What's Up with FACEBOOK?
BY laura richards
As a harried mom of three boys, I had heard a lot about Facebook (FB), an online resource for socializing and connecting, but wasn't sure about joining.
It was only when my husband, Kevin, signed up and found his old college/frat buddies that I became a FB widow. I realized I was being left out of the fun, so one night Kevin let me use his account to look around, and I was hooked.
In the time it took him to pick up dinner, I had created my own account, joined a network, uploaded my headshot, added a photo album of our family's trip to the Cape and became friends with four people. I was glued to the computer searching every person I had ever known, making and receiving friend requests left and right and adding "flair buttons" to my virtual cork board.
I was a 37-year-old woman as giddy as a 13-year-old girl. I hadn't had this much fun since I decorated the inside of my locker with pictures of the Brat Pack. I wondered how addicting this would become.
The FB Lowdown
Facebook was founded in 2004 by a Harvard University student whose intentions were to replace the old paper "facebook" produced each fall with an easy, online format for students and faculty to get acquainted. The online concept took hold quickly and grew to include other Ivy League universities, high school communities and eventually the general public. It is estimated that the site has approximately 64 million users worldwide and is the 7th most visited site in the US with over 15 billion page views each month.
How to Facebook
Facebook is free and easy to use; all you need is an email address and password. Several simple steps take you through setting up a profile. You can opt to include as much or as little information on your page as you want. Some users fill their pages with favorite music, movies, quotes, video links, educational and work information yet others choose to put nothing but their name. There are areas to upload photos and make albums that can be shared with the world or only a designated few. Users can search friends by name, email address or by school/company.
Is it Safe?
The user has total control over who sees what on her profile. In order for someone to view your page, she must either be in the same network or send a "friend request" which you can either accept or ignore. There is also a capability to block certain individuals from contacting you at all. Sound good for that pesky ex-boyfriend or creepy co-worker? Becoming familiar with the privacy options keeps you in control of what personal information is shared.
What Parents are Saying
Following a friend's recommendation, Linnea Casino, a mother of two from North Reading, joined the network in July 2008. She also wanted to stay ahead of the technology her children would soon be encountering. "I really enjoy it," Casino says, "It's been great to get in touch with people I have lost contact with through moving away to a different state, country, getting married, having kids, etc. I love being able to share pictures of events that have just happened with our family quickly and easily."
In addition to sharing photos, Casino loves the IM feature (instant messaging). "I can talk with girlfriends after the kids are in bed without disturbing anyone by being on the telephone."
Jennifer Brock, a mother of three in Natick, has been on FB since November 2006 and says, "I would recommend it not only to moms, but to anyone who wants to consolidate their social contacts and keep up easily with people."
Facebook is an amazing tool, states Brendan McCarthy, an executive with Active Marketing and a Scituate father of two. "Networking is key to success in the business world. The wider your circle, the more chances you have to be exposed to great opportunities. The guy that was on the same floor as you in college just may be the most important contact for you."
McCarthy has used Facebook to reach out to people he has not spoken to in years. "The worst that can happen is that they do not 'confirm me as a friend,'" says McCarthy, "People will often see your resume and reach out in the hope that you can help them. It is all part of the social networking game."
Carah Whalen-Feinblatt, a Framingham mother of four, agrees that it's a great networking tool for business, but she appreciates it mostly for connecting with family and friends. "I have a Blackberry and have downloaded it there so I can still be connected even when I'm away from home. I love sharing little quips with friends and sending 'flairs,' an easy and quick way to let someone know you're thinking of them."
Who has time for all of this connecting? Some moms check their account several times a day, others a few times a week. It's all up to personal preference.
Isn't Facebook for the younger crowd? Not so, says Whalen-Feinblatt."I would have joined sooner but I didn't realize it was so popular among 'my generation."
One Month Later
It's been a month since joining FB and my fear of sitting at the computer wearing an adult diaper surrounded by empty Chinese food containers never materialized. My initial obsession normalized once my desire to look everyone up was satisfied. My virtual cork board is now full of flair, and I have found several long-lost friends. I continue to receive odd friend requests from strangers including two Serbian nationals, a male bodybuilder and an 86-year-old granny from England named Cissy. I have no idea how they found me, but it certainly keeps things interesting.
Editor's Note: What's the most interesting or helpful thing that has happened to you on Facebook? If you are new to Facebook, tell us how it is going. E-mail Carrie Wattu at editor@baystateparent. com. Readers who respond are eligible to receive a complimentary gift (free tickets or passes, toys for kids, CDs, DVD etc.). Be sure to include your e-mail, address, and phone number.
Laura Richards is a freelance writer from Framingham and the mother of six- year-old identical twin boys as well as a three-year-old son.
