Life Without Facebook?
By Frank Reed. Filed in Social Media Marketing |Tags: Facebook, Matt Cutts, Middle school, New Jersey, Ridgewood, social media
Image via CrunchBase
by Frank Reed
I think this post could be categorized in several ways. The reason for this is because I don’t think there has ever been a more polarizing, misunderstood, loved, revered, admired, hated and puzzling entity in the history of business than Facebook. Depending on who you speak to they can either be completely dependent on the service (ask some kids at a Ridgewood, NJ middle school) while other industry bigs, like Matt Cutts, deactivated or deleted their accounts.
Facebook brings out some very visceral reactions from many people. There is infatuation with the ability to be involved with everyone else’s lives. Many people crave the strange cocktail of voyeurism mixed with direct involvement in other people’s stuff topped off with a shot of “Privacy? What privacy?”. They alternately love the service and the business opportunities it presents but then bemoan how Facebook basically flips the bird at their users with regard to privacy.
I am not sure how I feel about it all. Honestly, I suspect I could live without Facebook pretty easily. I would miss being in contact with some people from my past that I have reconnected with but if the “relationship” is now real, it will survive and if it’s not then it won’t.
As for Facebook introducing me to new ideas and products? That’s a hit or miss proposition as well. I find new things and I get interested for a day or two then it’s back to regular life. I discard the new things so readily because I already have so much to keep track of that, unless it is something ridiculously spectacular, the likelihood of anything supplanting the things already important to me is slim at best.
Oh, and advertising to me on Facebook? Total waste of time. I don’t click on paid search ads with Google and they are light years ahead of Facebook in terms of having my trust. In fact, I really don’t like the idea of putting any money in the pockets of a Mark Zuckerberg when you consider the following instant messaging string that the Business Insider SAI site shared today. Please note there is some offensive language, but it helps paint the picture of the character of Zuckerberg. And of course, if it lives at the top, it breeds through the masses in any organization
According to SAI sources, the following exchange is between a 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg and a friend shortly after Mark launched The Facebook in his dorm room:
Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuck: Just ask.
Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
: What? How’d you manage that one?
Zuck: People just submitted it.
Zuck: I don’t know why.
Zuck: They “trust me”
Zuck: Dumb f**ks.
Gives you the warm and fuzzies, huh?
So what would life be without Facebook? I suspect it would be quite good. Why? Because something else will come along that is better suited for how we actually interact. A new friend of mine (actual live handshake kind of friend) who did very well during the first round of the commercial Internet told me that he believes Facebook is not even close to the best way for online “socializing” to take place. It’s just that we are kind of stuck with it right now. On many levels I have to agree.
So what would life without Facebook be like? Honestly, I am not ready to find out. I think that will come with time because I am already finding myself checking in with it less often and with less zeal. That’s not a reaction to who is running it. It’s a reaction to what it provides for me. When I look at the quality of life issues it’s really not making things better. In fact, it may make things worse. Time is valuable, and when I look at my personal ROI on my Facebook time, it is running in the negative these days. If I treat my life like a good business I should cut the loser out, right?
So what would life be like without Facebook for you and your business? Would you REALLY miss it? Be honest. Please, share your status with us.
Monday, May 17th 2010 at 6:46 am |
I read your views and sentiments regarding facebook and I think you are somewhat right. I’ve been addicted to facebook just last year but what merely get me going back to it was the farmville game. But after got busied with school works, I just check it if I have extra time. Anybody who has facebook account does check their account if they have spare time to do that. Personally, I view facebook as truly a socialising network. It gives me updates of the lives, the faces of my friends, relatives, and other virtual friends. But if a business’ if we say so, will be depended on that facebook, I don’t think so that it will work out well. personally, I don’t paid atention to pop-ups and other advertisement found in the facebook. Well, except to online games I think.
Monday, May 17th 2010 at 11:49 am |
I certainly disagree to that. Facebook is one great way of connecting people throughout the world. It is also a great tool to advertisers like me.
Tuesday, May 18th 2010 at 9:27 am |
Hmm I know that Facebook has some privacy issues but this is going out of hand.
Thursday, May 20th 2010 at 3:12 am |
Facebook is the great source of socializing but not too good for business.It is great source to share information with your friends but very few people look at the information apart from there known ones.
Saturday, May 22nd 2010 at 6:24 am |
Face book is a highly effective business tool. It is best for marketing products. I can’t imagine anything without face book.I loved Facebook’s vanity URL feature for feature
Saturday, May 22nd 2010 at 8:11 am |
Facebook for me is something good for socializing “for now”, but i think there would be a time that something will surpass it.
Sunday, May 23rd 2010 at 4:47 pm |
Facebook for me is socializing with friends, and also finding of new acquaintances.
Tuesday, May 17th 2011 at 4:58 pm |
I feel so strongly that anyone would be happier without a Facebook account. It has been engineered TO make people addicted. Zuckerberg didn’t wake up one day and decide he wanted to help some people make new friends or reunite long lost family members, he wanted to create a website that was going to be huge. To do this he looks into the psychology of what we as humans find gratification in. These things are so small that we don’t notice but Facebook is flooded with them – events, tagged photos, liking, comments, groups, comparison it’s all to boost our own ego when we are feeling less than adequate. When you go to deactivate your account you get bombarded with people who will ‘miss you’. If they miss you why don’t they just give you a phone call? It’s ridiculous. It’s brainwashing. I deleted my Facebook for 6 months and regret getting it back, it’s deactivated again for the mean time. I couldn’t even navigate how to delete Facebook for the life of me, I had to google it to get there. Zuckerberg really wants the best for you, eh? Life is out there, friends are out there reality is out there. This screen holds a representation of reality and the longer you spend on it the more detached you will become and the more you will find time has slipped you by. Delete it. Go. Start a revolution.