7 Deadly Sins of Facebook

By Kristen Bonsignore

9:00 a.m. arrive at work.
9:01 a.m. check Facebook, change status.
9:15 a.m. get assignment.
9:30 a.m. look through a friend of a friend’s recent photo album on Facebook
9:38 a.m. make phone calls, answer e-mails
9:52 a.m. upload pictures from the weekend on Facebook
10:30 a.m. staff meeting
11:00 a.m. boyfriend “ends relationship” on Facebook
11:01 a.m. call him crying
11:21 a.m. boss tells you to ask your mom about that recipe
11:23 a.m. Facebook chat mom

Sound familiar? It may not be to this extreme, but many Facebook users are guilty of committing one or more of the 7 deadly sins on the site: overindulgence, procrastination, unprofessionalism, stalking, dependence, flirting and fighting.

Sin #1 – Overindulgence. When asked, “How many times do you check Facebook a day?” by a survey conducted on well, Facebook, most people responded with, “way too many.” Wendy Braje, Associate Professor Psychology at SUNY Plattsburgh, pointed out that too much of anything is harmful.

“Some people indulge in Facebook more than others. I’ve heard people say their addicted,” she said.

Dr. William Gaeddert, a psychology professor at SUNY Plattsburgh, has a different view on the situation.

“The Internet does not, contrary to current popular opinion, have by itself the power or ability to control people or turn them into addicted zombies.”

Then there are people who admit they’d be lost without it.

“If Facebook was deleted, I would feel anxious, depressed, sad and lonely,” said Krista Morales, a 21-year-old senior at SUNY Plattsburgh.

Sin #2 – Procrastination. With overindulgence comes procrastination. If you’re spending a great deal of time on Facebook, then you’re putting off something else that needs to be done.

“The amount of times I check Facebook per day is directly correlated (in a positive way) with the amount of homework or studying I have to do. More homework means more times I check Facebook. Yesterday, it was probably upwards of 20. Today it has been three,” said Mathew Dillon, a 20-year-old sophomore at Suffolk County Community College.

For the most part, anyone using Facebook regularly is guilty of procrastination.

Sin #3 – Unprofessionalism. More and more employers are using Facebook as a means of narrowing down potential employees. What you have posted online may make the decision on whether you get the interview.

“I haven't done a study, but I would estimate that about 70% of potential employers will use Facebook, or just Google a student's name to see what is out there in the public domain regarding a candidate,” said Stephen Matthews, SUNY Plattsburgh’s Dean of Students.

“If you think something that is posted could hurt you in a job search than be smart enough to take it down, because the majority of employers will find it and base a decision on what they find.”

Zaidee P. Laughlin, CVPH Medical Center’s Director of Recruitment, admitted to searching the website for information on applicants.

“What we find on the internet we factor in along with all the other information we gather about employees; degrees, employment history, references and our impressions of them throughout the applicant process,” said Laughlin.

Laughlin encourages everyone in the job market to Google themselves and look at the results through the eye of the potential employer.

It’s not that you don't have good character, but sometimes the internet is all the employer will ever get to make the decision with. If they don't like what they see, then you'll never meet them to counter the image they see online.

There are still some employers that may understand college students. SUNY Plattsburgh’s Human Resources Department does not check the Facebooks of their applicants because they do not feel it’s necessary.

“We do not look at Facebook during the application review process, nor is it a factor when we issue a decision. However, we do utilize Facebook heavily in the recruitment process,” said Jessica Caldwell, Admissions Advisor of SUNY Plattsburgh.

It’s just smart to remember: people can, and will, make judgments about the student based on what they see.

Sin #4 – Stalking. Urbandictionary.com defines Facebook stalking as, “A covert method of investigation using facebook.com. Good for discovering a wealth of information about people you don't actually know.”

Anyone who has a Facebook has probably dealt with Facebook stalkers at some point. These are the people who are on your friends list and who seem to know every little detail about you, who send constant messages your way to which you rarely respond and who slowly but surely force their way into your life when you never really wanted them in the first place.

That goes the other way as well. Anyone who has a Facebook is probably guilty of stalking.

“Sometimes I catch myself creeping; obviously it’s on pretty girls. I don’t feel guilty about it; I would just feel weird if they knew I was going through all their pictures,” said Danny Bogue, a 20-year-old junior interning at Disney World.

Looking at a stranger’s page has almost become a norm.

Morales admitted that she “stalks” and doesn’t feel the slightest bit creepy about it. She said that if it’s public domain, then she’s going to look.

Sin #5 – Dependence. Facebook is changing the way we socialize. It’s becoming the sole means of communication between classmates, co-workers, friends and worst of all: family. More people around the globe use Facebook to share links than any other service, including e-mail, according to a new report from AddToAny.

In today’s society, we are engaging in less and less face-to-face interpersonal communication. Instead of visiting our friends, we write on their walls. Rather than meeting with a classmate for a homework assignment, we message them. It has reduced the amount of time we spend with others.

Kelsey DelCogliano, a junior at SUNY Plattsburgh, admits to being guilty of this sin. She said it’s much easier and less awkward to use Facebook as a tool to get in touch with someone.

Sins #6 & 7 – Flirting and Fighting. Ever poke/message someone you thought was cute? Are you in a relationship?

Facebook has given people the opportunity to reconnect with old flames. The question that keeps arising is: “Does Facebook flirting count as cheating?”

Having fun online doesn’t constitute as cheating, but it can be considered morally wrong. If you decide to pursue this person, then that’s a whole different story.

Many people I’ve talked to have been in arguments with their significant others over something on Facebook. Whether it’s writing on a stranger’s wall or looking at someone else’s pictures, Facebook is the new cause for arguments in relationships.

“My ex-girlfriend went through my Facebook and saw a message from another girl. We fought for like a week about it,” said Bogue.

If you’re single then you don’t have to worry about that. However, Facebook still has the power to cause fighting. A dispute on Facebook has been blamed for a fight that led to a woman being stabbed south of Brisbane Australia.

If you committed one or more of these 7 deadly sins, ask yourself: “Do I feel guilty?” If the answer is yes, then see if you are able to cut back on your Facebooking. If the answer is no, then just keep sinning.