Be It Facebook, MySpace, or whatever is out there, is it expected that we use these social networking websites as a way to self-promote ourselves?

I have a pet peeve that is Facebook (or any popular social networking website. I will use facebook through this blog as it is the only one I use). As humans, people are always coming up ways to use Facebook as a conduit to advertise. The most notable are:

Accounts created just to add people so they can advertise via Events and Emails.
Fan pages.

I don't mind either actually. In fact, I really don't mind it when my friends post links or events related to them. If you add them as a friend, it's really because you're okay with their advertising. What I really have a pet peeve is people who say things like:

"Hey Look at me! I'm pretty! I"m handsome! I'm great because I ....>insert line here<

This is by far the rarest but sticks out like a sore thumb everytime I see it posted via a status update or picture comment. There are those people who go about their day to days, post interesting things, and people naturally want to keep looking them up. I have friends who never post status updates, but yet they post the most interesting photos on their travels. I always find myself visiting their profile to see what is up with them.

But there are those who try too hard, trying to build an image that they want others to see. Is it okay? I ponder. I do not know. People who post status updates complimenting themselves, photos of themselves at only the best angles of their face or with subjective beautiful people. I believe most of us do that, am I not guilty of the same?

I do not know, as I even have to look to myself and the most eccentric parts of myself to be able to truly understand this type of narcism. It is difficult... to look at yourself critically. I must ask myself, do I do the same? Post status updates that self-gloat? Do I post photos with the intention of wanting people to perceive me a certain way? I believe I may understand now, for there are really two kinds of people: Those who crave attention and those who do not. Facebook is merely a conduit, as attention-cravers have been around even before internet websites. Facebook account is not the fault, it is the person behind the account.

Those that crave attention want people to look at them, to watch them, to be glorified by their presense, or something similar. I believe that these kind of people walk around believing people are always watching them, and as a result they are inclined to act in an un-natural manner. The un-natural manner is what I meant when I said "sticks out like a sore thumb." There are no solutions to this problem other than the person looking to themselves. I have tried to advise on such individuals of their behavior, with no good result. Perhaps it is the belief that they are the center of attention that fuels them from thinking they are at fault.