I sometimes think that peoples aversion to Facebook, Blogging and other forms of social networking is similar to how people held out against adopting cellphones.
Most of the concerns sited are along the lines of an invasion of privacy. To an extent that is true. In the same way as someone pre-social networking who didn't have any friends also might have said having any friends at all invades privacy. So, taken to an extreme, a hermit would have complete privacy.
But, I do see the concern that with physical friendships you are able to `manage' them more easily. You only really maintain friendships with a handful of people, and the others you catch up with occasionally. Family doesn't even necessarily fit into the category of people you regularly keep up with.
For some people that is desirable. They can't see why on earth they would possibly want to know more about what is going on in their friends lives than they currently do. And they think it is a bit stalkerish.
This may be true.
However, there is something great about seeing a friend you haven't seen in ages and they have been reading your blog, and seeing your photos on Facebook.
Immediately, they bring up something that you have a mutual interest in (which you might not have known you shared) and conversation flows. Not that it wouldn't have flowed without it, but I think it is easier to find common ground faster.
The price is that maybe it is harder to lose contact with people you want to lose contact with. Harder to redefine yourself and your circle of friends? Harder to compartmentalize your interactions with people?
I don't deny that the pre-networking era had its benefits. But like cell phones, I suspect everyone will be `on' in a few years time.
And, on the balance... I think we will be better off because of it.
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