A smart way to stay connected
Definitely, Facebook is the smart way of connecting people remotely. Facebook will be celebrating its 12th anniversary on February 4. The global networking journey began with less than a thousand people and now has around 1.5 billion active users, making it the largest social media platform in the world. This has expanded its reach rapidly and meaning that it is influencing people in several ways. Have we reached a phase where Facebook is everything and we cannot imagine a world without it?
From Mr Girish R. Edathitta
UAE
Made us oversensitive
Facebook has made us emotionally sensitive, socially alone and professionally useless.
From Mr Mohammad Samran
UAE
Met my husband
It’s been an incredible way to connect with people, globally. I met my husband through Facebook! He lived in the UAE and I lived in the UK. We would never have met, but because of Facebook, we did. So, I am grateful.
It’s great to hear others’ views on this topic, too!
From Ms Wendy Anne Spencer
UAE
Attention seeking
People are constantly looking for attention and put on their best clothing just to gaze into the camera! It’s all to show a perfect life and attract new people.
It’s been terrible using Facebook. I lost many envious frends. My children and even my pets pose for too many selfies. I can’t take it anymore.
From Ms Kimi Al Kahina
UAE
No longer present
It has blocked our brain from being present in our own lives.
From Mr Jay Baloch
Dubai
The good and the bad
Facebook has not changed everyone, it has just transformed people who use it regularly. The disadvantage is that many companies judge young people by analysing their Facebook accounts, as the employers feel that Facebook behaviour reflects their character. The advantage is that we can be in touch with our old friends through Facebook.
From Ms Shajitha Shifa
UAE
Connecting us
There was a time when on the last day of college, everyone was filling in their information to all their friends and acquaintances to stay in touch. Thanks to Facebook, we can be in touch with our friends without taking down addresses. Nowadays it’s really enjoyable to find our friends and loved ones through Facebook.
From Mr Ganesh Potphode
UAE
You shape it
Well, Facebook is an open platform to express yourself to the world. It is what you make it!
From Mr Syed Khurram Ali
UAE
Use it wisely
Facebook has replaced the human emotions of life. At times, like during our children’s dance performances or awards, we are busy clicking their pictures and uploading it to social media sites rather than watching and appreciating them. It does have advantages as well, like it helps us to stay connected to all relatives. So, we must use Facebook wisely, otherwise it is going to take control of our lives.
From Ms Lilly Shaji
Dubai
Enjoy real life
Bosses use Facebook to spy on their staff, so you better be careful what you put online before it can have professional consequences. Socially, friendships turn virtual and when you’re meeting with friends in real life, chances are that they’ll be busy with their smartphones on Facebook rather than enjoying the moment in real life. I’ve noticed that some have a severe Facebook addiction, which results in familial problems.
From an emotional point of view, people with bad minds and bad intentions misuse it because they can become anonymous bullies. Of course it has also a lot of advantages. A simple example is that it can keep friends from all over the world in touch. Also, when you have family living on the other side of the world, it makes it easier to forget the distance.
From Ms Isabella Sophia
UAE
Good for birthdays!
It saves people who forget others’ birthdays! The rest of it has many of its own advantages and disadvantages.
From Mr Shahzad Ahmad
UAE
Destructive
Facebook has destroyed everything, but we are afraid to accept reality.
From Mr Shahveer I.
UAE
Replacing good things
Facebook has replaced books. It has replaced gathering outdoors, too.
From Mr Omar Shaikh
Lahore, Pakistan
Helped me as an introvert
We became unsociable because instead of having fun outside in the open, we would rather stay inside our rooms and chat with friends silently. Many of us don’t even know each other, but we freely say a lot of what’s inside us. Facebook has a lot of advantages and disadvantages.
Emotionally speaking, we react to many posts as if they are pointing at us. Some people get easily carried away, or easily believe false news and they easily become angry.
We forget formalities and decency and people become aggressive and publically demeaning and shaming people. The very good thing is that we can communicate as fast, as in seconds, with people that we care and love. We can read and see things happening and incidents around the globe in minutes. We are comforted by people’s good words and get to learn a lot without going to the library.
I am an introvert and Facebook has made me express my thoughts and feelings without people looking at me, eye to eye.
A lot has been done because of this incredible idea.
From Ms Pearl Mari
Dubai
Facebook comment
How you use it
Facebook is simply a platform for social media. It is up to the individual how it is used and for how long.
From Ms Em Dodds
UAE
Waste of time!
It’s a waste of time with fake relationships and some good knowledge, but sometimes the facts we see aren’t even correct.
From Mr Mohammad Waqas Butt
UAE
Made us antisocial
Facebook has made us anything but professional. We have become totally anti-social.
From Mr Sanjay Batheja
UAE
Stay away in social gatherings
It is up to an individual and how he sets up his life and conducts himself. While I am in social gatherings, I don’t snub people. Personally, I feel Facebook greatly effects one’s life .
From Mr Mubashir Shaikh
UAE
A way to knowledge
It depends on your personality and what you use Facebook for. For me I use Facebook to follow up closely with what is going on around me and what I am interested in, for research purposes. I knew about light pollution on Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg did a great job.
Aniekwe Miracle
Dubai
Facebook comment
Long list of good and bad
Social media networks, like anything, have good and bad. It has allowed people to stay connected while far away, it allows companies to have face-to-face conference meetings around the world, it helps people who may be stuck at home to accomplish tasks, it has made education accessible to people in remote areas and it allows people to further education, while maintaining a job with online classes.
The down side would be the ability of many people to create fake profiles and to scam unsuspecting people with fraudulent charitable organisations. It has proven a danger to children by allowing sick adults to lure them in. It has allowed terrorist activity to flourish and it has enabled both criminal and government invasion of people’s private lives. It has brought forth a record number of hackers in the last ten years. It robs people and families of quality time and it has been used in many divorce cases, as it enabled people to seek extra marital affairs. So the list of good is just as long as the list of bad.
From Mr John Saf David
UAE
Much opportunity
Well said, Mr John Saf David. I like your comment, it’s very true and I respect your judgement. I personally connect with global knowledge, what’s happening around the world and charities to encase a better world and unite people. It has to have a balance of true diversity and genuine people. We can all accomplish a great deal of connection on a global scale, but what worries me in particular is the amount of fraud happening. The harm it can sometimes cause, as well as quality time, in the real world.
From Ms Sandra Jane Peters
Silverdale, UK
Facebook comment
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