Catch Us If You Can

Like any other college student in these United States, the first thing I want to talk about is Facebook, that lovable little time-sucker we all so adore. It's no secret that what everyone is hoping for when they obsessively check their e-mail is a little message telling them that so-and-so has left them a post, or sent them a message, or an ex-significant other from middle school has added them. To put it plainly, Facebook has revolutionized the way we network with others.

Because of its many users, advertisers see Facebook as a potential goldmine. Any iPod wearing, cell phone wielding, Target shopping college student who's anybody has a Facebook page and we're not shy about jumping on the bandwagon for the latest products. It seems like the perfect set-up, but it seems that these advertisers have become more leery due to a recent revolution in the Facebook realm: adults!!

While the social networking site began in order to help connect college students, soon everyone wanted in on the fun. High schools were added next, and most recently a growing number of middle-aged working adults began using the site to conduct business with one another. This seems to be posing a problem to advertisers who are looking at a rapidly broadening market. While it's true that Facebook does have some advertising, it has not gone so far as to almost dominate the attention of the user. Also, the advertisements are noticeably tame compared to what you would expect on a youth-dominated site. No scantily-clad models for Victoria's Secret, no sexed-up teenagers hawking Abercrombie, in fact, the ads mostly run along the neutral fare of movie ads. In a site now purportedly worth $5 billion, this is a surprising development, but ultimately makes ones think about what advertiser's are left to do when they are unsure of their market.

Facebook is still very young and who knows where it will go in the coming years. With debates raging on about whether the site should be opened up to search engines and new users of all ages signing on, the future is unclear and this will most likely continue to baffle advertisers for some time to come. Until then, I invite everyone to revel in the guilty pleasure of Facebook stalking and enjoy the time we have before the advertisements become so plentiful that we won't be able to tell who left us a drunk post at 2 a.m.