Facebook friends?
by Veronica Johnston
Facebook is the latest Internet darling that has started creeping in to every day conversation.
Already worth an estimated billions dollars, and used by a staggering 20 million users wordwide, the social networking site is an online tour de force.
But users are doing more than finding old friends on Facebook.
Some users are happily adding their neighbours, families, classmates and colleagues to their Facebook list, too.
But why is that?
One female Facebook user, 30, says, “It’s great for spotting people you haven’t seen since school and for keeping in contact with people living overseas.”
She says she mainly uses the website to touch base with her friends in London. She hasn’t found any old school friends on Facebook yet. Nor have they found her.
She’s had some odd requests to be friends with people she hardly knows, though.
These awkward moments make her wonder if some want to add her profile just to increase their list of friends. “Sometimes I say yes, but I only let my ‘real’ friends see the photos I tag,” she says.
Another male Facebook addict, 32, says he likes Facebook because “It’s interesting to see whose peoples’ friends are.” This could be one reason why some might feel the pressure to increase their circle of cyber friends.
Otherwise, why would Facebook suddenly facilitate more chatter between neighbours who hardly find the time to chat over the fence as it is?
As one blogger puts it: “Why would I want to meet anyone new - I don’t even have enough time to talk to the people I know now.”
Facebook is great for finding friends - as long as they really are your friends.
Tell us about your Facebook experiences by submitting a comment below.