Facebook's Generation 1
Imagine Facebook being a long term experiment. To understand what the future is going to hold for this interactive platform, the past may hold some insights. Isn't this the normal BS any research paper begins with? Don't worry, no sensational findings here. Just some interesting observations of the 1st generation, who got introduced to facebook & how the platform has led to their evolution across various stages of life.
Stage 1 - Introduction & Trial
If seeing your parents posting on someone's wall, thinking it's a private message, makes you cringe? Think again, you have done it too.
Ever since facebook was launched in 2004 (called TheFacebook initially), Gen Y had the most exposure & the time in hand to explore it (#ICYMI Gen Y or Millennials are roughly people born in mid to late 1980's - late 1990's) I remember coming across facebook for the first time around 2007 while I was in India & facebook accounts were only limited to people with an American university email id.
Believe it or not, stage 1 was the universal age of truth. Everyone who created their profile at this time, added all possible details to their profiles. Name, school, status, interested in (dating), favourite shows, what you did not like, how you felt and so on! Your entire network was only meant for your school / university colleagues & hence more freedom of speech & no filters on what kind of posts or pictures get updated. #awkward
Stage 2 - Pre-addiction & pre-smart phone era
Loving the current facebook app (iOS & Android) because of which you never log in to facebook on your computer? Before smartphones became popular, facebook was still popular & growing fast. Even though facebook could be accessed via mobile browsers (terrible UX), the mobile app only got launched in 2011. So, if you see the millennials preferring to log into facebook via their computers, don't be surprised.
Can you imagine, cameras were available on phones then, but to upload the same pictures, people had to do it via their computers. Talk about determination to be active on facebook!
In terms of behaviour on the platform, it still remained 'youth centric'. Uploading photos, videos from daily life was a norm. Uploading a video & realising its not meant for facebook - became a thing. Remember your first experience of doing this?
However, one thing that remained constant from stage 1 is people displaying their relationship status. There was an unspoken rule that we need be honest if we were in a relationship or not, single & interested in meeting men or women! And how can we forget, all facebook status were in 3rd person, i.e started with 'is'. For example - John Smith is enjoying his ice-cream. This only got taken off in 2007.
Stage 3 - Everyone is an Influencer & Oops! My family is on facebook.
Do you get facebook memory notifications every now & then, showing you your blast from the past or posts which make you wonder, what you were up to when you posted these things? If yes, you have successfully been through stage 1 & 2.
This could easily be mapped to today's experience that facebook provides. Many features have been introduced - facebook mobile app, messenger, video calls, facebook live video, facebook ads and many more. Facebook is no longer considered to be an entertainment activity, but an important part of life.
What else - your entire family is on facebook too! Thank god or thank Mark Zuckerberg for privacy options on your post, to avoid awkward moments at home, or being stalked by your exes.
What happens in Stage 4 ?
Only time will tell us what the next step of evolution will look like for both facebook & the millennials. One thing is for sure, facebook is here to stay.
