What if you get tired of Facebook?

Facebook has been in the media a lot recently and with more than 900 million users worldwide, it seems like it is a part of everyone's lifestyle. However, Facebook is still just a website, and just like anything else, it is possible to get tired of it. By clicking on the link below you can read about some other forms of entertainment and social networking, other than Facebook.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/05/social-networking-apps/

Facebook's Share Price Drops

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/05/21/why-facebooks-falling-share-price-really-doesnt-matter/

After Facebook's first weekend on the stock market, its stock fell from $38 million to $33.6 million. Even though the price dropped, Mark Zuckerberg isn't worried and he is just looking at the big picture, not short-term benefits. Would you invest your money in Facebook on the stock market?

Accidently Banning Photos

No matter what social networking site you are a part of, you have to be extremely careful about what you post. Heather Walker, a mother from Memphis, posted pictures of her deceased newborn on Facebook. Facebook censors deleted the images because they felt that they could be considered offensive or graphic, but soon apologized because they realized that the photos didn't break any of Facebook's codes. Do you think officials were right in deleting the photos? Read more about the incident and how Facebook decides what should be deleted/ banned from its site by following the link below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/20/heather-walker-memphis-mother-facebook_n_1529609.html

A Week to Remember

This past week was life-changing for Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. The fact that two important events took place in the matter of days was all a coincidence. On Saturday, May 19 Zuckerberg married his girlfriend, Priscilla Chan, in a surprise wedding. The couple planned to get married; however, they didn't plan for Facebook to come on the stock market the day before. The couple invited about 100 guests and said it was just a "party" so the details wouldn't be released to the public.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/mark-zuckerberg-and-priscilla-chan-how-they-pulled-off-their-surprise-wedding/2012/05/20/gIQAQVK1dU_blog.html

Social Media Spreading Diseases

As many of us know, through the use of social media and social networking, news is spreading faster than ever before. However, news is not the only thing that social media spreads. When a person tweets or posts a status about being sick or about having symptoms relating to a sickness, you may start to feel those same symptoms without realizing it. It is just like when you are sitting with a group of people and one person says they are tired, all of a sudden everyone else says they are tired too. Social networking gets sent out to so many people, so quickly, that eventually a form of mass hysteria occurs when everyone is experiencing the same sickness. This happened in a New York town among students at LeRoy High School. Read more about this story and how social networking can spread diseases by following the link below.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Social-networking-can-cause-mass-hysteria/articleshow/13253835.cms

Facebook Sets Record IPO

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/05/17/facebooks-ipo-valuation-sets-record-is-it-really-worth-104-bi/?icid=maing-grid7%7Caim%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D161979

Facebook has set the record IPO of $104 billion. Facebook has about 900 million users, but despite it's success, people are wondering if Facebook is really worth it's price on the stock market. Do you think Facebook is worth it? Do you think people overlook Facebook's success?

Waste of time?

http://www.thereporter.com/rss/ci_20634657?source=rss

Did you know that Americans spent a total of 53.5 billion minutes, which is the same as 101,000 years, on Facebook in May 2011? Even though Facebook is useful for some people, other people use it for reasons that aren't helpful to anyone. The amount of time Americans spend on Facebook could be used productively instead. Do you think the time you spend on Facebook is a waste? What would you do with your time if you didn't go on Facebook?

Advertisements on Facebook

Do you feel safe clicking on an advertisement you see on Facebook? Most people do not. In fact, only 4 percent of users polled said they click on ads often. Relating to my previous post, Facebook needs to increase the effect of their ads in order to set a record IPO. However, most people do not trust the ads, which will make it difficult for Facebook to set this record. You can read more about the safety of Facebook ads by following the link below. How often do you click on ads on Facebook?

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/05/15/as-investors-fawn-over-facebook-poll-finds-user-distrust-apath/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl4%7Csec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D161150

Now Trending

Typically, when an important event is taking place or something news-worthy happens a topic about it will trend on Twitter. Other times when nothing seems to be going on light topics trend. Then, there are times when disturbing topics, like "#IfIHadAGun," which was mentioned in another blog post, are trending. To find out what seems to be the most popular news story or thought among the Twitter community, the website www.whatthetrend.com has a list of the most recent trending topics.

Facebook Setting Records

Anyone who has a computer, a phone or even walks around on the streets today knows about Facebook. However, the number of new users joining Facebook is decreasing because there are not many people left that don't have an account. Facebook is about to set a record IPO, but first it will have to make a couple changes since the number of users isn't increasing as much as it did in the past. IPO is an abbreviation for initial public offering, which is the company's stock when the company becomes public. The changes Facebook is going to have to make include increasing the number of ads on their site, making money off of the mobile use of Facebook, and allowing Facebook to become a place to make payments.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57434173-93/after-facebook-ipo-zuckerbergs-hardest-test-awaits/

"The Social Network"

http://www.thesocialnetwork-movie.com/awards/#/home

In October 2010 the movie "The Social Network" was released. "The Social Network" is a fictional story about Facebook, the creation of Facebook and the man who invented it. It won several awards, including, the Academy Award, Golden Globe Awards and Critics' Choice Awards. Below is a review of the film.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-social-network/

Social Networking Blamed By Teachers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8142721/Social-networking-teachers-blame-Facebook-and-Twitter-for-pupils-poor-grades.html

Who can blame children and teenagers for wanting to explore all the new technology that is available today? Students who are distracted by social networking are not being blamed for being distracted, the social networking is being blamed for distracting the students. I don't think either should be blamed because it is just a matter of circumstance that technology is advancing and children and teenagers want to explore what the world has to offer. However, teachers are blaming social networking for students' low grades.

Twitter's Surprising Purposes

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1902818,00.html

Many people who don't have a Twitter account would say that it is pointless. However, people who have an account and actively use it would disagree. Twitter has proven to change the way we socialize within our community and even ways business conferences are held and news is spread. There are personal stories that can be read by clicking the link above that show just how useful Twitter can be.

MySpace Did Not Follow Privacy Policy

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/75066.html

Whenever a person signs up to become a member of a website there is a privacy policy in which the site promises user information will be protected as much as the user wishes. However, MySpace was caught by the FTC, Federal Trade Commission, breaking it's privacy policy. MySpace was letting user information be seen to advertising companies so that the advertising companies can target their market better. A situation like this has not only happened with MySpace, it has happened with other sites also. As a result of this, the privacy of these websites are going to be checked more often.

"App Center" Comes to Facebook

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/10/facebook-to-launch-app-store/

Facebook, like Apple and Google, is going to debut an app store, called the "App Center". This app center will be a centralized location for people to go to find apps that might appeal to them, that their friends are using, or that are popular. I like the idea of this app center because the only way I find out about apps on Facebook is on my newsfeed and it's a very rare occasion that I find something I will actually enjoy. I think Apple's and Google's app stores are very beneficial and I think Facebook will utilize it well too.

Trending Topics on Twitter

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evan-neubauer/trending-topics_b_1498105.html
Sometimes trending topics on Twitter let people know the latest news stories, but sometimes these trending topics are "troubling." Recently "#IfIHadAGun" was trending. There is no way to monitor these trending topics, they simply appear because enough people post them in their tweets. The fact that the topic "if I had a gun" was trending is disturbing to many people and there is almost nothing they can do about it.

Pros and Cons

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/06/kids-and-social-networking-pros-and-cons/

Despite all of the down sides of social networking, the online trend has shown benefits as well. Even though social networking is communicating behind the screen of a computer, it does teach social interaction to an extent. Communicating behind a screen is usually easier than face-to-face interaction, which makes it easier for people to develop themselves. However, social networking can also be a distraction but it has to be used at the right time, in the right place, for the right purposes.

Consuming Lives

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2010-02-10-1Asocialbacklash10_CV_N.htm

Even though it may be hard for a person to delete their Facebook, Twitter or other social networking accounts, people find that they get their life back once they aren't a member of these sites. Infact, there are websites dedicated to people who have the will power to "get their life back." These websites include Web 2.0 Suicide Machine and Seppukoo, which are for people who delete themselves from the social networking community. Most people don't realize how much the internet consumes their life until they make a change, like deleting their Twitter account.

Social Networking Among Children

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-02/tech/kids.social.networks_1_social-networking-sites-social-networking-facebook?_s=PM:TECH

Social Networking sites that were once meant for teenagers and adults are now being used by children-- even if it means lying about their age. Normally, the fact that young children are using these sites wouldn't cause a problem. However, it can have harmful effects on their brain development and relationships.

Facebook Hopes to Persuade Public Opinion on Organ Donations

Facebook is constantly making changes to it's settings and format. Now, Facebook will be adding a change that they hope will persuade public opinion about organ donations and transplants. On a person's Facebook page they will be able to post whether or not they are an organ donor. Facebook's hopes are that when a person sees their family members or friends becoming organ donors, they will become one as well. A new section will be created on a person's page about biographical information, which is where the organ donation status will be displayed. Facebook's goal is to lower the amount of people waiting for an organ transplant by increasing the number of donors. Read more about this at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/technology/facebook-urges-members-to-add-organ-donor-status.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=socialnetworking