THE FACEBOOK PHENOMENON

By OMOSEYE BOLAJI

Right) Mark Zuckerberg

It is a gargantuan phenomenon we can not get away from; inextricably part of the warp and weft of the modern world we live in. Facebook! Everybody is, or wants to be part of this gargantuan social network. “Are you on facebook?” is a standard question one is faced with now on a regular basis. It’s in your face!

Now, let me confess from the outset that I am not registered on facebook. I have nothing against it, but as an “old fogey” I do not feel compelled to join facebook, a fact which so many people want me hanged, drawn and quartered for! Every time I am invited by so many people to join facebook; and though I have not joined for years, I do look at photos etc countless people send to me via facebook.

Countless times in South Africa here, people (especially young ladies) would shake their heads with shock, angst and pity after I have confessed that I am not on facebook. “You don’t know what you are missing!” they would declaim. That’s modern technology for you.

On my own part, I do not believe I am missing anything, as I find the general internet (e.g Google, Wikipedia, specialised websites) more fruitful than social networking. I’d rather text (SMS,) phone, or email friends and acquaintances if needs be! I’m not interested in trivialities and banalities which so many facebook followers wallow in.

Don’t get me wrong – I realise facebook is a marvellous creation in its own way. Take a few statistics for example – More than half a BILLION people visit facebook every month; the company itself is worth well over 21 BILLION POUNDS! The founder, young Mark Zuckerberg (26) is personally worth over FOUR BILLION POUNDS.

And that is where my interest really lies – I mean the founder, not what he’s worth. I have always been fascinated with great inventors from the beginning of time. Tragically, many young people nowadays thoughtlessly just wallow in materialism, bask in the perks of the modern world; without even making an attempt to learn about the brilliant, selfless geniuses who, little by little over the last two centuries or so, discovered or founded the modern marvels of the technological era we now enjoy.

The most important invention in the modern era was of course electricity – the foundation of all technology now. Fantastic men like Michael Faraday experimented, discovered, worked on electricity. We take all these things for granted now. Telephone. Morse Code. Television. Radio. Aeroplanes. Computers...how did they start? In my book, Tebogo and the pantophagist (2010) I dwelled on this and more; in my own small way paying tribute to these great, great inventors.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of facebook, has already gone down in history as one of the all time great inventors. And he is still only 26! Like the founders of Google (Larry Page and Sergey Brin), Mark Zuckerberg loves a simple, quiet life – the type of lifestyle that would make many black African communities (with their mindless worship of materialism) to regard this great inventor as “crazy”

Despite his billions, Mark lives in a small rented – yes, RENTED house. He is almost always in cheap clothes, especially jeans. He goes out himself to buy food; he often walks to his office. Oh and by the way he drives a humble Acura car – with many of his employees driving better cars than him! In other words, Mark Zuckerberg is staying true to what made him world famous – solitude, selflessness, experimentation, lack of ostentation. Although he is the youngest BILLIONAIRE in the world, he has hardly changed.

For the records, Mark launched Facebook in 2004 in his Harvard University dormitory room, initially as a way for students at different universities to communicate. Soon Microsoft was buying less than two percent in his company for 150 MILLION POUNDS. Facebook continued to grow from strength to strength, later taking even Africa by storm. Facebook now employs almost 2000 people.

Let’s raise a glass to truly great men like Mark Zuckerberg; and to facebook!