Like millions of people from all over the world, I’ve become an avid user of Facebook. Many of my younger friends and co-workers are horrified that people their parent’s age have embraced the social networking phenomenon. I think they should give us a break. Having the ability to get in touch with old friends, network with other media professionals and banter with close buddies has enriched my life immeasurably. I am now in contact with a long lost friend from middle school. I talk to my sister, who lives in Europe, almost daily. My nieces and nephews send me pictures of their adventures. I check in with my favorite professor from college.

There is an addictive side to Facebook. When are you using it too much? I recently saw a CNN report about this very subject. The psychologist interviewed said anything over two hours a day is excessive. If you are losing sleep over it or ignoring your spouse or children, you’ve slipped into actual addiction. Although I haven’t lost any sleep, I do find it very hard to disengage from the site once I’m logged on. I’d say I’m borderline addicted at this point. I wonder if the sense of connectedness opens up something in the brain similar to a drug. They probably don’t call it “Crackbook” for nothing.