Social networking entered my life in December of 2004, about seven months after I graduated from college. I still remember the day, because I was sitting in a restaurant eating breakfast with a long-lost friend (by long-lost, I mean I hadn’t seen her since college) when she asked if I was on Facebook. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. However, as she explained it to me, I grew excited at the idea of reconnecting with friends and seeing what was new with everyone. I envisioned Facebook to be like a sort of online yearbook.

I loved Facebook, because I am a generally nosy person and it is great to see what everyone is up to. Plus, even though some don’t like how easy it is to accumulate friends (i.e. people you never once talked to in high school want to be your friend), I liked being able to see my number grow. When I first joined Facebook, only specific colleges were available to search, but as the sight grew, I was able to find study-abroad friends overseas, colleagues, and even relatives.

I figured if Facebook was so easy, I would join MySpace too. However, I thought MySpace was too overwhelming. There were just so many applications, it made a novice like me very uncomfortable. Facebook has begun to do this as well, although since I am familiar with the site, I can easily maneuver around without adding applications I do not understand.

I still like Facebook, but the magic is starting to wear off a little bit now. I’ve become more involved on specific interest networking sites, like LinkedIn and GoodReads. I love being able to share my resume or books I’ve read with actual close friends or colleagues!