Facebook adds pregnancy status to profiles
(CBS) - Knocked-up? Facebook wants you to announce it on your profile.
We all know the social network is a repository for baby pictures, so the move to add an "Expected: Child" option to profiles is a no-brainer. After all, chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg isn't known for wanting Facebook to be more private.
The new selection is available under "Friends and Family" on the Edit Profile page. There is also the option to add more than one child's name for aspiring Octomoms.
Does anyone else think it's creepy to post so much information about a child online before it's even born, let alone consent to having its life plastered all over the Internet? What about the data available to marketers before even reaching the delivery room?
Jolie O 'Dell at VentureBeat made an interesting observation when she said, "parenting is, along with dating and weddings, one of the bigger billion-dollar industries in modern society that will also revolve around publicly accessible Facebook updates."
We agree. That this could be a cash cow for Facebook's targeted ads. Imagine all of those sleep-deprived women in their eighth month of pregnancy, armed with a hug pillow, laptop and credit card.
Funny Twitter user BluCanon pointed out the potential for awkwardness, "Fellas....THIS is the new 'Surprise! I'm Pregnant' from that woman you had sex with and THOUGHT she took the pill."
What about people who are tired of hearing pregnancy stories? "Ugh. I'd like a pregnancy mute button. In real life 2, actually," said leslie from Twitter. "Gag: Facebook lets users add fetus as family," added SarahHutton.
Welcome to the future, folks.
