Deal with Not Having a Facebook or MySpace
These days, it seems like everyone has a Facebook or Myspace page. They're constantly talking about what someone posted or said, leaving you out of the loop and disconnected. The truth is that social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace can become huge time sucks and actually keep us from connecting socially with other people. The important thing to remember is don't worry. You're not the first one who doesn't have Facebook, and you won't be the last!
Steps
- Remember: Just because "everyone else has one" doesn't make it cool. Take pride in being different. Social networking is still cool, but it is not as popular as it was in 2006.
- Tell yourself that these websites are overrated. Really, what is there to do? Sure, you can talk to people, but you can do the same over the phone or email.
- Consider your personal safety. Do you really want to risk getting stalked by some sexual predator just so you can meet someone you don't even know or so you can leave a comment on your friend's Plan an Adventure Bachelor Party? No matter how "safe" the website says it is, think about all that could go wrong. It may not be worth the risk. Even if you don't think it's a risk, there is even more to consider with "Locational Privacy" that users happily sign away with "Accept" buttons. Electronic Frontier Foundation's "Locational Privacy..." paper may help you feel better being not-so-connected, and may remind you why being offline may be a breath of fresh air.
- Consider your personal information. Recently, Facebook and Myspace have had a fire sale on all of their user's personal information, providing marketing firms and third-parties not only with information they requested, but also gave away information the marketers didn't even ask for. They have a history of selling user information through violating your privacy, have done so in the past, and it shouldn't surprise you to hear more stories of it as well in the future. (In case you're wondering, now may be a good time to go back to Facebook and Myspace... really. Go back to them and ensure that you have deleted your account and not merely "deactivated" it.)
- Go out and have a life off of the computer. If you all are out at the mall, none of you will be online. You will actually be interacting. Go to games, dances, invite kids over to your house, go to parties, hang out on the street like in the old days. And actually doesn't it feel better to see people in real life anyway?
- Be proud you will have a life! It's distracting. It's easy for "five minutes" to turn into an hour and a half, and if you're already a procrastinator, that's not a good thing. Concentrate on things that matter. That term paper that's due Wednesday, perhaps?
Tips
- Have fun being the non-conformist!
- Remember that having private information splashed all over the Net is like deciding to indulge in an extensive tattoo session after an all-night binge; it's a lot easier and cheaper to get it done than to undo it. There are some things in life that are irrevocable...make sure trading free access to your private life to promote someone's business plan isn't one of them.
- If anyone gives you a hard time for not having Facebook/Myspace, tell them it's overrated. Everyone has one, what's so cool about it?
