by Vanessa Grixti

Created on: November 22, 2009   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

Technological advancements in the past decade have allowed the world to communicate in ways that would have otherwise never been possible. A social networking website called Facebook has gone as far as almost replacing e-mailing as a primary means of communication. Facebook is the explosive social networking website that has over 200 million active members, and still increasing. That is why the idea of Facebook is fanatical in some ways; people are able to connect when they are on opposite sides of the world. People use Facebook for a variety of reasons; to stay in touch or reconnect with their friends and family. If Facebook is something that you are unfamiliar with, not to worry. Thankfully, it was made simple so that a variety of age groups can use it and not be completely perplexed. First off, you might want to get the gist of Facebook, which is basically making friends with people who you know in real life. This can be done very easily.

On your facebook account, in the right hand corner beside the "Logout" button there should be a search box. This is your primary tool for finding your friends. Type in your friends name, hit search and they should be there. However, if your friend has a very common name, you may want to refine your search by putting their name, followed by the city they live in. This will narrow it down to a few people. If your friend does not have a photo and you are not sure which person is them. It is best to message prior to adding just to make sure.

Another method of locating your friends or family on Facebook is by taking a look at their friend's list because they may already added this person to their Facebook.

A new Facebook tool is on your homepage, and it consists of "Friend Suggestions" It is located under all of your requests on the right side of the page. These are the people in which you have a lot of mutual friends with. People who may be mutual acquaintances or possibly even good friends. This tool is very useful and will assist you in adding your friends.

Finding former classmates: You can use the "Find Friends" tool. On the search page, to the left side there should be a heading that titles "People", hit this and you will be brought to a page where it says Filter: Location, School or Workplace. Type in the high school you attended as well as your friend's first name. This will enhance your search and give you a better chance of finding who you are looking for. You can do the same thing for finding colleagues, just enter your workplace, or a place you previously worked at together as it may be in their job experience section. If you want to find a friend or family member who moved countries, use the location search purifer.

Preform a search to find old friends by typing keywords in the search bar such as a sports team you two played for, your elementary school or clubs they were a part of.

The great thing about Facebook is that it obtains new features and updates frequently which will make your time there more enjoyable. However, like anything on the Internet there is always a chance of getting addicted.. This is why you must set boundaries for the time you spend on the computer; and remember, face-to-face communication has always been the most sentimental.

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