Look for me on Facebook (like you haven’t already). No luck?
That’s because I don’t have one. I did for a hot second when I graduated high school, but by the time I had started college I had already deleted it. Now as a junior I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything by not having one.
This annoys people. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me to make one or that they would make one for me, I could buy some serious state-of-the-art noise-canceling headphones.
First off, I don’t want pictures of myself floating around on the Internet. Everyone Facebook-stalks everyone else, and I’d really like to not be a part of that. It’s weird and creepy to see people go through other people’s pictures.
When people are on Facebook in class, I like to watch how long people look at certain pictures and what kinds of people they’re looking at.
How awkward would it be to be there when some person you don’t really know is going through all your pictures? Or worse, while they’re sitting in the front row of a crowded classroom where everyone behind them can see?
Then there’s the matter of revealing your interests, hobbies, musical and cinematic tastes, major and other personal information. I’d rather people get to know me by spending time with me rather than skimming some Web site for information. I don’t want someone to ask me if I like bands they already know I like or if I’ve seen movies I’ve listed as favorites. That’s cheating.
Listing your status is usually either really boring or really interesting. For example: “Nikki is today I put lighter fluid on my roommate’s desk when she wasn’t there and when she got back I gave her a candle as a gift and when she lit it the entire desk exploded,” versus “Nikki is studyinggggg.”
In defense of their Facebook obsession, people claim they use the Internet networking site to keep in touch with old friends. In reality, people grow apart. When Chris Scott, a third-year sociology student, finds that he can’t relate to his old friends like he used to, they get Facebook de-friended.
“Friendships are really tested with status updates during election and voting season,” Scott said. “For example, “˜Barack Obama = Hell on Earth,’ de-friended. “˜Yes on 8,’ de-friended. “˜Something about rich people (complaining) about more taxes,’ de-friended.”
De-friending individuals makes a statement; it says, “I have upward of 500 Facebook friends but you and I are finished and you’re not even going to realize it for another week.”
Facebook has changed the way people get to know each other and has made it necessary to document every moment as a photo and a status.
Consequently, I feel like I have to duck away from cameras so I don’t show up on random people’s Facebooks and have all their friends comment “How funny is that girl in the background?” (I bring it up because I love making fun of the people in the background. They either have the most honest facial expressions or they catch the light the wrong way and look like Emily Rose.)
As much as people find out about events on campus or parties on Facebook, they also stay in and sit in front of their computer in their rooms for hours on Facebook instead of actually talking with people.
Tierra Moore, a first-year pre-global studies student, said, “Students at UCLA hide behind Facebook as a social crutch to avoid actual interactions with one another.”
Students often find it easier to send a message than to talk to an acquaintance face-to-face. However, making a habit of this only makes it harder for them to approach people, which won’t help them out in life.
Not having a MySpace, Facebook, MyFace, BookSpace or any other Internet networking profile is a source of pride for me. My social life has not suffered in the least, and not having one makes me totally mysterious.
If your relationship status just went from “In a Relationship” to “It’s Complicated,” then e-mail Jagerman at njagerman@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.