How the Facebook status evolved over two decades, from song lyrics to political statements

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. MySpace, the once-beloved social platform rendered obsolete by Facebook’s arrival, had allowed its users to share “bulletins” with their friends, but these tended to be longer, more rambling posts. From status to statement – that’s the cultural shift David Edmundson-Bird, Manchester Metropolitan University Over time, the little status text box expanded; we were freed from the constraints of the “is” format and could add photos and even video too. “From status to statement – that’s the cultural shift.” Instead of simply telling everyone, say, that you were excited for your holiday or bored at work, we started pontificating about our worldviews. ‘How kind of a company to give us access to this free platform for us to connect with each other.’ But that only lasted maybe five to seven years before people realised, ‘wait a minute, we’re what’s being sold on Facebook to advertisers’.” These days, whenever I open Facebook, it’s a barrage of “suggested posts” from groups I’ve never heard of, interspersed with a few smug updates, ticking off various life milestones: there are women brandishing engagement rings and couples standing by front doors holding keys.