Director Aashiq Abu dedicated the film 22 Female Kottayam to all his Facebook friends by saying “Thanks” in the very beginning of the film. This gives a hint about the influence wielded by those who use the social networking site, Facebook.

Interestingly, Kochi is placed 118th in the list of 120 cities across the globe with more than half a lakh active users.

Facebook is becoming more than just an online hangout place where most users post their feelings, interests, what they had in the morning and their photographs.

It is becoming a medium to discuss ideas online and people seem to relish the lack of privacy by adding even very personal items — coming up with updates every now and then.

Evidently society is becoming more open now with people from all walks of life entering into various debates.

According to M.B. Rajesh MP, Facebook is a great medium to interact with people from all stratas of society.

“While considering Kerala’s socio-political sphere during the time of the conventional media, the local teashops were considered major democratic spaces with people openly discussing various issues over a cup of tea.

Now Facebook has taken this space over and more and more people are engaging in healthy discussions and are getting feedback,” the Palakkad MP added.

He said that new media like Facebook was a great platform for political discussions and many such discussions had attracted headlines.

Veteran media critic B.R.P. Bhaskar opined that Facebook would produce positive social results if a larger number of people use it with a purpose.

“Facebook can influence people. If they use it for serious discussions, it is a good medium, but it can also be used for trivial fun.”

Serious about social issues or not, to a generation of youngsters, Facebook is part of their lives.

Kerala’s charcha platform

Five years ago, who would have thought that a social networking site, Facebook, would become the place all Malayalis gather for heated discussions that concern the state?

A venture of 13 employees in the US with zero revenue has now become the strongest media in Kerala. Millions of Malayalis log onto it to talk, not about personal matters, but social, political, cultural and economic issues that concern the state.

The site offered a dais to discuss the Mullapperiyar struggle, the fifth minister issue, the highs and lows of Kochi Tuskers Kerala, the shocking Soumya murder case where the girl was thrown out of a train, raped and later died in hospital. The list seems endless.

Evening chats in open spaces — a trend that the state thought would get lost with technological advancements and with the shift to a fast world — have made a re-entry in the Facebook avatar, offering a wider space for people to interact.

Facebook was the major fulcrum where public put pressure on bureaucrats to get approval for a new dam.

Though the mission was not accomplished, Kerala’s demand for a stronger dam was voiced across the country.

From its christening ceremony, Facebook was also with the thick and thin of Kochi Tuskers Kerala. It was the only place where voices against politicians and hate figures were heard.

It attacked the UDF on the fifth minister issue, mocked the LDF in the ‘watch and ward attack’ case. Mollywood was also previewed and reviewed on Facebook, while hate-figure director Santhosh Pandit was jointly attacked by all.

Kochi 118th on list of most fb users in cities

These days Facebook is considered as the most important communication tool, next only to a mobilephone.

But how many Indians use Facebook? Statistics show only 3.91 percent of the country’s total population uses the social networking site, but the number also happens to be 57 percent of total internet users.

The statistics compiled by the Socailbakers, a social media and digital analytics website, show the number of FB users in India as the second largest facebook user in the world with 4.58 crore logged in. The number had grown by more than 78 lakh in the last 6 months.

The most FBians in the country are Mumbaikers with 36 lakh people and Mumbai is placed 18th on the list of cities across the globe.

Top metros in the list are Delhi, 36th, Chennai 49th and Hyderabad 50th while Kochi is 118th on the list of cities. A total of 17 Indian cities found a place in the top 120.

While considering the average age distribution on Facebook, 48 per cent of the users are in the age group 18-24 and 28 per cent users are in the age group of 25-34.

Apparently, 73 per cent of the users in the country are male, which while compared to USA and Brazil is 45 and 46 per cents respectively.

Top Indian followed in the Facebook is musician A.R. Rahman with 81 lakh followers and Sachin Tendulkar is second.