Facebook's shopping spree continues with $19 billion purchase

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Facbook, the social media giant we all know and love (or hate in times of procrastination) recently acquired the free text messaging app WhatsApp. Facebook announced the $19 billion acquisition on its blog.

Experts aren't surprised at the hefty payout and think the app will broaden Facebook's reach. USC Professor of digital journalism Robert Hernandez uses the app and says text messaging is the most popular way to communicate, which contributes to the app's value. 

WhatsApp has 450 million active users and Facebook said in a press release that it plans to keep WhatsApp as a standalone messenger and won't merge it with the Facebook's messenging app.