"Religion is the opium of the people," is German philosopher Karl Marx's most paraphrased statement. Chances are you've heard it as "Religion is the opiate of the masses."Well, that may have been (or may still be) true, but there's a new opiate that's infiltrated society throughout the world – Facebook.
If you're reading this, chances are very good that you are also on Facebook, joining more than three-quarters of a billion people (800,000,000+) around the world. The social network has only been around for seven years, and was the subject of a very popular movie just this year.
Just last week, Facebook announced and implemented major changes to the way its network looks and operates, enraging many who just wanted things to remain the way it was. Can't say as I blame them, change is very hard to take.
You know how it is, once we get used to something, we want it to remain the same. It's like stuff we buy. Why, we ask, do they not continue producing products that we like? I personally have had to change my underwear brand so many times; every time I find one I like, they discontinue it.
Facebook has us (as the saying goes) by the short hairs. They have decided to "improve" things, not because they want more users, not because they want more revenue (estimated at more than $4 billion this year), but because they want to be more interactive with other sites and programs we use in our social interactions.
In other words, they want to be the "be-all" of social networking.
And you know what? I have no problem with that. After all, it's their Facebook, not mine. All I need to do is use it judiciously to meet my goals and objectives, and be careful what I post on Facebook and whom I accept as friends.
Because, as the tee shirt implies, once it's out there, you can't get it back.
Where's the "like" button?
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