So many times I've had friends say, "I'm not on Facebook.  That takes way too much time."  I can certainly understand that - I have a teenage daughter, after all.  :)

So how do you use this social networking tool without letting it become your master - and stealing your time away from more important pursuits? 

Here's how I limit my time on Facebook:

1)   Don't mix business with pleasure.  I use Twitter for only business (although status updates go automatically to Facebook), and use Facebook only for friends & family.  While this goes against the recommendations of some "experts," it works better for me this way.   Business associates and strangers, even with common interests, have no need to see my family pictures or the details of who I'm meeting at the beach.  I do have a separate Facebook for my business, but I haven't developed that yet.

2)   No time for games.  I play no games and take no surveys or quizzes.  I'd rather use my rare playtime with my family or meeting with a friend (or taking a nap.....). 

 3)  Ignore good causes.  Yes, buying pieces of blankets and supporting dozens of causes may be a good thing to do; however, I'd rather support my pet projects in real time, on-site volunteering.  I also click "ignore" for cute things like virtual hugs & gifts.

4)  Hide & Don't Seek.  Yep - I hide most quizzes, such as "What's your Native American Indian Name?"  "What do your eyes say about you?" and the "Beach Personality Test."  Say what?   By hovering your cursor over each person's status area, a "hide" button will appear on the right side and you can either hide everything from that person, or just that particular quiz.

 5)  Stay Current.  I briefly scan my friends' status updates 2-3 times a day to stay current, and only briefly comment when I actually have something to say or want to touch base with a friend or distant family member.   

And there you have it - my fast, easy, efficient and fun way to use Facebook to stay connected.  How about you?