I know; it’s shocking. There are people out there, with perfectly good Internet connections, who not only aren’t on Facebook, but never have been.

So what’s wrong with these people? Are they in denial? Have they simply not yet experienced the sweet nectar of Facebook?

A common answer is privacy concerns with Facebook. Despite a very simple and clear interface, and literally millions of resources on how to keep Facebook private, and the ability to simply not put any personal or private information out there,  there are those who are still concerned about their privacy and abstain from Facebook.

Fair enough.

But a less common – and more understandable – reason to not use Facebook is that it’s an enormous waste of time. For the average user, it adds very little value to their lives, and certainly not more value than could be gained through not using Facebook. And while it’s fine to be mindlessly entertained or to use the Internet as an escape, people are spending inordinate amounts of time on social networking site.

Now, to be clear, Facebook is not a waste of time for businesses; but that’s only because individual users refuse to acknowledge it’s a waste of time. If Facebook’s 500 million users realized they were wasting their lives away, using the social networking site as a surrogate for actual interaction, there would be no need for businesses to utilize that network to build their brand and promote their products.

But the fact of the matter is that there are 500 million active Facebook users. Each of them may use the site a little differently, but that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize Facebook (and other social networks) to connect with current and potential customers, build your brand, and grow your business.

So unless and until people stop using Facebook, don’t let on that they’re wasting their lives away.