Redefining Facebook
Submitted to Dr. Compton
ENGL 1023-02
English Composition II
By
Ken Misiak
April 15th, 2011
Every multimillion dollar business starts with a simple idea. Upon first conception, this idea may seem abstract and even impossible. However, one idea, given time to grow, has the potential to impact the world. For Mark Zuckerberg, a drop out college student, his idea was birthed into a reality which has truly revolutionized the world. His idea was simple, to create “an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges” (Grossman 50). This online directory, now called Facebook, has evolved into the most popular social networking website online. Facebook is quickly taking over a large portion of our lives and is falsely filling social needs; Christians should be cautious of their approach to the site, but more importantly, they should redefine their use of Facebook to become a witness for others.
Facebook has become a cross-continental network. According to Lev Grossman, author of TIME magazine’s 2010 Person of the Year article, Facebook has close to 500 million users (58). Grossman gives some startling facts to put this number into perspective. This number comprises a total of 7.2% of the world’s 6.9 billion people. Out of the world’s population, two billion people use the internet on a daily basis. This means that 25% of internet users have a Facebook account. A reporter from USA Today, Jon Swartz, examined research data from Nielsen to show that 25% of the time spent online is spent on social networking sites (Par. 1). Facebook has also spread to almost all countries and is translated into more than 75 different languages (Grossman 59). No matter where a person goes, he or she is bound to run into someone on Facebook.
Facebook’s network reaches all over the World Wide Web. On almost all major websites, the familiar blue Facebook square with white “f” can be found along with a “thumbs-up Like” button. By clicking on these buttons, the content is reposted on Facebook. When another Facebook friend is browsing the same website, a profile picture will show up next to the same content to catch their attention. According to Dan Fletcher’s TIME magazine’s article, Friends Without Borders, during any given day Facebook processes approximately 100 million clicks of a Like button (Par. 23). Finding Facebook all over the web is part of an initiative called Open Graph. Grossman states that already two million websites are integrated with Facebook, with approximately 10,000 being added daily (72). The thought process behind Open Graph is that a person is more prone to watch or read the content if a Facebook friend has already “Liked” the content. The ultimate goal of Open Graph is for Facebook to display friend’s preferences on any website in order to create a more personalized web browsing experience.
Another way that Facebook is slowly taking over the internet is by a project called Facebook Connect. This project allows an internet surfer to use his or her Facebook username and password to log onto different websites. This process eliminates the need to go through lengthy account creation steps for each individual website. The need to remember different usernames and passwords is eliminated. Fletcher describes Facebook Connect as a passport for the Web; a way to confirm identity (Par. 21). Facebook Connect and Open Graph are clear examples of Facebook’s global impact on the way the internet is run.
Facebook’s sphere of influence goes beyond the web. Facebook is everywhere. All a person needs to do is pick up the nearest magazine and flip through to find an advertisement which says, “Find us on Facebook,” with the familiar blue square to catch a person’s attention. Grossman believes Zuckerberg’s vision will take Facebook off the web and fully integrate the site with televisions and mobile devices (63). Instead of flipping through the channels on a TV aimlessly, a person would be able to sort through shows that are recommended by friends. Many phones are already equipped with Facebook applications. Status updates and pictures can be quickly uploaded to Facebook by using phones. The impact of Facebook on daily life cannot be avoided wherever anyone turns.
Part of what drives Zuckerberg’s vision is the idea of serendipity. In other words, it is the desire to make accidental discoveries which enrich a person’s life. For example, imagine a group of friends decide to spontaneously go out and see a movie. Unbeknown to this group of friends, more friends were also planning on seeing a movie, but a different one. After the movie is over, each group goes separate ways without even knowing about the other. Facebook wants to change this process. With the use of onboard phone GPS systems, Facebook would be able to alert the user if any of his or her friends were nearby. Instead of the two groups missing each other completely, they would have been able to meet up and see a movie together. Grossman describes Zuckerberg’s vision as trying to “turn the lonely, antisocial world of random chance into a friendly world, a serendipitous world” (63).
As journalist Anna Keating has observed, Facebook is popular partly because it is whatever people want it to be (19). Fletcher expands on this idea and says that part of Zuckerberg’s vision is to make the world more open and connected (Par. 7). On the surface, most of Facebook’s initiatives and plans sound amazing. However, on one side of the coin, Facebook creates unauthentic relationships. Knowledge about someone is different than actually knowing someone. In the same way, knowing all about God is different than having a relationship with God. People can be as real or as phony as they want on Facebook. Often, many people take Facebook too seriously. Users of Facebook fool themselves into thinking that people care just because a post or comment of theirs was Liked. People almost substitute Facebook for reality and do not believe something until it is on Facebook. An example of this can be seen by the saying that relationships are not official until they are on Facebook. On the other side of this coin, many aspects of a person’s life are revealed which friends may not otherwise know about. For example, pictures are posted on a daily basis to give a glimpse of what is going on in someone’s life. Additionally, posting a comment on someone’s Facebook profile is a very natural action to show interest about what is going on in his or her life. As expected, Facebook draws a wide audience that uses the site for many reasons.
In and of itself, Facebook is not good or evil; however, our approach to Facebook can determine its merits. On the negative side, Facebook can quickly become an addiction. For Christians, this addiction can quickly turn into idolatry. Another negative aspect to using Facebook is the issue of privacy. By the use of status and location updates on a user’s Facebook wall, a criminal could theoretically plan a robbery with this information. Sir Francis Bacon hit on this point exactly when he coined the phrase, “knowledge is power.” A stalker could also use information on a Facebook page to not only track a person’s movement but also fool the person into thinking that they are the perfect romantic match. Facebook’s merit, along with any other technology, is based solely on the approach a person takes to using it.
Facebook fulfills a very deep social desire within each user. Every human being desires an authentic relationship, acceptance, recognition, and love. We feel good about ourselves if people see our pictures or comment on posts. However, this feeling of social satisfaction is only temporarily met. The completely authentic relationships that Facebook users are searching for, can only be truly found in relationships rooted in the church. However, the traditional church is not a person’s primary support basis. Today, society’s social fulfillment often comes in the form of Facebook rather than face-to-face interaction with real people.
The global impact Facebook has on the world is undeniable. However, Facebook cannot be contended with, nor is it going away anytime soon. As such, Christians need to be especially careful with their use of Facebook to avoid falling into idolatry. Ideally, Christians should shift their mindset to use Facebook as an extension of the body of Christ on the internet. Christians can use Facebook as a tool for reaching out to people both online and in person. Facebook can be used to share Christ on a global network.
Christians being the church on Facebook can take many forms. In Lenora Rand’s article, The Church on Facebook, she mentions how one of her friends used the Facebook newsfeed as a prayer list. Taking this idea a step farther, instead of just praying for each individual, a person can follow up with the individual once they see them in person. Following up and acting on different status updates can make a world of difference in a person’s life. Facebook can be used to share encouraging words, Bible verses, and notes on what a person is learning about God. Churches with fan pages can use Facebook to promote their church to the public and keep members up to date on different events and news. Churches are also able to let the community know about various outreach programs. Facebook allows a user’s Christian witness to be constantly placed in front of non-believing friends. If the Apostle Paul lived in the Facebook age, he might say this about Facebook, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel” (New International Version, 1 Corinthians 9:22-23).
Being the church on Facebook means changing the approach and mindset of how Christians go about using Facebook. This does not mean Christians should stop the corporate assembling together of believers at their local churches. On the contrary, this being the church means living intentionally to impact the lives of friends on a daily basis. The thought process behind this approach is being in the world, but not of it. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, Christians should use all forms available to reach out to those in need. Rand states it this way: “Church is what you do. Church is who you are” (22).
One idea can change the world. One action can form a chain reaction. Facebook is a mega giant that has been influencing all parts of our culture. The American Church must be careful of its use of Facebook to avoid becoming addicted. Instead, Christians should work towards building real world friendships. The time has come to redefine Facebook as an opportunity to love and witness for the name of Christ.
Works Cited
Fletcher, Dan. "Friends Without Borders." Time 20 May 2010: 32-38.
Grossman, Lev. "2010 Person of the Year Mark Zuckerberg." Time 27 December 2011: 44-75.
Keating, Anna Nussbaum. "Losing My Religion." Faith in Focus 22 November 2010: 19-20.
Rand, Lenora. "The Church on Facebook." Christian Century 30 June 2009: 22-25.
Swartz, Jon. "Time spent on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube grows." USA Today 2 August 2010: N. pag.
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