Will facebook give me a false sense of belonging?

I did it. I started a facebook account. Despite research that claims that facebook will make me more socially isolated, I decided to take the plunge.

When your 70 something dad has a facebook account, it seems kind of silly to resist.

I thought of facebook as a party site that you post embarrassing pictures of yourself doing things you would never want your family or future employers to see. Was I wrong!

Ok, there are the embarrassing photos that have been posted (Me in a wet suit ….noooooooo!) And I do need a better photo of myself for my profile, but overall I have been able to start to reconnect with people that I have shared wonderful times with and even connect with relatives I have never met.

It’s true that computers, cell phones and other devices have impacted our lives and in many ways negatively. But let’s not blame it all on that! I was lonely and isolated before; face book isn’t likely to make it worse!

The world we live in is geared to the impersonal. When was the last time you saw people get together just to spend some time together without an agenda. It has to be an event, or going someplace or doing something. Not that I don’t enjoy these activities, I do. What if you have limitations and like my DH can’t go out without great difficulty. Where do you fit in then? I miss the times shared with friends when we just talked, played games or made up outrageous stories to entertain ourselves. Some of those moments are my most treasured.

I think that facebook will help me reconnect and use my limited time and energy to be a part of special friends’ lives again. Just like anything, facebook could be misused, but it certainly has my vote for making me feel just a little bit more connected with the world.