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In a society such as ours is today, we are always looking for a new, more efficient means of communication. Communication: according to Webster’s Dictionary, this is the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. So perhaps this is why the American culture has become fascinated with Facebook as a communication medium. For many people it is much easier to express yourself by means of writing or signs rather than relying on speech alone. Facebook provides a comfortable way for people to come together, meeting new people and keeping in touch with old friends. Starting out as a way for college students to communicate with one another, Facebook has expanded to let not only high school students, but virtually anyone in the world be a user! So why are there over 100 million users nationwide? When Facebook launched in February 2004, American college students seized the opportunity to have a new social medium. Take a look at the barrel model of culture. You may find that Facebook falls right in step with its explanation of culture. Facebook has every available resource to fulfill society’s central needs. Here a person can tell anyone their age, marital status, religious and political views, interests, and much more just by a simple glance at a page. While some may find this to be a little disturbing, others are virtually ruled by it, spending hours on Facebook “getting to know” people they’ve never met. It’s crazy to think that we have come to a point in America, where you can know more about a stranger by the click of a button, than someone you’ve known for years, who is a little more reserved. When meeting new people before Facebook, individuals may have asked for a phone number or set up another engagement as a way to get back in touch. Now many rely on the simple phrase “Facebook me!” These two little words can be looked at in two perspectives. On one hand it could be taking away from our face-to-face encounters, but on the other hand it could be expanding our relationships with people we don’t get to see as often. Many people will always play up the concerning side of Facebook however we need to step back and look at it through positive eyes. Take the Facebook Marketplace as an example. Many college students are always in need of extra money and through the Marketplace they are able to sell items that are no longer of use to them. Vise-versa, people are able to buy items for low prices and at the convenience of your network, meaning you don’t have to travel or have the item mailed to obtain it. Facebook is becoming a versatile and intricate network of activity within American culture and in many ways is changing the way Americans do business. Entrepreneurs are able to place ads for jobs, new items, and just about anything else they want to draw attention to on Facebook and hundreds of millions of people will see it, even if for just a second. In the barrel model of culture, this new way of doing business shows a new resourcefulness brought to our culture. As mapped out in the infrastructure of the barrel model, business owners are tapping into available resources to make a living all through what started out as a social network. The internet is always changing the way the world is viewed because there are so many ways to view it now. America is always looking for new ways to stay connected with one another and Facebook provides a simplistic approach to obtaining this goal. With an ever-changing society in progress, we now have an ever-changing social network to keep up with the transformations taking place. Kristen Lingg, Frankie Morales Thursday 1:30 p.m. Recitation September 20, 2008


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