I still remember my brother making
fun of me for having a Myspace in seventh grade when he came back from his
junior year at the University of Kentucky in 2007. Everyone in college now had
a Facebook and it was spreading to high school, but I was still in my middle
school years, I was not even eligible for a Facebook I would have to lie to get
one. So I did, I lied in eighth grade and made myself a Facebook, but I never
used it and after a month I had already forgotten my password.
When I started my new private high
school everyone had a Facebook and in order to connect with my peers I had to
figure out my password again. When I got on my Facebook for the first time in
over a year and had almost thirty friend requests for me I got my first taste
of being what Margaret Weigal calls in her article a “power user.” People had
added me on Facebook that I had not even met at my tiny school yet; it was
exhilarating, I wanted more notifications; no I needed more notifications. That was when I decided that I had to become
more popular on Facebook and I added everyone in my school because Facebook
made it so easy to connect with people I had never spoken to, only seen their
faces.
I began to comment or like almost
everything that appeared on my news feed in hopes that it would make people
feel that they could do the same to me without it being weird. Then a new
problem arose so many people had more pictures than I did, who would want to
comment on my stuff when I am obviously not very popular? Once again Facebook
created another obsession: taking pictures every time I was with my friends,
even at school. I always tagged myself so that my number would go up and people
would see that I am very popular and my profile picture was always with my
friends and as terrible as it sounds I always had to look prettier than my
friend in the picture.
I was also the obnoxious Facebook
girl that, in order to seem more popular, always wrote on someone’s wall when I
just as easily could have texted them about plans for the evening. When my
friends commented on my pictures I would have full-blown conversations with
them on the comments so that my picture was sure to pop up on everyone’s news
feed. Facebook used to be the only way I had friends, and then I started having
a relationship and again I formed a new obsession.
Facebook relationships or being
“FBO” is a very important thing. You are not in a relationship unless Facebook
says you are and there is at least three photos of you and your significant
other together. Jonathan Harwood wrote an article that stated according to one
American law firm one in five of their clients listed Facebook in their
petitions; being in a long distance college relationship I can see why. It is
hard seeing photos of my boyfriend up on Facebook with other people and girls
it is even hard seeing that he is having fun without me, even though I am doing
the same thing.
I have now actively used my
Facebook for over four year and I don’t care how many pictures I have up and I
can’t remember the last time I changed my status, but I can tell you what all
of my friends did the night before. I have become an expert Facebook “creeper.”
I joined a sorority this year and I now creepily know everything about all of
my sisters because as soon as I was added to Facebook Phi Mu group I added and
went through almost every girl’s Facebook. I am also the girl that thinks she
may know someone walking by because I have seen them before, but really I only
know them through Facebook.
The Facebook group made for the
University of Kentucky really brought me closer to all of my peers that are
freshman as well this year; they just don’t know it. I see people walking
around campus and I can tell you their name, hometown and whether or not they
party or are close to their family. Facebook makes my problem with obsessing
over details so much worse; I forget nothing about people.
My mother recently made a Facebook
and she is now going through the same stages I went through, where she has to
have notifications and is required to comment on everything and upload a
picture of everything she or her children (meaning me) do. It is frustrating
for me because I hate how she has to upload pictures every night to Facebook
when we go on trips or how he has t get on Facebook when we are spending time
with my grandparents, but I have to realize it is not her fault. Facebook does
this to you, and eventually she will see how silly she is being. After having
to write this entire paper I fear posting it on this blog and allowing people
to read how pathetic I was and still am about things.
"Catherine Gibbs." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2012. <https://www.facebook.com/catherine.gibbs.756>.
"Facebook causes one in five divorces, says law firm | News | The Week UK." The Week UK | British & foreign news, opinion, sport, people & business.. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2012. <http://www.theweek.co.uk/technology/17671/facebook-causes-one-five-divorces-says-law-firm>.
Weigel, Margaret. "Why Most Facebook Users Get More Than They Give – Journalist's Resource: Research for Reporting, from Harvard Shorenstein Center." Journalist's Resource: Research for Reporting, from Harvard Shorenstein Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2012. <http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/media-society/facebook-engagement-patterns>.
