Lately I have been hearing the bad news on Facebook from friends much faster than hearing about it on TV. I think that is one of the cool things about Facebook. There is usually someone who is plugged in with whats happening and they post it on their wall before it can even make the news. If you have enough friends, you can find out anything you need.
One of the features of Facebook that never existed anywhere else and I really like is the pages they create during a natural disaster so people who are safe can check in to let everyone know. This is really helpful when internet service and cell phone use can be limited or not available in the disaster areas. It puts my mind at ease to know that people I care about are OK.
There are also community pages where people in your own neighborhood or local area can post short messages to alert everyone. I have seen a lot of lost and found animals – and almost all of them have a happy ending. I have seen posts warning about car break-ins and stolen vehicles. Warnings about roads closed or choked because of an accident. Good news, such as the opening dates of farmers markets and fresh vegetable stands. And a lot of recommendations sought and received for essentials services, such as auto repair, junk haulers, hair dressers, in-home daycare – even doctors and dentists.