A while back I was reading this cartoon in Glamour magazine:

And then a few weeks ago as some friends and I were coming home from a weekend at Lake Havasu, we asked one of the girls on the trip to share her photos with us on Facebook. And then she said four words I never thought I would hear. She said:

“I don’t have Facebook.”

No Facebook?! I was shocked, to say the least. How could a twenty-something in this day and age not have Facebook?

She just shrugged and said, “I just never really thought I needed it.” So non-chalant. I was completely intrigued that there are still people (who aren’t hermits living in the woods) that don’t have Facebook or that don’t really use social networking sites.

This is so opposite of me and many people I know, who check Facebook religiously each day and go on the site first thing in the morning (often before even getting out of bed) and last thing at night.

But although a large percentage of people spend a lot of time on Facebook, in a study 25% of those polled said life without computers and cellphones could be a “big relief.”  And in another study, 36% chose “social networking” as their “biggest waste of time” when compared to fantasy sports, watching TV, shopping, etc.

Even though many people will tell you that being constantly connected and “addicted” to social networking is stressful, they still use it.

Addiction is defined as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming.”

Are they addicted? Probably not. It’s probably something more basic.

“Friend-tertainment”

How much of your time on Facebook (or other “drug” of choice) is spent making posts vs. reading what your friends post? If you get right down to it, yes you are on Facebook for connection, but often more so for entertainment. Or “Friend-tertainment.”

One study explains that our brains see information as a reward. If you think about it, aren’t status updates, photos, and other notifications all just pieces of information? When we see or read something new, we feel pleasure and joy as if we are being rewarded. It also helps explain why many people get “stressed out” when they miss an update; they feel like they missed out on something good.

Another way I look at it is as kind of a reality show, starring all your friends. One reason we like reality shows is because we can watch the life of someone different than us- someone who has unique experiences and opinions that we may not have.

Facebook is like a live stream reality show.

You can chronicle someone’s whole day/life through updates about what they have planned that night, photos from their latest Vegas trip, comments they make on yours and others’ posts, and more. And now that almost any website can incorporate itself into Facebook, you get an even deeper look into what your friends are doing or looking at.

Even if you only met your “friend” once at a random party or didn’t even talk to them in high school, they are still incredibly interesting.

Networked From Birth

There is a statistic that says “in the U.S. 92% of children under the age of 2 have an online presence of some sort.” So even kids that can’t use the computer let alone speak are already online through pictures their parents post.

So, if I’m already “addicted” to social networking and I’ve only had it since 2005, what does that mean for future generations that will grow up with it from birth?

Back to “Basics”

Among all of the hi-tech hype where people are constantly connected and cell phones can do literally everything, I’ve started noticing some people going Back to “Basics.” And I don’t mean basics as in abandoning their cell phones or going back to the days of (God forbid) pagers. What I mean is downgrading.

I was talking with a coworker the other day and she was telling me that she removed internet access from her phone and now just uses it to text and call. It saves a lot of money each month, and it’s enough for her.

Another time while I was on (you guessed it) Facebook, I saw that one of my friends had posted this status update:

And a couple weeks ago, I was watching an episode of Modern Family, titled “Unplugged.”  In this episode, Claire is so tired of her family always being on electronics, that they declare a one week ban on cell phones, the internet, and even Phil’s iPad.  (This proves to be really difficult, and even impractical for most of the family…)

So What?

So what about these people not involved in social networking? Are they trying to make a statement? Or do they genuinely just not see a need for social networking in their lives?

Even though I would never want to be without social networking or feel “out of the loop”, the thought of being a little less connected at all times seems pretty nice.  I could definitely tone it down a little and spend a few less hours per week online, check my email less often, and not keep my phone within one foot of me at all times.

While its great to be able to reach friends and family at any time, have we made ourselves TOO available? Maybe these people have the right idea.

Although, I still haven’t seen those pictures from Havasu…

photo credit: Parallelic