So, this article raises some issues that everyone who uses Facebook (which seems to be pretty much everyone) should at least be aware of. It's scary how much information you give them, and to what uses it might be put.
Nonetheless, I really like Facebook. Part of it is the faces -- I get to see people I care about (or at least am curious about and have generally positive feelings towards) who I may not have seen in person in 10 years, or who live in far-flung areas of the country. Part of it is the nice interface. It's easy to use, and feels pleasingly uncluttered. And, I'll admit, part of it is Oregon Trail.
But I wonder what a spiritual or theological critique might be... because even as I add friends and applications, I find part of myself hungry for the anti-Facebook. And I suspect it's a spiritual hunger. Sure, it's easy to check out people's photos, exchange brief notes encapsulating the last decade, and, for those friends who update their status frequently, get a real sense of what's going on in people's lives. But the more difficult connections -- actually finding time to be together, to break bread, talk, laugh, and have real conversation, is ultimately more satisfying.
I do think that, like any technology, Facebook can be used in service of spiritual life, to promote and strengthen real connections in interesting and creative ways (there's an application for intercessory prayer). But I need real friends, too.
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3 comments:
Oregon trail??? What am I missing out on here?? ... i have not yet succumbed to facebook (or myspace for that matter) though i have been tempted by both at times, to be able to see friends' sites. i have limited/no access to the sites as a non-member. its a question with many aspects
Wow. This is quite the article. The global market scares me quite a bit, I confess.
Hey Bromleigh -- I see that you, like me, are searching the interweb for inspiration for tomorrow's sermon. ;)
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