Fulfillment at Any Age

Facebook has done a remarkable job of tapping into the excitement of connecting with LOTS of friends and new interested and interesting people - who may be anywhere. Coupled with Twitter, there is a wealth of daily insights to be gained from all the activities of those you are connected with. For this and other reasons, Facebook serves a valuable purpose for many, AND there are needs this social network doesn't serve well.

For example, when a family has a specific life event where it is important for them to have seniors, children, and grandchildren all connected in a safe online environment for the purpose of sharing and providing support, then Facebook is not a good choice. The leaky margins of privacy, content and ads unsuitable for children, and the complexity of the user interface all make it a questionable environment for family-centric purposes.

Websites like www.LifeEventNet.com are working hard to overcome these drawbacks of Facebook by providing complete privacy, no ads, and a full set of built-in social features to support a wide variety of family and close friend oriented occasions. For some social networking needs safer and more intimate is better.

Finally! Thank you for mentioning the tremendous benefits that using social media can bring to teens; particularly introverted teens or teens with low self-esteem. It seems that some in the media try to sensationalize the few instances (given the tremendously large amount of FB users), where teens have been stalked by predators, etc. Yes, teens and anyone who uses social media needs to exercise wisdom and caution. However, the positive social experiences far outweigh the few negative encounters. I have seen time and again how individuals (not just teens) who tend to be more introverted will become more outgoing in "face-to-face" social interaction after they have spent some times "practicing" their social skills and gaining more confidence via social media sites.

Your post is refreshing; thank you for focusing on the positive aspects of social media!

I understand your focus in this article, but would like to add that development of "social capital" through Facebook and other social media extends beyond the act forming a circle of contacts, and the importance that can have for students or others with lower self-esteem. Adults with plenty of self-esteem can gain social capital through providing intelligent and useful content on social media. A mix of personal and newsy or professional updates can help establish your reputation and even that of your work. It's important for there to be variety. People who post solely about social endeavors or solely about work are missing the boat. As a friend sad to me, "It's Facebook, not Nosebook." In social media it is all about the lateral connections that are made, authenticity, and contribution made. If you hope to gain lasting social capital through social media, you must actually add value. That can take many forms, of course, but it's good to keep in mind.

Matt Rosenberg, Seattle
Director, http://communityforums.org
Founder, http://socialcapitalreview.org
Founder, http://socialcapitalreview.org/public-data-ferret

Although FB can be useful, fun, and so much more...it can also equally have it's downfalls. Many people (not sure if it's false blame or really FB at fault) claim it ruins their marriages and other misc things. I saw on the news a mother ignoring her daughter asking for help with homework to putter around on FB, so the daughter had to go on HER pc and message her mom on FB to get her attention. Things like that are just sad. And there are those people, myself included, who are addicted to the point where one day (or sometimes less than that) without FB can cause anxiety or a longing feeling much like being away from a spouse or loved one. It's also causing people to slack off at work. But, like I started, it is equally as good. It keeps people in touch with those they might not have without facebook, provides much entertainment and can be a tool for resourcing, advertising, and networking.

Tom M

FACEBOOK:
sharing pointless stuff with friends you don't know.
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That sums it up for me. This is nothing but a fade that will fall like a hot potato. In a society that values privacy and vents its anger at the government over intrusion into our personal lives - people worldwide freely and willingly post on-line thru FACEBOOK every aspect of their personal lives. It is only a matter of time that professional "hackers" enter into your bank accounts, IRA accounts, etc thru FACEBOOK and the info YOU willingly posted for yourself (so you thought) and everyone else in the world !
Suckers !