I don’t have a Facebook. I don’t want one, and besides a few exceptions, I don’t need one. I’m not trying to be hipster, I’m not trying to branch off from the mainstream, I just don’t see the lure of Facebook in the same way the other one billion people with accounts do.

According to Facebook’s annual report, over 240 billion photos have been shared on Facebook. That’s 34 pictures for every single person on this Earth. There have been 50 million pages with 10 or more likes. As of December 31, 2012, there were 150 billion friend connections. This seems over the top, excessive, and flat out unnecessary. People are on Facebook constantly, day in and day out. Sometimes, it will be and individuals only interaction with the outside world. “I didn’t like how you get that feeling of addiction, like it literally is an addiction,” said sophomore Sarah O’Connor. It is an apt title, addiction, though one that many people would probably like to deny. Some may argue that with smartphones and tablets, it’s hard to not be connected all the time. “You’re exposed to [Facebook] and it’s so readily available with iPhones and technology these days, so I deleted [my apps],” said O’Connor. Deleting all your apps is a brave step, but one that many people still aren’t willing to take.

Scott Campbell, a communications professor at the University of Michigan does research in the field of mobile communications and how we use social media. Professor Campbell made the excellent point that social media isn’t so much affecting communication, but that it IS communication. He talked about how when we have problems in face to face communication, it is really because of the individual. In that regard, with social media, it’s the individual that makes a bad communicatory experience, not the technology. “I don’t think the technology really is inherently bad, I don’t think it’s inherently good. I think it can amplify the good things that come out of being connected with other people and I think it can amplify the bad things that can come out of being overly connected.” Scott said. This argument makes sense, especially when you consider that research has been done heavily in this area. Researchers have found that personality traits, such as narcissism or obsessive disorders, come through prominently in social media, and that social media often amplifies people with these traits. Social media can often exacerbate the problems in our relationships, but for the most part, Professor Scott believes that is an essential part of our relationships and our social interactions. Social media is just another form of communication, and thus necessary for a happy life.

“There’s a theory out there, and it’s a well backed up theory, that self-disclosure leads to higher quality relationships,” Professor Campbell said. The real issue with emotions on social networking sites is the people seeing your messages. You might end up putting something very emotional and sensitive out to anyone who even remotely knows you, thus exposing yourself to unwanted reactions. People will get hurt more often if they don’t know who is viewing their emotional expression. However, it is more than okay to do it with a known audience in mind. “If you are laying your heart out there on Twitter or Facebook and you have a bounded set of friends and followers, you know exactly who you’re connected to… as long as you have a sense of who it is that you’re putting your emotions out there too, I think its actually a good thing.”

If adults and teenagers use Facebook and Twitter in socially responsible and considerate ways, then there are no problems with it. It is when they begin to be on it during other social interactions, or when they share sensitive information without thinking about who could see it. Moving forward, the issue with social networking isn’t one of addiction, but rather one of responsibility. It is up to future generations to adapt it into their normal communications and thus attach a certain maturity  with it, the same maturity you would use when talking to friends or family.