It's not legit until you see it on facebook

Hayley Jensen

Facebook It!

In this technological age, there is a phrase that is rapidly becoming the motto of a generation, “ Just put in on Facebook!” With more than 69 million active users worldwide, Facebook has easily become one of the top social networking tools in the world. With all advancements, facebook has its fans and its critics, but how did it all begin and where is it going?

Mark Zuckerbeg, then a student at Harvard University, conceived Facebook February 4, 2004. He began the site as a link between Harvard students only eventually branching to all Ivy League schools. Later it expanded to include all university students, high school students and eventually anyone over the age of 13. The site, which allows anyone to join multiple networks based on their school, job or region, was ranked 60 in 2006 now up to 6th in 2008.

While Zuckerberg currently privately owns Facebook, attempts to buy-out the company have been made. Yahoo negotiated buying the site for about $1 billion dollars, while the internal revenue of the company alone is about $8 billion. Zuckerberg has stated that he has no desire to sell the company, which now has its headquarters in California, but hopes that it will remain independently operated.

Facebook is free for users so how does it make any money? Facebook is generated entirely by advertising and banners. Students busily scooping out their friends and getting the latest gossip, may not realize that their eyes have just been assaulted by over a hundred forms of advertising. Most ads include exercise and diet, dating, job and internship opportunities and merchandise websites.

According to a 2006 study done by Student Monitor, Facebook was named the second most popular thing among undergraduates. It fell only behind the ipod, tied with beer and sex. What is so appealing about facebook that the average student logs onto to the site twice a day?
“I log onto facebook 2-3 a day because there nothing else to do and I’d rather look at facebook than porn,” Junior Jon Tucker stated. Freshmen Laura Damron commented, “Facebook is freakin awesome!”

With features such as “the Wall,” where people can leave short notes for each other that anyone can see, private messages, video and picture uploading and the new facebook chat, individuals are finding more and more reasons to stay online.
“Do you know how many times I have procrastinated homework because I was on facebook? Enough said.” Sophomore, JP Peterson stated. This trend is shared with many students across America and Utah State University in particular. Could harmless little facebook really be causing more damage than good?

Some schools, companies and entire countries have banned the networking site. University of New Mexico blocked access to the site in 2005, while the Ontario government blocked access to the site for its employees because it did not contribute to work related matters. Entire countries including Syria, Burma and Iran, have banned access to the site for its invitation to political criticism and promoting online dating.

Bernhard Warner, a freelance writer for The Times speculates on the positive influence of facebook and other networking, “ When I look at the creativity, the collaboration and the activism being generated in these networks, I am hopeful for the future. Perhaps it is we educators who need to learn how to harness this power into our everyday classroom lessons.”

According to CNN facebook boasts over 30 million users worldwide, 8.5 million photo uploads per day and 1.5 billion page views per month calling it the internets “flavor of the week.” It is not certain how long this trend with continue, but one thing is certain, if you have no where else to go, or even if you do, facebook will be there to welcome you.

Sources: wikipedia, cnn.com, timesonline.com