More Than Just a Pretty Facebook

As the human population grows, so does the structure that is required to support it. With copious amounts of peer pressure, a new medium for social interaction is being used every second of every day, world wide. This foundation comes in the form of a website called “Facebook”. Since school does not consume a student’s entire day, the gaps of time have to be filled, otherwise children may take it upon themselves to exercise their imaginations or, God forbid, go outside. While these students are indoors, basking in the illumination of their computer screens, they can rest assured that on the other end of their Facebook conversation is an aroused, sexual predator. Whether a student is sharing pictures with a pedophile they believe to be their friend, mindlessly playing an addicting yet unenjoyable application, or photoshopping their profile picture to look as pretty as their friend, Facebook is sufficient in relieving people of the burden of time.  Those who use that time believing that they are privately spending it on Facebook, are laughably mistaken. Like a mother introducing her shy child to a group of other children with a gentle push, Facebook does not hesitate to reveal everyone’s supposed privacy and personal thoughts. No one is left behind.

  Over the years, pedophiles have faced much hardship. Looking inconspicuous while snapping a few photos of children in a schoolyard setting for later enjoyment is a difficult task for anyone. Before Facebook, if a pedophile wanted a sample of the desired product, it led to decades of imprisonment with humans their age, in which they had no interest. Thanks to Facebook’s organization, there is a supermarket of ripe youth that is refreshed each time the predator clicks “next”. Even without prior contact, the predator can learn much about the object of his interest, including physical appearance, school name, and birth date. Before you know it, the predator is no longer a saggy, naked, elder leaning into his computer screen, but, rather, someone dressed in the gorgeous profile picture of a teenage girl he found on Google images. Once he clicks which school he attends, without any verification needed, he can surf through thousands of pictures prepared for him of any person who attends that school. Frank Hamilton, a former high school teacher and one of the oldest members of Facebook stated, “It’s almost like they know that I’m watching and they’re trying to impress me. The pictures get better and better each day. I can’t wait until the pictures of last night’s party get uploaded.” Even though Facebook’s developers have succeeded in making Facebook the most popular breeding ground for pedophiles on the internet, they still say they can improve. Currently, the Facebook team is working on a system that will remove users’ Facebook privileges if their pictures are not revealing enough to satisfy a pedophile. These privileges are reinstated once enough pedophiles approve of their updated gallery.

  Before Facebook, many children were developing their own personal identity due to having an overburden of time to themselves. People were found developing their own sense of humour, hobbies, and even worse, began to question the decisions of the government so much so that they actually voted for which prime minister they wanted in power. The newly elected Prime Minister turned toward the Facebook developers to right this social wrong, and by the time he did, they had already developed something called “Facebook Applications”. These applications come in different forms, one of which is addicting games surrounded by advertisements which slowly erode at the player’s dignity, social skills, and their ability to realize which games they enjoy playing and which games they are just too addicted to quit playing. Personality tests are another form of application that is both time consuming and personality eroding. After answering pages of unrelated questions, the Facebook user can then be told by the application what they are and what they are not. To certify that Facebook users really know their place, the results of these tests are posted for all to see.  Eventually, the user adapts a permanent “Facebook personality” which transcends into real life to replace their old one. It can be safely assumed that the majority of Facebook users  abuse the “Your Mom” joke, make pointless statements so abbreviated that they are unintelligible, carry a camera with them where ever they go, make fish lips when a picture is being taken of them, and find pleasure in making their life seem as dramatic as possible. At this point, Facebook users and their spare time are effortlessly controlled, for there is always something for them to be doing. Their time may be spent editing their profile picture beyond recognition, getting their friend count to at least 900, harvesting their crops on Farmville, or continuously complaining about how ugly they look in a photo their friend uploaded, only doing so for someone to compliment them. Thanks to Facebook’s ability to steer users’ free time and personality in any direction they desire, it makes for a happier and more harmonious country, or at least a more controlled one.

  One of the most wonderful features of Facebook is that the entire world may have 24 hour access to your life. Even while you are sleeping, millions of strangers may peruse your photos and personal anecdotes. Eighteen year old Sue-Ellen exclaimed happily, “I never really enjoyed my privacy before Facebook anyways. Now with 2650 friends, I have never been more popular! While I’ve never met most of them, I have a really good feeling that our Facebook bonds of friendship will last a lifetime.” Another very practical application of Facebook is its use by potential future employers to preview a person’s hobbies, vices, and various styles of partying. It is so reassuring to know that even 20 years after deleting one’s Facebook account, a potential employer may still have access to seeing what one smokes or drinks at a house party. What an amazing feature.

  We used to live in a world of pedophiles being jailed as a result of their indulgence to their sexual interests. We used to live in a world where people would fight for who they are, and not let their identity be ripped away. We used to live in a world where people had the notion that they had the right to privacy. Facebook came into place just before things got any worse. Since all age groups have become so reliant on Facebook to tell them who they are, to tell them how to manage their time, and to be the deliverer of sexual pleasures, Facebook is the ultimate in society control.

Reviews

[Lucasxp]

You have the information, you have the background, and the examples you provide here are good points for discussion. But the argument is messy and closeminded.

The good points:
1. The issue about Facebook as an instrument for pedophiles
2. The privacy issue in Facebook
3. The loss of identity in Facebook
4. Facebook as social control; how people are being eaten away by applications

The points that are lacking:
1. You cannot really impose that Facebook is the ultimate social control. Does it really reign that superior to other social sites? Even though it organizes the way we interact with other people, you can still argue that people can use it in their own way. It is the same with other social networking sites; how are you that responsible with your social presence?

2. You have a good point about Facebook as a breeding place for pedophiles, but you focus too much on pedophiles, when other people are also at risk. And isn't the minimum age required to join facebook is 16? or 13 if i am mistaken. And Facebook's settings are more about social interaction than sexual interaction. 1: you can ban photos that are offend your senses. If you read the Terms and Conditions of Facebook, you are not supposed to post lewd or sexually alarming photos. 2: Facebook chose using sex instead of gender for labelling profiles.

3. you suddenly shift from the issue of pedophiles to the whole issue of facebook controlling human society. You may have linked both issues in the end of the essay, yet it only shows that you did not think through every issue.

I used to write like this though. You can argue very well, but try to think through about what you are saying.

[Uc Amalu Jr]

this is highly creative. Provides insight and is educative. I also like the 'facebook' idea. Write more