Social media- Facebook as a case study

I am sure many young adults like myself are very familiar with the term Facebook and below is a video I came across about the use of social media, citing Facebook as an exmaple, in the dating arena.



To "... look up and then hook up" an old flame over Facebook certainly is not uncommon. I have heard of friends and friends' friends who actually reconnected with their old lovers over Facebook and other social networking sites. Since social media is made for social interaction, I am not surprised that social networking sites such as Facebook can help in one's dating life.

Being a rather active and long-time facebook user, I see many of its merits. Consistent with studies cited from an article in New York Times, Facebook has actually made me more sociable. Before, I was unable to be updated with many people's lives at once and I feel that Facebook does the trick for me. I am now able to stay connected with more people through the news feed, facebook chat, message system and other features available. On the other hand, facebook also allows me to share my opinions, experiences, photos, videos and other information online to a wider audience at one shot.

There are, of course, downsides to everything. An article on ABC News that I read recently caught my eye: Facebook as Foreplay? Survey Says Social Media Leads to Sex Faster. I was quite astonished to read about this as I all along felt that social media, such as Facebook, connected people, in a healthy way. If people come to use social media for the wrong reasons, such as to get laid, it brings a whole new meaning to social media being used for inter-action. I definitely hope Facebook does not get abused by people who sign up for an account for ill intentions.

Other common issues cited by critiques of Facebook include the intrusion of privacy and distraction from real life activities, like stated in the article from ABC News. However, I personally feel that the users themselves dictate how and what social media should be like for them. We do not have to conform with how the majority of people are using social media and we have to be responsible for however we choose to use them. When social media is used in positive ways, it can definitely add value to our lives.