To marvel at how fast Facebook has zoomed into the cultural norm in America, read this article from June 12, 2008 – 24 hours before I jumped onto Facebook for the first time. On that day, Facebook and Myspace were in a dead heat for users. The article appeared only two years ago but it might as well be on a prehistoric cave dwelling the way things have changed. Today, Facebook has more than 400 million users worldwide, dwarfing Myspace.
Along the same lines, check out what I wrote on this blog on June 15, 2008:
“Also this week, I set up a Facebook account. If you are on there, please make me a “friend” and mention the blog. Being on Facebook is going to mean even more time online for me (and I feel like I’m on constantly as it is). I’m even set up on my Blackberry.
So far, in 48 hours, I have strengthened existing relationships and brought back old ones. In just two days, I have received a possible business referral, connected with a girl I took on a few dates in high school (now a mother of 3), heard from my two-year college roommate for the first time in 11 years and linked to many members of my radio alumni association from Syracuse. Some say social networking is the future of PR. For now, I say it’s fun, but I’ll keep the readers of this blog posted on how this site is changing communications.”
Aaaah, the wonders of a simpler time. It must have felt like that when discovering three black and white channels of “radio with pictures” when the first TV set arrived in homes across the country.
Today, Social Media isn’t “the future of PR” as I wrote – it’s a part of its present, every day. At least I was right about one thing, I am spending a lot more time online (aren’t we all?).
To show how must things have changed, all it takes is flipping back just two years. The noted philosopher Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I don’t think he was talking about the communications business, but looking back about 735 days, it feels like good advice.