The Age of Facebook

Teenagers no longer seem to be the only ones using the web for social networking. Facebook which started out as a way of connecting new college students from Harvard University became a public space in which anyone can log on and share. Facebook and myspace appeared originally to be a space only for the young, with adults in most cases practically shunned from using such sites by their children. But recent polls however show that the trend of online networking has panned over into the adult sphere. With the average age of myspace users now at 27 years old it seems the trend might be changing its age group. These sights still don't attract as many people past 40 however the 18-34 year old makes up 46% of users. And the 25-34 year old group is now the fastest growing age demographic. What started as sites for teens to share gossip and connect with friends is now an adult network even used in business.

Facebook in particular has changed the dynamic of online networking making it possible to easily connect with business members and international groups. Facebook allows for easy access for workers to keep up to date with events, e-mail messages, and to coordinate meetings. Facebook in fact has created applications specifically for business users. This may in fact be the reason why the age demographic is shifting. With more people generating profiles in the workplace it follows to say that the middle aged demographic will continue to grow. With the site moving towards a much more business oriented stance the use of the site in the workplace has become a problem.

What has started to arise is the relatively new phenomenon of cyber-slacking. A problem that has been estimated to cost employers $1 billion a year in computer resources. With Facebook the potential for abuse in the work place became very apparent when employers started noticing a decline in work productivity. Workers are so easily able to surf the net during work that many companies have had to establish new ways of protecting against slacking. Almost 40% of companies have started to ban social networking sites in order to keep productivity higher. However, still workers seem to be able to break down this wall. Now polls show that nearly half of the profiles made by users, are done so in the workplace. Online surfing has become the primary distraction at work for many and continues to generate problems. Facebook it seems may not be the way forward for businesses. Much more likely is that soon to come Facebook and other sites of this nature will have another age shift as more and more employers shut down the site in the workplace.