Time suck
Maybe I just don’t get it, but I think social network websites like Facebook are just a huge waste of time. I can’t fit everything I want to do in my life now! I certainly don’t have time to relive my high school or college years. Not that they are worth reliving! Twitter? Different, but also a huge waste of time.
They remind me of instant messaging. When AIM first came out for non-AOL users I wasted a LOT of time IM’ing. Yes, there were some benefits; a quick question-answer to a friend or family member, but overall IM was, for me, a huge time suck. After a few months I uninstalled all IM apps from my computer. Oh sure, I suffered a few days of withdrawal symptoms, but overall what a relief to get my time and privacy back! Fortunately I haven’t gotten hooked on LinkedIn, Facebook, Reunion, Plaxo, ad infinitum naseum.
I had a great interaction a few weeks ago. A friend sent a “friend invitation” for yet another social network. I wrote to let her know not to take it personally, but I wasn’t signing up for anymore of those things. She e-mailed back and said, she hadn’t really wanted to sign up either, she just responded to another friend’s invitation, and clicked next, next, until she’d ended up inviting and adding people to her network that weren’t even friends. Makes me think social networks are just the new chain letter.
