How the Facebook Economy Trumps the Real One

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Socializing is becoming obsolete. The mad texters sending 40 messages a day about nothing. Words being taken out of context,because of vocal tones are not present. This country is about the latest gadget. More entertainment out of an I-pod touch, than bowling with the family.
Where have our priorities gone? The dollar continues to decline as the threads of the family are being pulled apart by technology- yes it brings us together .. There is also a price to pay. Your child could be sitting in front of you and texting a Sex offender @ the same time! SCARY THOUGHT We are lost.

Jason Emory of OR 12:12PM January 20, 2011

Zuckerberg is simply a genious,fb is wonderful for work if you think about it.You lost your job?There is postings of job openings and friends can tell you about what new ones they found.Dont blame him for the unemployment its our choice.If we pick to look at the games instead of the posting of jobs its our fault.While we are playing games he is making billions!Yes its addicting in its way but its good way to find out what is happening in the "real" world instead of the cover ups in the media,and come on we should limit ourselves and actually live life you know the reason why we are on earth?Dont blame fb for breaking up your marriage or relationships.Sorry I might have forgotten but who is actually choosing to use most of their time on fb and not with their spouse and gf/bf?Did i miss a mind control thing that made us do what you all are blaming him?The answer is no!You choose not him how to spend your time if you dont spend you time wisely why blame him when you should be blaming youself so plan and use your time to the best.Also it seems as if its the older generation who is blaming him,we are coming up in the world.you should be proud that the future generation is doing this!It shows how much we learned from the best and that is you.i take my parents opinions seriously after all they are more experienced than i am.

Jasmine of TX 1:50PM January 19, 2011

Why not economic downturn?
I was one of the lucky ones.
When my wife caught me flirting with women and went ballistic, she DIDN'T leave me.
She simply banned my Facebook privileges.
It is all so easy so slip into a virtual world of fake connectivity and relived past lives. "Are you on Facebook? Friend me!". Its not that FB is evil- its that people are weak.
Why not comment about your boss? Well I'm self employed so I'd be commenting about me...
Zynga offers so many artificial worlds to take up your time- I was at level 136 of Mafia Wars while my marriage was crumbling...
Zuckermann is not socially awkward- hes a social engineering genius! Zuckermann found a way to bring the cheerleaders and football captains to their knees, trembling before him.
As a fellow geek, I cannot help but admire this-this Wizard!
FR

Frank Rizzo of MA 5:24AM January 18, 2011

In the 1974-1976 period, I had the privilege to wander about Europe for two years. Being in my twenties, I stayed in Youth Hostels, and it was great fun; at night, the travelers would meet in the communal rooms of the hostels, talking, speaking each other;s languages,inviting each other to bars and restaurants, trying to pick other young people up for an internationally flavored quick romance.
This year, I went to the largest youth hostel in New York for a few nights between apartments, And in the communal rooms at all hours were 5-30 young people from everywhere like before. But they all had laptops open and their noses were planted front and down into their laptops; there was in four night, not one young person who looked at another, talked with another, made any kind of advance or contact whatsoever, even in a room of 30 young men and women. Not for a second. I contrasted this from the world I remembered and said to myself; this world is finished; the la[top has made communication, except what goes on sites like Facebook, non existent. First of all, leave your computer at home and do not get a laptop; the computer is for home or office. secondly, learn that there is a world outside your laptop - and go find it.

David Bercutt of NY 7:07PM January 17, 2011

Facebook is evil because Zuckerberg has evil intentions for it. A socially awkward person who is studying and exploiting your personal lives...addicting isn't it? Like cyber crack. Yet Zuckerberg is the pusher.

Mike of NH 6:08PM January 17, 2011

You're not a writer, you're a screwball.
What other companies or industries had rapid growth during the same period? Dozens, hundreds, thousands? Which of them are responsible for our demise, Mr. Newman? Probably none, according to your epic theory. Just Facebook.
Then again, your name is Newman, isn't it? ;)
Parasite.

MyName of AK 5:23PM January 17, 2011

Dudes, really. The article is a humor piece...

Dan of CA 4:19PM January 17, 2011

Reader comments mimmick denials often present in addicts before they admit there is a problem. (Just an observation...)
How about we put reader's thoughts to the test and disprove Mr. Newman's hypothesis? Afterall, it is not that often predictions (correlations) are true.
My suggestion:
"Deny access to FACEBOOK for one month and put this theory to test."
Surely Mr. Zuckerberg, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and corporate advertisers will give back for one month if it might spark a Main Street economic restoration. What about FACEBOOK users?
Another thought-provoking article!

Liberty of NH 3:15PM January 17, 2011

"So I decided to apply some cutting-edge economic analysis to determine whether there's a correlation."
This is the same type of "cutting-edge" analysis that fuels belief in astrology, homeopathy, vaccine-autism hysteria and other failures of critical thinking. Correlation does not equal causation. And, if you look long enough, you'll find something, that correlates or anti-correlates with your thesis. That's the beauty of hindsight.
"So I created a few charts comparing Facebook's growth to the unemployment rate, the median price of a home, and the S&P 500 stock index."
These all measure the downward trend in the overall economy. While it seems like you have a lot of comparisons, in essence, you have compared one plot to one other plot.
"If you're a conspiracy theorist, you'll be very, very suspicious."
How profound.
Have you investigated the growth in Facebook users by nationality? The breakdown of game players by nationality? The proportion of Facebook game players that are unemployed vs. employed? What would be a realistic maximum number of Facebook users? In the US? Globally? When would that be reached? [This could be modeled as if Facebook were an infection. And, like other pandemics, it too will burn out after time].

Yuki Choi of CA 2:39PM January 17, 2011

I am a recent college graduate and an avid Facebook user. I use Facebook to keep up with old college friends and reconnect with friends of the past. Facebook is a great tool to get a large group together for an event (not a flash mob) or just to check up on an old friend or acquaintance. I play Bejeweled every so often when I am bored, as well as tower stack, of course, do the usual "Facebook stalk" on friends. I would never pay for anything on Facebook, such as coins used for credits, but I know many people who do.
I don't really see a huge correlation between the housing market and Facebook mainly because most of the users of Facebook were young college students, many of whom graduated (like me) and are working, paying rent and student loans. I use Facebook at work, in front of my supervisor at times, and I find myself being responsible and regulating myself from social networking since I don't get told to get off. If I was fired for using Facebook, I would not blame my employer, though I would be a little disgruntled about it, nor would I blame Facebook, I would blame myself for not being able to regulate myself, or filter what I said about my employer.
For the most part, I think most of this article is coincidence and the events do not coincide with Facebook itself.

James of MO 1:58PM January 17, 2011