Announcement Posts
Facebook is often used to announce large life events; in fact, the Facebook announcement has become a normal part of the pregnancy experience. Just as pregnancy announcements were once distributed through the post, Facebook announcements create a similar effect without demanding the time or cost committments involved in sending out numerous physical announcements. For many, posting on social media sites enable family and friends to cross limits of space and experience a life event with the poster. To post information regarding a pregnancy publically before the mother has announced is regarded as taboo. Depending on the stage in pregnancy, expectant mothers generally create announcements that contain some form of evidence (like a sonogram or positive pregnancy test) and then some form of personal photo. This personal photo reestablishes the identity of the user as a mother or the family as gaining an additional member. In this particular example, the user seems to be inferring that her, her husband, and their pets are already a family unit that is gaining a new member. Even though the user has been experiencing pregnancy, after announcing, she will begin acknowledging conditions of pregnancy (like morning sickness, fatigue, etc.) through Facebook statuses and sharing important updates on the status feed.
Similar to the announcement post, many couples use social media sites to identify and celebrate milestones in their relationship. For instance, changing one’s status from “single” to “in a relationship” is viewed as an important marker in the development of many relationships. Because relationships are conceptualized and large events like weddings and pregnancies are shared, it then becomes normal to share anniversaries of those large events. In this illustration, the public declaration accomplishes two things: it celebrates the anniversary of the couple’s wedding and it also serves as a re-committal gesture. Just as vow renewals are events shared with family and friends, posting these anniversary declarations invites friends and family to voice affirmation and share memories they have of the original event.
The most common announcement post is the Happy Birthday posting. This posting is accompanied by an image similar to images typically featured on physical birthday cards. Adding graphics or personalized messages increases the sentiment behind the Facebook post which is meant to replace the physical, post mailed card. It is not uncommon for a user to receive these messages in surplus, a benefit of the convenience of Facebook posting. However, these messages are considered less personal by many because it is so common for acquaintances to post general messages alongside family and close friends.