Social+Perspective

Social media tools have become a part of social culture. Facebook, has lead the way for social media, followed by others like twitter. It is a tool that has integrated itself into the daily routine of millions of people. Facebook has over 100 billion hits per day, making it more popular than any other site, including google. The tool has grown vastly since its emergence in 2004, where it was limited to only university students. Eventually, it opened its accounts up to larger communities, today it has expanded well beyond the United States and become the most popular social media tool in existence.

Scaling Facebook to 500 Million Users and Beyond

Most users choose to use facebook as a way to reconnect with others; family, friends, co-workers, school-mates, etc... This tool allows one to send public and private messages to one another, or to larger groups of "friends." Users also have the ability of live chat, and are able to share photos and videos amongst each other. They get news feeds and updates on what is going on in the lives of they are connected with through facebook. Facebook has become more popular, as the development and availablity of smart phones, and wireless devices that allow them to connect when they are away from a computer.

media type="youtube" key="Z4gt62uAasE?version=3" height="360" width="640"

Facebook is a tool of social revolution. This is evident in the Arab Spring Revolt; where the revolt used this tool and Twitter as a way to unify and reach across the region, as well as the globe to spread awareness of their cause. In the past this was impossible to achieve, as information was never able to travel as quickly, or was heavily regulated of influenced by the government and media agencies. Facebook allows for individualism, a forum to spread ideas, and the freedom to speak to anyone with similar interests, without a television stations, newspaper or approval or support to publish ones ideas.

[|Arab Spring Uprisings and Facebook/Twitter]

This technology has greatly affected the future of social interaction. Long gone are the days of beepers and hand-written notes. In the past, losing touch with loved ones and friends was a matter of distance from one another, today that distance is erased through the availability of Facebook; a free-social network. It appears that facebook will only grow, as it is soon to be available to investors on the stock market, with an IPO of five billion dollars. Furthermore, Facebook may find its uses in areas that seem inconceivable today, as it once was considered in the recent past.


 * REFERENCES:**

"Scaling Facebook to 500 Million Users and Beyond | Facebook." Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. 

"Did You Know 2010 Social Media Revolution Facebook Twitter YouTube Statistics Shift Happens." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. .

Huang, Carol. "Facebook and Twitter Key to Arab Spring Uprisings: Report - The National." Latest and Breaking News | Thenational.ae - The National. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. .

"The Facebook Effect of Leadership." Forum:Blog | The World Economic Forum. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. .

"Facebook." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Feb. 2012. .