Facebook turns 12 on Thursday, an occasion that the company has termed Friends Day. In honor of its latest anniversary, it has released new tools to help celebrate how close you’ve become with your friends, all thanks to the social network.
Facebook has begun rolling out personalized Friends Day videos — similar to its Year in Review videos — to its 1.59 billion monthly active users, in addition to releasing two special sticker packs for the occasion.
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In newly released statistics, Facebook claims that its services have reduced the degree of separation between users — now 3.57 degrees, compared to 3.74 degrees in 2011. The company interprets this is a sign that in the past five years, we’ve grown more connected globally, something it hopes to continue to advance through various initiatives.
The personalized Friends Day video — a stitched-together film of special moments between you and your…well…friends — is fully customizable, meaning you’ll have full control over what’s featured in order to avoid certain mishaps. The first “draft” will include photos Facebook believes you’ll like, but you can tweak it however you see fit.
Once you’re happy with the result, you can share it on your Facebook profile. It’ll not only appear at the top of your friend’s News Feed, there will be a link to encourage them to create their own. As this tool is rolling out globally, you may not receive it right away — Facebook said that most people should receive this by midday on Thursday.
Facebook has also released two sticker packs for you to share with your friends, showing them that you appreciate them. Called “Best Friends” and “Friendship,” they can be downloaded right from the Sticker Store for free and used in the Messenger app.
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