Do you think that social media has the potential to bring about real social change?
Social media is a worldwide way of communication now-a-days that I believe it has become very influential to the way we communicate in society, and bring real change. Using social media sites allows one to communicate with another while being in the same room, or around the world. There are chats, emails, postings, status’, videos and recordings available to be able to transmit information back and forth, and be able to communicate. There are different things available throughout social media and news reports is just one. This allows one to be able to keep updated on what’s going on around the world, or in their own backyard without having to read a newspaper daily or keep updated on the news channels.
There are definite influences on how people are viewed in real life, from social media sources. Where one may be a certain way in person, they may seem like a different person online. Someone who is self-conscience and quiet in person may be posting a lot online, and letting them have input on something they normally wouldn’t do. On Facebook there is a ‘Like’ feature, which allows one to like someone’s picture or posting, and lets viewers share their thoughts. Social media could have a negative real social change, as negative things get posted, and different users view the public posted information online, it could have a negative degrading effect – opposed to a positive one.
Another negative, would be that social media communication probably reduces the face-to-face interaction one would have with friends or family members. This is because they are instead, sitting on a computer, or on another device Tweeting, posting, or watching YouTube videos, instead of having the real person interaction. Eventually this could cost friends, or the closeness of family, because there is no communication going on between them, and instead might just be kept to online chatting, instead of going out for a coffee, or having a face-to-face conversation.
There are some positives and some negatives to what change social media may make when it comes to real social communication. I think while social media is handy and sometimes necessary to keep in contact with certain people, or get in touch with long lost friends – it is not something that is imperative. Eventually I think if social media continues to grow it will have a big impact on real life communication and the way people interact with one another.
