The Facebook Thing
How old am I? So old that when someone says Facebook I still think of what was colloquially called The Facebook, the hard-bound directory of Harvard’s incoming class, so vital in laying the groundwork for your future cabal to control the world. The website was named after it. I find myself now wondering a) does Harvard still print it and b) if so, what do the kids call it now?
Some time ago, I made the decision to rise above such faddish things and not join. What’s the point of having a computer and going on-line if you are just going to use it to interact with other people? If I wanted to do that, I could do it in real life.
But I think I may have miscalculated. I had no idea just how pervasive Facebook would become. Two days ago, Facebook announced it had 500 million active users. That is a number so large it is difficult to put it in context. The planet contains, allegedly, 1.8 billion internet users, so Facebook has now roped in 28% of them. At the current rate of growth, 10% a month, they should have everybody around September 2011.
I plan to sign up for an account then. Because I am the last person on Earth who would join Facebook.
Facebook is now the single most popular site on the internet. And, logically or ironically, the company that provides it is now widely despised. Sort of like how an addict loves the cocaine but hates his dealer.
According to Facebook, and as quoted in The New York Times so it must be true, users spend a total of 700 billion minutes a month there. That is an average of 46 minutes per user per day. According to a recent survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend an average of 42 minutes a day “socializing and communicating.”
I am not sure if the BLS means to include Facebooking in that line item or not. If not, then we now spend more time socializing on-line than in real life. Alternatively, if it is included, then all socializing done by Facebook users is now on-line. For all I know, that could be true. Not really my field.
But even if there are still some Americans who socialize the old traditional way, it should be clear that the days of physical interaction are numbered. Facebook is just too large to be stopped, its gravitational pull too strong and getting stronger every day.
By the time I sign up in fourteen months, Facebook will have completed its absorption of all socializing done by members of my species with an internet connection on my home planet. And it will not stop there. 46 minutes a day is only a meager portion of human waking hours. It will grow until it will no longer be an alternative to real life. It will be real life. Resistance is futile.
66 Comments
Other Links to this Post
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
By Kosmo @ The Soap Boxers, July 23, 2010 @ 2:51 pm
I joined Facebook a year or so ago. It’s a convenient way to keep up with how high school classmates are doing … but I mostly joined to ply WordScraper (similar to Scrabble).
I detailed more of my uses in a post a while back -> http://www.thesoapboxers.com/how-this-thirty-something-uses-facebook/
I can’t imagine spending hours on end playing Mafia Wars and Farmville, though. I just play my words in Wordscraper, glance at the news, and head off to do something else (such as changing poopy diapers).
By The Head Hunter, July 23, 2010 @ 5:25 pm
This headline was misleading, I thought the article would be about spending your life building a successful 26 billion dollar company just to have some former rinky dink contract employer lay claim to it through some vague ip agreement…
By Jonathan Warren, July 23, 2010 @ 8:07 pm
If Facebook had been public I would have bought about two years ago. And today I would sell.
I’m looking forward to the movie.
By Dan, July 26, 2010 @ 10:54 am
Frank,
One of your assumptions might be faulty, cause I think you’re implying that every facebook user is an active user. If there’s 500 million “active users” then it stands to reason that facebook has roped in MORE than 28% of the internet community. Surely, facebook has many additional members that aren’t active? You’d then have to figure that facebook will have permeated the entire internet community sooner than you think.
And as far as large companies that everybody depends on, yet they despise, perhaps facebook is the new Microsoft?
By Josh, July 26, 2010 @ 2:18 pm
Dan,
When Internet sites refer to “active” users, they don’t mean “users who use the site a lot”. They usually mean “users who are still using the site”, which is important because most web sites have many accounts that were created and then abandoned after a few weeks or months.
By Rachele Jay, April 15, 2023 @ 8:20 am
Hi,
Could you please provide me about investment. Kindly get in touch with me on WhatsApp 971508630672 at your earliest convenience?
Sincerely,
Rachele Jay
By Egzoft, May 12, 2023 @ 10:08 am
cialis coupons cost tadalafil 20mg where to buy ed pills
By Wlytbw, May 19, 2023 @ 9:08 pm
accutane over the counter where to buy amoxicillin without a prescription azithromycin 250mg for sale
By Xhdmok, May 21, 2023 @ 10:57 am
azithromycin drug order azithromycin online cheap gabapentin buy online
By Tggirq, May 23, 2023 @ 6:23 am
generic lasix 100mg order albuterol 2mg for sale albuterol 4mg cost
By Mtosre, May 25, 2023 @ 12:42 am
order levitra brand hydroxychloroquine 400mg order hydroxychloroquine online
By Ysdoug, June 14, 2023 @ 11:19 pm
acillin price ciprofloxacin 1000mg without prescription cheap flagyl 200mg
By Uotvsa, June 15, 2023 @ 1:38 am
brand crestor 10mg order crestor pill buy domperidone tablets
By Fdnene, June 16, 2023 @ 3:05 pm
brand tetracycline purchase cyclobenzaprine sale lioresal online buy
By Lfezsd, June 16, 2023 @ 7:02 pm
order bactrim online cheap buy cleocin generic order cleocin sale
By Yjphdd, June 18, 2023 @ 5:14 am
order toradol 10mg online colchicine canada inderal 20mg cost
By Carbwu, June 18, 2023 @ 3:07 pm
buy erythromycin 250mg buy fildena 50mg pills nolvadex cheap
By Quvdxh, June 19, 2023 @ 7:44 pm
plavix where to buy buy medex pills order warfarin generic
By Btbnyf, June 20, 2023 @ 12:31 pm
order rhinocort online cheap buy cheap bimatoprost purchase bimatoprost online
By Hzwxsp, June 21, 2023 @ 12:04 pm
generic metoclopramide 10mg buy reglan medication nexium 40mg uk
By Lqvubt, June 22, 2023 @ 9:17 am
robaxin 500mg drug buy trazodone buy suhagra 100mg online
By Rrmmqe, June 23, 2023 @ 3:21 am
buy topiramate 200mg pills order generic levaquin 250mg order levaquin generic
By Uorngt, June 24, 2023 @ 5:47 am
sildenafil pills order estradiol 2mg sale estrace drug
By Olahxo, June 24, 2023 @ 5:31 pm
dutasteride for sale meloxicam 15mg sale mobic 15mg drug
By Ygduiv, June 26, 2023 @ 4:16 am
buy lamictal 50mg generic vermox 100mg uk order minipress
By Xdrefm, June 26, 2023 @ 8:47 am
where can i buy celebrex tamsulosin 0.4mg generic order zofran 4mg pill
By Ixqkvh, June 27, 2023 @ 11:33 pm
spironolactone 25mg without prescription spironolactone 25mg cost valacyclovir tablet
By Tbdyrf, June 28, 2023 @ 5:13 am
order tretinoin cream online cheap buy tretinoin generic avana pills
By Eiyuyv, June 29, 2023 @ 1:26 pm
propecia tablet cost finasteride real viagra 100mg
By Apgwzg, July 31, 2023 @ 12:02 am
valsartan pills clozapine 50mg ca ipratropium medication
By Kmnjqz, July 31, 2023 @ 7:59 pm
order trileptal 600mg buy oxcarbazepine 600mg pill ursodiol 150mg sale
By Gqrgtd, August 2, 2023 @ 12:53 pm
buy dexamethasone 0,5 mg online order zyvox pill buy starlix tablets
By Abbvef, September 3, 2023 @ 1:11 pm
brand etodolac 600mg cilostazol 100 mg usa buy cheap generic cilostazol
By Eunhyx, September 4, 2023 @ 11:01 am
buy prasugrel 10 mg generic buy chlorpromazine online detrol 1mg cost
By Zgapzr, October 7, 2023 @ 10:46 pm
buy cheap coversyl perindopril 4mg for sale fexofenadine 180mg tablet
By Apcpkd, October 7, 2023 @ 10:48 pm
buy phenytoin without prescription where can i buy oxytrol oxytrol usa
By Xwkhhb, October 10, 2023 @ 12:29 am
cheap lioresal order toradol 10mg online buy toradol online cheap
By Nrwbdl, October 11, 2023 @ 7:21 am
claritin online order purchase tritace generic purchase priligy without prescription
By Fcalye, October 11, 2023 @ 5:16 pm
how to get baclofen without a prescription endep brand toradol 10mg ca
By Enjwqd, October 14, 2023 @ 2:50 am
order alendronate generic macrodantin over the counter furadantin 100 mg without prescription
By Lbzgky, October 16, 2023 @ 8:00 am
inderal 10mg ca order ibuprofen 600mg online cheap buy plavix 75mg online cheap
By Ekepcm, October 18, 2023 @ 1:01 pm
buy generic nortriptyline 25 mg nortriptyline without prescription paracetamol 500mg cheap
By Rnojiy, October 18, 2023 @ 10:24 pm
glimepiride 4mg ca misoprostol price etoricoxib 60mg price
By Kxuvtw, October 21, 2023 @ 4:24 am
buy warfarin 5mg generic buy metoclopramide 20mg sale buy generic metoclopramide for sale
By Bgoyzd, October 22, 2023 @ 10:08 am
buy orlistat 60mg pills xenical generic diltiazem pills
By Jjdput, October 24, 2023 @ 6:31 pm
pepcid 40mg sale buy hyzaar medication tacrolimus price
By Yxhksa, October 26, 2023 @ 5:36 pm
azelastine uk order zovirax 800mg online irbesartan 300mg us
By Tgkqri, October 27, 2023 @ 1:46 pm
esomeprazole order order topiramate 100mg generic purchase topiramate online
By Xfzuwm, October 29, 2023 @ 7:38 am
order sumatriptan 50mg imitrex 50mg oral order dutasteride pill
By Qokcqs, October 29, 2023 @ 12:22 pm
where can i buy allopurinol allopurinol online order cost rosuvastatin 10mg
By Locally Acclaimed Auto Glass 27545, April 29, 2024 @ 7:23 pm
Brilliant writing! You’ve perfectly captured the essence of the topic.
By Top Rated Windshield Replacement 27614, April 30, 2024 @ 12:12 am
The elegance of The arguments is as captivating as a sunset. I could admire it all day.
By Wynona Piersaul, June 30, 2024 @ 4:22 pm
https://u.to/
By Kenny Domenget, June 30, 2024 @ 11:06 pm
http://www.swanmei.com/space-uid-3873733.html
By Bart Mungin, July 1, 2024 @ 8:09 pm
https://www.apk.tw/space-uid-6395568.html
By Johnnie Tschoepe, July 2, 2024 @ 7:10 am
The piece was both informative and thought-provoking. Thanks for the great work!
By David Schroer, July 3, 2024 @ 12:05 am
https://www.scdmtj.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=1285140
By Elisha Hack, July 3, 2024 @ 9:37 pm
http://demo01.zzart.me/home.php?mod=space&uid=4139873
By Damian Claire, July 5, 2024 @ 9:37 pm
https://telegra.ph/Shattered-No-More-A-Guide-to-Auto-Glass-Replacement-06-02
By Nathan Fredenburg, July 20, 2024 @ 6:46 pm
You’ve done a fantastic job of breaking down this topic, like unlocking a door to a secret garden. Intrigued to explore more.
By Calvin Sego, August 3, 2024 @ 3:22 pm
You have a unique perspective that I find incredibly valuable. Thank you for sharing.
By Lawrence Kardas, August 4, 2024 @ 7:01 am
The insights add so much value to the conversation. I always learn something new from you.
By carl cal experts, September 9, 2024 @ 3:51 am
Reading The Writing is like finding an oasis in a desert of information. Refreshing and revitalizing.
By carl cal experts, September 9, 2024 @ 8:03 pm
The unique viewpoints you bring to The writing are as captivating as The online presence. Always a pleasure.
By Clemmons Auto Glass, December 28, 2024 @ 7:35 pm
Learned a lot from this post, and here I was thinking I knew it all. Thanks for the humble pie.
By Blake Persaud, December 29, 2024 @ 1:08 am
A gift for explaining things, making the rest of us look bad.