Thursday 11 March 2010

F*ckbook in the spotlight (Part 1)

This post has been a long time coming so I guess I should probably explain the title. The woes do not relate to my own personal life but that recently more and more news stories are cropping up relating to Facebook. Whilst most of us recognise that it is a social networking site of significant relevance to society, could it also be just as harmful?

I like the fun of facebook just as anyone who is a member does, though I am interested in the number of reports and stories with this internet phenomenon at its centre. So here are a list of categories with links to articles you might find interesting to read.

Facebook Bullying
A shocking trend amongst teenagers and adults alike, I'm sure, is to resort to bullying for whatever reason, online. This is just one case of many reported in this country (UK)
Teenage girl is first to be jailed for bullying on Facebook

Crime

Vigilante justice in the form of setting up a facebook group in a bid to launch a hate campaign against an innocent man accused of being a child killer.
David Calvert is still not Jon Venables
The comments really have to be read in the above article.

Are these two instances of inmates with Facebook profiles/ access evidence of a lenient penal system? From their prisons, these inmates are able to terrorise victims on the outside world...using Facebook.
Inmate in Facebook death threat
Violent Criminal boasted of Facebook from prison


Children and Safety fears
I for one do not believe Facebook is suitable for children. Or young people under 16 to be exact. I'm sure that there are other networking sites such as Bebo, Myspace or whatever else they are called which are more suitable if your children have the need to be like everyone else and have an online profile and identity. I'm not sure younger users appreciate just how open their profiles and information are on Facebook and how easily a sexual predator could create a profile for the purposes of appealing to and grooming a young impressionable teen or pre-teen. Children using Facebook in my opinion is another case of kids trying to be grown up before their time...with fatal results.
Facebook threatens to sue Daily Mail
Police criticise Facebook safety after Ashleigh Hall murder


Relationships
From personal experience (though nothing critical) I know first-hand how damaging facebook can be to insecure or controlling partners (or indeed ANYONE) in relationships. Checking the others' relationship status or posts on their wall and the many often incriminating photographs attached to someone's profile can lead to many an argument and has done. I think that it is ridiculous to broadcast your relationships, open to public scrutiny to the world and have seen many a 'friend' in a relationship change their status to 'single' after having it as 'in a relationship' and having to answer a barrage of questions about their supposed relationship break down. Just. Don't. Do. It.
Remember this story?
Marriage end 'Posted on Facebook'
It amused many people to no end, least of all the couple involved...

It is interesting to read about the fact that Facebook could be playing a part in relationship breakdowns and issues and even more shocking is that the article below states that an unmentioned law firm suggested that one in five of petitions they processed for divorce had mentioned facebook.
Facebook fuelling divorce, research claims

Then there are the reports that in the US, more and more formal court documents are being served via facebook which you can read about below. (This is just one report and there are several online)
Facebook- the future of service of process

Employment issues

Finally there is the news that increasingly, employers are checking the facebook profiles of their prospective employees and as the attached article shows, even resulted in one teen losing her job over it.
Teenage office worker sacked for moaning on Facebook about her 'totally boring' job

Is it just me or is Facebook becoming less fun? I still do like the fact that I can get in contact with friends in St. Lucia or abroad. I appreciate that a lot of my friends and colleagues like to use it to show off to friends at how good they can pose in photographs. I have been guilty of having stupid photos on my profile in my time, though recently, I have not been frequenting the site as much as I used to...

The choice to join is yours... I'm seriously considering terminating (for the second time, the first being due to the Spanish Inquisition I was subjected to about my profile) my account after all of these stories.

CBC

xx

I wonder whether I should update this post from time to time (or post part (2) or (3) as appropriate) because I'm sure Facebook won't be out of the news, positive or negative, for a while to come!

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