You write a letter to your friend who is away to invite them to a party. Unfortunately, you must make last-minute cancellations, and it is too late to let them know. You wait for them at the bus stop to break the news, all because the letter would not have got to them on time. This was the case during times when social media was nonexistent.

Social media is changing, evolving at a very high rate. One day you can only communicate with your friends via a message, the next, you can video call them. Information and news have become readily available on social media and, some companies are moving away from print media. Meta is working on virtual worlds.

Social media has become part of our daily lives. When you go shopping for new clothes, you can video call a person who will help you decide what to pick. There are platforms used in workplaces to share quick messages or fun activities to stay in touch with others. Political leaders are driving campaigns and interacting with their followers through social media. Social Media has also impacted the healthcare industry, where hospitals are now using teleconsultations. By integrating the hospital’s systems with channels such as WhatsApp where their patients can get their prescription, patient education, and lab results. Shops have moved to online spaces and, one can purchase a good posted on an Instagram page.

All these are things seem normal but would not make sense 30 years ago. We are all now connected to the internet and, most people own mobile phones that they cannot go a day without looking at their social network. A majority of people can attest that social media has an impact on their lives, negative, positive, or even both.

References

Dewing, M. (2010). Social media: An introduction (Vol. 1). Ottawa: Library of Parliament.

Fuchs, C. (2021). Social media: A critical introduction. Sage.