(Mod, my connection went down, so I’m not sure if this was posted or not. If it was, feel free to delete this.)
While I immensely respect the posters who saw that FB was giving them problems and so deleted theirs, the reality is that for them, that was a good thing.
“My side” of the argument has been trying to say this for the past two pages, but let me try to put it into perspective.
I’m a Yeshiva Bochur who learns morning and night and goes to college in the afternoon- this was with the full support of my Rebbeim, and NOT because I’m not capable of learning all day. (I’m not saying that to brag, just to make it clear that they didn’t feel that it would be a waste of time for me.)
I have a Facebook account. I use it to connect with many of my high-school friends who are now in E”Y, and as such would almost never have a chance of contacting them, and others whose updated phone numbers I was only able to get through FB itself. Yes, friends I talk to a lot are on my friends list too, but I usually talk to them.
The reality is this: FB by itself is parve, like everything else. You (and your friends) can post pictures- whether they’re good or bad depends on the person. My parents also have accounts, and they can see everything I post since they’re also my “friends.” You can post videos- good or bad depends on the person. You can update your “status”- a one-liner about what you’re doing, i.e. “Chaimss is on his way home for Shabbos.” Again, these can be perfectly fine, or they can be filled with nivel peh- Depending on who writes it.
I only join groups I actually care about, and I never invite friends that I don’t know personally. I have already received a few invites from people- all with Jewish-sounding names, I may add- and turned them down politely, explaining that I didn’t know them. I think it’s important to note- you have to confirm your friends, simply being added isn’t enough, it’s a two-sided street.
Now, I do believe that a shidduch, Yeshiva, etc. should check someone’s FB account, and here’s why. A lot of people who seem so fine in reality are different people online. They feel that the anonymity that the internet affords (even though people still know who you are, but it is (emphasis) online, so there’s still that fact) allows them to do certain things, so they may post pictures of things, or write things they’d never do in public. Most of friends are not this way, and have perfectly Kosher, clean FB pages that wouldn’t embarrass them even if their Rebbi saw it.
Enter Applications. These are online-based programs (nothing’s installed on your computer) which allow you to do different things, from comparing bowling scores to sending “postcards” and “bumper stickers.” Here’s where things usually get problematic on a person’s profile- again, depending on who they are, there are good stickers and bad stickers, but people can sometimes send you stickers, and then you have no idea how to take them off. There is a way, but I personally just removed those applications from my profile.
Is there a waste of time factor? Of course! But no more than on YWN- I probably waste the same amount of time on both sites. Time management is something everybody has to work on (or parents have to control) but that can’t be used as a reason to say something’s bad, just because it’s possible to waste time on it. In that vein, reading a book is bad too!
Is Facebook bad? Inherently no. If someone wants it to be? Yes. So as long as you don’t do something which could be dangerous, like adding random people or applications, it could be a great tool to keep in touch with people you wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
P.S. I want to make it very clear where I stand. I can and will try to answer all genuine questions, arguments, etc. I will completely ignore any personal attacks.