Something to Prove?

Throughout all the blog entries I have read it seems like the question we are trying to answer is whether or not these social networking sites are good or bad. Well, just about everything in the world has a good side and a bad side. While I am not involved in any of these social sites I can see and understand why people are so into them. It does give people a way to express themselves freely and interact with people who have the same types of interests as them. It also is a good way for people to stay in touch with friends very inexpensively. While all of this sounds nice and good I also have my complaints about these sights. It just seems like a big competition to show yourself off. To prove to anyone looking at your profile that you have a great, exciting, fun-filled life. To say to the world that my life is so much more exciting and involved and fulfilling than anyone else's. Wow, look at me, I have 250 friends on-line, I must be awesome. Look at my pictures, I am soooo good-looking and so are my friends. Aren't we amazing? To me I think it is a lot of, pardon my French, bullshit. If your life is so great and exciting, why do you find it necessary to broadcast everything about it on-line? Shouldn't you be spending your time enjoying it with people whose company is welcomed? This leads into the question of what is bad about social networking. In my opinion the biggest problem with social networking sites is the amount of time people spend creating them, and or "hanging out" on them. Couldn't this time be spent in a more constructive way, such as something that is tangible. Hands on skills will eventually start suffering from lack of use. People could eventually become disinterested in their hobbies and interests for lack of time. Instead their interests will rely on improving their on-line interests and profiles to make themselves appear cooler, when in actuality they are losing what made them cool in the first place. To sum up my point of view I don't feel that sitting in front of a computer for hours a day trying to shape my identity into how I want to be viewed is very productive, I would much rather indulge in doing the things that I find enjoyable and that I think will help expand my understanding and acceptance of the world around me.