by Jessica A. Tucker

Created on: November 26, 2010

Facebook. Sounds so innocent, doesn’t it? Well, it may have begun as a wonderful new online social realm where user were given the ability to find and easily communicate with new and old friends alike, family members, and business contacts while uploading and sharing any photos or files they desired. Simply, users could now keep in touch with their online social and business networks, in a click of a few buttons. In the beginning, users were generally all alike in terms of why and how they used Facebook.

As we each took our own stance of views towards this new social networking site, some grew tired of Facebook quickly finding it a waste of time; while others, took to frequently updating status messages, flipping through pages of friends status updates, uploading photos, and joining in on every cause and application that was sent their way. Then to make matters even worse for those who were already spending a bit too much time logging in, Facebook went mobile. Across the nation users could then flick through, update, poke, and share photos, all from the screen of their phone. Most recently, Facebook has also been reported by many news sources to have teamed up with OnStar, making all your Facebooking needs available hands free, right through the dash of your vehicle. Some may question, is all this Facebook really necessary?

Typically, Facebook users can be separated into about three different bunches. First, we have those who signed up to try it and then never really touched it again and now remain with the looming question mark hanging where their profile picture would have been. Like the guy who puffed, then says he never inhaled. Then, we find the social users, who do it because their ‘Friends’ do or because it seems almost necessary to exist in the social climate of today. These users will occasional change their profile picture, or update their status, or maybe even add a photo or two, and even sometimes maybe join into a worthy ‘Cause’ or silly application. Unlike our last significant group of Facebook users, who just cannot seem to stop.

This last group of Facebook users, we will call the addicts. These users can be typically found attached to their computer or phone, in class, at work, or at home updating, sending, and poking from under kitchen tables, desks, or even the bubbles of their bathtub. These are the users that need to worry. How many times a day do you really need to update your Facebook status? For many, the use of Facebook has become a huge problem, or as some might call it, an addiction.

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