Imagine that it’s one of your regular days, be it college, work, etc. You decide to take a break, and so you sit down and scroll through your phone. Chances are, you may be taking a glimpse at what people are posting on Instagram, which is actually considered the most used social media platform for our generation.
While Instagram is widely known for its wide range of interactions between people online, other areas of social media that are just as great may often be overlooked.
Believe it or not, the most popular social media platform in the world is Facebook. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, this platform has consistently updated and evolved over the past 17 years in order to become one of the most widely used apps for communication.
As someone who has been an active Facebook user for the past year, here are a few reasons why I think Facebook is a great alternative to the more popular platforms used by our generation.
- Content Variety
Facebook has been able to offer a variety of different content in your feed, including news, entertainment, and posts from friends and family. Along with this, there are also numerous pages and groups you can join. By fostering this accessibility, Facebook has given us the opportunity to become part of different welcoming communities that pique our interests.
- Interacting with Loved Ones
Many of my fellow college students told me that their family is usually very engaged on Facebook. I couldn’t agree more. I have many friends and relatives and friends in the Philippines, and whenever they want to chat with me, they always resort primarily to Messenger, which is the chatting platform of Facebook.
- The Laid Back Nature
Many of my friends and family post daily on Facebook, giving life updates such as recipes they’ve tried, parties they attended, and fun activities they did with their pets. To me, it’s always been so heartwarming to see content like this. By being comfortable enough to share their daily lives online with others, these people are able to show a more genuine side of themselves by trusting in the communities they found themselves in.
- Life Updates
Through the status features offered by Facebook, you can easily stay updated on what’s going on in people’s lives when they make little tweaks to their bios, such as relationship status and where they live. You will also usually be notified when it’s someone’s birthday.
Don’t get me wrong; I love getting to interact with others on social media. However, I don’t intend to say that you should prioritize your social media activity over other aspects of your life. In fact, I encourage you to take breaks every now and then from your phone and enjoy what life awaits you. Sometimes, being too involved in social media can affect things like your emotional and physiological well-being, as well as that of others.
I also urge you to take caution. Engaging in social media can be fun, but it’s another thing for you to be unsafe on the Internet. Several people that I know have been hacked on Facebook, myself included. Make sure that the information and content that you put out for the public to see will be something you are comfortable sharing with others. I also recommend that you provide a unique password to your account and turn on two-step verification.
Overall, Facebook is a really cool (if not underrated) platform to interact with others online. I’ve always admired its down-to-earth, community-centered nature. Just like any other platform, it may have its imperfections, but it doesn’t mean one needs to stop using it completely. As long as you are able to keep yourself safe, comfortable, and happy, I suggest giving Facebook a try, if you haven’t already.