HOW SOCIETY CHANGED BY SOCIAL MEDIA

Source: http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/25/top-social-news-2012/

Social media have been used by people who wanted to organized protests and to mobilize their responsible agents. However, this is just like organizing a party. Social Media is much powerful than that, it can be greatly exploited to establish communication networks and move towards their objectives.

The idea of “global village” now can be materialized with today’s social media which was put forward by communication Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s, and suggested that by twenty-first century will be a “flat world”. Due to the speed of optic cable which can transfer information in an instance, have marked the modern revolution and almost removed the limitations of time and space.

The advancement of information and communication technologies has influence society with using the social media. The power of social media to affect society is based on exclusively on its social aspects, which means the interaction and participation. Studies on different citizen habits showed that vetoing decisions are not based on one-step communication. However, two-step communication will consolidate or weaken the voter’s opinions where the ideas or conversations of opinion leaders, colleagues, friends and acquaintances can be consolidated.

Open communications have always been blocked or hindered by many governments; however social media has uplifted this restrictive practice. A good example is in the 2011’s Egyptian Revolution, where hundreds of people in Tahrir Square in Cairo continuously sent information and updates as text, pictures and videos all over the world through the Internet.  

Social media has leveled the traditional socioeconomic barriers to gain the spotlight. Now anybody can become “somebody” on social media. Politicians and activists can leverage the potential of social media. The Internet, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook have re-constituted how relationships were built especially among the young people and how communication is produced, mediated and received. Text messaging, Facebook , Twitter and YouTube and the Internet have given rise to the political energy that five a new relationship between the new media technologies, politics, and public life. Activities of civil society groups such as mobs, movements and civil society organizations can be influence through these digital technologies.