Letter to the editor: Facebook removes privacy of personal life

Kate Moore

Welcome to Facebook Timeline.

But now with Timeline, we are able to post anything considered a “Life Event,” which includes weight loss, kicking a bad habit, a new piercing and, of course, explaining not only through a changed relationship status – but a story and time of exactly what went down – of a breakup, divorce or separation.

When now do our personal lives separate from Facebook? I feel like it is turning a bit into a Life Resume. What do you think this is doing to us? Making us even more socially awkward? Causing more creepers to populate the Earth? I am certain a good amount are born here on Facebook each day, don’t you? Are we losing our ability to sit in a room with a group of people and chat? People are beginning to need to go online to update their status about being home for winter vacation before they even hug their parents. Are we addicted?

Things always look better in photographs. They look more fun. So we feel more left out. We become more depressed. Comments sound more friendly … or more harsh. So we create “I miss you, I love you!” friendships on Facebook walls while we talk behind their backs. Then there are the innocent, simple, and honest misunderstandings. People cyber bully. It’s easier to be cruel to a screen than to a human being. We click around to discover who gained weight in college, who lost their job, who had their wallet stolen on the train, who ate an apple today, who finally stopped biting their nails. We ask people out on dates, to prom, and confess our love. Real romantic. Then, as you see here, we end these relationships. Sometimes even through Facebook fights. Or what’s worse, signing on and finding out that your relationship has been over for about 5 hours, but you were not aware of it.

For keeping in touch with old friends and neighbors as well as international friends, family far away, spreading the word of meaningful causes, and sharing photography, I cannot completely break up with Facebook. It is an incredible tool through events, in-loving-memory groups, and simply the power of networking. In moderation. I am discovering some elements have to go.

What age is appropriate for a kid to start a Facebook now-a-days? Is Facebook going to be gone in 10 years? 20? 50? Years from now, what will happen to all these photos we once uploaded but never got hard copies of. What about all these ideas, innovations, and statuses that could have made great journal entries. Personal journal entries, that is. One day, Zuckerburg is going to charge us to print off all of our statuses ever posted into a little Shutterfly book. Yikes. Start a “status” journal whenever you get the urge?

It is beginning to have the potential to be a bit to invasive. A bit too far. But that is my take.

But Facebook is whatever you make – or don’t make out of it.

With that, if you weren’t on reading this on Facebook right now, what would you be doing? Growing wiser by studying for that exam that will help you become better in your future profession, enabling you to help others to the best of your ability? Calling your grandma? Writing snail mail to an old friend who you’ve lost touch with? Going on a walk just for the sake of stepping on the crunchy ice on the edges of the sidewalk? Leaving a post-it on a friend’s car while they are at work, so they have a surprise after a long day? Thanking someone for an intangible gift? Volunteering? Playing with your dog? Reminiscing through old boxes from your childhood? Learning how to play Freebird on the actual guitar rather than just guitar hero?