This is a Guest Post written by Katie Komnenich, our Intern. You’ll be reading more from Katie and about Katie as the school year ends and she gets revved up.
Since Facebook’s inception, users have been beyond infatuated with it. It’s a logo and a brand that has been engraved and positioned in the minds of Internet users worldwide. With new innovations coming out nearly everyday, Facebook is faced with a struggle to generate revenue and keep up and stay on top. Companies competing for market share such as Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter are giving Facebook a run for their money.
Facebook Home - The Product
Facebook Home, the new user interface for HTC Android Phones, was launched on April 16th, 2013. Naturally, Facebook, a company under the microscope received a great deal of criticism for their new idea. Facebook describes their new product like this: “Facebook Home is software for your phone designed to put your friends above everything else.” The features include a Cover Feed (where you can see photos and posts from Facebook), Chat Heads (all your Facebook messages in one place), Notifications, and an App Launcher (allows you to access apps and post to Facebook from the same place).
So the questions are: Is this new software innovative or excessive? Do we really need our Facebook friends above everything else?
The “All Consuming” Issue
There is no denying over a billion people know and love Facebook. High schoolers, College Students and Business Professionals have integrated Facebook into their everyday lives as a means of communicating with the world around them. But is Facebook Home taking it one step too far?
The new interface has Facebook as the central point of your phone. So instead of returning to a home screen full of apps, users return to Facebook when they click the home button. One of the commercials currently running for Facebook Home includes a scene with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg reviewing the features of his new product. During the meeting depicted in the ad, one of his employees is distracted using Facebook Home. This is your classic image of someone “plugged in” on their phone in public. Other commercials include a woman sitting at the dinner table and another in an art museum- both are distracted by the images and messages on their phones.
What kind of message is Facebook sending? Do they think we should be using Facebook more than we already are? Is that even possible?
Do we really need this distraction? Facebook already takes over much of the social media world and our everyday lives- and now it’s attempting to take over our phones as well. In the past few years, Facebook has become a beneficial tool for networking, customer service, marketers and businesses promoting their products and services.
I for one think Facebook Home may be just a bit too overwhelming even for its most ardent supporters.
Let us know what you think.
