Discuss if the discovery of Facebook was beneficial or unfortunate for Emma and Josh.

In the novel The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, the discovery of Facebook is unfortunate for Emma and Josh because it enabled them to see what their lives are like fifteen years in the future, both the good and the bad.  When Emma receives a new computer Josh decides to give her an AOL disc he gets in the mail.  When Emma puts the disc into her computer and logs on to AOL there is a small blue tab at the top that says Facebook.  Filled with curiosity, she clicks on the tab and her Facebook page appears showing her life fifteen years in the future.  The most peculiar thing about this is that it is the year 1996 and Facebook has not even been invented yet! Knowing both the good and bad things about their futures makes them more cautious of what they are doing now.  Learning about their lives fifteen years later causes Emma and Josh to constantly worry about what they are doing and how that is going to effect their futures.  For example, Emma discovers that she never really has a stable job in the future.  Instead of taking a grade level science class next year, which was her plan, Emma decides to take a much more difficult class at the college. Emma and Josh begin to adjust their futures to their liking.  Though they are trying to make their futures better they are taking a risk of creating unwanted changes to their lives.  Emma is displeased about how her life turns out and it causes her to make the risky decision of calling her future husband, Jordan Jones Junior, to make sure they never meet.  " Josh notices my phone card on the desk, with the silver scratched off the back to reveal the activation code.  His voice is hushed, 'You did it?' I nod slowly.  'You talked to Jordan?' 'It's over,' I say.  'We're never going to meet.' (131). Emma believes that she is just helping her future however, she does not realize the negative impacts of her actions. She needs to step back to have a broader view of life as a whole and not just an upsetting week she looks to be having on Facebook. A few gloried comments on Facebook do not show how someone's life is really going.  There is more to one's life then what is posted on their Facebook.   Knowing the future is perilous and becomes a burden for Josh and Emma.

To learn about the negative and positive effects of Facebook watch the short clip here!