Birthdays are an interesting part of society. Driving, Voting, and drinking are all tied to how old your are, which in turn is related to your birthday. School is even related to your birthday- you start going in kindergarten and are grouped by age-something that is quite the debate. Social media is another addition to the birthday.
Every day, birthdays are advertised on the sidebar of Facebook for the world to see, or at least your friends. It’s very interesting, because on my birthday, there were some surprises wishing me a happy birthday. I did get less cards, but heard from some people that I haven’t in a while, which is completely awesome.
Facebook has tried to capitalize on this featuring, offering gifts to be sent for money. That clearly isn’t something that worked, but it leads into some clever marketing alternatives. I received emails from Dell and a few forums where I am a member. I think more companies will send you a specific offer in the future to encourage you to purchase their items. Maybe the most inventive companies will send you a free item on your birthday, to entice you to remember them. Either way, the birthday is here to stay, and it remains untapped in the social media world as a whole.
Well put, but does this not trivialize what it is to wish someone a happy birthday? I know I’ve seen enough walls covered in obligatory posts from people I haven’t seen in over a decade to know that not all of them are too meaningful – which tends to bury those who would have remembered anyway.