Facebook.Suicide

Social networking sites often have the ability to draw one in to an alternate reality a world where one can author their image, and the way in which others will understand them. For many this is true and I think that it is true for everyone in one way or another. Similar to the way we manipulate our bodies and our features as we prepare to venture on our daily routines, through these sights I believe each one of us alter our own images whether we do it consciously or not. Some may take this to a whole new level where they no longer live in reality but in these artificial worlds created through the computer screen with photoshopped images, brainy quotes, and fictitious half-truths that one uses to make his/herself seem cooler or more cosmopolitan. For these people the idea of Facebook Suicide seems like it would be shocking and difficult. I am not arguing that I am much better. I do recognize that it would be difficult to delete my own Facebook page, however, I do not feel as though I live an alternate life through my social networking site. The thing that would be most missed for me is probably the most artificial aspect of Facebook—my “friends”. Admittedly, I do not talk to everyone of my 158 friends on Facebook, but I do however try to edit my friendslist in order to get rid of people I really do not talk to ever. Losing my “friends” in a way is like losing a connection to the places I cannot occupy while I am away. Through Facebook I am able to stay updated with my true friends from all over the place so losing that would mean that I would have to truly make an effort to keep in touch in more conventional and down to earth ways such as phone calls and real life visits. It is really more about the convenience that Facebook provides that I think attracts so many people—but it is also very easy for one to get pulled into the ersatz world of cyberspace.