According to a new Associated Press-CNBC poll, 46% of Americans questioned say Facebook is a fad that “will fade away as new things come along.” This poll was released just days before the social media giant’s IPO, which is expected to raise more $16 billion.
Here’s a look at five reasons why Facebook is more than just a fad:
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1. A lot of people use the site…a lot.
With over 900 million users worldwide, Facebook has amassed a user base unrivaled by any other platform. Think about it: even your mom is on Facebook. But more importantly, 526 million of those users are active on the site on a given day and 40% of American adults use the site at least once a week.
2. You let Facebook know a lot about you and advertisers will pay to reach you.
Every minute you spend on Facebook, you’re sharing information about your “likes,” beliefs and interests. On average, Facebook users generate 3.2 billion likes and comments daily. Online advertisers are spending a lot of money to harness data to find their target demographics across the web, but on Facebook, you step forward and identify yourself.
The hundreds of likes you generate each month reveal who influences you, where you eat, what you watch, what music you listen to, what sports you enjoy, and even how you vote.
Always remember this warning about anything that’s “free” on the Internet: “If you’re not paying for something, you’re not the customer, you’re the product being sold.”
3. People don’t really care about privacy.
While the news is filled with headlines about concerns about Facebook’s approach to privacy, I refer readers to points numbered one and two above to reveal why The Onion may be right that every potential presidential candidate for 2040 is already unelectable because of the site.
If real people — not privacy advocates — were actually concerned about their privacy, Facebook wouldn’t have 13% of the world’s population as users.
4. The Internet relies on Facebook.
Look at the sites you visit every day. There’s a good chance you have the option to log-in with Facebook, saving you the hassle of having to remember another password. Facebook’s Open Graph has become widespread and many sites use it to push the content you view on their site back to Facebook.
5. You can’t quit Facebook.
There are more than 125 billion friend connections on Facebook, which makes it tough for you to unplug from your friends and miss out on the daily antics of your elementary school classmate’s new baby. There’s also a chance you may actually be addicted to Facebook and psychologists have even developed a measurement to tell just how addicted you are.
