Is Facebook addictive?

Facebook is becoming the latest global obsession. Facebook, and similar social networking sites, are easy to use, fun and provide some cool time-pass options. The countless quizzes are no short of the mindless hours of cable programming. Fan clubs crop up like anything. Events get broadcasted easily. Even the most homebody finds no dearth of social events to fill up his calendar. Suddenly, taking an IQ or personality test doesn't require a professional psychoanalyst and everyone finds his or her network filled with geniuses. So here, in random order, some reasons why I think FB is becoming a viral addiction:

1.FB provides an easy way to stay on top of what's happening on one's “friends” lives, to the extent shared by the friends. People are using FB to connect to long lost friends and catching up on each others life's journey. Who wants to be left out of the loop?

2.Some parents are using FB as a “spyware” to keep a tab on their teenage children. Status, comments and writing on the walls, and announcement like plans to attend X gives much insight into what the kid is upto. Parents beware that sooner or later your smart kids will figure this out and start defriending you, at least on FB.

3.Where else can one read the writing on the wall? Only the party cadres in leftist West Bengal, India can match these writings!

4.Its definitely a forum for self-expression – creative, political, spiritual or non-sense. Not that every one will be an author or a poet in the traditional sense of the words but almost everyone has a story to tell. So for many, the status updates or the notes are ways of practicing that creative side; for some, it is simply a way to stirring a discussion, broadcasting a viewpoint or simply sharing.

5.It provides a basis for narcissism. For those that have the urge to let the world know even when a biobreak is on their mind, what can be a better media (may be Tweeter)? When 'Y likes your status' and comments become a measure of likeability, users have the urge to go back every now and then to see if there is an update to their status. That's where the narcissist obsession kicks in.

6.People with varied interests and limited resource, including time, are finding it easy to explore the net through shared videos and albums.

Getting Ahead - Tips from an Outplacement Firm

What experts think are the best ways for employees to advance in their careers. This is based on a survey of 346 firms and % is the % of responses to each factor. Multi response was allowed.

- acquire or update skills, knowledge and ability 67%
- build and keep in touch with a career network 64% (this is possibly what differentiates those that climb the corporate ladder from those that don't)
- volunteer for challenging and visible opportunities 41% (this is one way to develop skills that may not come from the job you have. if you want strategic planning experience, go volunteer for a not-for-profit that is going through a planning cycle.)
- identify and communicate career goals 34% (it is extremely important that your boss and boss's boss know what you want to do, your goals and aspirations)
- identify and learn from mentors and role models 32% (it is smart to learn from one's own mistakes but it is smarter to learn from other peoples'. Your mentors can help you avoid pitfalls)
- perform your job in an exemplary manner 29% (be the best you can be)
- project a positive professional image 27% (dress not for your current job but for the one you plan to have next)
- learn how to learn from experience 21%

Disclaimer: Source unknown. I was cleaning up the materials that accompanied home after my last day at work and came across a cutting from some magazine. The comments in the parenthesis are mine.