I used to feel the same way, until I finally broke down and signed up 12 years ago.
A lot of it is a cesspool, for sure, but it's got a lot of value if you use it right. For one thing, it's a great way to keep in frequent contact with dozens of high school and college friends scattered all over the world. When I signed up, I was amazed at how many people I hadn't heard from in 50 years swarmed me, and we all caught up and renewed our friendships.
And I was just humbled by how many of them had always really liked me a lot, because I was a shy kid who just assumed nobody liked him!
It actually changed the way I remember my teen years; I never had a clue.
In many cases, I learned that people I knew casually in high school were actually far more interesting, decent people than I ever realized, and it's been fascinating to learn what the guys I played hockey with and the girls I dated have done with their lives. Just last week one of my best friends from Stevens Point stopped in Kentucky for a visit on his way to a music festival in Florida, and it was just like we'd last seen each other only a couple of weeks ago. And Facebook directly made that happen.
It's really filled a big void in my life, because when I moved to Kentucky 15 years ago, I left behind a large and really close network of friends - and that's something that matters to me in life. Friends are everything to me, connections with other people is
essential to me. There are very few people down here with whom I have much in common, and most of them don't care much for yankees. And are not shy about making sure I realize that.
Oddly enough, I did make very close friends with a group of 7th generation moonshiners 200 miles up in the mountains, and they're some of the best friends I've ever had, but they're a long ways away. They're actually in Hatfield-McCoy country, and some are direct descendants. I'll just say, interesting people, and leave it at that. But aside from them, Facebook is the only way I can keep in close, frequent contact with childhood friends.
Also great for buying and selling stuff, finding people to do yard work now that I have heart disease, cheap mechanics, etc. My wife is constantly selling off all the crap and tools and household appliances and everything that she's been accumulating for 20 years, so we can lighten up the burden for when we move (hopefully to Uruguay).
Plus, it turns out I really love cat videos. Who could have seen that coming?
I'm glad I signed up with Facebook, even though I ridiculed it for a decade. Along with everyone who used it!
But I learned that it's just a tool, with a lot of possible applications, and the value you derive from it depends on how you choose to apply it. I drift away from it for periods of time, weeks or months (once for 15 months), but I always circle back to it, and the way I use it adds a lot to my life. My childhood friends won't be around much longer, because they are far removed from childhood.
But it means a lot to me to connect with them, and remember (and share
again) the things we shared when we were young. Every few months now, another one is crossed off the roster, but for a while at least I got to connect with them again and close a few circles. And I could not have done that without Facebook.
And besides - Saquon Barkley uses it, so it must have some merit! Right??
