Dissecting the Platform In the past, methods of keeping in contact may have included writing letters, the use of a telephone or quite simply there would be none if there wasn’t face to face interaction. To obtain news or opinions one would either have to read a newspaper or watch TV. Today the population is growing at a much faster rate. With more people in the world, the opportunities to meet more and more people is almost a given. Not only can we meet more people today than we could in the past, but more people are staying in contact with one another. It is hard to keep everyone in the same area forever, thus the ability to stay in contact with these people is going to be quite the difficult task. This is the niche that has proven to be the thriving point for Facebook. Let’s break down the options available for communicating. You may write a letter. Once written, you must fold the letter and seal it in an envelope, stamp it, and mail it out. The delivery time could be anywhere between 1-5 business days depending on where you are sending the letter to. Another method is the telephone. If you have the phone number of the person you are trying to reach , you may dial it and start talking within seconds if they answer. How easy is it to keep up with or remember the phone numbers of all of your contacts? How about the addresses of all of your friends so that you may write letters? Finding this information can take quite a bit of time if you have to research the person. The overhead itself makes communication a task in its own right. Why do people like to communicate through the platform though rather than strictly face-to-face? It is much like letters and the telephone – you can’t always be in the same area as your contacts. Also – not everyone is capable of being the social butterfly. Some people are very shy and it by talking online this creates a gateway for them to overcome that fear. Facebook allows an opportunity to gradually get to know your contact and in the future develop a more personable relationship. Throughout life society has taken great strides in documenting life as it happens. Facebook, albeit unwittingly, is history as we speak. Media has shown us overtime that it is indeed a progressing documentation of the history we create. Facebook showcases its power through the Internet medium. For example - a user’s status message can give insight into their mindset throughout the days, weeks, and months. The wall application (in which users may leave each other comments) can give one insight into some of the activities they may be involved or to show who they are interacting with. Photos provide visual imprints of the user in various segments of their lives. All of the data that virally flows throughout the platform is life as it happens. Personal insights, beliefs, national tragedies, local stories, and much more can be given light by a sea of members. The speed of communication is very mind-blowing, showcasing this platform’s power as a new media and a communication medium. Never before has this many options, tools, information and the ability for it to move so swiftly been provided to the public. What was once weeks was turned into days, days turned hours, and now hours are turned merely into seconds. By sharing this wealth of data, it can better help us all understand the people around us. It is indeed a written historical account, a visual documentary, and a community driven project that showcases the world around us. As one can see, Facebook is truly dynamic. What was once curiosity to know the people around a dorm has grown into an empire of digital expression. It is a breeding ground for society to come together and relate in ways in which it could not in previous times. The platform makes full use of the Internet’s true premise – to be a network wealthy of ideas, solutions, and a way to share it all. One cannot see into the future, but Facebook provides a great start for us to see our past, document our present, and to give us insight as to how we are all progressing steadily towards tomorrow.
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Facebook’s popularity is without a shadow of a doubt increasing. The questions remain the same. Why is Facebook a popular tool for communicating? Why has society deemed it important? Does it pose a positive or negative effect? How does this even tie in with media? 
Facebook tackles a lot of the grievances posed by former methods through easy-to-use features that make communicating fast, easy and simple. Rather than digging through a phone book or researching the online Yellow Pages, users can use a search feature within Facebook to find information on their query in the matter of seconds. A user’s profile lays out their information based on their privacy settings. Even if you haven’t seen someone in years, you may use the search feature to track a person down. More information can be available to you once they are added as friends and it is confirmed. Time and money are both saved because Facebook conveniently provides fast and effective methods for communicating. E-mail messages may be sent through Facebook. One may also find the screen-names of your contact’s various instant messaging programs or even their address and phone number, if posted. Marshall McCluhan is famous for the publication The Medium is the Massage. Building upon mediums being messages – Facebook boldly states that it is not only just a platform for communicating but also a portal in terms of finding the contact information that you depend upon.