The Social Network

Upon reading a friend’s witty status update, it seems natural to click the ‘like’ button to notify them that you feel the same way about something or find their comment amusing.

This reaction is logical because it’s classier (and quicker) to click the like button, than to write a comment with an emoticon at the end and pretend to be simultaneously winking and sticking out your tongue. You can see for yourself how ridiculous this looks in real life the next time you’re standing in front of the bathroom mirror (possibly with a digital camera in hand, if that’s something you like to do with your friends before uploading said pictures to Facebook).

With the proliferation of SMS-inspired abbreviations and acronyms, shorthand language is becoming increasingly appealing. So instead of saying “That’s funny” or “I agree”, now all it takes is the click of a button to alert your friend that you share similar interests. As Facebook continues taking over the Internet, our use of technology continues changes as well.

Instead of texting or calling someone to say that you empathize with them, you can simply say you “like” their comment (or link etc.). Friends disagree with each other too, which is precisely why people join groups advocating for Facebook to introduce a ‘dislike’ button. Facebook won’t do this anytime soon though because it would lead to too much negative feedback for their invaluable advertisers. Thanks to the ‘like’ button, people who haven’t seen each other in months can maintain a bond they established months ago, without needing to organize the necessary logistics involved in making plans.

As virtual forms of communication become more popular, fewer people need to co-ordinate which friend’s house to go to, where they’d inevitably spend time deciding what to do together. Smartphone apps designed to locate the nearest coffee shop are only useful for someone who actually meets their friend there (or who goes on their own and rudely carries on a phone conversation while placing an order). Secondly, online communication becomes even more enticing, once Internet users recognize the convenience of video chatting on Skype, while wearing pyjamas during a blizzard. As much as Facebook helps us stay in touch with acquaintances and classmates, it is also cultivating a culture of laziness.

No longer is there the same motivation to sit in a friend’s living room and flip through a photo album of vacation snapshots, as this can all be done online now. Sure, there are cords available to connect computers and cameras to big screen TVs, but are people really inclined to do this during family reunions? With Picasa and other web albums, friends and family can view photos at their own pace, read any captions the photographer (or Web 2.0 savvy curator) includes, and comment as often as they like, regardless of geographical distance.

Clicking the like button is an easy way to be friendly, without the social awkwardness of tapping someone on the shoulder and randomly saying hello, so it’s clear why people like it.

As depicted in The Social Network, the Facebook team brainstorms many nifty tools during their late night sessions and I’m curious to see what they release next.