Today Facebook celebrates its 10 year birthday. It's hard to believe the popular social network
has been around for 10 years. It's been around for 40 percent of my life (and yours, too, if you're
25 years old).
I can remember back in 2004 when MySpace was the thing everyone did. And then Facebook emerged.
My boyfriend (now my husband!) was in college at the time, so he had an account fairly early.
I was still in high school and I wanted an account so bad!ly When I finally went to college
orientation in 2006, I honestly think I was more excited about getting my college email address
than anything else about orientation so that I could finally join Facebook.
How the social network has changed since its start in 2004 and my start in 2006! Not only is
anyone invited to join Facebook, but it is so much more than a social network. It's a place to
play games, find news, read cute quotes and see funny videos. It's a place where a majority of
my photos are stored and, as a marketing professional for a nonprofit, it's a place I spend
time with for my job.
More and more often I hear of people of all ages who leave Facebook. I have even thought about
quitting the social network as well because at times I feel like I spend too much time doing
nothing there. But in the end, I don't leave because, truth be told, I like being able to keep
up with new friends, old friends, and family across the country. And it's creepy, but I'll
admit it reluctantly: I enjoy Facebook "stalking" and seeing what people are up to. It's nice
to know that even though I haven't seen someone in a while, they are doing well in their corner
of the world.
The truth is, though, Facebook will continue to change and there's a good chance it won't be
around forever. I wonder if we will be reflecting back on Facebook 10 years from now, on the
social network's 20 year anniversary? It's possible, but who knows what the next big thing will
be. By then, Facebook may be a blip on the screen. A bigger blip than MySpace, no doubt, but a
blip nonetheless.
If you haven't seen it yet, Facebook is offering a neat feature today where you can "look back"
and view the history of your existence according to Facebook. As much as some people despise
the social network, Facebook really has changed so many of our lives, making it easier to
communicate with those we care about.
