First it was MySpace. They dominated for years and eventually became
isolate
d from assorted social environments that are more prevalent now.
Not to mention, everyone who harnessed MySpace remembers having Tom as a friend.
Eventually the trend arguably withered and gave way to new applications such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare
and Facebook, just to name a few. These environments have seemingly
remained relevant, despite the monopoly of social media sites that have
recently gained traction.
To some extent, I would even classify YouTube as a social media
networking website. The reason – YouTube’s users have the ability to
provide feedback and share video resources with anyone scattered
throughout the world. Isn’t that basically the premise of social media,
to bring people together regardless of location, through digital
channels of exchange? They may be networking with different ideas,
overall information and content, but on the surface, they are still
expressing themselves through visualization and video communication.
Moreover, we have all experienced the joy of YouTube. A friend
recommends a video that catches his or her attention and eventually you
return the favor to one of your close associates. This could be
classified as social networking as far as I am concerned, because there
are videos that intermittently trend and experience a large influx of
traffic, based on their accessibility.
This accessibility directly correlate to friends recommending
videos, and even those that are featured on the landing page.
Individuals could also post specific videos via their social networking
platforms, which could also influence people into viewing videos
on-line. Regardless of the street that directs them to the actual
video—it to some extent was facilitated by social media and the
influence of other individuals through social means.
Nonetheless, as the road continues to be paved, time will tell what
new applications appear and which ones will fail to sustain relevance. I
would have to assume they are all vulnerable, considering new social
networking programs could rapidly appear as technology continues to
expand. This expansion in a sense cannot be predicted and foreshadowed;
it eventually takes its course, with the ever-dynamic environment that
we classify as the social media landscape.
In addition, social media continues to pave the road of social
innovation. It has become nearly impossible to avoid utilizing social
media networks. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg,
Delicious, Foursquare or Orkut, it really doesn’t matter. There are so
many different options to choose from, that we are all bound to discover
one that we align with.
Companies have even extended special offers for individuals that use social platforms. For example, Mashable recently reported that Ann Taylor offers individuals that are mayors on Foursquare a 25% discount in New York City.
They even plan to expand the offer to other stories, depending on the
successfulness of the campaign in the New York City locations.
If you are unfamiliar with Foursquare, it is a social networking
option that allows you to check-in at various destinations throughout
the day. Depending on the number of times that you have checked-in, you
are awarded different titles. Users are also granted the capacity to
recommend different locations in your hometown, which provides personal
advice for your prospective, to varying web friends throughout the
world.
Not to mention, people can update their social accounts at their
convenience, regardless of their location. For the most part, the
convenience factor is facilitated by mobile smart phones, which have
hypothetically transformed the way that we function.
All-in-all, the changes have enabled people to update their
information wherever, whenever and however. It also helps provide a
quality user-experience, and eliminates the hurdles of staying in
contact with those individuals, which are important to you and require
constant contact.
At some point, I also believe we will all be expected to be fluent in
social media and basically unable to stay truly connected without it.
This naturally leads one to question—if social media is beneficial to
those involved with it, or if it will create more of a divide amongst
individuals, who don’t have access to the Internet on a daily basis.
What do you think will happen in the world of social media and
technology? Would you classify social media as beneficial or detrimental
to society as a whole? Consider the questions and share your thoughts
with your social friends—start the digital conversation.
Image and Art Credit: Ashley Cecil — the Painting Activist –Ashley Cecil’s Website
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