I have to say it, even though it may lose me some credibility in the eyes of older academics (although I suspect they already view me with disdain for blogging, so it probably won’t matter much, except to solidify their impression).
It has allowed me to reconnect with friends from childhood, from college, currently scattered all over the world, people that I long regretted losing touch with. But more than that, it allows them to make the acquaintance of one another. I posted an article from Scientific American, and responses ensued from a current student here at Butler, a friend from South Africa whom I met at college in England, and my best friend from my teenage years. Where else could this happen but on Facebook? When before in the history of humanity were such things possible?
Many have feared the arrival of new technology would diminish personal interaction. But while Facebook is not the same as talking face to face, on the whole technology seems to be keeping people more connected in a world where increased mobility had the potential to break relationships and family connections.
A generation ago, teens went off to college and made a break from their parents, and reinvented themselves, or discovered themselves, or defined themselves in this new setting. Today, they keep in touch regularly with parents. The only clear reason is that it is easier to do so. The phone goes with you wherever you are nowadays. E-mail is instantaneous and convenient. No more letter writing. No more calling and hoping you catch someone in.
Technology is not an unmitigated good, and the uses to which we put it require moral discernment. But while Facebook (and even, dare I say it, blogging) can be negative, like most technologies, they have at the very least great potential for good.
So there you have it. I love Facebook. Use it wisely.
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