For better or worse, Facebook has changed the lives of its users, ever since it was launched in February 2004. Isn’t it hard to believe that Facebook’s membership was initially limited to Harvard students alone? Obviously, rules changed over the years. According to the Facebook Pressroom, there are over 400 million active users today and 50% of the active users log on to Facebook everyday.

Although it has had its share of controversies, including being blocked now and then in several countries including Pakistan, Syria, China, Vietnam, and Iran and privacy issues, it has won the praise of its loyal users. In fact 70 translations are available on the site today, making it a popular website regardless of regional or language barriers.

Consider this – President Barack Obama used Facebook to get elected, Dell recruited new hires through it and Microsoft’s OS borrowed from it. In fact, Facebook became the most visited website in the US earlier this year, overtaking Google too.

Facebook Facts You Probably Did Not Know

You probably have a Facebook profile. If you do, you might check it at least once a day. But did you know that:

• According to Facebook, 175 million users access Facebook every 24 hours.
• There are over 550,000 active applications currently on the Facebook Platform.
• Over 100 million active users access Facebook through their mobile devices, and are twice more active when compared to non-mobile users.
• Facebook “Pages” have created over 5.3 billion “fans”.
• Over 35 million Facebook users update their status every single day.
• More than 80,000 websites have implemented Facebook Connect since December 2008. Over 60 million Facebook users use it on these websites every month.

Privacy – Not What It Used To Be!

Mark Zuckerberg’s (Facebook Founder) vision to provide people with the power to share and make the world more open and connected has changed the nature of privacy altogether. Consider this, a report online discussed one man’s Facebook activity and his public service announcement, which states that: “This goes out to any girl that lives ever been with. I got tested today for Herpes and I came out positive.”

However, a number of researchers believe that privacy is a shape-shifting concept. It signifies different things to people at different points in their lives. Also, Facebook has a greater share of delighted friends who have got back in touch after years and happy love stories too. Abbey Bryduck met her old high school crush and her husband Nick Bryduck on Facebook. Abbey had “friended” Nick on Facebook. They began chatting online on the site. Another instance where the site was used to disseminate vital information was when Ruth DeVore and her family found that their relatives in Chile were safe after a devastating earthquake, which rocked the country.

More Time Online = Less Time with Friends and Family?

Nicholas Blincoe has stated that the Internet has turned into a platform on which most of us live our lives. Surveys have also revealed that half of the adults who use social networking sites; especially Facebook, Bebo, etc admit that they tend to spend more time online and less time with their friends and family. They tend to stay at home or work and network when compared to speaking over the phone, send fewer texts or emails and watch less TV too. Mintel, a market research company, which commissioned the study and report, has reported that the current economic crisis has increased the popularity of social networking in the UK, claiming that the country has become a nation of Facebook addicts. David Smallwood, an Addictions Expert believes that the findings of the study are worrying as it means that isolation among people has risen and will continue to rise. He believes that this could lead to a decrease in social skills among humans.

For Better, For Worse

With the advent of social networking sites, users have the freedom to pick friends, some they might not even meet. These sites seem to be an ideal option for users to contact their friends at their convenience and stay in touch with friends spread across the world. But the effect of these sites on social values is debatable. Whatever the case, the number of users of these websites, especially Facebook is soaring with an element of addictiveness.

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This is Sachin Bhutani & i am not a full time blogger. Once i found any problems, solutions or great tips i always share it on my blog.