Can you imagine the internet without social media services like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn?
Over the last five or ten years, technological advancements have taken a quantum leap forward. Social media more so than anything has impacted lives deeply. Today, social media tools have a profound effect on the way you interact with and socialize online.
Accessing news
Come morning, before you hit the newspapers, check the TV or brood over the weather, do you ever do a round of Facebook or Twitter? If you do, then you belong to a growing tribe of people who have turned to social media for information. Social psychologists have said more and more people are turning to social media for their daily dose of information. They are more likely to get it from online groups and friends, who share their likes and interests. This way you can regulate some of the information you read every day.
Conducting business
Social media has come as a boon for marketers and salespeople. It is easy to find focused groups, potential partners and even employees on social media networks. More importantly, it gives businesses with time to spare but not the money, the chance to engage people and promote their offerings. In the past, business was conducted in neighborhoods, but social media has opened up worldwide opportunities and new possibilities.
Keeping in touch with people
People still meet in social gatherings, in pubs and discotheques, but it has become easier to find people who share your interests and likes on social media sites. People are also expanding these online interactions to meetings. First introduction are made through social media platforms, then they develop them through phone calls and meetings. In other words the role of social media has become bigger and more complex.
Revelations
Before social media, people would reveal little of their doubts and fears. But now the onus is on being more transparent. More and more people are shedding their inhibitions and opening up. They are expression thoughts and ideas more openly….and becoming more social!
What can be influenced?
With social media being used by by millions the world over, the dynamics of power are changing. Mainstream media like television, newspapers and magazines are no longer influencing people the way they used to. Take for example, on Twitter some celebrities have more than a million followers. Some Facebook pages have multitudes of followers. Videos uploaded on YouTube can go viral in minutes. Viral videos may not attract millions of views just for their entertainment value; they may create awareness about an important political or social event in a bid to encourage opinion, voice anger or support. In other words, social media can act as an instrument of positive change.
In every age, culture undergoes many changes. In recent years, no other medium on the internet has influenced us more than social media. Social media has provided us with more options and the means to engage people more effectively. All these factors have made social media indispensable in our daily lives.
About the Author: Grace works with Godot Media, a article writing service provider. She is passionate about writing and is a specially skilled ebook writer. She writes about a variety of topics from technology, health and safety to fashion, home improvement, etc.
