The Constant Evolution of Social Media

Social Media. Quite a few ideas come to mind when the term is used. Some might think of Facebook, others may jump right to Instagram or twitter, and then some might throw it back all the way to the MySpace days. But what is really going on behind the scenes of these seemingly endless amounts of platforms? Quite a bit has changed since the early 2000’s when if someone wanted to jump on and see how their online social life was going, they had to “dial up” the internet. The first major surge of social media came with the creation of the profile-based networking site Myspace. It was very simple to use and allowed the user to customize their profile from their “best friends” to including a profile song that played whenever a user visited their page. Apart from this platform, members of that generation had to use instant messengers through email. Now, social media is everywhere. You can sign up for unlimited accounts on unlimited platforms with little to no restriction to accomplish any goal you please. But with this surge of technology has come a decrease in privacy as well as a massive amount of responsibility. Over 16 years ago  On most platforms, once you plug in your personal information required to start an account and you click “I Agree” on the terms and conditions, that information is now property of the platform and in most cases, they can do anything they wish with it. The lack of privacy is astounding as many find their information on third party websites being used for targeted ads and unsolicited phone calls. This invasion of privacy shows just how irresponsible those in power are. The presence of responsibility, or lack thereof, doesn’t end there. The amount of high-ranking political figures and celebrities who hold major influence that are using social media platforms on a daily basis has increased dramatically as of late. There is a news story almost every day it seems that shows the misuse of social media by those who have major influence. The use of social media can also be a great thing. Two weeks ago, a video went viral on multiple platforms of a young man at an Oakland A’s baseball game. He was taking part in a “fan challenge” to see how fast he could throw a baseball. Once the team scouts got wind of his performance, they reached out to offer him a contract to play professional baseball. If it wasn’t for social media, no one would have seen his display and he never would have gotten recognized. Social media has its downsides as well as upsides. It is now being used as a major facet for marketing and advertising, regardless of how “targeted” the advertising is. People of all ages are using social media to connect with one another and share ideas. It is a hub of creativity and innovation that will only continue to evolve and build on itself for generations to come.