Rachel Walla
Since its creation in 2004, Facebook has exploded through our culture. What began as a tool to connect college students now boasts more than 500 million users. Compare that to the total population of the United States, which is a measly 310 million, and you can see that Facebook’s impact has been massive. With 50% of users so hooked that they log on daily, it’s no surprise that Facebook is no longer being used simply as a social utility, it is now widely regarded as an indispensable research tool as well.
New studies seem to crop up daily that pronounce Facebook as anything from a mere ex-boyfriend stalking machine, to one of the most important instruments of social research ever created. The results of these studies reveal interesting and surprising facts, and new uses for Facebook the creators never imagined.
After finding that most of my Facebook news feeds consisted of nothing more than people I vaguely remember from high school talking about what they were having for dinner, I felt I was wasting my time, so I deleted my profile. Most people I tell this respond with surprise and reassure me that re-creating my profile isn’t a big deal. It’s true, the Facebook staff made this action easy, because the majority of people who delete their profiles eventually return to Facebook, because it has become such an indispensable social connector. The status updates, news feeds, and fan clubs and friends you make on Facebook reveal more than just who you are as an individual, they reveal a lot about how we function as a society. The act of self-definition in your profile alone is a statement that psychologists say is both empowering and inspirational to each of us. This gives the user a chance to be the person they want to be to the world and enables individuals to add applications, likes and dislikes and quotes that reinforce this idea. On the flip side, it has been speculated that those who use Facebook the most are also the most narcissistic, believing everyone in their friend group truly gives a damn about what they are eating for dinner or what sitcom they are watching tonight.
But some truly do care; take for instance businesses, those who have the most fans report boosts in sales as well as greater customer loyalty from their fans. This is due to the fact that publically announcing a like or dislike makes individuals more prone to publically commit to their statement. For instance, someone who is a fan of Hooter’s will be more likely to eat there when placed with other options because now Hooter’s is part of their social identity. Status updates have also been speculated to be useful stock market predictors because so many people record their thoughts and even minor events throughout the day. This makes predicting the actions of large populations much easier as well as spotting trends on the rise.
Facebook has also taken a nasty toll on many relationships, according to recent studies and some of the nation’s top divorce lawyers. One study found that Facebook increases jealousy in relationships, because partners see everyone their significant other friends, chats with and flirts with online. Divorce lawyers have calculated that in 20% of divorce petitions, Facebook is now cited as a source of problems. Some say the easy availability and lack of direct personal connection make encounters on Facebook seem less serious, but they open the door for rendezvous with both old and new flames. New studies also show the most likely times for people to break up, according to their relationship status. Summer and fall are times of pairing up, while two weeks before Christmas, Spring Break and April Fool’s Day see surprising spikes in breakups.
All this time spent on Facebook amounts to about 700 billion minutes a month in total. With all that time, researchers at the University of Ohio conducted a study of 219 students, which concluded that among those with Facebook accounts, the average G.P.A. ranged from 3.0-3.5, while those without accounts ranged from 3.5-4.0. Does this mean we’re Facebooking while we should be working? Absolutely; I’ve done it, co-workers have done it and students are constantly logging on. However, as social creatures I think we are inclined to put people first and Facebooking facilitates that.
As membership continues to double yearly, the possible uses of Facebook are endless. For the first time, humans are connected in a unique way where their thoughts, actions and trends can be recorded and calculated instantly. The insight into society’s interactions may tell us more about each as an individual and as a group than we ever expected, making Facebook much more than a social utility. In accordance with the surprised faces and reassurances that you can always return, I think many of us are indeed beginning to see it as a social necessity, maybe even an obligation. After all, society must be correctly represented.
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