Facebook: Friend Maker or Friend Destroyer?

Take a look at all of those in your "Friends" list on Facebook and do a count one day. Count exactly how many of those friends you have had some kind of conversation with for longer then say fifteen or so minutes. I'm willing to bet that it isn't even twenty percent of your list that you talk to on a daily basis. Chances are that you don't speak with many of them on a weekly or even a monthly basis. So does that mean they're just on your list of friends so you can build up your number and appear to be popular? Is it to keep tabs on people that you have no real connection with anymore? As much as it would seem that Facebook starts or rekindles friendships; does it even bring anyone together at all?

Call it an online water cooler or a networking tool for business or even place to kill time and play a few games, but don't call it a place for friendships to grow and flourish. Facebook is one of those social online sites that has taken the world by storm and quite honestly destroyed MySpace and sent it off into internet obscurity. It appeared to me though that people seemed to have a lot more interaction and conversation on MySpace as opposed to Facebook. Reason number one for that is because MySpace didn't have the games and applications and causes and bumper stickers and tons of other things that people can waste time with on Facebook. Big difference and very noticeable.

But that still isn't the main problem.

Facebook is a site that you will use a lot and probably end up addicted to quite honestly. You'll also find yourself saying things like, "I haven't seen her in forever," a lot. Another phrase that will come out your mouth often is "Who the hell is that?" Friend requests will start pouring in from people you haven't seen in over a decade and also from those you're not sure you've ever seen before. With each new person from a class or school that appears on someone's page you know; expect a friend request from that person shortly after. Now the biggest thought to ponder here is this...will you any of those people speak or will they just be another name on your list?

I've got a large number of people on my Facebook friend list and I'll be truthful here and say that conversations with many of them are few and far between. There is a small handful that I've ever had conversations with period since we've connected on Facebook and doubt there will ever be any others from this point on. Sure we may leave a comment or two here and there on each other's pages, but it almost sounds absurd to say that we'll actually converse for any length of time. Now that really isn't destroying friendships because there was nothing yet there to destroy. What Facebook is doing here is providing all of us with just enough information that we care to know about others without having to go through the trouble of asking.

Now on the other hand, it's not building friendships either. These are virtually all people that I haven't seen or heard from in anywhere from two to fifteen years but it's not like we're trying to get close again. Facebook is the land of exchanging friend requests, having a two to five minute "how have you been?" conversation, and then never speaking of again. Oh there will be the one or two gems that come along every once in a while that you rekindle friendships with again and can't believe you've gone this long without that person in your life. Those are very rare though and you can't expect it to really happen often. But trust me when I say those friendships are the ones you want to hold on to because they're the truly special ones.

Internet socializing has become one of the biggest things in the world today and it hasn't literally done anything to ruin or destroy friendships. It has just done a whole hell of a lot to hinder new friendships from forming and old ones from being rekindled. Those that are already close friends and just interact through Facebook by way of comments or random pokes; all is A-Ok on that front. But for those of you that have found old friends from school, past co-workers, or even the kids that used to live down your street? Don't expect any more then a few casual conversations if even that much. Each of those relationships is doomed to funny comments, random invites, and requests to help plow their Farmville crops.

If you're looking for friend requests then Facebook is the place for you. If you're hoping to make some friends, then I suggest getting off of the computer and out of the house because Mafia Wars is no way to reminisce about old times.