Social Networking Sites

Amazing how technology can make an inherently personal practice into an impersonal one. Don't get me wrong, in the past few months that I've spent examining social networking sites I have come to realize that there is no lack of personal information being flung about in the ether. But it does lack a certain "humanity" when you realize that all of one's information about life, love, careers, interests, and accomplishments can be distilled into ones and zeroes, printed in what is essentially magnetic ink. And the fact that it is all accessable to any determined 5th grader with a computer and what amounts to a lifetime spent online (yes, I imagine a 5th grader has been online as much as a 36 year-old like myself) with little regard for how the original poster had intended that information to be used. If there was ever a "Caveat Emptor" needed, plainly labelled in huge red letters, there should be one on these sites. Oddly enough, there's not.

I have both a MySpace page as well as a Facebook page. I was petitioned by friends to make them so that we could keep in touch. However, as interesting as my life has been, I found myself struggling to decide what information to post on these sites. After all, while my exploits are interesting to me, I somehow doubt that my diatribe on airline food vs. hospital food would interest even the most bored sycophantic admirer.

But what possible educational purpose can these sites have? In an earlier post I mentioned the deluge of e-mails I get over the summer regarding our SGA. I attended an officer's meeting yesterday (see? It's still summer and I'm still doing this stuff!) and advised them to put together a MySpace or Facebook page so we didn't have to drive for miles to meet every week, especially when gas is so expensive. Besides, as summer winds down, we need to talk more than just weekly if we're to get anything done, so the networking site makes much more sense. I hope they take my advice, because I'm all meeting-ed out.