The other day I posed a question on my Facebook status update. I asked my friends if they thought that Facebook brings personal relationships together or apart. I got a tremendous mixed response!
Some people said Facebook brings relationships together, but they didn’t mean personal relationships. They were talking about business relationships or people they hadn’t seen in 10 years.
I actually met dozens of people I went to High School with. It has been fun to catch up and see what they are doing after all these years. So many of the people I went to school with live all around the country and have totally different lifestyles than I have. So in regard to bringing people together, I agree. If you want to see people you haven’t seen in years, you will see them on Facebook. Eventually, everyone gets there.
As for people I never met, I’ve met so many people on Facebook and have developed rewarding, lasting relationships as a result.
On the other hand, many people commented to me that Facebook tears relationships apart. One woman told me that her husband spent more time on Facebook than talking to her. Another said that she and her husband sit in bed at night after work and spend hours on Facebook. She told me she hardly talks with her husband any longer. If they talk, they send direct messages via Facebook.
One of the divorce attorneys HJMT represents said that Facebook is a great vehicle to gather information on your spouse and use it against them in court. This leads me to think about the privacy issues around Facebook and what you should or shouldn’t say on the social networking site.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter…
