This post was written by Nicholas A. Lynchard, Ph.D., Professor of Cognitive Psychology at SUNY Ulster.
When originally pressed with the question, “Why is Facebook free?” for the Generation SUNY Blog’s Ask An Expert series, I thought the answer from a financial standpoint was easy enough – put simply, the mass public subscription to Facebook allows it to be profitable as a social data analysis goldmine. More importantly Facebook, I’m certain, thrives upon the profit from companies using the service to market products with sidebar advertisements. The answer seems intuitive enough – to the public, Facebook is (and may remain forever) a financially free service, but to me the question demands further inquiry: “What are the hidden costs of mass public subscription to text-based communication services like Facebook?” I’d like to explore the relative freedom of Facebook and other text-based communication services with this question in mind.
Since this is the first stab I’ll take at intellectualizing the potential, societal ramifications of text-based communication services, I’ll start with a bit of personal history, a disclaimer and some ground rules.
A (Not So) Free Facebook
History: I’m Nick. I’m a 31-year-old Assistant Professor of Cognitive Psychology at SUNY Ulster. I’ve been on Facebook since April 21st, 2005 and frankly, I like it; though I don’t like everything about it.
Disclaimer: There are plenty of good things about the mass availability of text-based communication services – we now have an opportunity to be connected to many people; we have the ability to live in, in some ways, a safer world because of constant connectivity; we can meet, network, and connect with people in ways previously unavailable. Also if used as a supplement to/starting place for face-to-face interactions, text-based means of communication have the capacity to provide varied and enhanced interactions among its users. There. I said it.
Ground Rules:
- I do not intend to cite a great deal of research here, but instead use this opportunity as a meta-analytical, if anecdotal, means of exploring the limited-emotional-connection costs and benefits of services like Facebook upon a society.
- When you read “text-based communication services,” know I’m talking about texting, email, blogging… for the purposes of this essay, I’ll refer to the whole gamut as “texting.”
- It’s of some use to draw a distinction between the current text-based communication services and those of days gone by – like writing someone a letter. I won’t be discussing letter-writing here; because of the limited frequency of letters, personal-touch qualities and inherent time investment required, letter-writing doesn’t limit emotional connection altogether.
These days instead of text-based communication services acting as a supplement to social relationships, they are often, instead, primary modes of communication. In my opinion reliance upon these services as foundations for communication may have at least two important side effects. First, these services generally speed up communication and this, in turn, both increases expectations for the frequency of communication while decreasing the demand for any depth or breadth in the exchange. Second, it indirectly abates emotion by removing most of the direct human factors (e.g., the sound of a person’s voice, body language, etc.) experienced in less high-speed means of communication (e.g., face-to-face chat, phone conversations, etc.). Taken together, it seems, the speed and lack of human factors inherent in text-based communication fail to make services like Facebook completely free. Instead, these factors have cost subscribers patience and emotional vulnerability, and this is having long-term ramifications. I’ll explore each of these factors below.
Speed
The troubling thing here is that these factors have been either overcome or embraced so completely that texting is now integral to the social world. According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, by May 2013, more than 90% of Americans owned cell phones and 80% of those owners were engaged in texting (Raine, 2013). What’s most startling, though, is since 2011, more than 31% of cell phone owners PREFER texting as their primary means of communication – remember, that statistic isn’t exclusive to the 18-25 year old demographic (where estimates are considerably higher) and doesn’t even consider what goes on with texting and the computer (Smith, 2011). And now with more advanced, user-friendly, text-based communication services like Facebook, even more people text. As a point of reference, Facebook now reports 1.11 billion people using the site each month, which has surely flourished in part to Facebook apps which integrate the service with a person’s cell phone.
Indeed we have overcome the cumbersome fingering of the first generation texting services by introducing larger cell phones (remember when cells kept getting smaller and smaller?), re-imagining the flip phone and, most notably, teaching ourselves how to type with our thumbs and index fingers. Couple learning to type this way with the fluid advancement of quick-text language (e.g., IM txting 4 u), and you’ve got yourself a world full of people who, of their own collective volition, decided to invent and learn a foreign language completely outside of the classroom, and that’s no easy task. Learning to text fluently, like learning a new language, requires many memory modalities similar (but perhaps not as arduous to engage) to that a non-native would use to learn English as a second language – something consistently reported to be difficult. So, clearly, people wanted this thing to happen and, I’d imagine, all under the guise of staying more connected.
So sure, now communication is faster because we know how to text, and we’re teaching younger generations the how-to’s earlier and earlier. It’s even faster now because our texting language is short-hand. But with all the efforts we’ve made to increase the frequency of communication we’ve also, as a necessary byproduct, increased our expectations for it, too. For communication to be this rapid, something had to give; and, with the way texting was introduced the give was, quite naturally: emotionality – this abatement was inherent in the original intentions for texting that is, business exchanges when other means were unavailable.
Human Factors
Relative to matters-of-fact, emotion can be slow. So naturally it seems perfectly feasible to remove emotion from the equation in the world of quick communication, right? And like it or not, texting often does this bi-directionally (i.e., for both the sender and receiver), rather seamlessly. Not only does it remove many of the human factors from communication (i.e., voice, eye-contact, body language, pheromones, etc.) it requires each person in the exchange to indirectly interpret or ignore the emotional content necessarily inherent in nearly every other social exchange. This cognitive load puts capacity demands on the reader such that, if time is limited, emotionality is typically foregone simply to gather the facts.
To be clear, Lewandowski and Harrington (2006) asked 18-25 year old participants to provide commentary concerning how they felt about authors of letters/emails/other text-based forms of communication which contained either texting language (e.g., IM Gr8, How R U?) or standard English (I am great, How are you?). Overwhelmingly so, authors who used texting language in their writing were thought to be putting forth less effort in communication and, more importantly, having a less favorable personality. Specifically the texting language-using authors were perceived to be less intelligent, less responsible, less motivated, less dependable and less emotionally available. Not only do these findings suggest that the use of texting language typically removes emotionality from communication, it also implies when the emotional content is inferred indirectly by the reader, it is typically negative. Given that Facebook also uses pictures and other media, these effects may be lessened, but are surely present as it is still up to the viewer to interpret all the text-based, static information on a screen. Is this a cost? Sure it is.
Consider the potential for a negative, emotional evaluation in light of the frequency expectation (brought on by speed) highlighted earlier. Are text-based communication services a fertile breeding ground for a high frequency of largely emotionally void or emotionally negative exchanges? Is there an impact upon our face-to-face relationships? Hmm . . .
Just think, the moment two people decide to begin a relationship through Facebook, they are rather instantly and completely connected. Wasn’t the trust attached to this sort of “connected” meant to take time? If it no longer takes time, shouldn’t we be wondering why? What’s now missing?
Because text-based communication is largely emotionless, rather effortless and constantly at everyone’s disposal, it is implicitly understood – whenever you’re not communicating with someone, it is nearly always because one or both of you do not want to engage the other. Now expand this notion to include the consideration of the speed texting allows/mandates and, more importantly, view these ideas through the lens of realizing the number of people a given person is connected to in this capacity (i.e., Go take a quick look at your Facebook friends list, your cell phone address book, and your email contact log).
This is a cold reality not previously available to the twisted phone cord generations of the past. In the past people were free to wonder and obsess about such romantic things like, “I wonder if he/she is thinking of me right now?” and “I can’t wait until we can talk again!” In short, imagine the cost . . . if no one’s communicating with you in one way or another at this very moment, it’s because right now (and for whatever length of time, thereafter), no one wants to. No one wants to take the few seconds required to engage you with a device that is almost always as close as a jacket pocket.
But we don’t like to think of this side of text-based services like Facebook… so we don’t.
I think, in part, avoiding this realization leads to a self-directed sense of worth. That is to say, it is now more effortlessly up to the individual to determine how present he/she is in everyone’s lives. And ironically, instead of that presence being reinforced with emotionally-binding activities like sympathy or empathy, it is burgeoned through self-righteous marketing – the tendency for people to talk at each other – thereby further removing emotion brought on by face-to-face human communication and replacing it with a less affecting, less emotionally-invested (but nearly always self-aggrandizing) exchange that was once reserved for the world of showmanship. What I mean is, instead of communicating with each other, we now seem more invested in putting on a show for each other where the lifeblood is praise and the stakes can be self-worth. It is in this way that there is no direct connection; it’s all on screen and, just like Hollywood, for your entertainment only.
To me these conclusions make sense as blogging, tweeting, and status updates (none of which typically necessitate a back-and-forth) are all quite popular.
Just think, in 2010 according to Facebook Analytics, the least occurring sentence-ending punctuation mark in a status update was the question mark. For personal relevance click down the list of your posts, and look at the ratio between your posts which beg a response and those which do not.
With all this “free” text-based communication offered by Facebook, we’ve redefined the social world into a plethora of people interacting in the emotionally and physically solitary confinement of their desk chairs. That is to say, we may now be verging on becoming a world connected by ideas we are bound to spread largely in the form of acting as our own marketing companies with our own sidebar advertisements – which, incidentally, are the sorts of things for which Facebook already charges a fee.
On second thought, maybe Facebook won’t be financially free forever.
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening.
Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional, it is frightening.
I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening.
There are certainly a lot of details like that to take into consideration. That is a great point to bring up. I offer the thoughts above as general inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you bring up where the most important thing will be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged around things like that, but I am sure that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Both boys and girls feel the impact of just a moment?s pleasure, for the rest of their lives.
Data Mining is a real thing. And as per my observation, I think Facebook will never monetize it. Else if it does then it is not social at all.
Good article on reminding us that we are lacking social touch. We should try and socialize more.
I very much agree with all of the above commenters. Facebook is not only a vast and best social media platform to connect with everybody infact it plays a great role in impacting our society. I think facebook will keep doing thing free of cost.
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening.
Hope it always stay free best social network – old school.
I have heard that facebook is coming with its new crypto currency. So Zuckerberg is also trying to do some different aspect than facebook. But are they going to integrate it with facebook? Who knows what they have in mind.
If they come up with a new crypt currency it will exceed bitcoin rush, they have the community to support it.
t’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening…
Good article on reminding us that we are lacking social touch. We should try and socialize more.
Slowly they will monetize everything. For the business owners, there is a very less chance to get popularity through fb without spending a single penny.
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining.
I think facbook will not stand forever.
The new generation will offer the most useful and updated services.
people will gradually move to the new one. That is why facebook should keep updating and improving continuously.
I actually think otherwise, Facebook will last a long time because until now no one has been able to compete with them, and Facebook is always updating. Thank you bro
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening.
facebook is a good source of connecting people and sharing their thoughts. facebook has no replacement.
I think facebook will remain free forever, unless it can go further. Selling data is the key.
How can you say Facebook is free. Are you providing free internet services worldwide to access facebook? Facebook is targeted audience userbase social platform, They are collecting Targeted Audience free of cost. nothing free in this world.
Facebook let’s you put up everything right out there, mediums like Whatsapp or telegram are more personal. All your chats are private unless on a group and there’s no fear of accidentally posting something which can go ‘public’ if you forget to tweak security settings.
So i think we shouldn’t use Facebook more
i think all comment here is right because facebook wanna collect their data users because data is more important than oil now….
I am of the same opinion with you
It looks like Facebook is free but its not, it use us as a product and show advertisment as per our intrest.
At the cost of privacy buddy.
i agree with you Sawan…..
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening…
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system.
Thats true Facebook is connecting family and friends now days. But we should also concern about data theft being done at Facebook and also is being used to manipulate individuals.
I think facebook will be free forever.
There are other social media ready
But what about data protection and privacy
Today, social media evidence is legally relevant in a variety of cases.
Really like the technology aspect.. oh and sorry for the late comments! Good article sir
Thanks for Sharing an excellent article on communication analysis. Facebook Social media is taking part in the important role in. Facebook has been doing this for years and Emotions are invariably mattered for each relationship. i feel Facebook can stay free forever unless it will go additional. Great post.
I think facebook will remain free forever
Facebook has been doing this for years and now they can profit from it. Great post!
I don’t think facebook will charge, it will remain free forever.
facebook will remain free forever because had it been applied the charges it would have done in the beginning.
Just a few musings, I don’t think the quote above is a thought avoided, rather just not taken personally. Humans will always establish social norms and etiquette in the interest of privacy for any new means of communication
As an IT consultant i agree with Kw.
Thanks Mate,, nicely written
Thanks for Sharing a great article on communication analysis. Facebook Social media is playing the vital role in. Facebook has been doing this for years and Emotions are always mattered for every relationship. I think Facebook will remain free forever unless it can go further. Great post.
I saw this blog on some time back and I must admit that am really impressed.
This is very informative. Thanks for the very good work done
Just a few musings, I don’t think the quote above is a thought avoided, rather just not taken personally. Humans will always establish social norms and etiquette in the interest of privacy for any new means of communication. Besides, with all the options now, everyone has their own preference for means of communication. Example: My dad gets so frustrated with texting
Great tips, Pat! Thanks for this.
Human Factors ?!?!?
🙂 😀
I like the valuable information you supply in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and test once more here frequently. I am slightly sure I will be informed many new stuff proper here! Best of luck for the next!
Just a few musings, I don’t think the quote above is a thought avoided, rather just not taken personally. Humans will always establish social norms and etiquette in the interest of privacy for any new means of communication
Emotions are always important in all relationships. Thank you for sharing a great article about analyzing communication.
This is a great article, that I really enjoyed reading. I agree with what you say about the standard show of appreciation, but as you say, many of us are taught to just be polite. I particularly like how you’ve given us ideas and suggestions on how we can try and stand out amongst all the Twitter noise. I will definitely be putting some of these suggestions into practice, and will share with you how I get on. Much appreciated (and trying really hard not to say TY!).
Just a few musings, I don’t think the quote above is a thought avoided, rather just not taken personally. Humans will always establish social norms and etiquette in the interest of privacy for any new means of communication. Besides, with all the options now, everyone has their own preference for means of communication. Example: My dad gets so frustrated with texting
Haha. You are right. Sometimes Texting is really irritating. I often ignore texting my Dad.
With the introduction of various social media channels, communication has become easy and very user friendly.
Pretty! This has been an extremely wonderful article. Thank you for providing this information.
Hmm i see
I don’t think the quote above is a thought avoided, rather just not taken personally. Humans will always establish social norms and etiquette in the interest of privacy for any new means of communication. Besides, with all the options now, everyone has their own preference for means of communication. Example: My dad gets so frustrated with texting, just because he’s not very good at it – but any text to him will often go unanswered just because the cost of time for learning curve, difficulty, and the possibility of being misinterpreted outweighs the benefit most times. And Facebook is a joke to him! I suppose that also, people are able to fit so many things into their lives these days (thanks, ever-growing convenience) that leisure communication often is of lesser priority… especially BECAUSE the ability is at our fingertips. But everyone seems to be on the same page, at least it appears that way to me.
Oh, and ppl who type lk this annoy the bejesus out of me, and I 2 would question ur maturity and professionalism if u typed at me lk this… Sry, can’t help it.
Ick! I admit that I’ve done it. But I loath myself afterward.
Nice article bro, i already bookmark this site. Keep up the good work
Well, technically it’s not free. We’re not paying to use it directly, but like TV we are paying for views.
Facebook is free & always will be.
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality
I think its free and always will be..
Facebook is free and always will be guys.
Great post,thanks a lot Suny
Cheers
good article bro i love it
It was a nice post.
Very helpfull…Thanks All
Yes, i read it all. social media is also good for getting a more traffic but article approval is doubtful. how can i get more traffic for our website ?
This was a extremely good post for others
Not Facebook even google+ and twiter make an importaant role
Emotions are always important in all relationships. Thank you for sharing a great article about analyzing communication.
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author. I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back later on. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great job, have a nice day!
Now a days socila media is right place to drive a targeted traffic to any niche site
i’m agree with you..
yess . . . . “Why is Facebook free?”
I think facebook will remain free forever, unless it can go further. Selling data is the key.
very good post
Apart from facebook, no one has really shown something exiciting. I Really like facebook.
Social media has changed our lives in both positive and negative ways.
Facebook is good social webisite. Facebook is an awesome path for collect a hug treffic. A special thanks to share with us.
It is a nice post from your side.
Very nice article I found it very interesting thanks so much
Very Good !
nice concept, thanks for your share…
Really great analysis,
Social media has the main juice for niche sites.
thankyou for sharing
Okay and Thanks. I’ve managed to eliminate Powered by Blogger in my blog. Thanks again ?
Now a days socila media is right place to drive a targeted traffic to any niche site
I agree with KW 🙂 Modernizing
Really like the technology aspect.. oh and sorry for the late comments!
Even Social media is playing vital role in politics marketing!!
Now a days socila media is right place to drive a targeted traffic to any niche site
I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening.
Digital data is now the money
Facebook has been doing this for years and now they can profit from it. Great post!
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me
Emotions are always matter for every relationship. Thanks for Sharing Great.
actually i think the facebook isn’t free. their business strategy is gather mass first, then after it developed, they can sell advertisment on their page. see that in this 2015 facebook revenue about $ xxxxxx billion (sorry i forgot the number) but it’s so huge.
digital world will still be developed much more in the future.
sorry about my suck english, but i hope you got what i mean haha.
First of all nice article
“If no one’s communicating with you…. Nobody needs to.” Haha, I guess a few of the same principles were explored when calling was the hot new home communication device ?
A few musings just, I don’t believe the price above is a thought prevented, somewhat not considered privately. Humans will usually build cultural etiquette and norms in the interest of level of privacy for just about any new method of communication. Besides, with all the current options now, everyone has their own preference for method of communication. Example: My father gets so frustrated with texting, because he’s of low quality at it – but any text message to him will most likely go unanswered because the expense of time for learning curve, difficulty, and the likelihood to be misinterpreted outweighs the power usually. And Facebook is a tale to him! I also suppose that, people have the ability to fit so a lot of things to their lives nowadays (thanks a lot, ever-growing convenience) that leisure communication often is of smaller priority… as the capability reaches our fingertips especially. But everyone appears to be on a single page, at least it would appear that real way if you ask me.
Oh, and ppl who type lk this annoy the bejesus out of me, and I 2 would question ur maturity and professionalism and reliability if u typed at me lk this… Sry, can’t make it.
Ick! I confess that I’ve done it. But I afterward loath myself.
I think facebook will remain free forever, unless it can go further. Selling data is the key.
Reply
Emotions are always matter for every relationship. Thanks for Sharing a great article on communication analysis.
Emotions are always matter for every relationship. Thanks for Sharing a great article on communication analysis.
Okay and Thanks. I’ve managed to eliminate Powered by Blogger in my blog. Thanks again 🙂
Facebook is an awesome path for collect a hug treffic
If you are use facebook ads to increase your likes or follower then and then only you need to pay for facebook
I think facebook will remain free forever, unless it can go further. Selling data is the key.
Really like the technology aspect.. oh and sorry for the late comments!
Emotions are always matter for every relationship. Thanks for Sharing a great article on communication analysis.
actually i think the facebook isn’t free. their business strategy is gather mass first, then after it developed, they can sell advertisment on their page. see that in this 2015 facebook revenue about $ xxxxxx billion (sorry i forgot the number) but it’s so huge.
digital world will still be developed much more in the future.
sorry about my suck english, but i hope you got what i mean haha.
-enagic-
I think facebook will remain free forever, unless it can go further. Selling data is the key.
As an IT consultant i agree with Kw.
“If no one’s communicating with you…. No one wants to.” Haha, I bet some of the same concepts were explored when the telephone was the hot new household communication device 🙂
Just a few musings, I don’t think the quote above is a thought avoided, rather just not taken personally. Humans will always establish social norms and etiquette in the interest of privacy for any new means of communication. Besides, with all the options now, everyone has their own preference for means of communication. Example: My dad gets so frustrated with texting, just because he’s not very good at it – but any text to him will often go unanswered just because the cost of time for learning curve, difficulty, and the possibility of being misinterpreted outweighs the benefit most times. And Facebook is a joke to him! I suppose that also, people are able to fit so many things into their lives these days (thanks, ever-growing convenience) that leisure communication often is of lesser priority… especially BECAUSE the ability is at our fingertips. But everyone seems to be on the same page, at least it appears that way to me.
Oh, and ppl who type lk this annoy the bejesus out of me, and I 2 would question ur maturity and professionalism if u typed at me lk this… Sry, can’t help it.
Ick! I admit that I’ve done it. But I loath myself afterward.
It’s already not free Nick, nor was it ever. Data mining is a very real and very lucrative thing. Facebook is all about data mining. I am amazed a the quantity and quality of information that some individuals willingly provide to the system. To me as an IT professional it is frightening.
Really like the technology aspect.. oh and sorry for the late comments!