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Opinion | Facebook's importance, design will have impacts beyond social media

Sarah Title, titlese@muohio.edu

In February 2004, a social media network was created that would eventually change the patterns of interaction among human beings. Since then, Facebook gained eight million users.

In 2010, The Social Network film was released in theatres. While this movie showed the development of the website and told the story of the legal battle between Mark Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins, it also demonstrated the impact the site has on our society.

After seeing The Social Network, I believe communication in today's society throughout the world has changed. Moreover, I believe there are specific functions Facebook can be used for, aside from leisure.

For one, Facebook allows people to communicate throughout the world and with hundreds of people. It is a place where we can exchange feelings and experiences with those who may or may not be physically near us. We can message one another, share pictures of special occasions and let people know through our status updates how we feel that day. Just a decade ago, such a concept would not have been as simple.

Facebook also allows us to express our interests and needs to people who want to hear about them. Web 2.0 is fundamentally based on the idea of information sharing and collaboration on the Internet. Facebook is one of the many sites that support this modern day notion. Using the "like" button allows individuals to express and share their interests with one another.

Facebook gives us such an easy means of communication and sharing. So much so, we now should view ourselves as more functional members of society. We can contribute many thoughts, ideas and knowledge to the online community. We can gain knowledge from others halfway around the world just by signing online. Social media sites such as Facebook give me more communication skill and practice.

"Liking" businesses is also proving to be a useful tool in the corporate world. Companies and products can get direct feedback from consumers by making a group and using polls or surveys. Businesses with a Facebook page can even give themselves more exposure to the public, especially if it is not well known.

While the movie helped me understand and see the world with a technological eye, it also shaped my understanding of this new form of communication emerging throughout the world.

With Facebook as the inspiration for many more social media outlets, mediated channels of communication are growing in popularity. Many businesses and companies around the world are engaging in online communication to reach out to people all over the globe.

Facebook's importance and impact on our modern world is extremely apparent. It changed the role of communication in our society and has allowed once unimaginable things to become reality. Ultimately, tools such as Facebook are more than just ways to pass time. Instead social media sites are useful tools in the modern economic world.


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