The Future of Social Media

How do you think social media will change in the future?  What other trends would you add to the mix? Are they any specific technologies that you think will gain popularity or emerge?  

Social Media has no means of slowing down. The further we get into this technological age, the more things advance. People will come out with more innovative ideas to keep us connected, and they will undoubtedly make it better. This is only the beginning for us. With technologies like Google Glasses coming out, we could be looking at a brand new stream of social media changes. Once they finally come out, and become popular; I predict that we get an easy photo/uploading app that allows us to upload hands free. Speaking of photo sharing websites, I believe they will become more intricate throughout the years. With sites such as Instagram on the rise, I can only see this trend continuing into the future.

Facebook is one of the most popular websites on the internet. It has over 800 million active users, and it continues to grow on a daily basis. Unfortunately, as with everything on the internet, I feel like sooner or later it will outgrow it's shelf life. People these days strive to find new things, and I see alternatives of Facebook will eventually rise. In the first few years of MySpace, nobody really expected it to go downhill as quickly as it did. Once Facebook came around, MySpace just wasn't cool anymore. I predict that the same thing will happen to Facebook, as well as Twitter. 

I've also noticed a lot more of my friends using the website StumbleUpon. The site is brilliant in my opinion, and there isn't anything else quite like it on the internet. I feel like StumbleUpon has a lot of room to grow with younger generations. It's had a slow build since coming into existence, but the longer it's been around, the more users it's managed to maintain. The idea of a website the becomes intuitive with your likes and personality is extremely marketable to me. 

I believe social media will be here as long as we exist. We've become so dependent on it, that it's taken over a large part of our social interaction. Weither the pros outweigh the cons, or vice versa; we can be sure that social media will take us straight into the future.

How much does Social Media affect Social Change?

I believe social media has already brought about real social change. The way we interact is completely different than it was 30-40 years ago, and it's showing in every industry around the world. Such a large percent of the population depends on websites such as Facebook and Twitter to maintain contact with people. I myself depend on it to promote my music, and to work with others on school assignments. It's become such an important part of our society.

What's the first thing you do when you power up your computer? The screen brightened up with a freshly loaded browser ready at your disposal? For a surprising amount of people, they'll go straight to Facebook, or Twitter to check for updates. It's almost like a reflex to do so! I personally rarely use my phone for calling anymore unless I'm trying to find someone, or if it's strictly for business interaction. You see it every day and there's seemingly no way of getting away from it.

It's integration with mobile devices has definitely caught on. Anyone with a cell phone most likely has some sort of social media app downloaded. With that means a synchronized experience where you always have it updating you on the go. So in that sense alone, real social change has most definitely occurred. But social media has outgrown it's personal roots, as businesses have made it such a major role in their marketing process. It gives companies the chance to interact with its consumers in an effort to generate business, and brand loyalty. Before social media that interaction didn't exist quite as fluidly as it does now. 

Social media has definitely changed things. It's made our lives easier by seamlessly connecting us to the world around us. But at the same time we've been subject to a less than private lifestyle. Things were definitely different, and it'll be interesting to see the new changes and advancements social media brings in the future.

Don't Believe Everything You Read On The Internet

Social media has allowed everyday citizens to become authors, editors, and publishers of news and information.  Do you believe that social media has increased the quality of news and information or decreased it?

With social media being what it is today; it seems like it would make it easier to stay up to date with the latest news. But in reality it's turned it into a game of broken telephone. People will post anything that catches their eye these days regardless of putting research into the story. The truth can be twisted into a specific viewpoint or opinion, and it makes certain things hard to believe. That's why you're always told never to believe everything you read on the internet. There's much better sources to direct your curiosity on current events.

I'll admit that I've been tricked into believing things that turned out to be false. There's a group of people you have to watch out for out there in the world wide web. They call them internet trolls, and their goal is to make you look and feel stupid. They go out of their way to spread lies and untrue information just to get the general population going. Of course there are true stories that are posted by the public, but even the poster may not know if the information their publishing is accurate or not. Everyone has their own opinion about what may or may not have happened in a specific situation, and it's scary to know that some people can base their opinion off of the first source they read. One thing you definitely need to know is that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are not general news sources. Even Wikipedia has the option to edit information which makes it an unscholarly source to use on school assignments.

There are however websites that can be trusted. Always look for references, and citations so you know what your reading has been researched. A story based on assumptions and opinions won't have any of the sort. But by all means; if you find something interesting you have the right to read it. Just don't be so gullible as to completely trust every word that's being said unless you have the proof you need.

What Is Social Media?

What is your perception of social media, do you think it is a fad or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

Social Media defines who we are, and the era we live in as a whole today. It seems every person you meet nowadays is connected to the internet in one way or the other. It's an incredible advancement for our planet due to the great connectivity it brings to our civilization. In my opinion, social media has completely revolutionized the way we communicate, and for the better. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube; They've all completely changed the way we live, do business, and make friends. But I also believe that social media has impacted our social skills. These days people aren't as apt to pick up a phone and call a friend because they could just text them, or send them a message on Facebook. I also believe its increased socially awkward teens with more people spending most of their free time in front of a computer. It also takes away alot of the privacy of others with the ability to find pretty much anyone you want. This can be a scary thing for some people who don't want the public having such easy access to them. Not to mention anything you write online is backlogged into online private archives. That history will always be there as long as the internet exists. With all of that said, I still wonder sometimes where we would be without social media. The answer may lie in history as these things didn't exist back then. But with our generation so accustomed to being online, losing it may lead to just a little bit of outrage. Without all the negative aspects in mind; social media has made our world more tech savvy than it's ever been. Nearly everyone we know seems to know how to use a computer effectively. If anything; most people at least know how to use Facebook or Twitter. Things have definitely changed, and even with the few cons social media has; it's still one of the most positive things to come into existence in the last decade.