Facebook: Productive Procrastination

Like many people I know, I have numerous email addresses to help filter out the junk and the spam from emails that are actually intended for and interesting to me. When I check my junk mail (hotmail) once every few weeks I usually see an email or two from someone who has invited me to join any number of social networks, including Facebook.

Last Friday I had lunch with a friend who convinced me (and Ariel) to join Facebook. I vaguely remember hearing about it as a type of online yearbook for college students, but since it went live after I left school, I never really paid attention to it. On their website Facebook is described as “a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.” I think of it as the white pages, but more focused.

Facebook can be as intricate or simple as you want. You can put up a full profile including your favorite books and movies (and blog) or just list your name and hometown.

I have found that searching for people on Facebook is a dangerously easy way to procrastinate; however, I also would argue that it is productive use of time. Contacting old classmates from high school and college to catch up is relationship building.

Since I signed up 2 days ago I have written and received messages from relatives, high school friends and even an ex-boyfriend. I can see how it can get addicting and how I can waste hours of time sorting through my high school graduating class, college alumni database and other people’s lists of friends.

I wonder who I will discover next?