People have been debating for years about Social Media. Is it a fad, or has it changed the way we communicate with the outside world? I believe that Social Media is permanent, but I think that we will go through different tools, that make it easier for us to communicate, advertise, and network. It is only a matter of time until the old fashioned way of communicating through newspaper, paper mail, pretty much anything that is on paper, will dissapear.
It is so easy to sell people ideas, products, and services from your own home. So why would anyone want to put more effort into making money, or a reputation, than they really have to? I still personally would rather put my money in someones pocket, that actually gets out there and gets their elbows dirty. I believe some of us underestimate the power of social media. It has made people millionaires, and it has taken peoples lives, because people lose control.
I truly believe that social media has effected us negativley, because we are taking advantage of how easy it is to communicate. Instead of talking face to face, people text each other instead, or complain about their lives on facebook. People are being cyber bullied, and it is invisible to any authority that can stop, or prevent it. People are having a hard time telling the difference between photoshoppped women, and real women. We have young kids growing up having a misconception of what is acceptable and what is not.
If we take time to use social media properly, but not let our lives depend on it, than it could be a much more possitive aspect of our lives. I hope promoting a more recreational lifestyle into peoples lives will promote them to enjoy life outside facebook, and twitter!
You have an interesting perspective of social media. There are positives and negatives in all things. Social Media is not perfect, but then neither is anything else. Bullies are everywhere. When I was in primary school, before computers, before the internet, before social media, I was bullied because I was tiny. With the advent of social media, bullies have just found another medium to continue their negative impulses. Don't blame social media, blame those that use it.
ReplyDeleteI have to, as someone who owns an online business, disagree with how "easy" it is to sell things to people over the internet. It actually is incredibly difficult, when you have a " brick and mortar" business you have foot traffic, advertising space and an undeniable presence in whatever community you choose. When you have an online business, you have to work incredibly hard making sure your website is SEO friendly ( search engine optimization) and you have to constantly work at social media to make sure that people are finding your products. Another aspect of selling products online that is not often thought of, is the fact that people rarely will buy online from small business owners without them trusting the site. So you have to put a lot of time, money and energy in creating a group of customers who will build trust for your website, such as setting up reviews, giveaways and other promotions. Just another side to the conversation. Great post Taylor, I am definitely a fan of different opinions and enjoyed reading yours!!
ReplyDelete