How often are you connected to social media sites like Facebook or Instagram? Do you log on maybe once a week, or do you religiously check the apps on your iPhone? Social media trends are constantly affecting our lives and the world around us.
Facebook users increased by 455 million in July 2010 to a staggering 800 million today, but even though the amount of users is increasing, public opinion has changed. Is Facebook losing it’s original hype? Junior Emily Podurgiel said, “Definitely, because of other companies and sites becoming more popular.”
This growing opinion that Facebook is losing it’s once addictive qualities might be based around the speed and convenience of new forms of media. Sites such as Twitter, based around using an app on your phone, allow users to constantly update others on what they’re doing. Sophomore Mike Burt said “ I probably tweet about three times a day, but I only check Facebook maybe once.”
Although Mark Zuckerberg’s brain child is still in it’s prime, are we waiting for another site to replace it, like Facebook replaced it’s predecessors, Myspace and Friendster? Since it hit it’s first million users, Facebook’s profile count has been steadily increasing, while Myspace falls behind. Friendster almost disappeared completely after the arrival of Facebook, but has tried to gain relevance by re-establishing itself as a gaming and and music based site.
Facebook’s constant reformatting of profiles may be just that, trying to stay ahead of the competition. When asked about the new format,, Timeline, sophomore Kate MacCune said “[she] hates it. It’s slow and confusing.”
These, although meant to make Facebook more convenient and user friendly to compete with other sites, it may just be hurting it more in the long run. Facebook’s ability to alter their user’s profile format without forewarning may be another reason Facebook is falling behind in the race to be the fastest and most accessible social media platform. Junior Kate McCormack said that Facebook should not be able to alter your page without your permission. “Your page is YOUR page, they shouldn’t change it.”
Will Facebook turn around public opinion and climb back to the top of social media? Or will it suffer the fate of Myspace, and slowly fade back into cyberspace? The fate of social media networks lie not with their CEO’s, but with their ability to relate and connect the lives of their users. If a network loses sight of this goal, they lose their significance, as well as their overall purpose, and become obsolete to the world today.