The Exploding Popularity of Social Connect on FacebookIn six short years the social networking site known as Facebook has grown from a simple college network for fast and affordable on campus communication to a worldwide phenomenon. The site, which was founded at Harvard College in 2004, is currently one of the most popular websites on the Internet. According to recent numbers, the site welcomes over 93 million monthly guests and members. Why is it so popular? For one thing, Facebook is free. It is also largely unregulated, which means that it appeals to people for a number of different reasons. Probably the most popular reason is simply to social connect on Facebook and make friends. The website is also a great way to keep in touch with friends and family who live in different states, countries, or even on different continents. Perhaps it is this reason that has resulted in the mass demographic appeal. Unlike many other sites that tend to cater to younger people, Facebook has been a hit with people of every age group. In fact, a recent article revealed that the site had experienced a 276% growth in the 35-54 age group, which is the fastest growing group. It is no wonder that members are presently using Facebook for more than just chatting or making friends. Two of the most popular uses of the site today are for dating and for making business contacts. Since Facebook lets businesses create their own member’s pages for free, many new and established businesses are taking advantage of this golden opportunity. Really, you would have to be a fool not to capitalise on what is essentially free advertising. And while Facebook does not promote itself as a dating site, they do ask members to list their marital status with the following designations: married, single, or single and looking. As you might expect, the third description is a not so subtle signal to other single members that you are interested in meeting someone. |