Is Facebook good or bad for you?

I frequent Facebook regularly on a daily basis. When I don't log on, I feel as anxious as if my routine of online activities is not completed. I feel that I will miss to see a new posted comment, a new tagged picture of me, etc. In a way, my life is somewhat controlled by Facebook these day. I can't wait to get on my home page to read what my friends are up to and to see if they are telling each other something that I should know. Facebook creates this whole anxiety of controlling your popularity virtually in hoping it would translate the same to reality.

In my own knowledge, Facebook is an online social network that helps connect users together. The reason I join Facebook is to keep in touch with my friends. However, looking at the politics behind this effective network through "With friends like these..." opens me to many surprises. According to Tom Hodgkinson, the philosophy behind the creater of Facebook brings harmful risks of capitalism. From the perspective of an international marketing major, I think it is purely genius.

This type of online social networking is the exact effective tool for marketers. It helps to control consumer database and provide better information about consumers' needs and wants. In my mentioned experience, Facebook is so addictive. It definitely has the "stickiness factor" ("The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference" by Malcom Gladwell) that every politicians/marketers try to create in their message. This is not an easy task if we have taken a marketing course. Consumers are hard to predict and their behavior makes an important factor in sales and the like. By obtaining consumer information, we can control how consumers perceive the brand or go as far as change the brand's image.

As discussed in the article, Facebook has some serious harmful ideas through invasive capitalism. In one of my previous posts, I have also contemplate the worthiness of joining Facebook. I think I have stopped my doubts. I think Facebook opens a new way to look at politics and the best way to become "popular". The lesseson learned is that we should never underestimate the virtual world as it does have its power. Furthermore, there is always an "opt in" option. Facebook addicts can not blame the network for their loyal behavior because it is after all their own choices.

Unlike myspace with its way of meeting complete strangers, Facebook has a way to link its users together more effectively and therefore, it becomes more "sticky". I think it is the best way to test human experience. Therefore, we can make good use out of this idea of networking.