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In Zuckerberg we trust

September 23, 2011
By Maddie Leznoff

Every few months it seems people are up in arms over the aesthetic and structural changes made by Facebook—this week the website evolved once more, confusing users for about five minutes before they updated their statuses in rage about the changes, or threatened to switch to Google Plus.

For those of you familiar with the world of social media, you’ll know what I mean when I say this is undoubtedly a #firstworldproblem. Sure, maybe seeing “top stories” instead of the most recent posts was a shock when first logging on, but we’ll adapt—we always do.

Remember how horrible it was when Facebook changed last December? Neither do I. Our technological savviness, combined with the number of hours spent on Facebook, ensured we adjusted to the changes with comfort and grace.

Sure, it would have been nice if Zuckerberg and team had communicated that these changes were going to occur or had taken public opinion into consideration when implementing them. But angry status updates don’t have much clout, except when it comes to annoying your friends. If you really hate the new design so much, then stop using the site. Have user complaints ever resulted in Facebook returning to its original state?

Facebook isn’t purposely trying to screw us over. They’re attempting to make social communication—or more aptly creeping—even easier. There’s now a live feed so we can track every single thing our friends do in real time, and they’ve tracked our top friends so that they can be organized into concise, accessible lists. Photos are also larger, meaning we can see at first glance who was doing what without even having to click to the album.

Perhaps it’s not just about the inconvenience of having to learn how to re-navigate the page. Maybe we’re just opposed to change in general. When everything else in life is uncertain—your grades, love life, what bar you’re going to on Saturday—Facebook is the one, comforting constant. Its familiar blue and white interface is always there, ready to show you how great other people’s lives are.

Or maybe the complaints are just feeble attempts at having some control over something that holds importance in our lives. We’re at the technological whim of Facebook and its designers. And even though the changes will probably save us time and energy in the long run, people still find it necessary to complain about every layout makeover. It’s biting the hand that feeds us, though—it’s our choice to use the service.

Just accept the fact that Facebook is a technology with a corporation behind it, and to survive in the cutthroat world of social media, it has to evolve. So when changes are made, you have a choice—grumble about it inwardly and continue to use it, or log off. Mark Zuckerberg obviously has big plans for Facebook, and as the saying goes, God giveth and God taketh away.

 

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