Anthony - Facebook

I was really stunned when I read this article about a Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression who lost her health benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook, in which she seemed to be having fun. Manulife, her insurance company, told her that these photos were evidence that she is no longer depressed and able to work. I found this to be completely ridiculous. The pictures really only showed her having a good time at her birthday party and maybe a night out, but that is clearly not enough proof to say she not depressed. The woman says that she was told by her doctor to try to go out and have some fun, and it is unbelievable that the insurance company would deny her of her health benefits even if she was having a good time.
In a way, this article is an example of how the internet and new technology (social-networking sites in particular) are playing a huge role in peoples lives, sometimes for the worse. I think that today, people are being judged way to critically just by their representation of themselves on these websites. Half of the time people are completely different than what they seem like on the internet, and I don't think that there is always a fair view when you just make assumptions based on what you see on your computer screen.