Facebook 101

what is facebook?

Facebook is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos & videos, send messages & keep in touch with friends, family & colleagues. It's very user-friendly & currently 56% of U.S. online users ages 65 & up use Facebook. 

Every Facebook member creates a profile & has what's called their "WALL", which is essentially their virtual bulletin board. Facebook also provides a customizable set of privacy controls so users can protect their information from getting to 3rd-party individuals. Your Facebook WALL can be as private or public as you want it to be.

Here are a few features that make Facebook so popular:

  • Facebook allows you to maintain a friends list and choose privacy settings to tailor who can see content on your profile.

  • Facebook allows you to post photos and maintain photo albums that can be shared with your friends.

  • Facebook supports interactive online chat & the ability to comment on your friend's profile pages to keep in touch, share information or just to say "hi."

  • Facebook has a marketplace that allows members to post, read & respond to classified ads of all kinds. You can sell anything on facebook!

  • Facebook allows members who have common interests to find each other & interact in "groups".

  • Facebook allows members to publicize an event, invite guests & track who plans to attend.

  • Facebook allows members to see which of their "friends" are online at the same time that they are & it allows you to chat with them 'live'.

If you want to get with the program, the best place to start is with Facebook. Once you conquer Facebook, try Instagram. The younger generation is more into TwitterSnapchat & LinkedIn, but for the purposes of learning the basics so you can keep up with your friends & family, stick with Facebook & Instagram for now.