Facebooking distracts students’ education, work

Karli Miller

Karli Miller

The new epidemic of Facebook has many college students hooked. With wall blogging, status updates and photos it is easy to lose track of time.

Facebook may be one of the biggest distractions for some students. “I’ll be doing my math homework online, and I’ll get sick of it, so I’ll end up going on Facebook and not finishing my homework,” said freshman Kara Thompson.

For college students, Facebook can mean hours of diversion. “I probably will spend an average of six hours a week on Facebook,” said Thompson.

Greg Heiberger, a Student Activities administrator and graduate student, has conducted original research at SDSU about students’ use of Facebook. He found that students spend an average of one to two hours a day on Facebook. He also found that students log in and check their Facebook an average of five times per day. This survey was based on 375 respondents.

Facebook has not only caused a distraction in the academic world, but it has also caused trouble in the workplace. According to Tony Molloy from the Bolton Citizens Advice Bureau in the United Kingdom, “More than two thirds of employers have banned or restricted the use of Facebook and other social networking sites, amid fears that staff are wasting time at work.” This was stated in Molloy’s August issue of Institute of Leadership and Management Newsroom online publication.

Besides being a distraction, employers are concerned that Facebook may be revealing too much information about their companies. A poll taken by a Sophos online survey showed that 66 percent of the 287 respondents were concerned that their colleagues were sharing too much information on Facebook. This could lead to identity theft and targeted phishing attacks against the company.

Although Facebook may be considered a distraction, many college students use it to keep in touch with friends and family. “I just got a Facebook [profile] right before college so I could keep in touch with my friends and family back home,” said freshman pharmacy major Emily Smith.

Facebook may be a very good way to contact people, but it also releases personal information, which could be a danger if you aren’t careful. “I think that Facebook is a pretty safe site because you can choose who you want to be your friend,” said freshman business major Jen Lang. “It also allows you to set a limited profile on any of your friends.”

Whether this new phenomenon is a good or bad idea, the Facebook trend is here. So log on, be safe and don’t get too distracted.