So many friends...so MUCH time...

So, we have all heard people talking about how facebook keeps us connected but at the same time it furthers us physically from one another. We have less physical and verbal contact with people like we used to. Really...do we need to go see Susie's new baby in person, we saw lots and lots of pictures of her on facebook! AND, I can watch her grow for the next 18 years and never really meet her. What does all of this really mean? Why are we all so obsessed with this site and why is it making us connected and isolated all at the same time?

A brilliant psychotherapist named Alfred Adler came up with a theory called Individual Psychology. He actually worked closely with Freud for much of his career. Too bad he is not still alive, because Adler would have loved to witness the world of facebook.com. He believed that healthy people have "social interest". This means we strive for belonging in a community. We want to feel connected to others and this helps us to protect ourselves from feelings of inferiority. The more connected we are to others, well, the more superior we feel. And that feels gooooood. He also believed that social interest is manifested through how we view ourselves in relation to the external world. What better way to compare our lives to others than facebook!? Of course we are LOVING this! Wait. But Adler also said that if we do not have social interest we can become too self-involved and isolate ourselves from the world. Facebook-- self-involved? YES! Feelings of inferiority arise as we begin to consciously or subconsciously compare our lives to others. So, we are trying to become connected to others, while isolating ourselves from real physical connections, and being incredibly self-involved. It's only natural, people. It's our human nature. Technology has found a way to completely take advantage of our weaknesses and our strengths all at the same time. (oh, and thanks for reading my blog :)

With that said, there is a lot of talk today about "facebook depression" Some people believe it's an issue. Some people do not. What do you think about it?