Facebook is a big time waster | Teen Ink

Facebook is a big time waster

February 11, 2010
By Abraham.joseph BRONZE, Dubai, Other
Abraham.joseph BRONZE, Dubai, Other
2 articles 0 photos 5 comments

During the first decade of the 21st century a popular and new word has come into our vocabulary. That word is Facebook. This is the most popular social networking website on the internet. If you haven’t heard about Facebook until reading this, then you must have been in a coma for the last 5 years. There are about 350 million active users on this website. The main idea of Facebook is that you can keep in touch with all your friends around the world who has Facebook. You can send messages to your friend’s electronic wall, put up a status saying something like “Going to the mall, need to get a new pair of shoes” or “it’s finally the weekend! :)”.

In the 350 million users on Facebook, 67% of them are between the ages of 13 -25. More than 35 million users update their status every day. 2.5 billion Photos are added each month.
The highest age groups who use Facebook are teenagers. Most of them keep the website running whenever they are using the computer and general teens nowadays are always on the computer, if they aren’t in school/college or when they aren’t asleep. I feel that teens should be focused on their school work or be socializing with their friends in person or exercising. Facebook is just changing the new generation of youngsters completely because the teenage life is one of the most important stages of life and wasting it on Facebook is not encouraging this in anyway. It is also a complete distraction to their mind; like nowadays when all their homework and research are on ICT, they would get diverted into Facebook just to check if there was anything updated among their friends.

Remember back in the good old days, when teens would do their homework handwritten, play sports and hang out with friends. Today, most teens would only speak to their friends on Facebook, while we can see them battling obesity as they stare at their friend’s message on their wall. In summary, teens don’t have a life because they are on Facebook 24/7, except for those who don’t use Facebook or occasionally do.

Facebook is also where people can see the gossip among their friends, virtual arguments, relationship status and updates, who is in whose ‘top friends’, you can become fan of anything, join groups, post pictures and videos, play juvenile games, invite friends to parties or events and a heap more. Mainly, all this would just disturb people into living life to their fullest.
It’s not just teens who become addicted even grownups do. An average person spends about 55 minutes on Facebook. This statistic isn’t that bad but some people spend about 3-5 hours. Technology might be taking over people’s lives. The internet is what the youth does almost all the time and other growing social networking sites such as Twitter might become the next Facebook.

Facebook is getting millions of dollars, in fact $300 million in 2008. Creator, Mark Zuckerberg is one young genius to change human lives drastically by changing their social environment. People can also access Facebook through their mobiles and more than 65 million active users access Facebook through their mobiles. Furthermore, people who use Facebook through their mobile phones are 50% more active on Facebook than non-mobile phone users. This shows that people who use Facebook on their phones as well as using it on their computer, just can’t stand being away from the website. Facebook is like crack to some folks.
I think people should also take a break from Facebook once in a while. This would make them think how life is like without saying what’s on their mind to all their friends on the internet. A break would also make them more active, like socializing in person. This would also help them focus better in school or in work. If they are in school, they might get better grades because they aren’t being distracted. Although about 80% of people who take a break would come back to Facebook within days.

Conversely, the social network does benefit common people. For example, if you are a student and you’re writing an essay on your computer and need advice because you are stuck, you can just go online into Facebook and ask any of your friends who would help. Another way it’s a good service is because it is completely free to contact any of your friends who lives anywhere in the world; this is much better than calling someone on the phone which might be expensive to some people.
In spite of all this, I firmly stick to my opinion.

On a whole, my view about the social network being a big time waster is a true fact according to me. Teenagers especially, should spend less time on Facebook and get some sunlight. Adults, who spend their days on Facebook, must be unemployed because they should have so much work to do or they could make this world a much better place by doing something productive! My opinion is not banning Facebook completely because I also agree you should log in sometimes and I recommend should go on for about 45 minutes a day, if you do have Facebook.
So, this is my impression of Facebook. I’m sure some part of you agrees with me.


The author's comments:
I wrote this for english class and thought I would share it.

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This article has 32 comments.


on Oct. 15 2013 at 3:37 pm
RonnieAguilar69, Berwyn, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 13 comments
I believe Facebook is a big waste, it is a distraction to education and I believe it should go and die somewhere. People all over the world can create false information of others and expose them. I do not like Facebook!

apulaj123 said...
on Jul. 12 2013 at 1:51 pm
Thanks to the one who wrote this article. It is working as an eye opener to all the people who are getting addicted to facebook. Good job ......... please continue such kind of work.  

m777 said...
on Jun. 29 2013 at 1:52 pm
i agree with u and i will try to follow u  

alia arya said...
on Dec. 31 2012 at 12:22 pm
i agree with u i m 2 on fb so i seat on fb 1hour a day so i think that u r completely right i'll now just seat on fb for 30 mins a day thank u for ur opinion

khan sahab said...
on Jul. 2 2012 at 6:41 am

i m agreee with u 

 


on Jun. 25 2012 at 1:57 pm
asdfasdf asdfasdf BRONZE, Adsfsadfasd, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 8 comments
Facebook is a time waster. I have total support of that opinion. However, what I like about your essay is your support for the good parts of Facebook. Most other essays are too bipolar in this way.

LOVEIT!! said...
on May. 16 2012 at 7:20 pm
i am a high school student who is hounestly inspired by this ...i have an essay about the same thing thanks for the ideas :D

on May. 4 2011 at 12:03 pm
Sajurasinski BRONZE, Atglen, Pennsylvania
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
I deffinately agree that facebook is a time waster, especially for teenagers. I kind of want to delete mine after reading this!

on Oct. 20 2010 at 8:25 pm
Lost_and_Insecure BRONZE, Monroe, Wisconsin
4 articles 1 photo 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Let the rain fall down, just be ready for the lightning strike as the thunder rolls."

 

This article is probably one of my favorites! It's so well written and, while I may not deactivate my facebook account, I'll definately pass on the message :)

 

(P.S: Thanks for commenting on my U.S G/L ban article :)


on Oct. 18 2010 at 8:35 pm
Opinionated GOLD, Brantford, Other
15 articles 0 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Change what you can and accept what you cannot change.~
~If you love someone, let them free. If they come back, it's meant to be.~
~Cease refusing to believe that in what you have created.~

Well, beleive it or not, I have just deactivated my facebook account and texted everyone on my cellphone that I did so and that if they wish to speak to me I have hotmail and msn. This article was an inspiration and many of my friends agree. :D Thanks for posting this, your very intelligent!

on Oct. 18 2010 at 7:04 pm
Opinionated GOLD, Brantford, Other
15 articles 0 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Change what you can and accept what you cannot change.~
~If you love someone, let them free. If they come back, it's meant to be.~
~Cease refusing to believe that in what you have created.~

GEEZ, this really wants to make me delete my Facebook account... I mean, it's not like I use it for anything usefull. Great article. :D

Yami Girl said...
on Aug. 6 2010 at 2:23 am
Thanks for sharing this. I laughed when you said that "Facebook is like crack for some folks." Maybe one of those "folks" is me. I really agree that Facebook is a big time waster. I'm still struggling with this. Thanks again :)

on Jul. 7 2010 at 7:08 am
good nice one

on Mar. 27 2010 at 12:50 pm
Abraham.joseph BRONZE, Dubai, Other
2 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Thank you! :)

check out my other article also please! its very interesting! :D

 


on Mar. 27 2010 at 12:49 pm
Abraham.joseph BRONZE, Dubai, Other
2 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Thanks alot!! :D

you can also check out my other article! its really good! :)

 


Graceab BRONZE said...
on Mar. 12 2010 at 11:29 pm
Graceab BRONZE, Deepwater, Other
1 article 4 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
Intelluctual growth should begin at birth, and cease only at death. -Albet Einstien.

This article was very VERY well written. Some hints though, it WAS very persueding, BUT I think a way you could make this article even better would be to look at some of a pros of Facebook. EVen if you don't agree with them, you need to look at them to create an article with a better structure. It was pretty good though, well done (:

I only go on Facebook on the weekends, i hour each of those days tops.

on Mar. 3 2010 at 4:32 pm
ModernMissBennet BRONZE, Spanaway, Washington
3 articles 0 photos 22 comments
Facebook CAN become a distraction, but just like other forms of entertainment, if you use it reasonably, there is no reason it's bad. I enjoy it because It's a good way to connect with my friends and family.

on Mar. 3 2010 at 6:01 am
xenon333 PLATINUM, Billerica, Massachusetts
42 articles 0 photos 150 comments
very true most of my friends spend thier lives on facebook

on Mar. 2 2010 at 4:27 pm
LoveOfWords BRONZE, Ascot, Other
4 articles 3 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
I reject your reality and substitute my own! -- Adam Savage

I agree that most people spent too much time on Facebook, but it IS a good way to spend free time. I moved the country I lived in for 12 and 1/2 years, so I have friends I left behind. I can't talk to them in person, so Facebook is great. It saves time traveling to see your friends, so you can afford a little extra time on it.

Good article, though. You really researched this! :)