Social Networking

As sad as it is to admit, Facebook is definitely one of the main ways that I stay connected with my friends. In fact, the two weeks of August that we have to get rid of our Facebook pages for sorority rush seem to be unbearable. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have become staples in our vocabulary and lives. Things that we have gone so many years without have quickly become an important part of our everyday lives. I don't know about you, but when I wake up in the morning, checking my Facebook is always one of the first things I do. Even as I'm writing this I felt the need to check my Facebook for any updates...that has to be a problem. According to a recent study done by The Nielsen Company, the average user of social networking sites spends 66% more time on them than a year ago--the most time of which is spent on (yep, you guessed it!) Facebook. This is not surprising though, because Facebook has offered us thousands of ways to stay entertained and/or distracted, such as applications and games like Farmville. But mostly it is a way to stay connected with people by messaging, writing on each other's walls, Facebook chatting (which is the new version of the antiquated AIM), and checking/updating statuses. Although it began as a site for college students, people of every age have begun to jump on the Facebook bandwagon. My grandmother even has a profile now, and I am starting to think that looking and commenting on all of my pictures is becoming one of her favorite pasttimes! According to an article by the Huffington Post about interesting Facebook facts, 400 million people log onto their profile at least once a month, half of which log on at least once a day!

Although it looks like Facebook is going to be sticking around for the long haul, other social networking sites keep people connected with everything that they do. Twitter quickly advanced from a site for business professionals to keep updated on to a site for everyone, especially celebrities. Twitter has increased in popularity, especially because you can send "tweets" directly from your phone. Twitter users update their followers with their daily activities, so you always know what your friends and family are up to. This is a great way to connect with people, but I personally think Twitter would have been better off remaining a social networking site for businesses because I honestly don't care what my friends are doing every second of the day. I'm sure a lot of Twitter users would disagree with me, but hey, it's my blog!