In the old days you had to wait until the next day to find out why you saw a horde of police cars screaming down the street. These days everyone seems to know almost immediately, thanks to social media.
We are a global village, we're able to stay in touch,converse and share photos with family, friends and strangers all over the world. But when it comes down to it, we like to know what's going on in our city.
The likes of Facebook have been blamed for taking people away from the real world, users so engrossed in what they see and experience only through their screens, but when there is a police chase through the city, or when someone has gone missing, the social networks come into their own.
On Monday, there was a police chase from the Ngongotaha roundabout, which ended in a crash at the Sala St and Te Ngae Rd intersection. As fast as the car was travelling, the word was out and people were already forming opinions as to what the reason was behind the pursuit.
Our story posted on Facebook reached more than 11,000 people on the social network and had plenty of people commenting, whether they had seen it unravel or were stuck in the ensuing traffic delays.
Almost two weeks ago, a man went missing from Ngongotaha. A page was set up to share his image and spread the word. The man's mother later posted on Facebook she believed the community was behind finding him safe and well in Auckland.
So before you think Facebook is for people to post inane comment, share funny memes or simply have a rant, remember that it also connects us.
