I found this NY Times article very interesting. Several people were interviewed about why they don't use Facebook at all. Some used to use it and stopped, and some just never started.

Personally I find Facebook to be a necessary evil. I don't like what it's becoming. Its ubiquity is invasive. I use it for two reasons: to keep in touch with distant relatives, and to build business relationships. Oddly, these two purposes almost seem at odds with each other. The fact that everybody I'm connected to can see everything I do means that both groups have to put up with my very public relationship-building efforts with the other.

But I digress, this is not about me. However, my comments reveal my conflict and explain why I so often choose Facebook as a topic in these blog posts.

Those interviewed in the article, surprisingly, tended to be on the young-ish side. There were three primary reasons for the dissing of Facebook.

Facebook is isolating. People who live in New York City often feel isolated. It's almost a paradox. But if you look into the psychology of this effect it makes complete sense. In the case of Facebook, it may be a feeling of overwhelm, as in "I have 1254 friends but I don't know any of them well." People need to feel close to others. They need intimate relationships. You can't have that on Facebook, and this leads to feelings of alienation. Like a thirsty man adrift at sea.

Facebook is invasive. This is true in two ways. Some people feel like voyeurs into other people's personal lives, while others feel as though they're being watched. Both feelings are valid and completely true. I can't help but postulate though that these feelings are likely to have a stronger impact on certain personality types, such as introverts and people who otherwise have a strong sense of privacy or distrust.

Facebook has too much noise. All you need to do is log onto Facebook at 8am and see 15 people say "Good morning" to know what this is about. With people being so busy, especially this time of year, nobody needs this kind of distraction. To me, this is the main reason I only spend about 5 minutes a day on Facebook.

Some of the interviewees in the article mentioned the difficulties of living in a Facebook world without being part of Facebook. Friends complain about it and family members question it. I can imagine they need to constantly explain why they're not on it. I believe that being on Facebook is not really the same as being active on Facebook. There might be a way of compromising, don't you think?

The article goes on to talk about Facebook's response to these concerns, as they gear up for their much anticipated IPO next Spring. To me this is just PR, which I tend to ignore. I have no doubt that their IPO will be a smash success and that Facebook will continue to thrive. That doesn't mean I'll change the way I use it.  

To me, Facebook is just a tool, not a lifestyle.