Can Someone Explain Facebook/Twitter?

[OakLeaf]

You know, people probably had these same discussions when the telephone was invented. "Why can't people take the time for a personal visit or a handwritten letter? It's so impersonal..."

[Pax]

I don't get the point about how some use Facebook instead of calling, because calling takes too much time. If I am sitting at my computer, using Facebook, isn't that taking up time? I could be doing lots of other things (like leaving for work!) instead of being on TE right now.
I also have moved a few times. I have kept in contact with friends from my last interstate move, which happened way before any form of electronic communication. It is hard to make new connections, but I did it.
My thing with all of these forms of communication is that there is less and less face to face human interaction. It's scary to me. I also think think that the technology aspect of Facebook is somewhat non intuitive to me. If I had to find information about cycling routes there, I'd never find it.
I wonder if there are others like me? I still write down things on paper.

I share your concerns Crankin, less and less personal interaction seems to, in part, aid the growth of our current societal trend towards rude and boorish behavior. Many of the things I read on FB and on other online communities showed people behaving in ways they (hopefully) wouldn't in a face to face situation.

[papaver]

For me: it makes me see more people in real life! If someone posts that he is going to a ... lets say cycling event ... i can ask if i can come too.

[Blueberry]

Posting again to clarify - since I'm one of the people the OP reacted to in the generalization that has sparked so much discussion...

I do like Facebook (and I have used twitter and still have an account). What I object to are the people who post 10 status updates a day, and expect everyone to follow them with rapt attention. Not for me. I know how to ignore, and do. I don't even log on every day. But, it is nice to keep up with some people that I might otherwise lose touch with.

CA

[jobob]

I don't get the point about how some use Facebook instead of calling, because calling takes too much time.

But when you call someone, you're telling her "drop everything you're doing and speak to me NOW".

With facebook or email, you give that person the ability to respond when she's ready.

It's not about your time, it's about your recipient's time.

Just a thought ...

[sfa]

Jobob's got it right--I get on FB when I have the time for it, which is generally very early in the morning before my family gets up or late at night after the kids are in bed, dishes done, lunches packed, etc. I would be FINE with people calling me during those times, but they don't. They call at 8:00 at night when I'm trying to do a million things and I end up getting my kids to bed late because the person on the other end of the phone who DOES have free time right then wants to chat and I don't want to be rude by saying "look, could you just email me please?" FB lets people keep in touch who have wildly differenent schedules (also works great for different time zones--FB was how my sister and I kept in daily contact when she moved to Norway).

Of course, I've never been a fan of phone calls. I don't like talking on the phone and never have. I wrote lots of letters to friends and family when I was in college, but email came around about a year after that and it was a godsend to me.

The other obvious benefit of FB communication is that you're communicating with a lot of people at once. Instead of spending time on the phone relaying information to one person, you're updating your whole family and your complete circle of friends. When you're part of a big family like mine, that's really nice--no more of the "well no one told me that!" when you forget to tell one person about something going on. Case in point: I was heading out to Girl Scout camp on a Friday afternoon (and in charge of the group so I couldn't bail on them) when DH called to tell me he was taking our son to the ER with pneumonia and the flu, going directly from the pediatrician to the hospital. Because I couldn't drop everything and didn't have the time to call everyone (I did make one call to my sister; once I got to camp there was no cell phone reception and DH wasn't allowed to use his phone at the hospital) I posted that news on FB, which let everyone know what was going on--far flung friends sent virtual support while local friends stepped in to bring dinner to DH in the hospital, walk and feed our dog, and get a change of clothes for both DH and our son. I'm not saying these things wouldn't have happened without FB, but it sure made things a lot easier!

Sarah

[salsabike]

You know, people probably had these same discussions when the telephone was invented. "Why can't people take the time for a personal visit or a handwritten letter? It's so impersonal..."

Exactly. Email as well.

[tulip]

I've never done Facebook or Twitter. Now I might consider opening a Facebook account for my work, but not for personal use. I have better things to do with my time. I have no use for Twitter.

I recently received a LETTER from an old friend who lives far away. It was so nice! I have yet to write her back, but I certainly will. I like letters.

[limewave]

But when you call someone, you're telling her "drop everything you're doing and speak to me NOW".

With facebook or email, you give that person the ability to respond when she's ready.

It's not about your time, it's about your recipient's time.

Just a thought ...

Gosh, so true. Seems like everyone wants to call between the hours of 5:30 and 7:30 PM. I've just picked up two kiddos from daycare, I'm trying to simultaneously make dinner, play with the kids, make a bottle, feed the baby, change the baby, . . . it's a three-ring circus. How do I answer a phone with a dirty diaper in one hand and chicken goo all over the other???

FB lets me communicate with everyone at my convenience.

I reiterate, dropping into FB is like stopping by the Coffee Shop: you never know which friends are going to be there, but there is going to be friends there.

You know, I don't see how FB is that much different than TE forums.

[SadieKate]

You know, I don't see how FB is that much different than TE forums.

Wider in casting your net to non-TE friends and narrower in letting you choose with whom you communicate.

As far as a time waster or less efficiency than a phone call, who ever had the time and money to print photographs and mail them to every single friend and family member who might like to know about your last vacation? I can post an album and provide some info on each picture for everyone to see and no one feels neglected because they weren't called first. For all the green-minded, the savings in paper, ink, and transportation of the photo graphs should be a winner.

And to take that "it's not about ME" approach to time a step further, it's also about group communication among a circle of friends. If you don't understand that benefit, why are you on TE?

If you want to call someone individually, do it. If you're more of a sharer of photos, news stories, petitions, links to interesting/funny videos, and like the resulting group conversation, FB is a great tool. Neither the phone nor written letters can do this.

Matter of fact, while my father isn't on FB, he is hard of hearing and neither of us is a phone-chatterer. We communicate far more by email than we ever have by phone, letter, or even in person when I was living at home. Would you still have me drive my horse and buggy 500 miles to visit him?

[Pax]

I see the condescension swings both ways.

I don't do FB but I do post here, they are not mutually exclusive.

Here's a thought, how about if you enjoy posting on FB...do it and have a great time. If you prefer old fashioned communication...do it and have a great time.

[SadieKate]

Yep.

[SadieKate]

But when you call someone, you're telling her "drop everything you're doing and speak to me NOW".

With facebook or email, you give that person the ability to respond when she's ready.

It's not about your time, it's about your recipient's time.

Just a thought ...

Would you tell my mom that? She thinks I should have a set time of day when "it's best to call."

[shootingstar]

FB and it's convenience, is not going to happen in my family ...when those who have internet don't respond by email in a timely manner all the time nor do they email often. Also 3 members of my family don't have internet access. 1 of them is a sister who's trying to save money. She's really tight on her budget to pay off her mortgage solo.

Others are my parents. Not computer literate and different language.
I don't expect my nieces and nephews to suddenly bond alot closer to their aunts and uncle..they have many of them anyway.

And my close friends who are quite computer literate..they only send me pleasant emails occasionally. I'm happy with the the updates.

I can't force loved ones to use FB, if they aren't using prerequisite technology at this time often with me.

Does this mean less bonding? After hearing stories how little some people trust even some of their siblings....gosh, I trust mine, all of them 100% even if we're not on the phone/email/FB/Twitter/letter every week or every month.

[ny biker]

I don't get the point about how some use Facebook instead of calling, because calling takes too much time. If I am sitting at my computer, using Facebook, isn't that taking up time? I could be doing lots of other things (like leaving for work!) instead of being on TE right now.
I also have moved a few times. I have kept in contact with friends from my last interstate move, which happened way before any form of electronic communication. It is hard to make new connections, but I did it.
My thing with all of these forms of communication is that there is less and less face to face human interaction. It's scary to me. I also think think that the technology aspect of Facebook is somewhat non intuitive to me. If I had to find information about cycling routes there, I'd never find it.
I wonder if there are others like me? I still write down things on paper.

The only way you'll find cycling routes on facebook is if you have friends who post them there. It's not designed to be the source of information on everything.

It is not physically possible to have more face to face communcation with many of the people I stay in touch with on Facebook because we live far apart. And most of the ones who are local are former co-workers with busy lives who I won't see face to face anyway. I used to try to meet with them and it literally took months to find a day and time when we were both free, until finally I gave up trying. But now we have an easy way to stay in touch.

Really, it's not evil.