So, I have gone this week without using Facebook. It was to see what it was like to not use a site that so many of us so use so often. For me, I felt fine without using my Facebook because I am not on it as much. I barely post statuses or pictures. I mainly use my Facebook to see if I have any messages from clubs I am a part of at Rowan or to just see what people are up to by scrolling through my newsfeed. For me, it is a boredom buster or a way to procrastinate on doing my work or something I check before I go to bed. My friends and I use texting and Twitter more to chat, so I don’t expect to see many messages from them. I didn’t let them know that I was going to be gone from Facebook, either, and surprisingly enough not one of them has said anything. I also did not deactivate my account, so my profile is still up. There is just no one behind the profile for a week controlling what it says or does. I don’t post much on Facebook to begin with, so people probably just assumed it was a typical week, but for those that post a lot I could see where friends or family would wonder why they haven’t posted in a while. It is crazy to think that there is just a profile out there with no one controlling it. While I really didn’t mind the week without Facebook, I will say that I am curious about what’s happening. I just want to log on and see what’s happening, which is quite easy to do, but then that would ruin the whole experiment.
You are probably thinking that I am crazy when I say that going on Facebook really didn’t affect me that much this week. It’s true though. While I am curious about what is going on, I have learned there are others ways to find out information or keep in touch with people. Without Facebook, I have been using Twitter a lot more. After this week of exploring Twitter more, I think that it is a powerful social media site that can connect individuals and allow for easier networking than Facebook. In an instant you can follow someone on Twitter, instead of having to request to be someone’s friend. This allows you to begin to compile followers] from around the world. Your followers can be friends, colleagues, or people in your professional field. I think that the last one is important because the more that you network with individuals in your field, the more you can learn and network with them. I have started to search for people that are teachers or in the teaching profession to see what types of things they post. They post tips, quotes, or advice about ideas for the classroom or ways to stay motivated. This shows that teachers can collaborate in ways that go beyond their school, and extend around the world.
While Facebook does have the ability to connect people around the world, Twitter seems to allow us to do it with more ease. Followers can be easier to compile, and it is easier to find people in your professional field. I guess that this week without Facebook has shown me the advantages to another social networking site. Facebook took a back seat, and I was able to see what it was like without it and think about why we use it so much. Facebook may be addiction for many, or maybe it is simply just something to pass the time or to procrastinate. Whatever your use for Facebook is: Would you ever think about taking a week away from it? Would you let people know? Would you deactivate the account completely? Would it make you use another social networking site more? You could see what would happen, and possibly learn a lot about yourself, such as, the extent to which Facebook is a part of your life, and the power of different types of social media.
This video shows the extent to how much Facebook has really grown around the world and how many people use the site.
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