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?

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?

  

I do think social media will change in the future.  Social media will change the way people interact with one another and become more advanced as time goes on. There will be a greater increase in people using social media sites. Social media allows you to not even leave your house to find out what’s happening around the world. With a simple click of a button, you will get all the information you need.

When it comes to trends, I feel like BBM will fade away and the new smart phones and androids will take over. For the first time, sales of smartphones outpaced sales of desktops and laptops. IPhone and IPad applications were downloaded more than 7 billion times. Also research shows e-mail access is now on the rise on the iPhone while declining on the computer. I also think Facebook will fade away. There is always a problem with Facebook. Every time I log on to my Facebook account (through my phone) there is always someone complaining about how Facebook changed and they don't like it anymore. Even Human relationships will change. Human Relationships will no longer be as physically dependent and we will befriend and hang out with people from all over the world and all walks of life, all ethnicity and all beliefs.

Overall, I do think social media will change in the future. Every day there is always some sort of new device coming out and it keeps getting better and better. The acceleration of innovation in online technologies and the ways we can discover consume and engage with information can be a challenge to keep up with, but that doesn't mean we will stop. We will no longer be passive media consumers. Media will interact with us in dynamic ways on all platforms.

DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ABOUT REAL SOCIAL CHANGE?

                In my opinion I think social media has the potential to bring about real social change in our society today. We can see through many different social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, My Space and MSN have helped to bring people together. In my own experience social media has changed the way that I communicate with my family in Australia. I am updated with what is going on with my family and have a better relationship with them because I am able to stay connected through Facebook and Skype. Social media has brought about awareness with what is happening around the world, take for example Kony 2012. Without the use of social media and the video produced about Kony going viral we would not have been aware of his actions.

 Social media has also brought about social change to events that are going on in our society. People are creating social pages for different issues which could involve economic, political or environmental problems that we face today. I have seen on Facebook environmental pages which express how we are killing our earth. People from different parts of the world are putting their input how they feel about the issue. The way that I feel this brings social change is that it opens my eyes to a broader aspect with what problems we face.

The quote that Malcom Gladwell stated “social media are built around weak ties and real social change can never come from loose networks of people that do not know each other." I do not agree with this statement as we can see how social media has brought social change.  Social media has brought awareness to society and has great potential to continue to change social media as we know it.

In conclusion I think that social media does have potential to bring about real social change in our society. Through many different social media acts we are able to stay connected with what is going on around us. Whether it is helping to build a relationship or staying in touch with family and friends around the world social change is present. We are able to stay updated with the latest news just like most resent video that when viral which was the Kony 2012.

"Do you believe that social media has 


increased the quality of news and information 


or decreased it?"

      Yes, I feel that social media has increased the quality of news and information, but there are two sides to this question. We can see how it has changed over the years. We have gone from reading news papers, watching T.V, and listening to the radio. But now in today's society majority of the world is now using social media as a their new source of news and information. Many people are frequently on the computer or on their phone, this makes it more easier for them to access the world news through social media sites. If we use Twitter for example and there had been an event which had occurred around the world, it would be tweeted instantly. If social media had not existed we would have to wait until the event will broadcast through the news. For example, just by logging on to your computer, you are able to research the news of the day. This helps people have a quicker access to the news. 

     We can say that social media has increased the quality of news and information only if it is coming from a trustworthy source. News that is being posted through social media sites is often coming from an unknown source. This could mean that the quality of news could have been altered in some way. People who are sharing the news and information may fail to report the whole story, and will only include what they think is most relevant. On the other hand when watching news on T.V or reading the news paper we can be certain that the information is coming from a valid and reliable source. 

     Overall we can see that social media has increased and decreased the quality of news and information. People who use social media to post news and information may sometimes alter the truth, but others may report the real story. 

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

Social media has become an explosive web and mobile based technology that facilitates communication and interactive dialogue. It is being used by organizations, businesses, communities, and individuals for the purpose of socializing, marketing, networking, sharing of ideas, discussions, conservations, relationships, reputation, annoucements, news source, education, building of groups, etc.

Some of the more easily identifiable types of social media are Twitter, You Tube, Facebook, Linkedin, email, text messages.

One Characteristic shared by both social media and industrial media (e.g. newspaper or television) is the capability to reach small or large audiences. However, in comparison to industrial media, social media is relatively inexpensive and accessible to enable anyone to publish or access information. Its outreach is immediate and to a far greater audience than industrial media. Social media is outpacing not only traditional industrial media, but other methods that have been in use for centuries, such as word of mouth and letters.

More and more businesses are using social media as a marketing tool with negligible investment in time and resources.

Some examples of social media activity are: great majority of baby boomers have joined a social network, social interaction has resulted in marriage, online education, tools for employers to find prospective employess and for job seekers to find employment, instant source of news from anywhere in the world which is constantly updated from anywhere, anytime, and by anyone, posting of opinoins about products and brands, and services (or lack of).


Mobile devices using Twitter, Facebook, emails, and text messages have revolutionized the capacity of people to communicate on-the-go.


Social media is not just a passing fad, its here to stay. The use of social media is comparable to the invention of the printing press in 1447, which ushered in the era of newspaper. In contrast, the use of social media would not be on the same scale as the industrial revolution. The Industrial Revolution resulted in major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a dramatic effect on the social, econominc and cultural conditions of the times. It marked a major turning point in history as almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way. The same cannot be said about social media. As the name implies, it is mostly social in nature.