The world’s largest social media platform is ten years old. It seems surreal that a phenomenon that has taken the whole world by storm would just be in JSS1 if it were a child. But if Facebook were a child, it would be the most influential kid on the planet. Here are some reasons why:
Connecting the world: No other platform online or otherwise, has connected a wide variety of people across the world, like Facebook. With 900,000,000 monthly users Facebook is the village square for the global village that is the world
Politics: From Barrack Obama to Goodluck Jonathan, politicians all around the world have found in Facebook a campaign tool. Leaders around the world can say what they really mean (or at least what their publicists want them to say) without third party interference from the media. It has also given members of the public an opportunity to be involved in politics, albeit from the computer screens.
Business : Ads, likes, shares and pages aren’t mere words. They mean business; More people hear about your brand, more people buy your products. Maybe Mark Zuckerberg and his friends did not think this way as they created the platform in their dormitory rooms, but Facebook has made people rich.
Causes/social change: A massive outcry about the beheading of a woman in the Philippines, or a Nigerian politician marrying a minor can be shared around the world in a minute. Facebook has put the power for change literally at the finger tips of ordinary men and women around the world.
Redefining Media: For a long time in communication studies, the feedback element was a challenge for media practitioners. But now, with platforms like Facebook, you can know what your audience thinks in the blink of an eye. This is a two edged sword as gossip, and other unconfirmed rumours spread like wild fire because of Facebook’s ability to impose an ad hoc degree in journalism to anyone and everyone with an account.
If you are surprised that things could change so quickly, hang around for the next decade.
