The growing popularity of Facebook has raised some concern about the growing impact of technology on social interaction.

According to the Web site, Facebook is “an online directory that connects people through social networks at schools.”

Michael Bugeja, author of “Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age,” said Facebook encourages members to participate in simulated interaction rather than interpersonal interaction.

“Facebook is not an online community but a mere simulation of the real thing,” said Bugeja, director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication.

He said Facebook is replacing rather than supplementing interaction among college students.

There are 19,495 ISU members on Facebook, said Chris Hughes, spokesperson for Facebook, who disagreed with Bugeja’s assessment of the Web site’s impact.

“Facebook does not replace face-to-face reaction, but instead complements it. People log on and learn a great deal more information about their friends and peers through the site, which can then make face-to-face interaction all the more valuable,” he said.

One of Bugeja’s concerns was members of the Facebook willingly divided themselves into marketing groups. Several Facebook groups very closely resemble mailing lists that marketers use to reach their target audience. For example, a Facebook group called “Kick-Ass Conservatives” was similar to the mailing list called “Red-Hot Conservatives,” he said.

“Marketers used to put people into boxes. Now, they say ‘Here’s the box!’ and everyone jumps in for themselves,” said Jay Newell, assistant professor in the Greenlee School .

The advertisements on Facebook also raised some concerns.

“Facebook could hurt publications like Ethos or the Daily, because advertising on Facebook is so much cheaper and far-reaching,” Newell said. “People who don’t have cats have to sit through litter commercials, people who don’t have children have to sit through diaper commercials. This is an interesting vehicle to fine tune messages to show you the ones you need.”

Future generations will be affected by programs such as the Facebook, Bugeja and Newell agreed.

Rather than exposing children to critical thinking, they are exposed to multitasking, Bugeja said.

“How do you teach a generation of multi-taskers?” he said.

Newell considered effects on public figures.

“You’re putting all this information out about yourself in a time when you’re still defining who you are,” he said, adding that allowing public access to this type of information at any time can be dangerous.

“What if George Bush had a Facebook profile when he was in college? That could be very damaging during election years,” he said.

Fixing the problem would be a difficult task, Bugeja said.

“I’m not hopeful,” he said. “Universities have invested considerable amounts of money into technology to the point that we now have fewer tenured professors in the classroom.”

Technology’s purpose is to keep people informed, but people are using them for ‘ego-casting’ purposes, Bugeja said. ‘Ego-casting’ is using a device or program to further a person’s ego and interests, it needs to be controlled.

Both Bugeja and Newell have Facebook accounts, but neither are active.

“I joined because I was curious, but I haven’t done anything to my profile or looked at anyone else’s. I don’t think the students posted their information knowing that professors could read it, and it’s none of my business,” Newell said.