Harnessing The Power of Facebook

       A few months ago, I had written on the negative aspects of Facebook use. I would like to revisit the discussion and cast a brighter light. There still remain highly valid reasons not to open, or reopen, a Facebook account. However, there may be ways in which we can benefit from the social media giant.

Social media, like Twitter or Instagram, is just about the inescapable. It is part of life in both business and social spheres. Businesses use social media to connect with their customers, while friends keep in touch with each other by sending tweets, posting Instagram photos, and so on.

Facebook is a whole other matter in of itself. It seems to be a virtually impractical piece of advice to quit Facebook cold turkey, which I had previously suggested. It is the No 1 most used social media platform with a staggering 1.2 billion users.

UC Merced itself seems to have a strong social media presence with multiple daily posts, from our mascot Rufus Bobcat, to the various university departments. UC Merced’s Official Facebook page recently posted, “Wow! You did it! Thanks for helping us hit 10,000 likes.”

Beyond connecting with the community, keeping in touch with family is also important via Facebook messages, especially when maintaining communication with family members who live out of state or country. As many do, I know this firsthand.

Although positively intentioned for my own well-being, I realized that deactivating Facebook without notice also meant shutting out my family members, which in retrospect, I see was a lack of consideration.

Presently, with social media eyeing us from all angles (sometimes uncomfortably so), perhaps the most practical suggestion may be to face the music, and balance the time spent on social media. The allure of simply choosing one extreme over another – always being plugged into social media or completely unplugging – may not actually be a workable solution. But if it is, all the better for you.

 

Allie Teaze
News Editor
ateaze@ucmerced.edu

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