Facebook is Elitist?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Facebook is elitist. Now before you hear the rest of my argument I want to mention the background to my conclusion. When the internet first emerged it was viewed as the great equalizer where the computer eliminated race, class, and gender divides. Instead many scholars like Nakamara and Bell have quickly shown how the internet has become a mere extension of our modern culture where the same class, gender and racial divides that emerge in society emerge online. For example, multiple message boards about the same topic attract different crowds of people based on the content of the post. One board was able to force out less educated and heterosexual members by not responding to posts that had poor grammatical construction and didn't discuss topics of sub culture gossip.

Now with that as the background, the concept of Facebook is inherently elitist. Starting at Harvard university, one of the most prestigious and expensive institutions in this country the concept of facebook really lacks a true goal. It is meant to connect and unite people who seek to maintain connections with their social circle. But if one were to analyze the tools (aka hardware) to be a part of this phenomenon its clear that it favors those of upper class. If someone were to not have a computer, access to the internet, a digital camera or the technological comfort to use all these tools facebook is basically useless. The creation of the facebook app for smart phones (which are generally targeted to upper class people) is an extension of this exclusive nature of facebook. Granted the increased presence of computers, internet and technology in general has reduced some inherent inequalities of facebook, they are still present nonetheless. The same racial and class divides that dictate how much internet and computing power is available to certain people are the divides that dictate who can use facebook. According to a 2000 study conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project , 36 percent of blacks have access to internet compared to 50% of whites. Also this same study stated that only 31% of households with incomes under 30,000 dollars had internet access at their homes. Although this study is very dated it just serves as an example of race and class play a large role in who has access to the internet. Thus it can be said that by extension facebook is an elitist concept.