In 2004, Facebook.com became available to university and college students, and in 2006 Facebook became available to all people ages 13 and up with an email address. Since then, Facebook has become more and more popular and has evolved with the ever-changing technology of today. Facebook became popular for current college students in middle school. Everyone made accounts, friend requested each other, posted videos and pictures on each other’s walls, and updated statuses hourly.
Once these middle school students entered high school, the Facebook obsession continued. Everyone checked it all day, everyday. All users uploaded edited pictures and albums of over 100 pictures for everyone else to look at and comment on. It was a common portal for teenage communication. After freshman year concluded, Facebook became less popular with this particular age group. People were busier with schoolwork once sophomore year commenced and posting pictures, videos, and statuses on a daily basis became lame, annoying, and unnecessary. I remember everyone saying how much they hated Facebook because of the people who still insisted on posting everyday; some people even deleted their account because of the annoyance it caused them with endless notifications.
During this break from Facebook, Twitter was extremely popular, probably because if its simplicity. It was the go-to social media site in high school. When Instagram came along, most high school students used it more than Facebook.
Once high school was over, everyone was focused on his or her college for the next four years. The summer between senior year of high school and freshman year of college is when Facebook reemerged from its three-year hibernation for our age group. Everyone began to stalk people from their future university, find roommates, and join groups. I found others and myself checking Facebook multiple times a day again, like we did earlier in our lives. It again became the center of our communication.
As freshman year of college began, I met a ton of new people and friend requested them all on Facebook. I was added to academic Facebook groups and extracurricular and club groups. This is how everyone chose to communicate their information and messaged. Facebook was used to share news, post pictures, stalk friends and acquaintances, buy and sell textbooks, and get information on clubs and organizations.
Facebook was extremely helpful for college students trying to stay in touch with elementary, middle, and high school friends. Even if you don’t talk to them every week or even month, the occasional like or comment shows you still care about what they are doing with their lives. I even stay in contact with my family through Facebook. People who have family in other countries can easily stay connected. Facebook is the most popular, easily accessible and convenient portal for communication between peers, family, clubs, academic groups and, especially, sororities and fraternities. Facebook has changed the way humans communicate on a daily basis, as well as how we share information and messages with others.
College has brought a new wave of Facebook activity and communication that had not been present for quite a few years. College has made Facebook prevalent once again, and this time it’s for good.
