How Social Media is Changing the World
Social media has become a part of our daily lives. We talk to our friends and family, read, watch TV, entertain ourselves and even work online. Technology allows us to move so quickly that we never really stop to think about how it all affects us. For better or for worse, here are some ways in which social media has impacted our lives.
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Literacy
Literacy, especially in children, is highly impacted by social media. With abundant opportunities to read and write in a fun and interesting manner, through status updates, posts and text messaging, children are motivated to practice their skills by using these outlets. In fact, The National Literacy Trust recently surveyed over 3000 children and found that a correlation existed between a child’s engagement with social media and their literacy. As well, in countries such as India, where literacy rates are low but technology such as texting is widely used, individuals are presented with an outlet through which they are forced to learn literacy skills.
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Social Connections
Social media not only allows us to communicate with whomever we want from wherever we want but it also gives us the freedom to do this whenever we feel like it. We are able to connect with others we may never have been able to contact before- distant relatives, old school mates, and even newly discovered biological families. It has never been easier to connect with people that share our interests and hobbies, whether we know them or not. This opens up doors for us to discover, rekindle and maintain relationships.
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Re-branding of Politics
Social media has given a face lift to the political scene. Not only has it got more people involved, but it has captured a young audience. This impact can especially be seen in the election of US President Barack Obama who used social media to communicate with his audience and motivate people to have their say.
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Individual Influence
Power has become much more decentralised due to the wide reach of social media. Now, rather than powerful social lights with access to large mass media budgets being the key influencers of public opinion, regular Joes are slowly making their opinions heard. Social media gives the public an outlet to share their ideas, thoughts and opinions and the extensive reach of this channel allows their views to have an impact. As honest communication becomes more widespread, the public grows stronger in their power to influence the world.
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Transparency
Not only has social media influenced the transparency of the individual but also the openness with which large corporations and powerful people communicate. People have become much more willing to share their feelings and open up to others through the use of social media outlets.
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As well, social media has forced large companies, politicians and other authority figures to become more transparent. As the world becomes increasingly connected, these groups and individuals are finding that they no longer have anything to hide behind. Even a slight misstep cannot be ‘swept under the rug’ and will definitely not be overlooked by the public. People are ready and willing to share any and all information that they get a hold of, forcing these figures to share and address any concerns or problems that they might have influenced. Perception is everything for these authorities and if they aren’t willing to be open and honest with the public then the public will not be willing to support them.
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Image by David Reece
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