Facebook is great. It provides a level of interconnectedness that otherwise would not exist. It provides a means of keeping up with old friends and creates avenues to meet new ones.

Problems arise when Facebook becomes a substitute for normal human interaction.

A Facebook message to Mom is great, if it is coupled with a phone call every once in a while. Facebook can be a great means of communication, but not if it is the only means of communication.

Think about it: Facebook is the primary medium for finding out about births, deaths, inevitable relationships and breakups everyone saw coming. Facebook displays cute baby pictures and photos from “friends'” family vacations that nobody looks at anyway.

“Poke”, “fan”, “status” and “profile” are commonly accepted social terms. Facebook users can join groups, like statuses, take quizzes and un-tag embarrassing photos. “Facebook stalking” is a universally understood action.

Leaving Facebook up on a public computer has become grounds for public humiliation. Roommates say inappropriate things on statuses, and vicious rumors will likely follow – and an awkward call from home.

Facebook has even changed the game of love. A relationship is not official until it is “Facebook official,” and the little pink heart appears on the screen. A relationship is not over until it is “Facebook official,” and the little broken heart pops up.

A study by Oxygen Media this summer found one in three women check Facebook first thing every morning, even before going to the bathroom. Don’t laugh too hard guys, the same study found 24 percent of men think it is OK to break up via Facebook, compared to only 9 percent of women.

Facebook itself proves the problem. The site’s statistics page shows 500 million people have accounts, spending a combined 700 billion minutes per month on the site. All of the world’s Facebook users combine to spend 1.3 million years on the site each month. On average, 50 percent of users log on at least once per day. More than 150 million people access Facebook via their mobile phones.

So “like” all the statuses you want, comment as much as you can handle and stalk away, but don’t forget how to communicate like a human. Facebook can be a fun form of entertainment, as long as that’s what it remains.

Try writing a letter or making a phone call, or even talking to someone in person. It may seem old-fashioned, but it’s worth it.

By the way, follow The Optimist on Facebook.That’s never a waste of time.