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Facebook's POSITIVES: CLOSE not up close
It's no secret,
"Facebook" is often synonymous with "procrastination." Doubtless, you
can find plenty of ways to waste time on Facebook. But, social
networking on Facebook can be beneficial too, if you put your mind to
it.
Aditha Dissanayake
 It is hard to imagine what kind of life Robinson Crusoe would have
lived when he got stranded on that island, if he'd had an iPad with him
and a Facebook account. Better still, if Facebook had existed in the
world of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice', what would Darcy decide to
write on his wall whenever he saw the line 'what's on your mind?' each
time he logged into his Facebook account? Would he have answered by
writing the name of the person who dominates his thoughts day in day
out? Would he have written "Elizabeth Bennet" on his wall? If he had,
would Lizzy have seen it? Yes, she would, if Bingley takes it into his
head he should share Darcy's news feed; because even though Lizzy would
never dream of sending a friend request to the terrible Darcy, both of
them would be having Bingley as their mutual friend. And whatever
Bingley shares, Lizzy sees.
Scary? Relieved Facebook was not there to interfere with the lives of
either Crusoe or Darcy or Lizzy? But chances are they might have loved
it, the same way most of us love it today. Admit it, sometimes, we can't
get enough of it. Logging onto Facebook is often the first thing we do
in the morning and the last thing we do at night.
Tsk, tsk, say the nay-sayers. Facebook should be avoided like the
plague. Why? Facebook causes poor productivity, poor academic results,
deaths, break ups in relationships and spreads feelings of fear and
hate. It is a black hole that sucks all your time and energy. It is an
invisible pair of binoculars that lets you spy on your friends' lives.
Perhaps. But, what we should not forget is that, as with the other
technological devices in our lives we have a choice, we can choose to
use Facebook to bring positive results into our lives, or allow
ourselves to be negatively affected by it.
Keeping in touch
Using Facebook the right way means, transcending physical boundaries
and connecting with friends and relatives who are scattered all over the
world. Of course, they are always only a phone call's distance away even
if they are on the other side of the planet, and there is always email,
but there is something about Facebook that allows for ultimate
understanding of what is going on in someone's life. The pictures, the
status updates, the postings all paint a better picture of what is
happening. For this reason, Facebook really is an amazing tool when it
comes to keeping in touch.
Especially if you are a bit of an introvert, not too keen on
'face-to-face encounters, the doses of social interaction Facebook
provides can be invaluable. After all, we are designed to be social
creatures and the role Facebook plays in giving an alternative way to
add some social interaction to those of us who might otherwise not find
it in our lives, either because we are too shy or because we are too
busy, cannot be dismissed as trivial.
 What is trivial though, are numerous news feeds that convey
insignificant details about your life. Who wants to know how many slices
of bread you had this morning for breakfast? Or see the new nail varnish
on your fingers? Yet, apart from the less than vital pieces of
information you find on Facebook it is useful in that it allows you to
stay up-to-date on whatever is going on in your best friends' lives
without having to talk to them or see them every single day.
Meeting new people
Apart from keeping touch with the friends you already know, Facebook
also provides opportunities for you to meet new people, make new
connections, broaden your horizons and learn new things about the world.
(The passing away of Chinua Achebe, President Obama's views on
Immigration Laws etc) Meeting new people can be incredibly difficult,
even if you are an extremely outgoing person, and Facebook is a great
way to make connections - especially as you instantly have an
opportunity to see what you have in common :mutual friends, mutual
interests.
A myriad of worthy organizations, people, and events you might wish
to support, are also available on this networking site.
Volunteer opportunities
You can use Facebook to find volunteer opportunities in your
community, or support organizations such as environmental causes and
campaigns like PETA's petition to save Mali, the Manila Zoo's lone
elephant, the arts, political and religious causes that are close to
your heart. As Mark Zukerberg is happy to point out, Facebook opens the
world to you and gives you the chance to voice your thoughts and in
doing so, add your mite to making the world a better place.
Moreover, if you are an entrepreneur you can use Facebook to promote
your company and services. You can even choose your target audience,
based on their interests, gender, age, geographic region, and even the
kind of device they use to log on to the site.
Even if you are not into business, Facebook provides many
opportunities for self promotion making it a great outlet for anyone who
really needs to find clients and to get supporters.
If you have a charity event, Facebook is the way to get people to
connect with you and hopefully support it. You can even organize events,
and gather people for them rather effortlessly with the events
application on Facebook.
Reducing stress levels
In addition, new research suggests spending time on Facebook can
reduce stress levels, slow down heart rates and, generally speaking,
help you to relax.
The greatest news is that, the health benefits of Facebook are not
only for the young. Scientists say adults over 65 could use Facebook as
a tool to sharpen their mental abilities. Studies revealed at the
International Neuropsychological Society Annual Meeting in Hawaii, show
that older adults, after learning to use Facebook, performed about 25
percent better on memory tasks.
 This news, however, comes with a warning. "It's also important to
understand and know about some of the aspects of Facebook that people
have concerns about, like how to keep your profile secure," says Janelle
Wohltmann who conducted the study. "So I wouldn't suggest to anyone to
get out and get Granny online right away, unless you or somebody else
can provide the proper education and support to that person, so that
they can use it in a safe way."
All in all, the simple fact that in spite of the negative effects of
Facebook which have been highlighted even on this very page time and
time again, the number of users on Facebook keep growing (today the
number has exceeded 1 billion) suggests how important Facebook is in the
modern world. it is such a popular phenomena because people are hungry
for connection.
Who among us does not wish to tell the world "I am here". Who among
us does not long to be acknowledged, appreciated, well-received and
supported by others? Facebook offers an amazing forum by means of which
that realization may be achieved, not only with ease but also in a fun
way.
Award-winning author, Dennis Merritt Jones says it best. "I don't
want to wait until the end of my life to understand the importance and
meaning of having shared my life with friends. Why? Because every new
friendship becomes a bridge to another person's soul, and with it the
opportunity to witness the greatness of who that person is and, in the
process, to be reminded I am never alone. At the end of the day,
friendship really is what it's all about."
"If you are currently on Facebook and we have not yet connected,
let's do so because the journey is far too good not to share it with
like-minded souls!"
aditha [email protected]
Face book POST leads to long LOST family
An Alabama woman who was born in a Nassawadox hospital and adopted
shortly after birth found her birth family within days of posting a plea
for information on Facebook after an unsuccessful 15-year search by more
conventional means.
Rita Bradford has discovered a whole new set of Virginia relatives
and plans to write a book about her experience.
Bradford had exhausted other approaches to finding her family when at
about 7 p.m. Jan. 24, the 38-year-old wife and mother of two posted on
Facebook a photograph of herself holding a poster with her birthdate and
birthplace and a plea to help her find her relatives.
"By 8 o'clock, it had gone viral," Bradford said.
The photograph eventually was shared by more than 148,000 people, and
the post was commented on by more than 6,500, including other adoptees
and a soldier in Afghanistan.
Within a week, Bradford heard from a woman who said she might know
members of Bradford's family on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Bradford
questioned her about details Bradford already knew about her birth.
"I started putting the pieces in and I said, 'You know everything
about it,' " Bradford said. As they continued talking, Bradford asked
what the woman could tell her about her birth mother.
"She got real quiet," Bradford said.
Then she said Bradford's biological mother had died more than seven
years ago. But now Bradford had the names not only of her mother, the
late Linda Drummond, but also of two siblings.
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