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Well, I think this says more about your understanding of friendship versus acquaintance rather than facebook itself. Just because you added someone on facebook
by makmanalp 14y ago
Well, I think this says more about your understanding of friendship versus acquaintance rather than facebook itself.
Just because you added someone on facebook doesn't mean that you are now good friends. It means they know you somehow. You'll get invited to people's parties when you're close to them. Facebook supports existing friendships. It doesn't create new ones (well, in general).
In fact, if someone you know but don't certainly like adds you on facebook, it's socially awkward to not accept their friend request, because it is an outward social refusal to not do so. Essentially, you can "force" your way into friending someone. This weird social dynamic allows people's friend lists to grow way beyond proportion even if the feeling isn't mutual for everyone.
- graue 14y agoI think you're making the same point as me: "Facebook supports existing friendships. It doesn't create new ones." That's my experience too: Facebook did not turn my acquaintances into friends. But the person I replied to claimed otherwise — he posted an ice cream invite and 3 people he'd never met offline came.
- Swizec 14y agoI've made tons of acquaintances into friends. Facebook is a great facilitator for that. Hell, my current girlfriend-like person was initially just an acquaintance on Facebook. You need to put in an effort. Consistently including online people in your offline life, will eventually turn them into close friends. You talk to them online first, meaningfully, you invite them to offline friendly gatherings and eventually they just become one of your group of friends. I mean ... it's the same as offline stuff. All your friends were acquaintances at first.