Facebook: Changing More Than Just Statuses

By Anna Harmon & Renee Sample

Growing up this generation, social media has always been a part of society. The Facebook logo meaning has become common knowledge. Everyone uses Facebook in different ways and for different reasons, but it is an important aspect of many individuals’ lives regardless. Facebook is one of the most popular of these social networks, growing by the second. It was invented simply for college students at Harvard University. It expanded to college students of multiple colleges, and then opened for high school students. As of today, it is available for any person over the age of thirteen, and the majority of people over that age have an account. When meeting someone new, it seems strange if they say that they do not have a Facebook. The world revolves around Facebook. It makes a positive impact any many ways, but its effects can also be damaging.

Facebook has had many positive effects on our society today. It has changed how we communicate with one another. It allows for greater communication because anyone can create a Facebook account, and it can be used anywhere there is internet access. Because of this, people are able to maintain social relationships that would not have been to keep up with before. Facebook also helps people promote their businesses and corporations to reach a larger and broader audience than they would have been able to before the introduction of Facebook. Facebook is a free site to its users because of the many businesses that invest their money into advertising on this social networking site. Advertisements of various products and businesses are publicized along the sides of each page. In a similar way, entrepreneurs can promote their own businesses. Facebook pages for any type of business has become a social norm. Many businesses post information and social media such as Facebook.  Social media also allows its users to find other like-minded people and their communities. This allows greatly changes how people interact and socialize with people they view as similar to themselves.

Despite its positive effects, the rise of Facebook and other social media has produced some negative effects. One of the most extreme of these effects is online bullying or “cyberbullying”. This aggression in online spaces has become a kind of epidemic among middle schoolers and high schoolers. It is now possible to bully others without having to see them face to face, and it has become much easier to do this because cyberbullying appears to not have any consequences. Another increasing problem among social media users is an addiction to the Internet and social media. Many Facebook users may find themselves constantly “plugged in” and feel the need to constantly know what is being posted. The lines between our online profiles and our real lives are blending more and more. It is now common to spend important, sentimental moments behind a phone camera in order to upload them to social media rather than being an active participant of the moment. This can be seen as a reflection of our society’s prioritization of their reputation on social media rather than the relationships with those around them. The prevalence of Facebook and social media can also lead to over sharing. Facebook can be damaging to one’s reputation if they post images or statuses that paint them in a negative manner. It is now possible to have a digital footprint that can be viewed by potential employers, and can be extremely hard to repair once damaged.

The popularity of Facebook and other social media reflects a massive cultural change. It shows how this generation feels the need to be connected to the world. We must know what is going on in the world. We feel the need to be involved in each other’s personal lives. The Internet is now a platform from which we live, and Facebook has forever changed how we communicate with each other.