In Praise of Facebook

Facebook is receiving a lot of negative publicity these days - from lawsuits over whose idea it was to fears that it is harming our ability to relate.

I'm not sure what vision the site creators had when they came up with the idea or who they were gearing it towards, but I personally think it's great!

I signed up several years ago - I don't remember why - probably because I'd heard about it and could explore it only as a member. After looking it over, I didn't go back for more than a year. I had no reason to. I wasn't sure how it would ever benefit me.

Only one of my three 20-something-year-old kids is on Facebook.

Why are you on? I ask him.

So that I can see pictures my friends post. That's the only way I get to see pictures of trips they take or weddings. It's an easy way to share stuff.

So instead of losing track of friends, he's actually keeping up with them.

One criticism leveled at Facebook is that it devalues friendship. Having a lot of friends posted on your list becomes more important than having one or two good friends, real people you do things with, not just names and photos you read about online or even send emails to.

Also that people spend too much time emailing strangers, sometimes pretending to be someone they're not.

No one knows the effects of long-term e-relationships - but doesn't one tire of pseudo-friendships eventually?

I like Facebook because it allows for a class-reunion type of relationship without my having to leave home. As more and more people my age sign up, I'm able to reconnect with old friends I've lost touch with. In that respect, I'm not unlike my son.

A few months ago, I was wondering about a friend I'd shared an apartment with in my single days. We had gone our separate ways and lost contact. I knew she had moved to New Zealand, but couldn't find a recent address. After trying unsuccessfully to find her online, I thought of Facebook - why not give it a try? Sure enough, she was there, and we were able to reconnect.

Another cluster of long-lost friends I'm slowly recovering is a group I worked with years ago.

Will I ever see any of these people again, apart from in photos on Facebook? Maybe. Maybe not.

But that's okay.

There is still something satisfying about hearing how people from our past are doing and finding out what they're up to these days.