Not having a Facebook page may mean you’re a weirdo

Are you on Facebook? If you’re not it could be an indication that you’re some kind of weirdo says a number of recent reports (AP)

Are you on Facebook? If you’re not, it could be an indication that you’re some kind of weirdo, say a number of recent reports summed up in a Daily Mail article titled “Is not joining Facebook a sign you’re a psychopath?”

The article says some employers and psychologists are starting to believe not having a Facebook page is a red flag. One of the reports notes that two accused murderers in recent mass killings, including Colorado shooting suspect James Holmes, did not have Facebook pages.

Labeling people without Facebook pages psychopaths is perhaps taking things a little too far, says Ross and Burbank fill-in host Shawn Stewart.

“I think that’s a tad extreme,” she says. But if you’re under 25, she says maybe it is a little weird.

Dave Ross also sees a distinction in age groups. He doesn’t think it’s fair to expect everyone his age [over 50] to be super active in social media. The only personal life details his generation was expected to share could all be handled with a little chit chat at the annual office party he says.

This new idea of posting details on the movie you just saw, or your song of the day to hundreds of friends on Facebook is just not something he grew up with. Adapting to online “friends” is also new for him.

“A lot of these so-called friends, you really don’t know that well,” he says.

Stewart says many of the people she is “friends” with on Facebook she doesn’t even know in real life. She says the social network has not resulted in any real-life friendships for her and calls it a frightening prospect.

“I think it’s good to be suspicious of people who reach out to you via Facebook,” says Stewart. “I never friend anybody that I don’t at least have a couple other friends in common [with].”

Stewart finds the task of determining just what to share with this mixed audience a challenge for her.

“It’s such a tricky, fine line because the language is all about friends and sharing, you want it to become personal.”

Both Stewart and Ross say they didn’t come to the social network with the intention of sharing a lot of personal details about themselves, and they still try to refrain from sharing too much.

Both were motivated to join in part for professional purposes. Ross was trying to view a story subject’s profile and Stewart was promoting herself for work.

Does the fact that they weren’t joining to be social mean they’re on the line of this “suspicious” or “abnormal” group, or is this whole idea just bunk?

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor