I just read a friend’s opinion on the purpose of Facebook, and it got me thinking. Facebook’s stated mission is “To make the world more open and connected.” Is that what it’s doing for you – connecting you and opening you up? As an amateur social scientist, I find Facebook fascinating. And it has fulfilled many personal purposes for me so far.
Here are just a few:
- Holding myself accountable on big goals
- Fundraising for charity through marathons and book sales
- Sharing stuff that makes me laugh so others will laugh too
- Learning how to heal an injury
- Getting advice from experts in running, cycling and swimming
- Helping friends get new jobs
- Seeing what my high school crush looks like now
- Promoting this blog where it can be shared easily
- Relieving stress in the middle of a work day
- Riffing on punch lines with professional comedians
- Finding someone to ride bikes with
- Buying and selling bicycle parts
- Collaborating with fellow writers and motivational speakers
- Reconnecting with family I haven’t seen since my youth, and discovering some I’ve never met
- Enjoying beautiful art and photography
- Kickstarting non-profit organizations
- Finding courage to get through rough times
I won’t bother to list any downsides or dark sides here, mainly because I’m a bright side kind of guy and don’t want to dwell on negatives. I will conclude that Facebook has connected and opened up my world quite a bit. You could argue that I sometimes spend too much time with it, but notice how many items above have ties to my physical world and face-to-face relationships… two worlds inextricably entwined.
What purpose has Facebook served for you?
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