Facebook: Database to Narrative

            Every single time Facebook makes a major change to its interface, the statuses containing rants and complaints come in droves. People don’t like change, generally, so they find it annoying when Facebook alters the design of the website once they’ve finally gotten used to it. It was only natural, then, that Facebook went into an uproar when they converted their design to the “Timeline” format a few years ago.

            I remember that when it was first introduced, Facebook gave you the option of changing to Timeline before it became the standard. There was soon a rift between Timeline people and non-Timeline people. I was not one of the first people to convert, but I did change to Timeline before the masses were forced to change.

            The Timeline format really appealed to me. It wasn’t just the new aspects of the design like the cover photo (which has now been adopted to other social media platforms like Twitter). I, like many of my fellow human beings, love stories. Movies, novels, and even stories that my friends tell me are what keep me sane in the world of monotony. Stories entertain and teach me, and I know that pretty much everyone else feels the same way too.

            That is why it did not take too long for people to adjust to Timeline. Our culture thrives on storytelling, and Facebook simply allowed its users to tell their own story for everyone to see. It’s a pretty romanticized idea of Facebook, but it’s true. Facebook is a place for you to tell your friends and family who you are.

And the funny thing is, most people probably don’t even remember what the old Facebook even looks like, so all that complaining was for nothing.