Facebook has hashtags now
#Everybody #panic

Since Facebook users are always uniformly delighted every time the social network suddenly reveals big changes to its platform, Mark Zuckerberg and Co. have decided to bestow users with the ability to hashtag their status updates.
The Twitter-like feature hasn't rolled out for everybody quite yet. But starting today when you post something new to your timeline, you'll be able to tag it with a clickable "#" like you already can on Twitter or Instagram. For example:
According to a Facebook blog post, soon users will be able to….
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
• Search for a specific hashtag from the search bar.• Click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram.• Compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results.
Facebook, let's remember, has been doggedly trying to shed its reputation as a dusty place where your weird relatives hang out, particularly with teens flocking to more linear services like Snapchat or Instagram (which use hashtags). Even Google+ beat Facebook to the punch.
Hashtags also help facilitate searchable conversations that are at least semi-topical; and conversations hold currency since they keep users trapped in a time-sucking rabbit hole. That's at least partly why Twitter is the global town hall for gleaning what digitally savvy people are talking about — #RIPSteveJobs, #NSA, #RedWedding, etc.
It probably isn't worth getting too worked up by the inevitable #hashtagization of Facebook. Sure, there's the possibility that it'll heap another spoonful of stupid, distracting noise into your feed. But it's just another tool — like most things social, you don't have to use it if you don't want to.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Is the Trump-Putin bromance over... again?
Today's Big Question The US president has admitted he's 'p*ssed off' with his opposite number
-
Jurassic World Rebirth: enjoyable sequel hampered by plot holes
Talking Point The latest dinosaur reboot captures the essence of the original – but leans too heavily on 'CGI-heavy set pieces'
-
Will James Gunn's risky Superman movie pay off?
Talking Point First film in DC's rebooted universe marks a new direction for the franchise