Facebook Fiji

There might be an unwritten law somewhere that anyone who has internet must have Facebook.

Facebook has become so viral and so trendy among the populace that it has become a part of our daily lives.

I ran into a conversation once in university where one man asked the other whether or not he had been tagged in a photo.

 “Ei, sa tag oti vei au?”

It’s a disease. An epidemic. Facebook is taking over our internet users like Ma’afu took over the Lau group.

Disclaimer: I do not own this image.

Before 2004, when Tom on Myspace was the "Zuckerberg" of the time, if people heard "Facebook" they would either think someone was doing a face plant on a paperback or there was a new tool for learning.

Facebook could be a GREAT tool for learning. People are connected to information, interests and most importantly, to other people.

Disclaimer: I do not own this image.

I would say it’s a drug; so addictive that it almost dictates every spare moment of our lives.

It could also be like alcohol because most Facebook statuses, you would only say in real life, if you’re drunk.

Naturally of course, like drug and alcohol, people always find a way to abuse them.

Social networks are not an exception.

I did a story on cyber-bullying last month and unfortunately Facebook played accessory.

You can read the story here.

The focus of the article was on the issue that cyber-bullying WAS happening on Facebook AMONG Fijians.

How did the purpose of Facebook change so drastically?

The question is, was our society even ready for this?

In Fiji, our internet population was recorded to be 127,544 in 2010, not near half the population of the country.

We've had the internet here in Fiji for about 20 years or probably less.

In those 20 years, the computer moved from a collection of huge junks of metal that went "blip" "blip" when Mario jumped a mushroom, to a shiny looking tablet that made no noise but told you the secrets of the universe with a scroll of your finger-tips.

Disclaimer: I do not own this image.

Technology is developing to another new phenomenon before we've even gotten over the one prior.

We still need to address issues of getting electricity to some of our rural communities, proper amenities, water, telecommunication...

and yet so much technology that's centered in our urban areas develops faster than we can adapt to. 

We NEED awareness, we NEED education on the use of the internet and especially social-networking.

Otherwise, social networks might create another divide not between urban or rural, poor or rich but, a virtual reality from real life.

This....has already started happening.

Disclaimer: I do not own this image