I don’t use social media because its trendy or because I don’t have anything better to do with my time.   I don’t use Facebook for Farmville, Mafia or Vampire (not that there is anything wrong with playing these).  Here are 6 specific reasons I still use Facebook:  

1. Not everybody is on Twitter.  I really prefer Twitter over FB, but a lot of people I know are still not using Twitter regularly.  I still believe FB has much to offer! 

2. Learning & growing personally.  I like to browse through frequently to see what people are talking about, what trends are out there, what friends are passionate about, etc.  Twitter allows me to do this via search words and other tools, but Facebook is still valuable to me for learning & growing! 

3. Keeping up with friends, friends keeping up with me.  I keep up with several friends & family regularly & vise versa via Facebook.  When I do see them in person, I don’t have to ask, ”What have you been up to?” Instead, I’m often able to say, “Tell me more about your trip!” or “How are you doing with your new project?” Our conversation is usually more fun because of keeping up on Facebook.

4. Helping build community & conversation.  People grow best in the context of community.  Facebook can help build such community. If I can bring other people together around a topic or question, perhaps I’ve played a tiny role in helping them grow or be connected in some way.  While we realize that social media doesn’t take the place of personal relationships, it can be used to enhance both community and conversation.

5. Helping others.  I love to write, encourage and be generally creative.  Facebook allows a way for me to express this stuff for those who are interested, to encourage, inspire and inform.  I’m also able to pray specifically for others when I see needs or requests. It helps me help others.

6. Connecting with new friends & old friends.  I meet a lot of people on Facebook before I ever meet them in person.  When I do get to meet them, I have a much better context of who they are and what they are all about.  I’ve also re-connected with some great old friends from as far back as my childhood too.

Why do you use Facebook?  What can be gained from it? Do share!