Defense of Facebook - my daughters response
Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 09:30:46 AM PDT
I read a recent diary about facebook that got me worried and sent the link to my three 20 something children who have used facebook almost since its inception. My youngest wanted to write a response so she registered then realized she couldn't post for 24 hours. I told her I would post it for her and here it is in its entirety. Whether we agree or disagree I think it is important to hear what young people are thinking.
For years now my mother has been sending me and my siblings links to postings on your site, and up until now I have found myself agreeing with most everything said here. This debate, on the other hand, had me fired up enough that I felt the need to fight back.
First and foremost, like most people on here have already stated, Facebook started as a social networking system for college students, then it expanded to high school, and now anyone who is above the age of 13 and has an e-mail account can register. The main contingent of users remains to be college-aged, and recent grads. Users weren’t too happy when Facebook opened its doors to high school students but with use of limited profile (meaning when you accept a friend who you believe shouldn’t be exposed to everything on your Facebook page, you can click a button that doesn’t let them see certain things you have defined). This has come in handy for me because I teach after school and summer drama programs at middle schools, and invariably the second these kids enter high school they friend me, and while I don’t mind them seeing where I work or what movies I like, they don’t need to see me out at a party, and I have control of that.
I do not think it is fair that you categorize Facebook users as ignorant. One of the main things happening on Facebook right now is new Political applications which allow people to take tests to see which candidate matches best with their political views, allows them to show their support for certain candidates, and educate others about those candidates. Groups are constantly popping up such as "Student’s Against Concealed Carry on Campuses" and "1,000,000 Strong against breast cancer." These groups are not just arbitrary either, they are a place to collect people interested in that topic and inform them about what they can do, as well as organize ideas for rallies and protests. Now I admit this information can be found elsewhere but Facebook gives a simple network to exchange this. I admit, this is obviously not the only use for Facebook as I am a member of such groups as "Greased Watermelon Champions" and "I saw the musical Lestat before it closed on Broadway after 37 performances," but there is nothing wrong with a little fun every now and then.
If anyone read the article in Newsweek about Facebook, they would understand that it’s inventors desired to mimic the social network that exists in the real world on the web, making it easily accessible in concrete form. I believe they accomplished that perfectly. It has allowed me to connect with people I would have never found any other way, including my old high school choir teacher, friends I had in elementary school, and the cute drummer I saw in a band who is now my boyfriend who I never would have seen again had it not been for Facebook. It also allows you to share events you have coming up. I am an actress in the DC area and there is a whole group entitled "The DC Performing Arts League" where there is a list of all the theatre’s in the DC area, what they are doing, when auditions are held, and who is currently in what. Nothing else like it exists. I get notes from friends about Free Opera Tickets, Birthday Parties, and people losing their cell phones and needing people’s numbers.
I think the privacy argument here is simply ludicrous. When on Facebook, you have a choice to decide who gets to see what. You can have an open page where anyone part of your "network" (regional networks, school networks, and work networks exist) can see your page. You can have it closed so that people can search your name but only your designated friends can actually see your page. Or even more Private so that you cannot be searched and only you can friend other people. You choose what you put out into the world. You chose what people know about you. How is that any different from real life? Or blogging for that matter? Facebook users are not stupid either; they do not just sit back and allow things to happen. 6 months ago Facebook started a new setup that included "News Feed". When your homepage was displayed there was a running feed of things your friends have changed, added, who has friended who, who broke up with who, and who was tagged in what pictures. Within 24 hours over 20 groups had popped up boycotting this new addition. Facebook responded by adding a feature where you, the user, can decide what is put in the News feed. I currently choose nothing.
As for the advertising game. This is also by choice. Recently Facebook started allowing outside companies, or people, to make applications for its program. (hey, you gotta make money somehow since the service itself is free) These applications range from "Flickster" where you can show friends what movies you like to "Graffiti Wall" where people can draw on your profile. Now I agree that I think these have gotten a little out of hand, but again I don’t use them, others do. That is the choice you are given. When you add an application you have to agree to statements allowing this application to access your information and agreeing to the terms of service (listed here).
Now, like most other terms of service no one usually reads them (but that is your fault to agreeing to something you don’t read) and most of the applications are harmless. But we are not stupid, we watch the news, we know that some of the applications use our information as consumers and if you accept adding an outside application, you accept those terms. People have posted notes, and created groups informing people of this. If you still put the applications on, then you have made that choice to allow them in.
Some people argue that, yes it asks your permission, but how can a 15 year old give their permission for something like that. Well, I have no idea why the Internet age of consent is 13, but it is what it is and this is a matter no different from myspace, livejournal, or Internet pornography. That is not the Internet’s job to decide who can see what, that is yours as the parent. If you know your child is a responsible Internet user and you don’t restrict there Internet then you also believe they are responsible enough to make such decisions. If not than block the damn site. You can also have the conversation where you explain that you don’t think its wise for them to do certain things on the Internet. You may argue that some parent’s are too ignorant to know any better about the Internet, well I’m sorry but it is not the Internet’s job to be parent.
People have been blowing up right and left since Facebook started about privacy and I hope I have made it clear to you that privacy is the users choice. By signing up for Facebook and making a profile and adding friends you have chosen to share that information with them and for the most part users are pretty happy about it. Like anything else there are people who are stupid and careless in the world, but like I said, Facebook mimics the social network. Stupid people in the world, stupid people on Facebook. You can’t blame Facebook for that.
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