The ways in which social media has changed the world

Social media has changed the world in more ways than one. For starters, it has made it much easier to keep in touch with friends and family over long distances. With just one mouse click, you can instantly send your message across the world in seconds. Social media has also improved communication between people of different generations. Older adults can use social media to stay connected with their families and young children can use social media to interact with friends they would otherwise not see face-to-face very often if at all. Social media has also changed the way we learn about the world around us.

Empowerment

Social media gives people a voice to be heard. It provides an avenue for individuals to get involved with their community. This involvement can be either local or global, but it gives people a chance to get outside of themselves and work towards something bigger than they are. People have come together on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others to assist with humanitarian efforts that help others all over the world. The Arab Spring was organized through social media because oppressed people didn’t have other outlets for freedom of speech.

Influence

Before social media, people had to send each other letters or have face-to-face conversations if they wanted to contact someone. While that still happens today, our interactions are largely mediated by technology. Social networks allow us to easily communicate with large groups of people, connect with old friends and communicate instantly. This is especially important for businesses looking to connect with their customers. Organizations can create Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and LinkedIn company pages specifically designed for customer engagement.

Communication

The first and most obvious impact of social media is increased communication and connection. Because we’re always connected, we’re more informed, and we’re more aware of our neighbors and community members—even those around the globe. It used to be that families would gather around their television sets every night; today we gather on Facebook or watch cat videos together on YouTube. Because we can share information so easily, quickly, and widely now (with access to so many people), everyone knows everything much faster than ever before. Some credit social media with helping overthrow regimes during recent revolutions in Egypt and Iran, for example; it certainly played a role there.

Connectivity

As of April 2015, Facebook had 1.39 billion users logging into their accounts daily. This means a lot of interactions and a lot of connectivity between strangers who never would have been able to talk otherwise—what’s referred to as weak ties or weak links. In business, weak ties are invaluable for uncovering new ideas and opportunities. Furthermore, strong social networks offer an immediate support network when things get difficult—both personally and professionally.