Facebook

Facebook, being a free of charge social networking website, is the second largest social network on the web. Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg, at that time still a student at Harvard University in America, who ran it as his hobby. Facebook membership was at first limited to Harvard University students only, but then slowly expanded over the years to anyone who was 13 years old and above.

On Facebook, users are allowed to carry out interpersonal communication by using this feature "Wall", which provides a section in Facebook profiles where other users can leave messages to others. When users have read the message, the wall allows users to reply the message, making it possible for dyadic communication. This mode is known as "wall-to-wall" mode. Besides the wall feature, Facebook also introduced an instant messaging application called "chat", where its functions are similar to that of any other online instant messaging system, just that "chat" is carried out in Facebook's website.

Another feature provided by Facebook includes the ever so popular photos application, where users are given an option to upload albums or individual photos. These successfully uploaded photos can be viewed by others through the person's profile unless set at private. However, for most users, posting the correct photos are important. Posting inappropriate photos of oneself could cause a long lasting damage to ones reputation, as anyone who views the photos would perceive and judge the person from the photo, which might cause others to have a seriously bad impression.

As Facebook does not require face to face communication, it makes it easy for anyone to construct various identities. Facebook applications such as "chat" involves communication through the computer, also known as computer mediated communication, which allows a person to disguise his or her true identity. For example, the people users meet online tend to be more sociable and friendly. The online friendship developed over time could lead to the urge of wanting to personally meet the other party. However, this can be extremely dangerous as there are times where the other party has other intentions such as murder or rape which users are usually unaware of.

Although Facebook has become one of the most common hobby among the young generation, users should still know that we can never fully trust another through the internet. Even though there have been many happy endings from relationships developed from Facebook, there have been even more tragic and unhappy ones. Personally, I prefer to develop relationships the conventional way; tangible is the way to go for me!


Written by,
Hooi Kit Wei