What is your perception of social media, do you think it is a
fad or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?
Since the late 2000’s social media has
taken off and become a vital tool for people around the world to communicate and
navigate through other people’s lives. The first taste I remember having with
social media was MySpace, which at one point was a very popular site that users
would upload music to and post random blurbs about themselves from time to
time. Then slowly, MySpace faded away, and the biggest thing to happen to
social media came along: Facebook. With the launch of Facebook, users around
the world were able to add old friends, grandparents, classmates, distant
friends, etc. They were able to communicate with them, post pictures, play
games, make-up statuses about their day and comment on other ‘friends’ posts. Facebook
unofficially started the social media craze, websites such as Twitter, YouTube,
Pineterst and Instagram followed suite and continued the phenomenon.
The Industrial Revolution was arguably
one of the biggest shifts in our society, but could it be that the shift to the
social media era was just as ground breaking? I say the answer to this question
is a definite yes! Social media has literally changed every single aspect of
our lives, from what we first do in the morning (Check Facebook?) to what we do
right before bed (Tweet about our amazing day?). Social media impacts us in
more ways than we think. Schools are now using Facebook and Twitter to keep in
touch with students and some companies won’t even consider hiring you without
handing over your social media URL’s. Social media even, believe it or not,
affects consumer behaviour. Businesses are creating Twitter and Facebook
accounts to post promotions and give away free product. These companies are
reaching out to consumers and getting on that personal level with them through
social media (http://www.slideshare.net/SelinaPower/icct-selina-power-presentation-2). Reaching out to consumers is now easier than it
ever was. Consumers are posting product reviews online, which have greatly
impacted companies (i.e. product blogs and YouTube product review channels).
Everything now is available online for companies and their customers to view
and review.
Social media is just as important to us
these days as our morning coffee. We sleep, eat and breathe with social media
in our brains. As much as some people may say it doesn’t impact us that much,
it is clear that it does. Social media is everywhere and everything in 2013,
and it’s just about to get bigger.
