I agree with this sentiment - the author mentions all of these opportunities, yet doesn't go on to elucidate them at all.

Mostly I just wanted to post this article in response to some recent sentiments I've seen (like in ike's topic re: the internet wasting our lives) that Facebook and other forms of private social media are causing harm or stagnation to social life. I know specifically that you're fond of Sherry Turkle, who's an exemplar of that kind of thinking, so I felt like throwing something different out there to provoke discussion.

Anyway, one thing that has yet to be addressed in the comments is what the author says about how abstention from Facebook removes a certain amount of agency from the user, in that other people are posting about you, and not being on Facebook precludes your being able to do anything about it. For example, I myself have never uploaded a single photo to Facebook. And yet, there are dozens of photos of me up there! If I was not on Facebook, I would not have the ability to hide or untag such photos. Then again, if I was not on Facebook I might not care as much to begin with.