﻿On one day in August, one in seven people on Earth, 1 billion people, used Facebook, according to founder Mark Zuckerberg. In a decade, the social network has transformed people’s relationships, privacy, their businesses, news media, helped topple regimes and even changed the meanings of everyday words. 
“A more open and connected world is a better world. 
It brings stronger relationships with those you love, a stronger economy with more opportunities and a stronger society that reflects all of our values,” wrote Zuckerberg in the post announcing the numbers. These are just some of the ways his company changed everything – for better or worse. 
1 Facebook has changed the definition of “friend”
“To friend” is now a verb. And, unlike in real life, when the ending of a friendship can be deeply traumatic, it is easy to “unfriend”, a word invented to describe ditching a casual acquaintance when they are no longer enhancing your Facebook newsfeed. Although the meanings of the words “share” and “like” are essentially the same, Facebook has brought an entirely new weight to the terms. School and university reunions have become redundant – you already know whose career is going well, whether the perfect pair have split and you’ve seen endless pictures of your schoolmates’ babies. You won’t be surprised by an ex in the street with a new girlfriend or boyfriend: you already know they’re dating someone else from the romantic selfies.