It changed our lives. It has distracted us from hours of homework and brought stalking to a whole new level. The vain generation of youth has revolutionized the idea of the “selfie” and now, we’re liking it more than ever.
On Feb. 4, Facebook celebrated its 10th year since its creation in a Harvard University dorm room. Since then, Facebook has become the staple of modern social media for the majority of its users.
As we begin the social media giant’s second decade, we reflect on how far the platform has come and anticipate what the future may hold.
Almost 50 percent of the world’s internet users have a Facebook account, with 57 percent of American adults and 73 percent of teens regularly using the site, according to a Pew Research Center study.
According to marketingcharts.com, Facebook is still the most visited social networking site, with 23 percent more traffic than Youtube, which was born in February 2005.
In August of 2008, Facebook reached 100 million active users, and just one year later, it overtook MySpace as the Internet’s largest social network, with 900 million users, according to an International Business Times article.
As the decade progressed, Facebook evolved from a tool for college students to a utility for businesses and organizations to connect with their customers.
We watched Facebook transition from a computer-based to a mobile-based platform in early 2012. We have seen many revamped news feeds and layouts, with the most recent, Timeline, making its debut in 2012.
For some students, 10 years of Facebook might mark the time for a break from the site.
Lauren Preston, a senior human development major at Cal State Long Beach, said she has had Facebook since she was in high school. She said that she “doesn’t use Facebook as much anymore”, and explained how the site has lost its initial allure and kind of died out for her.
“If they do something about the ads, then I might use it more,” Preston said.
Other college students seem to agree that Facebook could use less ads. Biology major Nick Roberts, said, on average, he checks his Facebook once a day.
“It’s fine the way it is. Less ads would be nice though,” he said.
Whether it’s a place to constantly check on friends or showcase your perfected profile to a network of colleagues and acquaintences, Facebook has changed our lives in many ways.
While some are ready to leave the site behind, a new generation of youth equipped with smart phones and tablets are driving the future of social networking towards the creation of apps.
Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg revealed in a recent interview with Businessweek that Facebook is looking towards single-purpose apps that appeal to the emerging audience of app users.
New developments are being pushed by an experimental project called Facebook Creative Labs. The first of these apps, Paper, has already made its debut in the app store.
Paper is set up like a magazine and is linked to the user’s profile. The most liked posts and photos from you and your friends are organized into a visually appealing layout, giving users a new version of a digital newspaper.
With the introduction of the Paper app, the complaint of too many ads might be resolved. For now, we can enjoy A Look Back, which is a picture slideshow of most important statuses and photos from the past decade and a great way to reminsice on the past 10 years.
Zuckerberg expresses hope for the future, saying that “[Facebook is] at the point where we can take a step back and think about the next big things that we want to do.”
