"Facebook constitutes a rich site for researchers interested in the affordances of social networks due to its heavy usage patterns and technological capacities that bridge online and offline connections" (Ellison 1143). Social networking sites have become a way for people all over the world to converse in various ways. Facebook is a social network that is one of the most effective ways to communicate with people, establish relationships with others, and advertise to the world. While we can communicate through phone calls, text messages and emails Facebook has become a cultural product that our society values.
Social media has reached its all-time high and is very significant to our society. People all over the world use Facebook to communicate with family members, friends, classmates, and even strangers as you see in figure 1. As human beings, communication is an important life skill that enables us to understand better and connect with the people around us. The Facebook connection is made instantly when the person you would like to contact is online. However, if the person is not online, the message will still be sent to the individual either privately in their inbox or publicly on their wall which can be viewed by their friends. How the message is forwarded will be up to the sender. Facebook gives the opportunity to message people whom they may need to contact, though others believe that Facebook has negatively impacted the way people communicate. Some individuals feel that Facebook has influenced one-on-one interactions that use to take place over the phone or in person. Before Facebook and other social media came into existence one wanting information on another had to seek information actively. If you had to share something with someone you would have a specific audience that you were aware of.
In reality, Facebook has changed that. Today, communication through Facebook may look like a friend liking a photo you posted, commenting on a status that they agree with and very little one-on-one direct messages.