INTRODUCTION.
No one can argue with the fact that the social media is both a blessing and a curse. For one, almost everybody is there; it is a forum where you can get in touch with anybody regardless of distance or social strata. A forum where you can reach out far and wide to advertise your businesses, news bits, and in fact, just about anything you care to, and at little or no cost at all. Despite all these unimaginable opportunities, there is still a downside to it. After all, every coin has two faces, right? It is on the social media that people spew thrash and barefaced lies, where the unlucky ones are being scammed, where profane things of surprising proportions happen. It is also where anything goes. How absurd. The social media platforms come with varying features and provisions from Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube and down to Facebook. However, despite this proliferation, one medium stands out among all the rest, and that is Facebook. Though this assertion is dependent on a person's chosen preferences, but most people will certainly agree with it. Specifically, Facebook is the most visited of them all; it is on it that you are likely to meet just about anybody you wish, it has the most friendly tariff, and is available readily on every part of the planet Earth. In the course of this article, we shall take a look at what makes Facebook stand out among all others, why it is the most visited, and why people readily choose it, despite the availability of others like it.
THE QUALITIES THAT MAKE FACEBOOK STAND OUT AMONG ITS PEERS.
Facebook is often preferred because it includes so many different social media platforms within it. Isn't it on Facebook that you can post both YouTube videos and Instagram pictures or things related to Linkedin? For this all important reason, you can remain on Facebook throughout the day and all the week in order to keep abreast with the things happening all over the world, at just the click of a button on either your mobile phone or personal computer, and in the cosy comfort of your home or wherever you may be at all times from sunrise to sundown. Here is where you come to listen and to be heard, or even to be seen or spoken to by all, regardless of the distance of separation or any differences you may have with anybody on anything. What a modern marvel! What an innovation! On Facebook, you have fan pages as well, so it is easy to use and like a company's Facebook page and turn on the notifications to stay up to date with what they are doing within the company. It is easy and connects together all other social media networks you may have. It is really awesome indeed.
Facebook enables you to keep in touch with friends, family members and co-workers alike. It offers everything you need to both communicate and connect with others by providing several options through which you can share what's going on in your life. It accords you the opportunity to not miss out on some of the milestones in life. There is a video chat available via which you can knock on practically anyone's door, so to say. The event and group pages help you to remain in the loop for concerts, class assignments, and any kind of work, whatever that is. Articles of diverse natures and on virtually every aspect of life are posted daily. In fact, if you can't find any group that fits your preferences, I bet you don't live on the planet Earth. It is a great social media platform for businesses of all kinds whether small, medium or big, in order to increase reach and brand awareness. The small businesses have the opportunity to spread information and knowledge about their brands without actually spending much, if any, for advertising and all that. For instance,any page you advertise on would be considered media owned content and so any shares or comments from consumers about your services would also be considered as earned media content. In this way, your brand would get the needed exposure without actually having to spend a dime on advertising. Without any doubt, this is certainly most beneficial to small scale businesses who may not be able to afford any money on advertising.
Of course there are lots of other social networks with all sorts of random, and in my personal opinion, useless features and functions. However, Facebook can keep all your friends and associates on one page and in one place, which makes it easy to chat them all up, see their daily routines and other activities from their status updates and all of that. In short, on Facebook, you can choose your friends, and ignore any such persons whom you wish not to contact at all. This feature alone accords Facebook a rare status that other similar social networks will really keep fighting in abject futility, at least that is my contention for now.
Facebook is really great, and it keeps getting better too. It is not only easy to use, but also fast, efficient and with about the widest reach of them all. Facebook therefore makes it easy for you to connect with friends from the past. You can organize events, group projects, and also enables you to see what other people are up to and to build connections with others whom you may not know very well, if at all.
Another very unbeatable feature of Facebook is that when it comes to creating an account, there's really no sweat; simply put in your name, birthday, address and other personal details ( whose inclusion is for the most part optional), and you are done. That in itself is a milestone other social networks will find difficult to contend with, and should do well to emulate. I, for one, wouldn't want to jump through needless hoops just to create a social account, and there are millions that share this opinion. After all, who has enough time to waste some? Your guess is obviously as good as mine. No one.
Notably, there are some restrictions or limitations on the number of words you can use on most other social networks like Twitter, which means you do not have the choice of saying it as you may want; they limit how much you can talk, even if you haven't said what you wanted to. This is obviously a turn off like no any other. However, on Facebook, you have the choice of talking and writing on and on and on, until you fatigue. How about that for an evaluation index?
Now, here comes another mighty plus that counts heavily in Facebook's favor; passing away the time and relief from boredom. While on Facebook, most people hardly know how much time they have spent on the platform until they care to check. In other words, Facebook keeps you so entertained and busy that you forget all about boredom, as you jump from one event to another, from one video to others videos, from one page to other pages, and in fact, from one pleasure to several other pleasures, and without any limitation whatsoever. It is easy to keep yourself company all the day long and throughout the week for years without having to step on anybody's toes or giving anyone the chance to step on yours either. Men, Facebook is really it. Really it indeed.
Another really vital option you get with Facebook, and not with others, is the chance to enjoy the availability of limitless profiles of people you may know, which is readily displayed conspicuously for your use. Other social networks, like Twitter and Instagram, may also have something similar to that, agreed, but theirs are on a far limited or restricted level. With other social networks, you don't get to see as many 'people you may know' as you do on Facebook. I have re-connected with acquaintances, friends, business associates and lots of other good people from diverse backgrounds on Facebook than I have had the opportunity to do anywhere else. This is certainly something I would love to see any social network care to take on, if you can, or if you dare, whichever one suits you.
CONCLUSION.
It is simply unimaginable to think of a life without the social media, mobile phones, computers and indeed most of the present innovations we have at our disposal. In fact, this assertion is so much true that I wouldn't think twice to claim that, any life without these indispensable feats of technology is sincerely not worth living. Not at all. Of course there are disadvantages here and there, with some of them clearly very serious. After all, wars and skirmishes have been initiated on the social media, religious and tribal bigotry have been given a front row seat in many places, ethnic cleansing has been propagated, among many other evil deeds perpetrated on the social media. Be that as it may, there are always ways or procedures through which you can edit or choose what you see or read, as well as who sees and hears you too. If you have any misgivings about anything or anyone, simply do the needful; un-follow or block them or both. I've tried it and it worked, and so should you, if you care. All in all, ' bon voyage', or isn't that how the French say ' have a nice trip?'
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