Theodore Yu
Professor Vazquez
English 35
10 July 2013 Why Start Facebook?

What is Facebook and why should everyone use it? Facebook is a website which is used by teens and adults alike for social networking. The Facebook application is owned and operated by Facebook, Inc., which was established in September 2006. Since Facebook has been made, it has been growing each year and now has approximately eight hundred million users worldwide, thus titling Facebook the world’s largest social network. There are many people that oppose Facebook, but Facebook has so much to offer that the average American just can’t say no. Facebook is beneficial, because it is a website allowing the user to play games online, have a secure place to view and store photos, and receive updates from the user’s favorite followers. With Facebook being a strong and dynamic platform through users socializing, Facebook has acquired popularity even through games. Games like Farm Ville, Fish Ville, Tetris, and plenty of other games have become increasingly popular over the years between Facebook users. For example, why is a basic game like Tetris so popular on Facebook? Facebook allows the user to compete with friends and strangers online. The popularity is so high that there is stiff competition among people playing the same game. A professional gaming website states, “It’s as fast and exciting as ever, and there’s an extra touch of competitiveness thanks to the inclusion of leaderboards featuring your very own Facebook friends” (Webster). Although some people may argue that they’d rather play on the Xbox or the PlayStation, can those consoles provide what Facebook can? Facebook games are all free of cost, and easily accessible by simply, “Liking” the game, and then clicking play. The games on Facebook are usually brief, keeping the gameplay very simple and not needing much concentration. Also, being the social network that Facebook is, of course the user is allowed to play with friends and strangers online, thus allowing it to be competitive. Free of cost, easily accessible, competitive, brief, and socializing all at the same time just by playing games, who wouldn’t like that? Facebook can be thought of as a home on the internet, a place where people can browse through your photo collections. That’s right, photo albums. No more having to take out the photo album when people are over at the house. The user is able to upload photos to their Facebook and make photo albums. Family and friends are able to view the photos through Facebook with easy access. Some people believe that having photo albums on Facebook is dangerous due to showing sexually explicit and inappropriate pictures and lack of privacy. That may be true, but a Facebook user has total control of one’s own page, having the ability to block certain pictures from public viewing, allowing the user to decide who is able to see the pictures, for example, friends only, friends and strangers, friends of friends only, etc. Having able to organize photos in albums, allowing friends and families to see your photos, easily accessible, did I mention this process is all digitally? In addition to playing games and making your own photo albums, Facebook