Now that almost everyone has a Facebook account, understanding how different people use
it, and how it has changed the way we interact with others in the real world, may lead to a
better understanding of human social nature, and help see the effects Facebook will have on
our lives in the future.
One of the big differences in usage of Facebook is the way it has become an integral part of
some people’s lives and just a toy for others, this could be because of many factors such as
age, access to internet or a user’s outlook on life. Age is a good example as the difference
is easily seen when contrasting elder users with young users; the elderly (if on Facebook at
all) tend to use Facebook in ways that they understand, to send messages and sometimes
upload pictures like a message board, and who spend relatively few hours on Facebook.
Contrast this with many teen users who, with a greater grasp of virtual concepts and more
internet knowhow, spend large amounts of time on Facebook, commenting, sending invites,
creating events, groups and “Facebook stalking”. These users rely heavily on Facebook for
their social lives and lack of access can restrict access to things in real life. An example of
this is my own experience with social events. One of my friends I don’t see often was having
a BBQ, I was invited via Facebook but had never before used the events part of Facebook
so never saw the invitation and missed a supposedly “Killer feed”. Even only a year ago
things would have been different, I would have got a text message regarding the event.
Facebook had a real effect on my life regardless of whether I chose it or not, in a way forcing
me to log on to get access to my own friends.
The move to use Facebook for notification of events is just one of the ways Facebook is
changing how we interact with others. For example Facebook is now the way I communicate
with my friends, when only a year ago I would have been emailing them. If I take photos
now, I post the best ones to Facebook because I know my friends are there to view them.
It has given me a new way to interact with my friends and family that I never had before.
The increase in connectivity has opened up access to more social groups and events but at
the same time has come at the cost of human interaction. For example because of the ease
in which I can contact and interact with some friends, I less frequently see them in real life.
Facebook is now so big there would be an outcry were it to disappear or change too
drastically, it is moving to replace many of the social interaction humans have established
in the past and it is important for us understand this so we have some measure of control
over our social networks. Some people may like or dislike these changes, but is a reality of
a future in which we are all connected through the giant that is Facebook.

Nabil Boag