'I remember what you did'
By Lee Min-hyung
Cho, a 27-year-old teacher, used to be active on Facebook. But these days, she says trivial posts made by her “friends” have prompted her to spend her time doing other things.
“A lot of people post useless things, which are tiresome to look at,” she said. “It’s like reading someone’s personal journal.”
Cho may not be alone. It appears that for some, sites such as Facebook have lost their appeal as “public squares” where they can freely share ideas with friends.
Kim, a 27-year-old civil servant, said his Facebook feed is filled with people making “aggressive comments” against each other.
“A lot of people are back-biting their colleagues, bosses and even their friends on social media. I don’t want to read that.”
However, he warned that there is a downside to not checking ones’ Facebook account regularly, citing the growing number of people using the site to arrange their social activities.
“Because of the popularity of Facebook, many people don’t seem to realize that not everyone is on it,” he said.
“One of my friends sent out a wedding invitation on Facebook, but I didn’t attend because I didn’t have an account at the time.”
Cho, the teacher, opined that social media can be an emotional drag for people who aren’t as active on the Internet.
“Whenever I visited my friends’ Facebook page, I thought everyone but me is living a happy life,” she said.
“SNS should be developed in a way that balances one’s online life with their real life,” Cho added.