Facebook affords us a 24 hour connection to our ‘friends’, with round the clock updates on every thought, activity and action. Utterly bizarre and entirely not what we are used to; communication no longer has to be a decided action by one person to intentionally engage with another. 

Dangerous Liaisons
Before the rise of social networking, a meaningless flirtatious glance across a crowded room or a drink with a colleague over lunch need not be mentioned to your significant other over dinner that night. Now, these interactions are displayed on your profile for all to see; the addition of a new friend elicits such questions as who, where and why? A comment on a photograph or a remark about that aforementioned drink, could result in some uncomfortable discussions with your partner, whether or not they are taking this information out of context seems to be irrelevant, according to a study by Muise et al (2009), which suggests that exposure to this ambiguous information about your partner can trigger jealousy and mistrust, prompting further use of Facebook, to obtain more information and validate those fears, resulting in increased feelings of jealousy and so continued use of the site.

Professional Suicide
And it doesn’t end at romantic relationships, we’re all familiar with the girl who was fired via Facebook for expressing her fury after a bad day (see related post, OMG I Hate My Job) – this kind of foolhardy behaviour is what psychologists refer to as ‘online disinhibition effect’, the idea that when online, people are less inclined to adhere to social etiquette, feeling free to say whatever takes their fancy.

Perhaps this disinhibition contributes to the number of people starting extra marital affairs online; apparently 20% of divorce petitions cite Facebook as a mitigating factor.

Your Mom Has Indicated You Are a Friend
There’s many a young hipster who thought they’d never see the day their parents would make an unwelcome appearance on Facebook. But with 61% of Facebook users over 38 it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that you’ll soon be receiving a friend request from your mother or father, amusingly demonstrated on Oh Crap, My Parents Joined Facebook.

I wonder whether this incessant transparency entirely conducive to maintaining healthy relationships?

A study by Chen, Goh and Li (2009) suggests it is possible that parent-child interaction on online can encourage positive offline engagement, but still cites numerous negative effects, such as the power imbalance when the adult is perceived as a ‘friend’ rather than a parent, or the offence caused when the child feels it necessary to detag themselves in family photographs.

Is Mark Zuckerberg the social conscience we’ve all been waiting for?
Maybe the problem is not in fact Facebook or Twitter or Friends Reunited (is that still going?) maybe the problem is us?

Surely, we’ve always behaved like this and the internet simply makes it easier or more obvious whilst increasing the likelihood of the people around us being exposed to it?

Naïve maybe, optimistic definitely, but I have pondered whether Facebook is not ruining relationships, but is instead forcing us all to be more considerate and more open?

Nineteen Eighty-Four it might be, but with our every conversation, holiday snaps, nights out or which Twilight character we most resemble readily available for thousands, nay millions, to see, perhaps this could change the way we act?

In essence, if you wouldn’t be happy for every person in your life to know the minutiae detail of your every move, don’t make that move or at the very least, don’t put it online!

You could of course argue, that rather than enhance our moral conscience it simply increases the likelihood of self censorship. Either way; I’ll be living by the motto of ‘say what you mean, mean what you say’, both online and offline!

Laura McBeth is responsible for artist brand strategy at Washington Green Fine Art. 10 years experience in destination marketing, retail and the arts. Interested in the social web and using it effectively for marketing. Likes tea.