Click here to read a very good article about Facebook and debunking the myth that Facebook is no longer hot.

Facebook is in fact booming; Twitter too — but anything that gets hyper popular and crosses the chasm from cool — to utility — will get its detractors from mainstream media and hipsters.  And — both Facebook and Twitter are really all about global expansion — the US market is teeny tiny now compared to the rest of the world.

I liken it to a band that is discovered by college kids — they get to see the band up close and personal; they become rabid fans; the band then generates a hit song or two — starts to play bigger venues — its popularity soars — it then plays arenas — and ticket prices increase — the band makes lots of music videos and it appears they have sold out — they then play big stadiums and go tour in Europe and the kids who were big fans then reject the band as being too mainstream . Some of my friends feel this way about U2′s development as a band.

I think the story that is being missed about Facebook and Twitter is that these two services are replacing previous communications services such as email and instant messaging; and that the audience for these services is much older and experienced. I call it Facebook’s dirty little secret — they aint young and cool; they are corporate or old and self promoters — sounds like me:-). My news feed is filled every day with links to grown up articles from friends — or with birthday alerts from people all in their 40′s and 50′s. I have 5000 friends on Facebook. Facebook is work — it isnt fun for me.

My son and I had a great conversation the other day — he uses Facebook — and only for his friends and people he knows well; he doesn’t really use Twitter — he says the Verizon ad with the dad sending Tweets — “I am on the patio” and the mom leaving ” I love you” posts on the daughter’s wall is what will kill Twitter and Facebook ; no kid wants to use what his parents use; the ads may help short term but they are positioning the services the wrong way with young adults — he also stated that Facebook has become too corporate and that the applications being launched and advertising that is needed to help them scale will turn off kids and young adults ; Facebook is like U2 now — they are playing stadiums — they are entrenched — they are more popular outside of the US than they are here now — but they aint cool anymore; I like U2 — my son likes U2 — but they have become insufferable for the main stream media.

“Every generation has a chance to change the world” sings Bono on the new commercials promoting Blackberry to promote the new U2 album which hasnt done as well as its past efforts. I believe there is a correlation — the more you sell — the less you may get with a younger generation. Is it better to be needed or loved? I have asked that question to people for 15 years — Facebook and Twitter are no longer loved — they are needed; they are utilities — they are mainstream; they are becoming great businesses — but they cant be cool any longer.