It
is no untold secret that social networking is the center of today’s society.
The year of 2004 brought countless new advancements in this area. MySpace was
already in use, and a competitor was about to reach the market. February 2004
brought the beginning of the road for Harvard Students Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo
Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. They created a
website, then known as “FaceMash”, listing two faces next to each other,
letting the user of the site click on who is the better looking individual.
These were mostly fellow classmates, and little did Zuckerberg know he’d be
creating one of the largest internet communities in history to date. While
studying psychology, Mark Zuckerberg developed “The Facebook”, where classmates
could stay connected on a website. You could share photographs, write about
your activities, chat and comment. This was the ultimate tool to connect the
student body. The network slowly gained momentum, becoming available to all US
universities, US high schools and reaching UK universities in October 2005. The
name was purchased just the month before for $200,000. This free site is now
available to anyone with an email address, and is constantly undergoing
construction. Mr. Zuckerberg has so far refused to sell his website, but the speculated
amounts offered linger around $2 Billion. Zuckerberg has also decided to
release stocks from his company to be open to the public. They typically do not
sell well, but Facebook has earned much revenue from sales of their stock.
Leaps and bound this company has taken since 2004, and as we continue further
on into the future, this Harvard drop out will continue on this road of
improvement, forever changing how we share information and stay in touch.
Facebook
was originally used for educational purposes, but you can surely incorporate
your business into the Facebook craze. Not only can you construct a profile for
yourself, Facebook allows you to construct “Pages” to advertise. Customers can “Like”
your business and receive notice about offers and specials you have in the near
future. This is a simple, easy and cheap form of advertising. Downsides to
this, is that your business can also be targeted negatively. Dissatisfied customers
may spread their opinions throughout their social networking page, creating a
bad image for your business.
Socially,
Facebook has developed. Once used to connect those at Harvard Law School,
Facebook connects people from around the globe. You may post pictures, like
pictures, comment on posts written or pictures, chat with distant relatives and
friends, etc. Connecting over the internet, if once was easy, Facebook now made
it even simpler. This can also be a disadvantage. Facebook does have a filter
to detect inappropriate content, and you can report unnecessary posts, but some
always slip through the cracks. We’ve discovered internet bullying and exposure
on the internet comes hand in hand with improving the way we connect, and being
so closely connected may not always be the best thing.
Almost
the whole population goes on Facebook in times of boredom to Entertain oneself.
Browsing through a favorite celebrity’s page or looking at videos posted, we
can surely use Facebook as a form of pleasure. The problem is, where does this
pleasure end? When you’re up all night, too tired to do the rest of your
assignments as a student? Procrastinating on a presentation? We take advantage
of these social networking sites, and use them as a distraction and an excuse.
It has been said that internet addiction is an actual mental illness. When does
recreational use step into that boundary?
News
is easily spread over this website. Posts and Statuses regarding topics,
locally and internationally, are posted around the world every day. The problem
is, we cannot rely on those who write their opinion on a website as a reliable source,
and the population does not always see it this way. Rumors and speculation
spread like wildfire over websites like these, tampering the views of the public.
Facebook
can also be used as a recreational business. Investing in its stocks, which are
public as of 2012, can have its benefits. Although, as in all stocks, the risks
to lose money are always present.
Facebook
has revolutionized how we work and interact. Connecting with the world is a
responsibility we cannot take lightly. Although we love being connected with
those we care about, and makes connecting easier to associates as well, this
connecting must be censored, or the beauty of the social network can be
tampered.
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