At a time
when much of the world has become ‘dependent’ on social media, it’s difficult
to imagine the world without social media. But what if the unthinkable
happened? What if humanity were to revert back to a time when social media didn't exist?
Waseem Saddique asks: “What would happen, if overnight, social media platforms ceased
to exist, would the world be able to function as previous generations have
done? It’s a question one has to ask based on the theory that nothing lasts
forever.”
Arguably the
largest social media platform in the world at present is Facebook with one in
nine people on the planet on Facebook (this number is calculated by dividing
the planet’s 6.94 billion people by Facebook’s 1 billion ‘registered’ users, of
which, around 750 million are deemed active).
Facebook
represents users that have personal accounts and business accounts, covering a
diverse range of topics, which has become a hub of information about people’s
lives and the activities of businesses from around the world.
Just to
emphasise the grip that Facebook has on the world’s social interaction, here
are some interesting facts:
- People spend 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook
- Each Facebook user spends, on average, 15 hours and 33 minutes a month on the site
- More than 250 million people access Facebook through their mobile devices
- More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Facebook
- 30 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook each month
- 300,000 users helped translate Facebook into 70 languages
- People on Facebook install 20 million “Apps” every day
Waseem
Saddique comments: “Imagine the impact on the world should Facebook disappear. The
consequences could be catastrophic. Anyone who has access to the internet will
more than likely have an account on Facebook. It has also become a vital tool
for businesses in order to market themselves on a global scale.”
Looking at it
pragmatically, the fall of Facebook could potentially cause mayhem, with
businesses hit hard, losing a host of potential marketing targets and a
significant presence on the internet on a global scale.
Also, the
prospect of Facebook falling from grace would also affect people personally.
The majority of the world has become reliant on social connection through
Facebook and any potential demise would result in that connection being lost.
Waseem
Saddique states: “Furthermore, consider the security factors should Facebook
suffer a fatal crash in its systems. The vast amount of data and personal
details that Facebook holds could potentially become exposed to ‘undesirables’
leading to a wide scale fraud problem.”
In
concluding, does society’s dependence on social media sites, such as Facebook,
leave humanity and the world’s economy vulnerable? Or, would the world adapt to
life without social media sites?
Waseem
Saddique states: “Past evidence only shows evolution in such circumstances.
When social media started it began with things like MSN chat and Friends
Reunited, rather than the world capitulating once they became less popular, the
world simply replaced them.”
Waseem added:
“But such is the influence of Facebook compared with previous social media that
if it ever did disappear, would it be replaced and would the world recover?
Only time will tell.”
