We chose to talk about social media. Since social media is such a broad topic, it seemed best to specifically talk about Facebook, and the pros and cons of it. Facebook started in 2004 and it was called “The Facebook.” Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University. It was not until August 2005, that the name of “The Facebook” was changed to just “Facebook.” Whenever Facebook first came out, the point of it was to “like” and “dislike” photos, rate others’ photos, and to stay connected with people you knew. Today, most of the friend’s people have on Facebook, they have never even met in person. Facebook is one social media site that most generations are a part of, unlike Snapchat. Facebook was the first social media app that people downloaded their phones. It seemed like such a big deal growing up, and it was a great way for people to connect with friends and family who did not live with them. From an older generations perspective, they use it for staying in touch with old friends and keeping up with what is new in their kids and grandkids’ lives. Since Facebook is so popular in our culture today, it seems fit that we dig deeper and learn more about the meaning behind it. The reason we chose social media was because it is a major factor in our culture today, and it can positively and negatively affect us.
Some of the pros of Facebook include the ability to connect with people around the world (i.e. family, work peers, and old friends), an easy way of being informed about parties and major events that are happening around you, to share your life’s greatest moments for you and your friend’s enjoyment, and to give private business owners a chance to get their name and products out there for people to see. With Facebook, you have the ability to be caught up on daily news around the world about political and environmental issues. The only downside to this is that the news may not be true.
Some of the cons of Facebook include being a form of distraction for those who may be trying to get their work done or wish to have a tech-free dinner. When people get distracted, this causes them to put off certain work that they are needing to get done in a timely manner. Putting off the work can cause procrastination which is another drawback to having Facebook and getting the constant notifications. With the way that technology is growing today, lack of privacy is a real issue. People are tagging their locations in photos and not making their accounts private. Not having enough privacy opens up cyberbullying. Without controlling what people see and who you let view your profile, you will get those who may not be in favor of you and your posts.
Facebook says a lot about our American popular culture. It shows that we care more about what is on our screen more than what is in front of us, such as fake news found on Facebook. We are more apt to believe what someone posts more than what they might say to us in person. People find it as a sense of accomplishment when they get a certain amount of likes on a picture or post. This shows us that our confidence is found in a “like” button rather than in a goal that may actually help us in our future endeavors. On a positive note, our culture nowadays values staying connected with the people we love. This is done by sharing photos of special events for our friends and family to see, and to see the photos they share themselves. Our society today revolves around social media but this is not always considered a bad thing.
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