Facebook brings new headaches

Have you ever wondered how many students at MSU choose not to have a Facebook.com page? Some of these students may be considered “outcasts” for not joining in on the frenzy, but they might be smarter than we think.

Anthony Odoardi

Those who have decided a Facebook profile is not worth their time are actually not that crazy. Sure, they will miss out on getting the weekly party event invitation and they won’t get the occasional “it was so great hanging out last night” comment from a friend, but they have the ability to realize what most of us don’t: The consequences of using a Facebook page can go side-by-side with the benefits.

Let’s look at the big picture.

Since Facebook Inc. was founded in 2004, students have flocked to the Web site. I became one of them when I started college. As I created my Facebook page, I began to realize how this Web site really worked.

It’s a fascinating way to connect with the majority of my friends, especially being an out-of-state student.

From the beginning it seemed like this Web site was too good to be true. It took me about a month to realize the price I would pay for becoming a member of this phenomenon.

As time went on, I noticed that, much like myself, many people had an addiction to Facebook. As a freshman, I always took my laptop to class. Of course I used it to take notes, but it was mainly used for taking an occasional break to surf the Internet. From the moment I created my Facebook account, it became the first Web site I visited. Here’s where the problems began.

The moment I opened the page, it pulled me in like a black hole. When I would finally close the page, the lecture was over. I would look around the classroom and wonder where all the time went. This became a recurring problem, and I was forced to start leaving my computer at home.

However, once I did this, I observed other people doing the same thing. Half of my class of 100 had laptop computers, and the majority of them were on Facebook, checking out the latest updates and wall posts.

In one class, the girl sitting next to me asked if she could borrow my notes because she had not been paying attention. This is just the first problem that comes with a Facebook page.

Have you ever thought maybe your Facebook profile was preventing you from getting a job?

Sure, there are privacy settings that allow you to block unwanted visitors, but what if the hiring manager of your job tried to befriend you? Do you accept or decline the invitation?

When Facebook has a part in preventing a student from getting a job because of crazy, usually drunken, pictures of themselves, you can bet it’s more of a problem than it’s worth.

Many students refuse to have pictures in their profile where bottles or cans of alcohol are visible. Even with the privacy settings, I have had friends change their names on Facebook so that a supervisor cannot even see their profile picture.

If those reasons aren’t enough to show some respect to those who have the self-control to stay away from Facebook, there are always relationship reasons. Would you ever think that something as silly as Facebook could cause a breakup?

Pictures have put a damper on becoming employed and have also put a stop to some relationships. I heard a story in which a guy was caught kissing a girl in the background of a picture. Turns out, the guy had a girlfriend who saw that picture and broke up with him. Facebook causing relationship problems; does that sound right?

I am not saying that Facebook is the problem. It is indeed our lack of self-control that is the issue. However, Web sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have unquestionably proven to be our generation’s greatest distractions, and in many cases not worth it.

Will we change? Probably not. Regardless of the issues, Facebook is fun and helpful.

But I dare those who are reading this to make an attempt at deleting their Facebook profile and becoming one of those “outcasts” even for a week.

For college students, it could prove to be drastic change.

Anthony Odoardi is a State News guest columnist and journalism junior. Reach him at odoardia@msu.edu.