does facebook make us anti-social?

[chrisdina]

what do you think, does facebook make us anti-social? because many people who no longer much talk with friends beside them, due to busy interact (chat, fill the wall, send messages, etc.) with people who are far away from them .....

[seanstevens]

I would say it depends on the individual. I live in a different country from the majority of my family and friends and facebook allows me to keep in touch and gives me a feeling of still being involved from a social perspective where otherwise I would not be. I know a few people who in the past have talked to each other via facebook whilst being in the same building and that is just wrong. Facebook is just a website and cannot make people something that they are already not, it just magnifies what is already in your character.

[Fergal]

A lot probably depends on the individual and how they use FaceBook. In some ways FaceBook has made me more sociable, because I got in contact with some old friends that I hadn't spoken to in years. But the truth is that I don't spend that much time on FaceBook. FaceBook does make some people less social because they spend a lot of time on it and less time with their friends in the real world.

[eddane]

Facebook is great for contacting old friends. At uni we used the event A LOT for arraning events - if you weren't on facebook you wern't invited!

Ed

[Elomelo]

Not anti social. It is making up robotic. I know many people who pass whole day with facebook. It is waste of time and energy.

[GekiDan]

Facebook is a social networking site so how come it makes people anti-social? :D
The only problem with these sites is people tend to spend alot of time online than in real life.

[Fergal]

I was tidying up and sorting some of my old paperwork and files last night. I came across lots of old hand written letters that I had received from friends and family over the years - most of them written in the 90's. I have loads of them, some from very close friends and family but also others from people that I had known, but in honesty was never really very close to.

These letters have a lot of sentimental value and I will keep them all. As I say most of these were sent in the 90's and I don't think I've received a hand written letter since the year 2000. The fact that it is so easy to communicate over the Internet and that telephone calls are much cheaper, means that no one writes any more. It's a little sad in a way, I know I won't be looking at old emails or FaceBook messages in ten years' time and having fond memories of when I received them. But in ten years' from now, I'll still have those handwritten letters.

[madringo]

I was tidying up and sorting some of my old paperwork and files last night. I came across lots of old hand written letters that I had received from friends and family over the years - most of them written in the 90's. I have loads of them, some from very close friends and family but also others from people that I had known, but in honesty was never really very close to.

These letters have a lot of sentimental value and I will keep them all. As I say most of these were sent in the 90's and I don't think I've received a hand written letter since the year 2000. The fact that it is so easy to communicate over the Internet and that telephone calls are much cheaper, means that no one writes any more. It's a little sad in a way, I know I won't be looking at old emails or FaceBook messages in ten years' time and having fond memories of when I received them. But in ten years' from now, I'll still have those handwritten letters.The personal aspect of correspondence has left with the implementation of faster more efficient methods of communication, I think it is for the better. Fortunately I still get handwritten letters from my Grandmother, who takes great pride and care in carefully writing and constructing a letter.

[Fergal]

That's great madringo, I'm happy to hear that there are still people who write and post letters. I'm afraid I don't do it myself. Maybe I should get myself a pen pal.

When new methods of communication come out, there are often suggestions that they reduce the intimacy of our communication. I read before that one of the great philosophers (I believe it was Socrates) didn't approve of reading and writing when it first became popular. It was his belief that it reduced face to face conversation.

[GekiDan]

Handwritten letters are far more memorable and sentimental than emails. Why?
It took time for it to write. And as the letter goes long, it you will definitely feel the writer's emotions gushing through the words of the letter. While on emails, since it is instant, most of the time, emails are short. Thus, consist of little to no feelings (while writing) at all.

[simplyjo]

I believe that facebook makes us more social. I see upteen event invities and so on there. Just a small example - the other day, my facebook status read, I am bored - wanna party - Guess what ? Few of my friends were in the same mood and right there on FB, we planned it all and went out in 30 mins. So, instant party plans and social events increase with connectivity to friends.

[simplyjo]

I used to have 20-30 pen pals across the globe. Those were wonderful times, really. I used to wait for the postman from 1-2 pm - hoping to get at least 1 letter each day.. and when I did get a few, it was a gleeful day. I can never forget the feeling of watching the postman carrying a bundle of colorful letters in my name :) It just rocks ! I am still in touch with few of my pen pals via Facebook..but we all have grown too old and too lazy to start writing again..but snail mail was something different altogether .



That's great madringo, I'm happy to hear that there are still people who write and post letters. I'm afraid I don't do it myself. Maybe I should get myself a pen pal.

When new methods of communication come out, there are often suggestions that they reduce the intimacy of our communication. I read before that one of the great philosophers (I believe it was Socrates) didn't approve of reading and writing when it first became popular. It was his belief that it reduced face to face conversation.

[chrisdina]

facebook make friends that were located far to close, and make friends that were located near to far.

[Fergal]

I believe that facebook makes us more social. I see upteen event invities and so on there. Just a small example - the other day, my facebook status read, I am bored - wanna party - Guess what ? Few of my friends were in the same mood and right there on FB, we planned it all and went out in 30 mins. So, instant party plans and social events increase with connectivity to friends.

That's a great example Jo, I could do with exciting FaceBook friends like you, in my local area :)

[jersfred]

It depends on every individual. In my own opinion, just like the other
community sites, it is just a medium of interacting to our loved ones
who are far away from us. And to keep in touch with them...

[kitty]

I think facebook makes the people more social not anti social.

Thanks

[GekiDan]

I think facebook makes the people more social not anti social.

Thanks
Not really social. Not being social means that he rarely goes out with real friends and even have a good time with the family. I knew a guy who is really addicted to Facebook and I rarely see him go out of their house.

Most people who stay inside the house, because of Facebook, really lacks Vitamin D, the vitamin coming from the sun.

[lelah_jones]

Facebook is great for contacting old friends..

[Fergal]

Facebook is great for contacting old friends..

Very true, I've re-connected with lots of people that I worked with in the past, but haven't heard from in years, through Facebook.

[GeneralOJB]

No, it gives people like me great information.

[johndale]

Nope it's not anti-social. It binds us all whether you're in other country or other place. It makes us feel that we are just right infront of our friends or loved ones.