How I use Facebook

Given the theme of this week’s class, I’m going to provide some insight on how mainly use Facebook.  When I first got Facebook in 2007, I intended to use it as a way to easily stay in touch with high school friends.  However, it quickly became a tool primarily used to “stalk” friends and friends of friends.  This especially became true once the news feed had been added.  So this is a step by step way that I use Facebook on an everyday (probably more hourly than daily) basis.

1. Log on

2. Check notifications (pictures, wall posts etc.)

3. Read messages (or not since most of my messages are simply from student groups/events that I am not particularly interested in)

4. Check events (this step has serious social implications—I never say not attending.  If I am not attending I always either say maybe if I want to support the person hosting the event or I simply don’t respond.  I always feel like it is too inconsiderate to outright say no unless I have a legitimate conflict)

5. Read the entire news feed and click on those things that I find most interesting so that I can get more information and maybe stalk the profiles of people relating to that thing

On a less regular note, when going through my pictures I always untag photos that portray me in a bad light (for instance me surrounded by copious amounts of alcohol at a party) in case medical school admissions committees ever examine my profile.  When it comes to relationship status, which is most relevant to this week’s readings, I don’t have one even though I have been in a relationship for a year and a half.  That information is too personal and I don’t feel the need to broadcast that to every friend of a friend.  However, before I was in a relationship I did have single on my profile, so if somebody was a very dedicated stalker and read my wall all the way until March 2009 then they could figure something out.  If anyone is interested in how I choose my profile picture, look at my post on 9/12/10.