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 strongly believe that social media will change and shape our future.We are in a digital age and social media will develop and take many shapes over coming decades. These advancements are evident in such sites as MySpace, Facebook and even Twitter which went from being poorly understood sites to mainstream tools that have caputred the imagination and minds of people worldwide, this change is definetly here to stay and we can only expect bigger and better thing for our coming generations.

Social media has now been introduced to mobiles varying from iPhones, smartphones ie. BlackBerrys, Google Phone and common mobile phonee allow for access to social networking sites in the palm of your hands while on the go.  

People dont have much choice than to either join the ban wagon of social media change or get left behind. No matter where you look social media is being utalized especially by the larger companies in boardrooms and confreencences.

The possiblities for technologcal advancements are endless. This is evident in tools such as Twitter the virtual world by storm with million of users globally. Such sites will improve and add feautures in order to appeal to upcoming generations. The desire of future growth in techology will only increase in effots to imporove and meet the need of the people worldwide.

According to Malcom Gladwell, a well-known author in the area of social media, 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. Do you think that social media has the potential to bring about real social change?

Malcom Gladwell’s statement that social media is built around weak ties and real social change can never come from loose networks of people that do not know each other is very debatable. Social media has revolutionized the way in which people communicate on an international scale, allowing for messages to be delivered forthwith and in real time. Social media has made it possible for people to have their voices heard without fear of prosecution and bias of being rejected by mainstream media. Such common methods of social communication include Twitter or Facebook. Social networks make it easy for people to show support for a cause, by clicking a “like: button for example. It has become increasingly popular attracting political figures such as Dalton McGuinty, and bringing about and promotes social, economic and environmental change in the real world.  If these social networks didn’t exist such as Facebook or Twitter, then a different form of communication medium would be used.

Has social media increased the quality of news and information or decreased it?

Social media has allowed everyday citizens to become authors, editors, and publishers of news and information. Do you believe that social media has increased the quality of news and information or decreased it?

Social media has definitely increased the quality of news and information over the years allowing for everyday citizens to become authors, editors, and publishers of news and information.  Social medians such as Twitter and Facebook have revolutionized the way in which new and information is presented. This is a great way to get people involved by voicing their own opinions therefore eliminating any bias of one specific newspaper, radio station, or even television station.  Certain new channels/stations allow for everyday citizen to upload footages of video, or voice their opinions on topic that are news worthy for instance photos of crimes that an individual might have witnessed take place and allowing them to speak on it. As a result there is an increase in the volume of news and information that reach the masses, but this may result in a decrease in the quality of news and information that people are receiving.  Citizens may question the credibility of these people sources as well these business allow for these post.

Social Media: Fad or Industrial Revolution?

Social media involves online content that allows for individual to engage in peer-to-peer conversations and exchange of content which allows for sharing and discussing of information which take on various forms.

Social media is not new and has been around for decades. It is neither a fad nor revolution, it is how however an evolution. MS-DOS short for Microsoft Disk Operating System was the first operating systems which after years of gradually perfecting become our current operating system windows 7. Social media is no greater than the evolution of man himself as it is a common tendency of things to evolve, in this case communication.  

Various social media forms have been introduced some of which include forums, message boards, blogs, wikis and podcasts. Social media applications include Google, Facebook and YouTube.

As human beings we are inherently social in nature as such are drawn to different methods of communication. These forms of communication play an integral role in our everyday lives, making communicating to friends and family highly accessible anywhere in the world.

Due to innovative advancements of media we are able to communicate with others by the click of a button.  It also makes it easier for business partners worldwide to conduct what we know as boardroom meetings over the computer through video conferencing. Thanks to these advancements, we as individuals save money, and time on our traditional means of communication.

Social mediums have allowed for individual to interact on an intimate level by forming relationships on online dating sites in hope to find that special someone, almost completely eliminating the public atmosphere thus making it a lot easier and convenient to meet someone while in the comfort of your own home.  

There is no doubt that social media has been around for ages and has evolved over time. It plays an essential role in our daily lives making communicating a lot faster and easier.