With such a technologically advanced society, it is hard to imagine life without the many smartphone and social media benefits that we are given today. Yet, for the few who are actually frightened by society’s fascination with breaking down the walls of privacy, Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook Home will fuel the fire of these fears.
Facebook Home is a concept that was recently introduced on April 12 for Android phones. Facebook Home is designed so that Android users can pick up their phone and be automatically greeted by a unique user interface that replaces default home screens and certain features. The new home screen is an eerie experience with its constant updates and uncomfortably easy access to friends’ pictures and statuses. An overwhelming amount of personal information is available at one’s fingertips without ever even opening the Facebook application. Notifications are placed in the center of the home screen and can be ignored by users should they choose to swipe them away. Tapping the statuses reveals options such as liking and commenting, and double tapping the notifications pulls up the Facebook application.
The truth is, all of these Facebook options so readily available on a phone’s home screen encourage the users to be entrapped in the world of Facebook to such an extent that they will not be able to revert back to a normal phone. This fascination with the lives of others will become the norm and impulsively checking Facebook by simply taking out a phone will become a regretful habit.
Facebook Home’s application launcher is similar to any smartphone’s application launcher, with the addition of three new buttons near the top of the screen: post a status update, upload a photo, or check into a location. Essentially, Facebook Home sneaks in every option available on Facebook into a small, compact bar and cleverly integrates Facebook into daily activities that include making phone calls or checking e-mails. Users cannot help being distracted by the sleek and convenient interface and are inclined to constantly check for updates. Accompanying the entire Facebook “take-over” experience are the small circles with friends’ profile pictures that pop up on the screen, alerting users of their Facebook messages. Users may then drag the circle elsewhere or tap them to view the conversation.
As Facebook users, we are engrossed with the lives of others. As smartphone users, we are captivated by the convenience. Facebook Home has taken these two 21st century obsessions to another level – almost to the point of creepiness, even. The walls of privacy were torn down with the introduction of Facebook, and now, Facebook Home has further expedited this process of gathering personal information of friends with a mere swipe of a circle. It’s not unlikely that fellow competitors will follow suit, and our generation would do well to remember: beware the cost of information and convenience that comes at the magnitude of Facebook Home.