Everyone has heard of Facebook. Millions of people across the world use it each day. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has been considering charging Facebook users for monthly access. It is highly possible that Facebook users will be charged in the near future. There are many people who said they would pay a small fee for Facebook because they are so addicted. Since people are saying they would pay, this enables Facebook to charge without losing too many members.
A poll was conducted in a New York high school to see how much money 39 students would pay for Facebook or if they would not pay at all. 25 students would not pay for Facebook. There were comments such as “I would go back to Myspace!” and “No way!” Five students said they would pay no more than fifty cents per month for Facebook access. Four students said they would pay no more than one dollar a month for a Facebook account. Five students said they would pay five dollars at most per month to be a Facebook member. Zero students said that they would pay over five dollars. Although the poll only asked to choose which amount they would pay for Facebook access there were several outraged comments. If students had to pay an initial amount per month plus an amount for each Facebook function, such as uploading photos or writing on a friend’s wall, most students say that they would not pay at all because that would be very complicated.
There is a varied opinion over whether Facebook charges will cause Twitter, Myspace, and other social networks to start charging as well. There is speculation over whether or not Facebook charges would cause other social networks to start charging. Social Machinery Online says that it is possible that all social networks will eventually charge for access, in a 2009 report. This means people may start to pay only for the website with the lowest price.
Target has started stocking their shelves with Facebook gift cards, leading many to believe that they will be charged for Facebook use. However, this is false. These Facebook gift cards are used for virtual games. Facebook makes money through advertising as well. Mark Zuckerberg has said in the past that he did not want to charge on Facebook because he is already very wealthy. It is possible that others will pressure Zuckerberg into charging for monthly Facebook access. If people are charged, it is unclear how much the monthly fee will be. If charges do occur they may either be very successful or very unsuccessful.