Facebook and It's Ever-Expanding Reach

The film “The Social Network” [1] is a work of art that gives the audience a narrative of Facebook from its very beginnings and in doing so, helps to highlight the evolution of the internet. The internet allows us to gather information quickly and easily, and Facebook is no different. In our fast-paced society, it is important that a narrative can be given in a quick and efficient manner and that its receiver(s) can take in that information in a timely manner. I think one of the keys to the success of Facebook has been the way it has continued to adapt and evolve for the convenience and benefit of the user, which was touched upon many times throughout the film. When Mark Zuckerberg’s character would think of something that could improve Facebook, he would immediately rush to his computer to implement his new idea onto his website. Even today, Facebook continually tries to improve and try out new ideas on its website to make it more attractive to prospective and current users.

The idea of Facebook being free is interesting for a number of reasons. Zuckerberg’s friend in the movie, Eduardo, frequently mentions the business side of the website and tries to find investors and advertisers. While Facebook could certainly charge people to use their service, it would come at a cost. Facebook, more than likely, would lose a substantial number of users from their website, which would make them less valuable in the eyes of advertisers and potential investors. With Facebook being free, everyone who has an internet connection available to them can create an account and use the website, which means more people are able to see what is being advertised. Facebook was able to spread quickly in its early stages because of word of mouth advertising, as college students would use the website and then tell their friends about it.

While Facebook, and other social media websites for that matter, certainly have and continue to have many positive impacts, they can also have negative impacts in terms of one’s overall privacy. Sometimes information that one posts on Facebook can end up in the hands of an unintended receiver(s), such as an employer. Facebook has also changed the idea of friendship in a sense, as one can now be “friends” with someone through the click of a button, which has changed the way many individuals look at and define the word “friend”. I think the film could have talked about some of the negative effects Facebook has had in terms of privacy and other issues slightly more as much of the negativity was based around lawsuits that Facebook was facing. Overall though, I thought the movie was excellent representation of Facebook and the many impacts it has on not only American society, but the entire world.

[1] The Social Network. Directed by David Fincher. Columbia Pictures, 2010. Film.