New World Order, Life Moves Online Headed by Social Networking
The once teenager-driven fad of social networking is now a reputable platform for news and social interaction
Melissa Elian
Issue date: 11/23/09 Section: Social Media
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As technology advances, the world as we know it grows smaller, life becomes more instant. The latest stage in communication, social networking, began as a pop culture phenomenon and has transformed into a credible and accepted platform for human interaction. As use of these sites grows, life moves further online.
Myspace and Facebook had begun as humble, simple websites in which people could keep in touch, share music, and experiences through online picture albums and self descriptions. But they quickly became internet giants. How did they reach this point? How did they become apart of everyday life for millions of users across the world?
By simplifying the creation of a webpage from scratch, social networking sites enabled all types of users to create their own space on the web. Facebook, which originated as a college networking site, opened up its doors to the general public in September 2006. These sites, along with the countless others are now part of everyday life.
By logging on, users can stay connected to long lost classmates and friends and families in distant places if they are members of the same networking site. These sites can help families remain close and stay informed on the happenings in the lives of their loved ones.
Dionne Osei, a sophomore at the University at Albany, is one of those who uses her social networking accounts mainly to keep in touch with family and friends, especially after leaving the Bronx for school. Osei has been a member of Myspace since her sophomore year and Facebook since her senior year in high school. In the last two years, Facebook has made it easier for users to post videos and more pictures. "I always know what they are up to, where they have been just by going to their profile page. The phone has become kind of pointless."
In response to the increased use of the Internet to communicate and entertain, phone companies began to introduce Internet enabled phones, also known as smart phones, to remain relevant customers. The popular iPhone is still experiencing record sales even during the current economic recession. The company has reported third-quarter 2009 sales of 7.4 million units. Blackberry reported similar sales earlier this year.
Then a mirco-blogging site by the name of Twitter was introduced to the world asking one question, "What's happening?" As an instant hit, Twitter experienced a growth of more the 2,500% according to the online social media guide, Mashable.com. In one hundred and forty characters, people can share witticisms, news stories, and benign details of their daily lives.
News media outlets and big name corporations have also taken advantage of the quick output model, employing Twitter to relay the latest news and updates. The New York Times Twitter, for example, tweets about every hour to over two million followers.
Computer giant, Dell, uses Twitter to notify customers on the latest deals. The interactive nature allows for a discourse between the followed and the followers, and companies are listening. "When we respond to people on Twitter, they get really excited, and we gain advocates," said a Dell representative in a Twitter case study.
Not everyone is a one is an advocate for social networking. Joseph Maicovski, a John Jay University student simply isn't interested in the hype. "I don't want people in my business and I am too lazy to put myself out there and keep in touch." Maicovski says that he doesn't feel out of the loop and that he knows everyone that he wants to keep in touch with.
Though the history of social networking did not explicitly begin in 2004, the events that took place during those early months has kept families connected pressured newspapers to get out stories faster, and kept business on their toes.
Social networking will have a lasting impact on society. We have jumped in head first into a new frontier. Precedents are set everyday. The internet alone has rocked the boat of major American industries that have enjoyed decades of influence.
Widespread democratization has forced changes in business models; newspapers now compete with bloggers, broadcast companies are challenged by online channels like Youtube. User generated content has flipped the world upside down and it has landed on the Internet. As for what is next, time will tell, but it is safe to assume that it will happen on the web.