Facebook has launched a new service designed to make it easier for college students to connect with others at their school. The service comes as colleges across the United States seek to find new ways to operate during the coronavirus health crisis. The move takes Facebook back to its very beginning. The social network launched in 2004 as a college-only network called TheFacebook. At the time, founder Mark Zuckerberg was a student at Harvard University. He built the website as a way for Harvard students to personally connect with each other. In a statement, the company says the new service has a similar purpose: “to help students connect with fellow classmates over shared interests.” The service, called Facebook Campus, is designed to “make it easy to find and start conversations” within college communities. Many social media users reacted to the new service by noting Facebook’s early history. “So basically @Facebook launched the original Facebook?” Jolie Lindley wrote on Twitter. “They didn't have to put too much worker power into that concept.” Another Twitter user wrote, “I thought the same thing. Facebook launched...Facebook?” The launch comes as colleges and students across the U.S. are facing new educational realities created by the coronavirus crisis. With many schools deciding to hold most or all classes online, “it’s more important than ever to find a way to stay connected to college life,” Facebook said. The company said the service can help students form new relationships “even if they’re away from their college.”
