The ‘Face Book Fad’ Is More Than a Century Old

Bryan Benilous, a historical newspaper specialist at the digital-archive company Proquest, said he and his colleagues came across a Boston Daily Globe article from August 24, 1902, titled, “Face Book The New Fad,” describing a party game where revelers sketch out cartoony caricatures for fun.

There are more than a few similarities between current social-networking practices and early-20th century social practices, said Ellen Gruber Garvey, a professor at New Jersey City University...

It was common for Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries to keep guestbooks in which visitors and friends could scribble thoughts or jokes -– not unlike a MySpace or Facebook profile page.

“There’s a whole school of amusements that prefaced social networking and those sorts of interactions with friends on the Web,” said Ms. Garvey.

These sorts of albums and scrapbooks were often kept as records of parties, special events and friendships. Ms. Garvey also said it was common for antiquarian newspapers to publish short articles recommending fun activities

Perhaps the social networking idea might not be that new - the idea of having guestbooks in which friends and visitors can drop notes is indeed similar to having friends write on our FB profiles and walls. It doesn't matter to me that it might not be a new idea. What matters to me is the speed - you don't have to be physically there to write the note. Now, you just have to switch on your computer, go online, go to FB and that's it. Your note done in less than 15 minutes. Works perfect for an impatient person like me.