Facebook for Me

Why Facebook?

            The ‘correct’ answers to this question depend on each individual, and I am pretty sure that they can add up to thousands depending on which defining qualities a person is fond of. Some might think of it as a good way to keep in touch with their high school mates. Some might see it as a way to find a group of people with the same interest, to hook up with someone nearby, to gain attention from the public, or as simply as because everyone does it. As a social network, Facebook does an incredible job, beating other previous popular sites like Hi5. For me, Facebook initially started off as a way to keep in touch with my family. However, my definition of it gradually changed, and have become something entirely different in the recent years.

Back in 2009 I decided to spend one year away from home as an exchange student, and my country of choice is the United States. Back then, my only known way of synchronous communication (apart from phones of course) was MSN, which I was never really into it and my folks back home found it too complicated. My aunt, seemingly the most technologically-aware among all of us, then suggested Facebook. Facebook back then was nothing like today; as I can remember, there was only a wall post and that’s pretty much it, not even a chat box. I reluctantly registered an account, one for myself and one for my parents. This way, my aunt said, my parents could leave any words they have for me and I can log in, read it and response when I have time. I was not paying too much attention back then, because apart from gaming I was not using computers for anything else.

However, after I spent some time in the United States, my opinion towards Facebook changed tremendously. I don’t know if it’s a hype or not, but it seems like every single one in my high school has a Facebook, even teachers. After that I become more concerned about my identity on Facebook. I crafted my profile page quite carefully, and I spent time to choose pictures to upload rather than shove in a whole album of 200 pictures like I used to do. (My purpose back then was just to share them with my folks back home) When I got back to Thailand, I became an avid Facebook user, at least in my sense.

Facebook then grew strong and steady after that. As of now, I don’t frequently update a status anymore. Instead, I spent my time gradually receiving and digesting events that happen around me and especially back home in Thailand. Pages and interest groups now become a new thing for me to explore, and there always are interesting stuffs which I can comment and discuss on. Facebook, if used right, can maintain a certain level of privacy when commenting, resulting in a relatively respectful posts and comments because the public still know who you are. This aspect of Facebook also prevents users from total deindividuation, a phenomenon in which the individuals are consumed by the group, and polarization of their opinions. I believe Facebook can be a great place of discussion, along with its main purpose: to connect you with your friends as well as the world.