Facebook and social networking is a vital part of our business. We work with our clients to help them create Facebook pages but our clients are often reluctant.
I understand why. I also hated Facebook. I still feel resentful that the web (and life) is being taken over by Facebook. But Facebook is too big to ignore. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I recommended that everyone try Facebook. Who knows, you might like it.
Some thoughts for the haters:
You don’t have to be “good” at it
I think that one of the major reasons why people hate Facebook is that they feel uncomfortable. They don’t know how to use it and are afraid that they will look stupid. But the truth is, a very small percentage of people really know how to use Facebook. Most people are Facebook voyeurs. They login, accept friend requests, and read what people have written, but they do not post things themselves. So feel free to do the same. You will be in the majority.
You don’t have to revisit the past
Many people love reconnecting with people they went to high school with. But you don’t have to. If you don’t tell Facebook what high school you went to, or what town you grew up in, then you will not appear in searches related to the school. And if you do receive a friend request from someone from your past, you are not obligated to accept it. Just press the ignore button. The person is not notified that you rejected their request.. it is likely that they will just assume that you never got it. And if someone is on your friend list that you don’t want to be in contact with, go ahead and un-friend them. Again, they are not notified, so its not a big deal.
Friend only the people you really care about
My friend list, for the most part, consists only of people I actually care to hear from. Conversely, you should not friend anyone if you don’t want them to know about you, your friends, your life etc..
Its not a popularity contest
Its not important to have many friends. If the friend count bothers you, you can hide your list of friends.
You can control who sees your information
Facebook offers privacy settings. If you are uncomfortable with Facebook, you should modify your privacy settings. For instance, my account allows just people I have friended to see information that I have posted. You can go farther and restrict people from seeing your photos, your birthday and more. (Note, the screenshot below was taken today. Facebook changes this screen often, so the screen may change).
Click to enlarge
Mark Zuckerberg is not like the guy in the movie.
Mark Zuckerberg is not evil. He actually grew up in my neighborhood and attended the local high school for a couple of years. His dad still works as a dentist nearby, my neighbor uses him. Mark, according to his recent Time magazine profile, is a well adjusted person who has a regular girlfriend and a sense of humor. He is not trying to pull on over on you and he is not trying to suck up all the world’s information for his personal use. And if you do not click on any ads, you do not contribute to his personal wealth.
Its a waste of time
The content that you get from Facebook consists of things posted by your friends. If you chose your friends wisely then you may be rewarded with interesting links and thought provoking news stories. You may lose time clicking on the various things that they post. I think calling it a waste of time is not quite fair, but it certainly can be a distraction. Sometimes distractions are good however, like when waiting for the train.
Keep business and personal life separate
Some people are concerned that their professional life might be hurt by their Facebook activities. To avoid this, create a page for your business. Do this even if your “business” is you (consultant, agent, author). If you have a local business, create a Facebook “place” page instead.
Got other reasons for hating Facebook? I want to hear them! Post a comment below.
