Can You Even Remember How You Coped Before Facebook's News Feed?

Sept. 2, 2016, 11:13 AM EDT / Updated Sept. 5, 2016, 10:39 AM EDT

By Alyssa Newcomb

Facebook's News Feed, the backbone of the social network, turns a decade old on Monday.

It's hard to think of Facebook without News Feed, which most of the social network's 1.71 billion users first see when they log into the site or open the app on their smartphones.

The Facebook logo and emoticons are seen on a coffee mug at the reception of its new office in Mumbai, India May 27, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/Files

A 2014 study sponsored by Facebook and conducted by the analytics firm IDC found the average Facebook user checks the site 14 times a day. It's a safe bet many of those visits included time spent in News Feed.

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In honor of News Feed's double-digit birthday, here's a look at 10 key moments in its evolution that got it to where it is today.

News Feed Debuts, Backlash Ensues

The curated feed showing what your friends were posting and discussing launched on September 5, 2006 as a central destination so users didn't have browse through friends' profiles to see what's new.

At the time, Facebook had around eight million users. Usage of the site doubled overnight.

However, there was an initial backlash, with an estimated one million users joining "Facebook News Feed protest groups" arguing the feature was too intrusive, showing every little moment such as Lucy friending Ben or that John and Sarah broke up.

Ranked Personalized Stories

Facebook began using an algorithm to show users the stories it thinks they will care about the most. It's a unique recipe the company continues to fine-tune to this day.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence plays a big role in how Facebook powers the unique News Feed experience each user sees. Facebook's AI system runs tens of trillions of queries per day to make about six million predictions per second. So if it knows you like cats, expect to see more feline photos.

Making News Feed Real-Time

Initially, News Feed wasn't in real-time. Facebook would instead sweep through all the possible content on user's profiles, rank the stories and then add updates to News Feed about every five minutes.

The Like Button

The "thumbs up" icon launched in 2009, allowing users show their approval for a friend's post, even if they didn't want to comment.

Reactions

The oft-requested dislike button never came to fruition, but Facebook launched a set of reactions globally in February, allowing people to express love and anger or say "wow" or "haha."

Immersive Story Formats

Facebook News Feed has transformed itself into a virtual lounge over the years by adding more video. Features such as Facebook Live and 360-degree photos, which have taken off in the past year, also add to the feeling of being in a virtual room with friends or at the scene of breaking news.

Social Good

Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Many of the 17 million Ice Bucket Challenges videos were shared in News Feed, inspiring friends to take the challenge. The fundraiser went viral and raised tens of millions of dollars for the cause.

Safety

From the aftermath of an earthquake in Nepal last year to the Pulse Nightclub massacre in Florida, Facebook's safety check has been a way for people who are in the area to mark themselves safe and, in turn, make sure their friends are notified in News Feed.

Cutting the Clickbait

Facebook announced last month it would crack down on "clickbait" headlines and rank them lower so they're less likely to show up at the top of a person's News Feed — making it a happier place for everyone.

For Subscribers

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSHunger in a land of plenty: Major food banks face ‘heartbreaking’ need, NBC News survey finds

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERSBrad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSPhone a friend: Republicans lean on Cabinet members as they break with Trump

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCentrist think tank warns 2028 Democrats against swinging too far left on immigration

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRussia’s secrecy after a mysterious plague lab death raises global alarm

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAfter surviving a botched lethal injection, Christa Pike faces unprecedented legal battle

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHunger in a land of plenty: Major food banks face ‘heartbreaking’ need, NBC News survey finds

FOR SUBSCRIBERSInflation and tariffs push U.S. holiday spending projections to a record $1.7 trillion

FOR SUBSCRIBERSWhat happened inside the room where officials tried to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection

FOR SUBSCRIBERSHow we reported the saga of the CIA officer and his gold-bar stash

FOR SUBSCRIBERSBrad Raffensperger gears up to oversee his final election in Georgia

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDiddy is punished following NBC News report on his VIP life in prison and contraband cellphone use

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Too young to vote, old enough to be tear gassed’: French protesters’ anger swells

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDOJ gets aggressive in suing states that challenge Trump’s immigration policies

FOR SUBSCRIBERSJustice Department seeks criminal charge for former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘I just want to hold him’: USS Lincoln sailor to meet his 10-month-old son as ship docks

FOR SUBSCRIBERSSenate candidates run on raising Social Security taxes for higher incomes to prevent benefit cuts

News Feed Debuts, Backlash Ensues

Ranked Personalized Stories

Artificial Intelligence

Making News Feed Real-Time

The Like Button

Reactions

Immersive Story Formats

Social Good

Safety

Cutting the Clickbait

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