Facebook details top status trends of 2009
Following hot on the heels of Twitter releasing details of its top trending topics for 2009 comes Facebook detailing its top status trends for the last 12 months. And one thing is clear – Facebook is a different animal from Twitter.
All sorts of Web companies compile these kinds of lists towards the end of the year. And Facebook is no exception. However, rather than search data, Facebook has analyzed the status updates people have made over the last year.
1. Facebook Applications
These include the hugely popular Farmville and all the games and quizzes you probably regularly encounter on Facebook whether you want to or not.
2. FML
Which for those not down with the kids stands for ‘F**k My Life’. This is something that wouldn’t ever appear in a similar list from Google or the like, but it shows up on Facebook a lot thanks to people hating their lot in life and feeling the need to inform everyone of this.
3. Swine Flu
Swine Flu has been absolutely everywhere this year, including in searches and on social networks. Most occurrences on Facebook were probably people joking that they had swine flu because of one (sometimes not even associated) symptom.
4. Celebrity Deaths
Timely in the week that Brittany Murphy died. Michael Jackson and Patrick Swayze were probably the biggest celebrity deaths of the year, and a great many R.I.P. messages swept Facebook and the like.
5. Family
A total non-surprise, with people taking the opportunity to mention members of their family on the social network.
6. Movies
The most talked about films of 2009 included New Moon, Transformers, Star Trek, The Hangover, Paranormal Activity, and Harry Potter. The latest film in The Twilight Saga was the biggest hit of them all on Facebook.
7. Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers winning the Super Bowl and the New York Yankees winning the World Series ensured a multitude of Facebook status updates discussing sports and sports results.
8. Health Care
This is a topic that wouldn’t have go a look in a year or two ago. But thanks to Obama’s health care plan, and the total split over whether it’s the right way to go or not, it makes the list for 2009.
9. FB
FB for Facebook may seem a little self-aggrandizing but it wasn’t always positive talk about the company that resulted in this placing on the list. Both the changes to the ToS and the new privacy controls caused much debate in 2009.
10. Twitter
Is it a coincidence that Facebook itself just beat Twitter? Interestingly, Facebook notes that mentions of Twitter reached a peak in April before dropping off over the last few months.
Related Posts:
December 22nd, 2009
RE #4: Whereas more traditional means of getting public statements from friends and family of the deceased would have travelled through a conduit of publicists, lawyers and agents, the commentary tweeted directly by Kutcher and others appeared to be heart-felt and genuine. In my humble opinion, I find that “from the horse’s mouth” commentary to be a refreshing addition to the news cycle, especially in reports of loss and tragedy. http://popculture2point0.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/in-the-wake-of-brittney-murphy%E2%80%99s-death-twitter-provides-platform-for-newsworthy-public-statements/