When Facebook is becoming everything you need... (Part 1)

I remember I was in high school when I first heard about the internet, it was on a local talk show and celebrities were talking about how they have it, how much it costs (pretty expensive back then), and how I cannot relate to what they are talking about. We didn't own a computer at home that time. I remember when I first used one at school and I remember we were taught codes which we saved in floppy disks. Computers then were not really personal (as they called it personal computer back then). Today, times have changed - even babies can operate any electronic gadget you hand them - and when you already know how to use these gadgets, there's not pretty much you want to do except to disconnect from your organic life (as they say) to connect to people (really doesn't make sense, right?).

I first heard of Facebook when I was about 24. I had a chat with a former schoolmate on a bus ride and he said Facebook was getting popular. I didn't have any idea about it then but I remember having a Friendster and multiply account. I'm not sure when I joined Facebook but I guess it was just a few weeks after I had that conversation.

Fast forward today, I am now 34 and Facebook has become totally different from what it was back then. When I was in college I remember using the internet only for researching, sending emails and chatting using the mIRC platform (Did I write it correctly?).

Today, I use the internet to use my Facebook account for about 65% of the time (I'm a social media strategist, by the way). I use it to check messages, I use it to get information, I use it for entertainment, I use it to connect, and I use it for work. It's almost the only reason why I have internet! Back then, you would need an email, a cellphone and yahoo messenger to communicate. Today, you can even make calls on Facebook, and if you notice, Facebook updates its app daily (Maybe, it's more noticeable for social media professionals). It is changing as technology and times are changing. You may say it's cool but sometimes it's really scary. And it's not just Facebook, it's all these technologies that are evolving to suit your needs and making sure you would become dependent on them.

Everything needs to be convenient, everything needs to be instant. When I was younger, my mother and I would spend our summers in her hometown. I remember we had a camera and it would need about a week for us to see the pictures. I remember my mother needing to send a telegram to my father one week ahead before we came back home so my father would be able to prepare. (Telegrams would take 3 days quickest to arrive and each character or word has a price - really!). Today, we only need a phone - to take pictures, to communicate. We can cancel an appointment during the last minute and it's okay. But is it really okay?

The trend now is that everything is becoming obsolete, not just the old technologies - even our values. I actually cannot count anymore how many people are not dependent on Facebook or their cellphones because it's like everyone cannot live without it. And the most depressing part is, I'm pretty sure many do not know what to do anymore if they don't have a cellphone or if they cannot access Facebook. Even I, for one, cannot imagine how life would be without these technologies (as this is my bread and butter too).

Now, the question is, what's going to happen in the future? Will Facebook become everything we need (technology-wise)? Or it is just a long-running trend?

Can you live without it? Please leave a comment below. I'd love to know how your life was before Facebook and how you use it now...