Facebook: Friend or Enemy?

[Halle Gitelson]

Facebook is probably one of the most, if not the most, commonly used social networking website. Whether it be for business, finding old friends, or just letting everybody know what you’re doing every moment of the day by posting a status, Facebook is being used. This site has actually changed people’s lives believe it or not! I have seen numerous TV shows where the theme for the day is “Facebook brought me back to my family", as ridiculous as it sounds its true. Facebook is designed to let you search for people over the internet, maybe an old crush from back in high school or a long lost relative, and it allows you to regain contact with them along with the possibility of a new relationship. This site is basically a convenient way to keep in touch with those who you normally wouldn’t converse with in your everyday life.
While all of those sap stories you hear on the Tyra Banks Show about reuniting with a twin sister via Facebook, comes the tragedies. Cyber bullying, rejection, and the ever so popular "creeping, are all major issues that we might have to face when we decide to login into our Facebook accounts. In this day in age, cyber bullying is at an all time high. The things that some kids do to others online is unbelievable, it ranges from posting cruel status, rude picture comments, and insulting wall posts. Let's face it. As teenagers we can be downright mean to each other, and Facebook is providing us with a way to put that negativity out there for everyone to see. Most teenage suicide attempts and successes started with cyber bullying. This site is allowing us to post whatever we have to say about somebody directly on their pictures or wall, without any censoring. Horrible things are said about kids on this website, and sure you can delete a comment, but you can’t take back that person seeing what you wrote. Also, reuniting with somebody over Facebook is a two way street. You can reach out to someone and request them, but in order for a bond to reconnect, they must click accept or reply. What if they don’t want to reconnect or talk to you? Are you willing to feel the pain of rejection? These are questions that should run through your head as you click on “send friend request”. Finally, Facebook has giving us a new favorite past time…creeping. We all do it so don’t even try to deny this fact. Yes, it is fun to look at everyone’s pictures and silly status’, but some people take it to an extreme. This is where stalkers are now born. If your profile isn’t set to private, anybody can look at it…I mean anybody, like someone from Nova Scotia. Everything you put on your profile is out there for anyone to look at, and store onto their computers for use of black mail and fantasy, as gross as that sounds.
Either way you look at it, Facebook has made a huge impact on our society today. In the olden days they would have never had these problems in life, but they also wouldn’t have been able to reconnect with others. Has this site corrupted or helped us in life? Good majorities of you all have Facebooks, so what are your opinions on the topic?

[Justin Park]

I believe Facebook has done more damage than good. Anyone can add you on Facebook and I have heard many people say "Oh I have like, 784 friends on facebook!" I mean thats cool and all for you, but how many of those people do you know? Facebook is bad in the hands of a person who really has no idea what they are doing.

[Duncan Brown]

Cyber bullying strikes me as one of the most ridiculous over blown concerns that Americans have acquired. It is far less severe than actual bullying which may include verbal belittlement or physical abuse and whats more one can choose whether or not they wish to look at the comment. I imagine that some reporter without a good story found some teenager with major self esteem issues in need of help who commit suicide and then by way of scare tactics invented the ludicrous concept of cyberbullying.

[Josh Jyawook]

A lot of future problems can be caused from Facebook, also. One of my cousins had to delete her Facebook while she was interviewing for internships over the summer. It makes sense to delete all of the stuff that you put out there because if you've had your Facebook for a long time, you might not remember what you said and what pictures you're in from a couple years ago. If you have anything bad on your Facebook, potential employers could turn you away. Facebook may be a good thing in some ways, but we should be careful with what we put out there.

[Jack Nebel Jr.]

Facebook has helped me in my life for the most part. It helps me keep in touch with family and friends that I can't see very often in situations where phone calls would be expensive and inconvient. It also helps me remember their birthdays.

The sad thing about all of these crises with creeping and bullying is that not even everyone sets their security settings right. Some people just assume that they are automatically protected from joining the site. Sometimes even apps people use on Facebook are spyware and malware. Then about every week or two there's some problem with someone hacking it. That's why it's a good reason to delete suspicious apps and keep your security settings right.

I also agree the assembly on Facebook was unnecessary and pointless!

[Ben Luke]

It's true that facebook does really bring people together, but the cyber bullying issue is just terrible. The people that run facebook should try to crack down on it. I have heard that schools can look at facebooks and that they have stopped a couple cyber bullying issues, but I think it's ridiculous that if I set all my things to private, that the administrators at Fremd can still see my stuff. I think that that should be illegal, and that the founders of facebook should crack down on the cyber bullying, not the schools.

[Emma Nielsen]

I think of Facebook as a way to reconnect, get jobs, help people through tough situations. If you use your Facebook then you should know what to put on private and what not even to put Facebook. That's basically what people need to control.
Facebook should have more options to what can be seen and what can't be seen by certain people.
So, all in all i think Facebook is good but also needs some fixes. It draws people in with how many people have it and I think if people didn't have Facebook or Myspace then this world would be a lot different.

[Won Jun Choi]

YES! I TOTALLY agree on your fact that facebook is one of the most commonly used social networking website in the world! It is interesting to hear how some teachers around US tutor students how to use the website 'properly'... RIDICULOUS!! Facebook has made a huge impact on our society today like you said, and they would have never had these kind of problems if they didn't use facebook that much, but they also wouldn’t have been able to reconnect with others. this kind of social website has corrupted in our life. And I observed many bickering and fighting between my friends too, so I'm going to say that facebook is an enemy to our society, but useful in some way :D.