Facebook Hits One Billion Active Monthly Users


Right now, one in seven people in the world are on Facebook. That’s according to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who announced on Thursday that the site has one billion active users each month. In a rather humble statement, he says:

If you’re reading this: thank you for giving me and my little team the honor of serving you.

And then he released a video, comparing Facebook to … chairs. And doorbells. And airplanes. And bridges. And dance floors. And basketball. And great nations. Because that stuff all helps to connect people. Which I guess makes sense.

Wait, no. It doesn’t really make sense at all. Yes, Facebook connects people and has done a remarkable job of it, but let’s not kid ourselves: It’s still a thing that a privileged few of us get to use. A thing that six out of every seven people on the planet are not a part of. And that’s because of the seven billion on the planet, only two-and-a-quarter-billion people are even connected to the internet. And those people without internet also may not have doorbells, or access to airplanes, or dance floors, and many may not live in great nations. And yet I bet they still know how to connect with other people.

So while the video gets a bit existential and reminds how big the universe is, let’s not forget there’s still a lot of people on the planet being left out. No matter how grandiose Facebook likes to think of itself, in the end, it’s also the place where your Aunt posts another round of Farmville requests.