Facebook is everywhere I turn lately. I continue to encounter:
news, news and more news about and leading up to the IPO;- blogs and news stories on how the Instagram acquisition will not happen soon as was originally indicated;
- information that all is not well with online ad revenues, especially compared to Google; and
- people who are passionate about the future of Facebook, especially from those favoring both extremes.
With this in mind I was intrigued to learn the results of the recent (conducted May 3-7, 2012) AP-CNBC poll. Question 10: “Do you think Facebook is likely to continue to be a successful company over the long term, or do you think it’s likely to face away as new things come along?” received the following responses:
- Successful over the long term – 43%;
- Fade away as new things come along – 46%;
- Don’t know – 10%; and
- Refused / didn’t answer question – 1%.
So What?
Perhaps the future of Facebook is not as bright as the ever growing user base suggests. Roughly half of the people surveyed (46%) believe that Facebook will fade away as new things come along. While we can all remember life before Facebook, I wonder how many people dream of a future without it.
- What do you think will happen to Facebook over the long term? Why?
- How has your congregation’s ministry utilized Facebook to date?
- Beyond your local congregation, what other religious entities, groups, or people do you interact with on Facebook?