R1&2 How Facebook Has Changed Society

We all know the hype about social media and social networking. Almost everyone, and their grandmothers, are on Facebook. This is not entirely a bad idea. It's actually amazing the power that social media and networking have on our daily lives. Facebook is completely free to use, but how do they make their money? Advertisements are basically what has Facebook still alive and beating. You're scrolling through your news feed and see a suggested post from Facebook based on what you've searched. Which is really awesome! It might be a new hair product or a coupon for something you really wanted. Either way, Facebook is a great way to spread the love. It has been alive for about 10 years now, and it is estimated that about 1.2 billion use it. What does CNN have to say about what good Facebook has done? "Wedding announcements? Thing of the past. Birth announcement? Just slap an Instagram shot of that bouncing baby boy or girl on your timeline. Dating? Graduated? Bought a house? Got a puppy? Same deal. We take it for granted now, but the ability to share major events with all the people closest to you with a single click of the mouse is unprecedented. There were the Myspaces of the world before Facebook. But mom, your second cousin and Aunt Jenny weren't on them. And it's not just the good stuff, either. Changing that relationship status to 'single' can save you from those awkward 'How's Joey doing? You two are so cute together!' conversations." This is incredible. Information is spread in a blink of an eye, and suddenly your whole family knows what your GPA is. With the good comes the bad, though. Is there such a thing as oversharing? Do we really need to know what you had for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the three snacks you had that day? What else has changed? CNN states, "When a site has 1.2 billion users (OK, we all know some of those are multiple or abandoned accounts, so let's say at least a cool billion) it's a pretty amazing database of the world's Web-enabled population. That means your odds of finding just about anybody are a heck of a lot better than they were 10 years ago. There have been the remarkable tales, like the woman who -- after years of failed efforts -- reunited after 44 years with her birth mother. How long did it take on Facebook? Two days. For most of us, it's less dramatic than that. Childhood friends who moved long ago, college roommates who drifted away, even former teachers who served as inspirations are now but a quick search away. There's no doubt we have friends because of Facebook that we wouldn't have otherwise." It's incredible how easily you can connect with people you haven't seen in years. Relatives you haven't seen in ages because they live in a different country are just a click away. What about the bad? Well sometimes, drifting apart isn't always a bad thing. CNN says, "Nostalgia is part of life. But, with Facebook, getting nostalgic about an old crush or flame could lead to a late-night Facebook message. Or, you know, a poke." How does that affect us personally? Well, "More than 80% of U.S. divorce attorneys say they've seen an increase in cases involving social media, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and one-third of all divorce filings last year contained the word Facebook, according to a survey by Divorce Online." As if divorce rates were climbing before Facebook interrupted. What is CNN's opinion on privacy? "For those willing to find and use them, Facebook provides tools that let you select who sees what. So, while grandma is welcome to look at those pics of the kids playing in the snow, she might not need to be privy to your strongly worded rant about the cable guy who is two days late. You can direct that one instead to buddies with a proper appreciation for your expansive vocabulary. Rival Twitter is designed by default to be a public forum, where you broadcast your 140-character pearls of wisdom to the world. Facebook allows that, too, but is more geared toward limiting your thoughts to certain family and friends."

"At the end of the day, Facebook benefits when you decide to share more openly. The details about your life that you share on Facebook are rounded up and compiled into a profile of you that helps advertisers target you with things they think you'll like....That, in a nutshell, is the entry fee to use this remarkable social tool. Yes, Facebook has changed the way we communicate. Whether it is truly cost-free remains another question," CNN states.

"Facebook published this map in 2013 that shows its global reach. The lighter a country or region, the higher its concentration of Facebook users (note the black hole of China). Some believe the social network has reached a saturation point and is poised for a decline, especially among fickle younger users."