still..I get comments like..:
..wah..u eat all the time??"
..wei..becareful..when you publish your whereabouts..people will be able to track your where abouts..
..why do you bother posting? Don't you have a life..like we care..where you ate?
SHARING.
That's the key word. While I still can't really answer why I like Foursquare..but I think it's largely a matter of sharing. I do have friends who says..it's fun to know about interesting places in such way. For instance, when I saw an eatery called Jojo's Kitchen..I had no reservations about trying it right away cos I know from Foursquare and Facebook that a friend goes there almost every weekend! And based on the positive tips given by others in Foursquare..I know it's worth trying.
My question to you is..why do you bother joining Facebook, for example. To catch up with friends right? To look at photos and whatever that your friends put up..and it's fun to be able to comment there and then, right? Instead of picking up the phone to talk about such petty matters. Or waiting till the next CNY gathering ..to look at photos of last year's CNY? That will be so Duh..
I would say..5 out of 10 do not share much ..but I guarantee that they enjoy looking and reading up on others if not they wouldn't bother joining and logging on!
Privacy and Security is the second key word., Set your settings right. Do not allow strangers to access your accounts. Only allow access to friends and none others. Try not to go into so much personal details.. from home, work, just to be safe. You will never know who has access to your scribbles. Remember Criminal Minds? CSI?
Anyway..with all the recent suicidal cases......people are relating the suicides to the Facebook just because the individuals posted their intention to commit suicide on Facebook. And there were countless cases of Facebook users being cheated by 'friends' whom they met in Facebook. There were also numerous cases of photos being copied and re-used to open fake accounts..etc.
Hence..these social media tools, Facebook especially...had been named a social problem.
Well..to me it is only a tool. Just like when cigarettes was introduced. Didn't we know that cigarrettes are health hazards? Yet....millions are still smoking it after decades.
The internet, movies, TV, Computer games in some ways had some bad influence in shaping the current society...but they have also helped in many great ways.
Work had been so much easier with Google don't you agree?
I know..I'm getting no where with this ...I shall stop here !
To Facebook or not to Facebook. It's all up to you :P
But..if you are against it..don't bother joining or logging on please. And don't creep on other people's pics and postings quietly...that's unethical....hehe.
Hmm..I have this sudden urge to go and remove all those so called 'Friends' who are 'invincible' in Facebook..i.e.those who don't appear to be 'contributing' to the network ..*out you go*
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