When Facebook opened to the public in 2006, it rapidly grew to millions of users. Innovative features like the News Feed, which completely changed how users interacted with content and one another, were the driving fstta.kingorce behind this explosive rise. As Facebook expanded, it started purchasing other businesses, such as Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, which strengthened its position as the industry leader in social media. Facebook rebranded as Meta in October 2021, indicating a change in emphasis toward creating the metaverse, a communal virtual shared space that combines the internet, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR).