I’ve written in the past about my dislike for MySpace or Facebook, though I haven’t really articulated why I dislike them so intensely. The reasons I gave at those times were and still are valid, but there’s more. I read and commented on a post recently, and it helped me articulate what it is that triggers a visceral response in me when I hear of social networks. I realize my particular stance may not be the popular one, but then, I’ve never really tried to be popular, in spite of my last name…

The next two paragraphs are what I said in that comment. I’m not using quotation marks because it’s my own writing.

I have a healthy amount of disdain for social networks, and every time someone begins to identify themselves with one, I wonder if they’ve really grown up. I associate them with the cliques of high school, or with the fraternities/sororities of college. Anyone so tied into a social network that they can’t begin to imagine the Internet without it hasn’t matured yet.

Social networks are nothing more than platforms that allow you to do various things. I might also add that many of those “things” are exaggerated and overvalued. It’s important to see them as such, and nothing more. You can use them, but the moment you identify yourself with them, just as some might identify themselves with a brand, I have to question if that person can think independently and has developed a healthy personality.

Don’t get me wrong. I see the value of facilitating communication. But when a MySpace or Facebook positions itself as the best thing on the Internet and starts getting overvalued, I start getting really disgusted. And when you throw in ugly site designs filled to the brim with ads, plus invasive privacy practices and arrogant founders, I’m about ready to throw up.

I bet this is going to sound harsh to some of you, but I challenge you to rethink your attachment to social networks, and to question whether they’re anything more than advertising platforms. They’re meant to make money. You can connect just fine, person to person, via phone, email or text/video chats. And let’s not forget about the almost-forgotten art of writing letters (preferably by hand) or in-person meetings.

You don’t need social networks to create or maintain relationships. Social networks aren’t a communication staple. They’re add-ons.

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