Today’s battle features two heavyweights in the memory arena. The right corner has championed as a steadfast tradition in schools worldwide for over 2 centuries. Our left corner features a young contender of only 7 years old but has exploded into the scene and homes of over 600 million people around the world. Some believe that this duel signals the demise of the yearbook birthing new ways to capture the year; others think that yearbooks will stay around despite the many benefits that its online counterpart offers. Will technology triumph over tradition? Here is a look at the tale of the tape.
Photobility
A fabricated term to measure how well each medium handles photographs. Pictures are an important part of any school year as they tell the stories of that particular moment. Both Facebook and yearbooks have this feature and apart from the sheer volume that is available on Facebook, they are equal in this round.
Winner: Tie
(NOTE: Yearbooks may actually have a better selection because it forces the editor to choose the best pictures instead of putting in everything from the camera.)
Weight
Physical yearbooks can be cumbersome depending on the number of pages, paper stock and type but it does have the tangibility factor that some still cherish. In comparison, Facebook’s weight varies with the device that it is displayed on (i.e. computer, iPhone, etc.).
Winner: Tie
Technique
The variety of applications and games not only entice the users of Facebook to stay and play, it also serves as a revenue stream for developers and advertisers that use the platform to reach their audience. Yearbooks have normally settled with advertising to community businesses just to subsidize printing costs.
Winner: Facebook
Commentary
Facebook gives the play by play action on everything as they are posted by the user. Yearbooks have actual autographs which are one of the key elements that make it so enamored and likely why the convention still exists.
Winner: Tie
Replays
SEE pictures of school events? Or RELIVE the experience through video?
Winner: Facebook
Reach
Although the physical yearbook gives the ability to touch and feel something when the need arises, accessibility is the mantra for the 21st century. Most people are so used to their emails being available 24 hours of the day that it would only seem natural that Facebook’s omnipresence typifies today.
Winner: Facebook
Conditioning
Facebook is continually being updated. Hats off to the staff of 1700+ working hard to give the public something to enjoy and for free at that. The pulp and ink version is essentially WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). The only updates that can be done are with your marker of choice and it will stay there…forever.
Winner: Facebook
Stamina
As long as the company is still around, Facebook will continue to provide hours of endless perusing and connecting with people worldwide. Traditional yearbooks are only as permanent as the materials they was made from. In a fire, computers are replaceable whereas yearbooks are…well, not so much.
Winner: Facebook
(BONUS: Since Facebook is hosted in the cloud, it means that embarrassing photos stay intact even if your PC burns down.)
Just something to consider – what happens to your photos and other information should Facebook cease to exist?
For people who are concerned with privacy, it is interesting that many throw it out the window with Facebook. Essentially they are leaving their info, photos, friends, interests, dislikes, and a whole lot more in the hands of complete strangers!
Facebook clearly won in many of the rounds. Some believe that the yearbook is already out for the count, barely clinging onto consciousness in our fast moving world. Actually there need not be any real losers in this battle. There are aspects of Facebook that are undeniably stronger than the yearbook and conversely, there are things about a yearbook that cannot be replicated on Facebook. Ideally both contenders could work as one to bring the yearbook to a new generation; one that coexists with technology but transcends the physicality of the book. In fact, that generation is already here.
Yes, the yearbook can be revived!! Find out more in part two of the Face vs. Year Book wars!
Alvin Lim was previously employed for the Otofuke Board of Education in Japan as a Coordinator of International Relations. His role of promoting cross cultural experiences between countries and constant interaction with institutions of all ages planted the seed. He saw that the people he made contact with would reminisce about things and connections that happened in the past; so his mission was to help retain those memories.
Still in Japan, he shared the excitement and passion for this revolution with a colleague in Tokyo. in 2007, Alvin returned home to Canada and formed Edam Incorporated, a software development company focusing on the creation of Paperless Yearbooks. The revolution would not be easy as they slowly began the movement of some elementary schools in Calgary to go Paperless.
Edam Inc was a proud participant at the 2009 Calgary City Teacher's Convention Association and also a sponsor and presenter at the Union of Filipino Tourism Educators in 2009. 