death. Facebook has become part of something known as the “Internet paradox” (66), which is the contradiction between the increased opportunity to connect and the lack of human contact.
Facebook users have slightly lower levels of “social loneliness” (66) but significantly higher levels of family loneliness. Moira Burke, a recent graduate of Human-Computer Institute at Carnegie Mellon, has stated that personalized messaged, or “composed communication”, is more satisfying than “one-click communication” (66), just a like or such on a post. Also, people who receive composed communication have found to be less lonely. The only thing better is a private Facebook message in a semi-public conversation where one pays little mind to the people possibly viewing it as well. When one looks on Facebook and sees people posting on their “perfect and “fun” lives, “passive consumption” (66), it may cause some people to feel worse about themselves and get a feeling of
disconnectedness. Internet communication only allows us a synthetic intimacy. And if not that, it just brings our existing connections online, not helping us create new ones. Facebook is not making us lonelier though, it is us ourselves. Facebook is merely a tool, and it all depends on how we use it that decides if we are lonely or not. The problem is that we invite loneliness even though it makes us miserable. Facebook allows us to have smoother interactions while sparing us the “embarrassing reality of society” (68). But the price of such smooth sociability is a constant need to assert our own happiness to others. The more one tries to be happy, the less happy you are. And Facebook puts the pursuit of happiness front and center, giving it the ability to redefine our concepts of identity and personal fulfillment. Because of this, there is a significant correlation between Facebook use and narcissism, where Facebook users have higher levels of “narcissism, exhibitionism, and leadership” (69) than nonusers. Narcissism is the flip side of loneliness, where both is an escape from our messy reality. Though Facebook has created a large network of many possible connections that was unimaginable years ago, but it doesn't connect us as much as real social interactions do. And the connections created can not compare to the bonds create outside of it.