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| "Is Facebook Growing Up Too Fast?" Brad Stone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/technology/internet/29face.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=facebook&st=csePrereading Questions1) Do you have a Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, or other social networking website of your own? How often do you check the site? Do you, or someone you know, use the site too much? What do you think about Facebook registering 200 million members?
2) Do you think that socially communicating online can ever be as meaningful as doing it in person? What are the differences between online communities and friendships and face-to-face ones?
Journal Topics1) Karen Haber, a Facebook user, claims that she is using the site to try and unite her family. Do you ever use Facebook to talk to your family, or just to your friends? Do you think it is dangerous to post pictures and frank opinions on the site knowing that your parents, relatives, significant others, and employers can see them?
2) "Homophily" is defined in this article as the "tendency of individuals to associate only with like-minded people of similar age and ethnicity." Do you think Facebook truly pulls people away from their natural tendency to only associate with similar people, or do you think that human nature will keep this behavior in place?
3) Have you ever formed a meaningful relationship with someone that was strictly online? If so, what was it like? What needs did it meet that face-to-face relationships didn't meet?
Questions for Critical Thought1) According to Brad Stone, Facebook's new terms of service (at the time the article was written) give the company commercial control over the content that people place on the site. This means that, at least theoretically, Facebook could publish photographs, music, fiction, opinion pieces, and art that you have created, and it could profit by your work. You would have no legal rights to stop it from doing so. Is this right? Should this corporation have rights over work you have produced just because it is on its site, or should intellectual property rights belong to the person who created the property?
2) When a member of the Philadelphia Eagles left the team, Dan Leone, a worker at Eagle's stadium posted a negative comment about the trade on is Facebook page. Leone was fired for his comments. According to Brad Stone, "The team has since refused to reconsider the matter, despite Mr. Leone's deep remorse and his star turn on countless radio talk shows across the country to discuss the situation." Should employers be able to fire people for comments they make on sites such as this? Is this morally different than if Leone had made these comments in person?
3) While Facebook is an amazing social tool, it has downsides. One example in the story is of Mr. Hall, who saw pictures of his 19-year-old son drinking beer at a bonfire. Hall used pictures on Facebook as proof when he confronted his son and said that because of Facebook "there are no secrets anymore." Similarly, if a user wants to connect with like-minded people using Facebook, he or she must post numerous private details to make connections. Is this exchange of instant social gratification worth the loss of privacy? Discuss.
Suggestions for Personal Research1) The article discusses a regular person who contacted the prime minister of Denmark, became Facebook friends, and invited him to come and speak at his school. Look into local politicians or even state-wide, national, or world leaders that you could contact. See if you can befriend them online (through Facebook or even regular email). More importantly, try to get them to address something of interest to you on a political level.
Multicultural Issues1) This article mentions an international, multicultural facet to the Facebook service. Is there a version of Facebook from your original country or in your language? Would you consider using this service to stay in touch with others?
Vocabularyarbitrary disheveled caustic inherently stipulations modicum yoked disparate homophily detrimental discreetly conundrum eroded ubiquitous initiatives trajectory evangelists diffuses critical mass Terms for ClarificationTwitter A social networking site that is predicated on the simple purpose of answering one question—what are you doing. To answer this question, users give very short online communications (called "tweets") that inform people what the user is doing at any given moment. Skype A service that provides free video and audio communications online, such as video chats, phone calls, and instant messaging. AIM AOL Instant Messenger service that allows people to text chat live, while online. |