Social Media Revolution

Interesting Facts

Social Media has irrevocably become a part of our lives

1989, with the invention of the World Wide Web, communication as we have know it changed forever.

When the first forum was opened in 1995, people for the first time had the chance to meet online and talk about whatever topic they liked or disliked. They did not have to meet in pubs anymore but could exchange their ideas and thoughts with people from all over the world. Roughly at the same time, the first blogs were opened and gave people the chance to voice their opinions to a wide range of people. Three years later, blogs were developped so that then people could comment on them.

A lot has changed since then. Today, we have Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube – you name them. Social Media resounds throught the world. People like the Indian writer Deepak Chopra talk about Social Media at the World Peace Conference in Berlin in 2011.

It is not just a tiny flame or a temporary emergence. It is a revolution. When 20 years ago, it took about two weeks and more to send a letter from Austria to New Zealand, today you can easily send a private message on Facebook or Twitter in less than a second.

You don't have to be in the same room to talk to people, you don't have to see friends every day to stay in touch with them. You CAN have friends that do not live near you or even in in the same country as you do.

While some may see Social Media as a curse - there are also many advantages to social media.
Businesses see the advantages of social media as well. They founded own marketing deparments that concentrate on advertising their products on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and all the other platforms there are. A lot of firms also find new employees on pages like XING or LinkedIn. Social media is also used to establish new connections for future cooperations. Dell and Starbucks are seen as the companies who use social media to their full advantage.

But the probably most important advantage: news travel fast. VERY fast. YOU can reach hundreds of people in just a heart beat. People like Ian Somerhalder can share his thoughts and ideas about how to save the environment and animals with over 1,3 Million people on Twitter in the blink of an eye. He and countless other celebrities share their dreams, worries, ideas, thoughts, emotions, information and pictures about animal torturers, bullying and other important topics.

The Ian Somerhalder Foundation has over 52.000 followers on Twitter and even over 73.000 „likes“ on Facebook. If it had not been for social media, the ISF probably would not have succeeded in their effort to change the animal cruelty law in Canada, based on the sled dog killings in British Columbia. With their constant promotion of their online started petition they could collect over 60.000 signatures, which resluted in their first real victory since their foundation. If the phenomenon of social media hadn't existed, the ISF probably wouldn't have countless support groups all around the world right now.

Societies like „Generation Change“ can act globally and accept members from all over the world, thanks to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. Even if the members can not see each other face to face on a regular basis, they can still stay in contact. They can exchange ideas, hold important meetings, plan projects and have lots of fun together thanks to the world wide web and the platforms it is offering.

So, no matter what your opinion on social media is, if you are in favor or against it – it is a part of our lives. And there really is no question on wether we do social media or not, we just have to use it properly.

More interesting Facts

Deepak Chopra presented this Video at the World Peace Festival 2011 in Berlin.

Article by Nathalie W.

Sources:
http://www.socialmediapro.de/social-media-marketing/grundlagen/entwicklu...
http://t3n.de/news/social-media-revolution-3-uberraschende-beeindruckend...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOYbnbXHR6U
http://www.stockvault.net