Utilizing Facebook

For most people, signing into their own facebook is just entering their own personal and digital space but for others facebook has taken on a whole new significance. As we learned in our media class, facebook began as a social network created in 2004 for college students by a college student. Although it was made to appeal to our younger demographic, facebook has grown and transcended what people expected of a social network. Facebook is now utilized by people of all ages not just young adults and adolescents. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the site now has many applications and settings to personalize the type of experience the account owner is looking for. Some facebookers don't care who sees their information and are not concerned about the privacy aspect because they are just looking to communicate with their friends. While other social networkers or users need privacy for jobs or from family members. Some people have unique purposes for their facebook as well.

As I was looking into amazing and inspiring stories surrounding people that met over facebook and are now getting married, I came across a story of a woman that found her son that had been kidnapped over facebook. Can you imagine the technological world reuniting you with a missing child? This post (http://www.tomsguide.com/us/missing-boy-found-facebook-superpoke,news-4021.html) tells the story of a woman whose son was abducted by her husband after going to have Thanksgiving dinner with him in Hungary in 1982, 27 years ago. Avril Grube looked for her son for many years but her efforts were unsuccessful. Until her sister searched her nephew "Gavin"'s name on facebook because she was simply curious to see what would come up, Gavin Paros came up. Grube's son Gavin was now apparently 30 years old and a father himself. His father had also died in the time that had transpired. Gavin had three children and had created a facebook to reunite with his American family. Grube and Gavin were reunited before she had a stroke and entered a nursing home. I found this story to be amazing because what are the odds that a police investigation could not locate a missing child but facebook had the power to 27 years later.

I also found a facebook dedicated to finding a missing child. Although this story is a little more depressing, I could not help but be amazed that there are facebook pages dedicated to the search of missing children. There also many facebook pages remembering people that have passed since owning a facebook. In some way these pages keep their spirit alive, at least technologically they do. People can still post their thoughts and sentiments to the deceased for years to come. Some people might think its beautiful and others might think its outlandish. The medium of facebook has indirectly shaped so many aspects of life. Facebook has made it possible for a social network to find connections that people did not think were possible.

Other stories:
http://www.click2houston.com/news/23933020/detail.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/facebook/7045759.html