11 years into FB, I still think it is a wonderful social media platform
Feb 20th 2022 5 min read
Of the many social media platforms available, I am most familiar with Facebook (FB)and I started in 2011 when I documented my trips to share with my friends.
I found it enjoyable for many reasons
1) Sharing with friends
1 One could have free storage of photos which I could set to share with friends only or public. It elicited active and positive responses from my friends who also shared with me their travel experiences.
3 Those photos are still there in all their glory today while my older photos which were printed before I was interested in FB had yellowed or went missing.
4 The postings on FB also initiated my interest in photography and its intricacies such as composing a photo before snapping, getting the best views, and even night shots. I also picked up editing pictures to enhance them.
5 Due to the power of FB and its ubiquity, I managed to connect again with old friends from my school days and we had gatherings that were very meaningful, renewing happy times.
2) Instant information and help
1 Among friends, when you want to ask for details, you may get a fast response and I found that helpful. Friends can be helpful to give you information and contacts of people who are proficient in certain matters.
For instance, when I needed a good plumber or electrician, I would approach my network by posting my request, “ Hey, anyone has a good plumber to recommend?”. Almost instantly, I get at least two responses.
FB has been known to be successfully used to crowd-fund ie to raise funds by people for a reason and the amount was impressive. The onus is on the donors to decipher if the request is genuine.
2 FB is also a good mouthpiece for any start-up business as it gives visibility depending on the number of likes and shares. When I had useful stuff which I felt may be needed by others(likewise for my friends), we would post on FB so that arrangements can be made to pick them up. Similarly, if there is something we want to sell that is quite valuable and one prefers a friend to buy it, one never feels awkward to ask friends on FB.
3 Instant link to registration. Many websites are linked to FB and it helps to be a FB user as it facilitates registration. It means just one FB password is needed and registration for courses is speedy.
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Facebook started to evolve over the years.
As time went on, FB started to change. I began to reduce my participation in FB for the following reasons.
1 The incoming feed of news became a mixed bag with information coming from everywhere. You receive postings from unsolicited people, from advertisements hankering to sell you something, and postings that were just frivolous. Personal space has been invaded.
There is also fake news posted by some users which if you circulate, you need to apologize for it later.
2 I started to hear from a few friends whose accounts were compromised. There were postings that were not theirs but their profiles were duplicated and misused. One friend was said to have posted for financial help stranded in another country when she was right at home. I called her and she said she was not aware.
I also saw my profile photo on a dating app. Though I felt bamboozled and puzzled, I simply dismissed it with some amusement. Why would people want to put a senior like me on a dating app?
3 Sometimes, negative effects of FB interaction streamed in. When there was a scandalous incident that was posted on FB, some people started to give comments that were hurting without understanding the situation and regards for others’ feelings. Some even resort to online bullying, personal attacks, and threats. And to have it like thousands of times means that your problem becomes magnified many times.
But of course, there were congratulatory messages for some friends and we were inspired by their achievements.
4 FB may encourage crime and this is due to some users and not the platform. –Like emails and other platforms, you may be lured into a landing page that installs malware on your computer and then steals your credentials. The user should be more discerning.
It could be some contest that encourages you to sign up and inadvertently, you have released some personal details like your email addresses, home address, and mobile no. That may lead to more spam and scams.
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Steps to navigate FB safely
1. Minimize risk by declining friend requests from strangers. The latter may use your platform to gain insight into other friends’ personal data. This may annoy your friends and provide an opportunity to intrude into others’ privacy.
2. Be thoughtful about what you share online as they may come back and haunt you one day. Anything that makes a person’s character questionable may be used against him or her with FB’s evidence.
3. Beware of links — hover your mouse over the URL to see its true destination. Some sites have no security, some are fakes.
4. Don’t post in real-time when overseas as this indicates that you are not home and you may have set yourself for a potential burglary. It is best to wait a few days or when you are home before sharing content.
In summary, I am still a FB user and enjoying my interaction with friends. I still look at the occasional feed in FB out of curiosity and also for instant news as they do reach one faster than the main media.
FB can be useful. Some postings are very commendable and have practical applications. However, It is important to allow oneself a predetermined amount of time for its use as it can be a real-time stealer when one’s attention is drawn into the myriad of news. It is of course important to separate the wheat from the chaff as you read on FB.
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