‘Facebook, Facebook on the Wall; Who is the Happiest of Them All?’

Facebook has been around since 2004. Since then, it has created several opportunities to a lot of people. Everyone has gained something from it, right?. Yet, it has been surrounded with controversy and has been blamed for negative self-esteem, or lack thereof. So, does Facebook really care about it?. In some ways, yes. But, should they be held accountable for a person’s lack of self-esteem? I don’t quite think so.

First of all, what is Facebook? According to their website, “It is a social utility that connects people,” which they are. Facebook also states, “It’s free and always will be,” and they have stayed true to that as well, from the time they have launched it about eight years ago. So, why are we still unhappy about Facebook?. They have allowed us to get connected with other people all over the world for free, and yet, they are still the bad guy at the end of the day?. I don’t feel sorry that they are being bombarded with all negative publicities, after all, they are laughing all the way to the bank every single day. But one thing that gets me is that some people have given up their accountability on their end of the table. Facebook is not a one-way street, just like anything in life, in order for something to work, relationship and all, it has to be on a two-way street.

So, what are the things that you should understand about your Facebook account?

Evaluate yourself and understand what you are getting yourself into. Facebook should not be held accountable for anybody’s emotions. They are just a “social utility.” They allow people to connect for free. They should not be held liable for emotional investments on your part. One thing they are is a business looking for financial gains, not from us, but from their “advertisement” partners. We are their product. Yes, they like to give us an account for free, in return, they give their advertising partners everything of what we like. Every time we “like” something on our Facebook account, that gives their advertising partners an idea of what we like, then they just “magically appear” on the right tab of our accounts. You click any of these, they gain.

Know your privacy settings. Back in 2004, Facebook’s privacy settings were horrible. Several years went by (and thousands of complaints later), they have finally somewhat perfected their craft and has become better with their privacy settings. If you are a private person that is just looking to connect with a selected few, then you must learn how to use your privacy settings before you started posting photos that you think are not meant to be seen by the public. There has been several occasions in the past, where people got in trouble professionally because of the photos that floated all over the internet from their Facebook account. With Facebook’s new privacy settings, you and you alone should be held accountable for your photos.

Clicking the “Add Friend” button. First and foremost, you have to be true to yourself. Not all of us have over 150 friends, according to Psychology Today t hing more than 150 is merely your acquaintances . Facebook allows you to group the people you have as close friends, friends, family or acquaintances, too. So, the next time, you have the urge to add someone as a friend, think twice. Better yet, just learn to group them accordingly. If you just need followers, try Tweeter instead.

Type Responsibly. Don’t be a passive-aggresive person that hides behind a Facebook account to say something awful about another person. If you have nothing better to type, just don’ t type it at all. If you have something personal that you need to talk to about with a Facebook friend, then send your message privately, that’s if you are really a friend. Otherwise, if you just want to spread negativity, then you should probably go to Craigslist’s “rants and raves” section.

So, my fellow social networkers, please be advised; Facebook is a social networking business, and just like any other business, it exists for financial reasons and gains, it is all about their “return on investment” goal and that is what they want from their Facebook users. Please do not expect any emotional investment return on their part. We, as human beings, control our emotions, not some social networking websites like Facebook and others. If you think that Facebook is giving you negative emotions, then it is probably time to either quit Facebook or take some time off away from it. Happiness, just like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder. Facebook brings positive emotions and connections to other people, too. Lastly, know when to use it and use it properly, it doesn’t matter what age group you are in, you and you alone can make yourself happy.

So, the next time you open up your Facebook wall, refrain yourself from saying, “Facebook, Facebook on the Wall; Who is the Happiest of Them All?”


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