The Facebook Obsession: When Logging in becomes Ritual

When considering the definition of "ritual", I think of those habitual actions done consistently throughout our daily lives to fulfill personal as well as interpersonal goals. With the advent of the internet, Facebook, the increasingly popular social networking site has become an intricate part of people's daily lives. I will venture to say that it has even become a ritual for a large portion of the world. For example, some people check Facebook first thing in the morning, making it a ritual for them to "connect" with the outside world via the internet in order to fully orient themselves into a world where being present online is almost mandatory in order to be "in the loop". Facebook is the new way to stay connected to friends, family, and acquaintances. You can see and talk to your friends (via Facebook chat) without having to leave the comfort of your own home. Now that socializing has become more convenient, is there any need to socialize offline? There are people on Facebook that I talk to consistently, but never actually see. Facebook has created a larger online community, while significantly reducing the need for a consistent offline community. Has the convenience of performing rituals online (e.g. Facebook) changed the way we interact with one another permanently?