The impact of Facebook on society as we know it is irrefutable. So much so that Time magazine has named Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zucerkberg, their person of the year for 2010.
The Time magazine person of the year is awarded to the individual who has “for better or for worse… done the most to influence the events of the year.” For the current year, that person is Mark Zuckerberg. In a year fraught with war and financial troubles, Time readers had named controversial founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, as their popular vote. Zuckerberg was an unlikely winner.
The cards have been dealt and the decision is final, with more than 500 million users worldwide and a suggested market value of over six billion, the power of Facebook is at an all time high. The release of “The Social Network” earlier this year only perpetuated the social awareness of Facebook, both as a brand as well as an uncontrollable entity.
Mark Zuckerberg benefited most from the publicity, first appearing on Oprah’s show to donate more than $100 million to Newark schools and then just late week, pledging half of his fortune to charity. The combination of immense monetary donations and the success of the Zuckerberg inspired film have left a lasting impact on our society, even more so on Time magazine.
Facebook has changed the way we interact, it has defined social media and Mark Zuckerberg predicted its success. Back in 2007, Zuckerberg said that “once every hundred years, media changes,” and implied that Facebook was that hundred-year change. For what it’s worth, Time magazine agreed and for the next 365 days Zuckerberg will remain the Person of the Year.
Let us know what you think about today’s decision. Did Time magazine drop the ball or is Mark Zuckerberg well deserved of the title, Person of the Year? Did the Time readers vote for Julian Assange come as a shock? Sound off in the comments!
via BBC Mobile
