Facebook comes with its fair share of cons–annoying oversharing, weird photos, and lack of secure privacy settings to name a few. But it can also be really useful! Besides the obvious social networking aspects, the site has also been able to reunite people with family members, pets, and in one case, even a viable kidney match!
Below, check out just a few examples of the many great things that have happened because of Facebook–and next time, you're cursing the site for sucking a minute (or twenty) out of your day, remember it also has plenty of pros!
Images via Facebook
Support for Sandy Hook
In the wake of the recent Sandy Hook shooting, the public created multiple Facebook pages, not only honoring the lives of the victims, but also setting up donation pages and letting people know how they could show their support. The town has since been flooded with gifts and monetary contributions.
Reuniting pets with owners
After Hurricane Sandy, a new Facebook page called "Hurricane Sandy Lost and Found Pets" was created in order to help owners reunite with their pets.
Reuniting long-lost sisters
An 8-year-old boy named Eddie Hanzlin recently helped his neighbor, Clifford Boyson, find his older long-lost sister through Facebook. They hadn't seen each other in 65 years!
Catching criminals
Two 16-year-old high school girls used a fake Facebook profile to catch a creepy school staffer hitting on minors!
Finding biological parents
Just three days after Utah woman Jenessa Simons posted a photo pleading viewers to help her find her birth parents, the 21-year-old was able to reunite with her biological mom.
Medical miracles
50-year-old Jerry Wilde was told he needed a kidney transplant and that the waiting period for his blood type could be up to three years. So one of his friends decided to start the Facebook page, Find a Kidney for Jerry, which included his blood type and other pertinent medical information…and it worked! Last year, he found a match, had the transplant, and he has been healthy ever since.
