Do We Control Facebook Or Does Facebook Control Us?

The importance of Facebook in the world today cannot be disputed. Businesses, politicians and millions of normal people have their own profile that they can use free of charge to keep in contact with either their friends or customers.

The broad appeal of Facebook has caused it to become the most popular thing on the internet and the rise doesn't look like stopping. Its popularity has become quite worrying in some respects.

There has been an increase in cyber bullying and inappropriate viral videos which is inevitable because of the number of users online at any one time. Our social lives are controlled by how we are perceived on Facebook, liking a photo nowadays is a big deal and uploading pictures that aren't edited is deemed a sin by many.

It is a sorry state of affairs compared to what the original, carefree Facebook was like. People feel this is necessary and being Facebook consciousness is just the norm, this article will question whether we are still in charge of Facebook or are we being in fact controlled.

Social Status

The way you are viewed on Facebook gives you a level of social status. There are people who have become online phenomenons because of the way they convey themselves on Facebook, the reach of Facebook is as a social tool is staggering.

The problem comes when Facebook becomes your life and takes over aspects of it that you would never have thought. Many people base what they say online about how many likes they get and upload provocative pictures for the same reason.

[Image credits: www.facebook.com]

It is loosing its original appeal as a tool to communicate with you friends and is quickly becoming a place from which you can showcase your "other side". The amount of people that are addicted to Facebook is also a worry; it has become the only thing people do on a computer and on their phones.

Perceptions

Often your Facebook perception can be extremely different to the perception people have of you in real life. People see Facebook as a tool from which you can convey yourself in a way that you thought you could only dream about. You can upload pictures of yourself modeling or videos of yourself dancing, whatever you like in order to create the online image of yourself you want.

I believe this is the power of Facebook, the coverage you can receive online from doing something you wouldn't normally is staggering and I know personally many people who have gone a little crazy over their "online" persona.

Availability

You can access Facebook almost anywhere nowadays and it is this factor that has made it so easy for us to be actually controlled by the social network. We are all victims to our Facebook image and profile and quite frankly we worry more about likes that how many of our friends actually like us for whom we are.

I don't think Facebook is in total control and we are still in a period of transition but with the rise in Smartphone's and online apps then it is becoming more likely it will take over.

   Andrew

About the Author:

Andrew is an author with a love for modern technology. He has written extensively about it for over 5 years.