The [Potential] Downfall Of Friendships

I must admit, I find myself addicted to the social networking sites of MySpace and Facebook. Something about having the supposed ability to instantly communicate with friends appeals to the human need for relationship. But is this a good thing?

Online communication is nothing new, but networking is. MySpace and Facebook popularized the idea of having “friends” online. The attraction is that the sites allow for people to create whatever image of themselves they want, effectively inventing a virtual world for the user. Customizable profiles, free service, multiple ways to “get connected;” social networking sites have defined our generation.

The positive aspect of these sites is the fact that relationships are formed, and perhaps even strengthened. Anyone with access to the Internet can now communicate with whomever they wish. I probably would have never met my awesome friend Megan (Spellbond) had it not been for the networking through Facebook, for which I am thankful for.

Yet there is one small problem with all social networking sights. The relationships are usually over great distances, the “friendships” are often superficial, and it is hard to know if one is really what they say (unless they know each other well). Such sites have skewed our idea of a friendship. Friendship is not a link between two people’s profiles, it is a personal relationship built on trust. The beauty of the friendships on these sites is that they are easy to start and end. One must simply click a link, “to add as a friend” and the other user must approve the proposed friendship. Accordingly, one must simply click “remove friend” to end the relationship.

What happened to meeting up or getting to know one another on a personal basis? Not to say that social networking sites are evil, but when someone has 800+ friends, it begs the question, “How many of those 800+ friends have you had a 5 minute or longer conversation with?”

I’d wager less than 5%.

Is that a good thing? What’s your take on social networking sites?