A Look at Important Facebook Status Updates
October 15th, 2009Posted by: J.W. Crump Posted in Social Media Apps, Twitter
One of the most universally used features on Facebook is the status update. Status updates let me know everything from what my friends had for dinner (NOTE: I normally do not care what you had for dinner) to legitimate life announcements. Users are updating them in greater frequency as well. The current statistics on the Facebook press room page count 40 million user status updates a day, up from 20 million in April, 15 million in February, and 13 million in December 2008, according to Digital Beat. Of course, the exponential increase is certainly due, in part, to the inclusion of the app to allow tweets to be Facebook status updates.
While most status updates are little more than time-wasters on the bus ride home, several have made national headlines. Let’s look at a couple:
The Trapped Girls – Two adolescent girls were trapped in a drain for hours. Rather than call 911, they updated their Facebook status about the situation. A friend noticed the update, contacted the authorities, and the girls were saved. Oddly, they could have easily called 911…seeing as how they used their smartphone to update their status.
Status: Robbed – According to a report by Belinda Goldsmith, many users post their holiday plans on Facebook, including times that they are not at their residence. Being that it’s incredibly easy for criminals to target people using social media, Goldsmith likes to call it “Internet shopping for burglars”. Might I suggest “iBurgle” for that Web 2.0-y flair?
Diamonds are Temporary – In September 2009, a robber broke into a house, pocketing a couple of diamond rings. Before he left, he checked his Facebook page…and forgot to log out. Police followed the trail of the obsessed social networker all the way to the big house.
Updates from my Vaca! – Criminals should really just not use Facebook. This week, police followed the trail of Maxi Sopo through Cancun after he commited bank fraud. They got a break in the case when they realized that one of his Facebook friends worked for the Justice Department.
The Pursuit of (Virtual) Happiness – Recently, Facebook introduced a Happiness Index. Working with psychologists and users, the social network created a list of happy and sad words. The list of positive words includes “happy,” “yay” and “awesome,” while negative words include “sad,” “doubt” and “tragic.” This really isn’t news, but it’s certainly creepy.
Since Facebook status messages can now save kids, catch criminals, and rate intangible concepts, it’s not long before they get a full-blown book deal.
I’ve talked to several people who ‘de-friend’ or ignore colleagues who updates their status too often. Do most people feel this way, or our those annoyed by it in the minority? I personally subscribe to the “once-a-day but no more than three-times-a-day” school of thought.
