Psychoanalysis via Facebook

We've had a few posts since the beginning of Inking Cap about Facebook. Some of the Inkers have sworn off of it, due to its tendency to eat time or because of boredom with the updates.

I am a Facebooker. I have always been interested in psychology, and FB to me is like being part of a daily therapy session with my friends list. With one glance I know who is having a good or bad day, who might need help with something, get a good laugh, reconnect with someone from my childhood, etc. To me, it was a brilliant idea.

Last night, as I was perusing the FB updates, I began to reflect upon my FB behavior to do a little self-analysis. I rarely post. Mostly, I comment on other people's updates. Also, I don't like to write on people's walls, but prefer to send messages. When I request someone to be a friend, I usually don't include a message, although I probably should when it is someone I haven't talked to in years. I tend to comment more on updates that are asking questions or for opinions about something.

So here is what I've learned from this. I'm more of an observer than a do-er. I probably need to be more proactive with some things (ahem, writing). I'm nervous about sharing too much of myself with others, for whatever reason. I like keeping in touch with friends, even if I don't have a lot of free time to chat or get together with them. I have strong opinions - surprise, surprise ;).

While looking up some info about FB, I found the 12 Most Annoying Facebook Habits according to CNN. It is funny, and I think anyone who uses FB has done at least one thing on this list, so don't take it personally.

Finally, I saw a trailer for a movie coming out this fall called The Social Network, about the guys who started FB while they were students at Harvard. It doesn't seem like a subject that would make a great movie, but it looked pretty good. I plan to see it when it comes out. Then, maybe I'll post an update about it.