The rumblings began when I was in junior high. It began with the infamous bag phones and dirty-beige Apple computers (reserved for school computer labs only); soon, it seemed unusual to see someone without a cell phone, a household without a personal computer. From once-cool “flip-phones” and boxy monitors to sleek iPhones with unlimited internet access, it’s incredible to consider the advances in communication and connectivity. And all this, mind you, has only been in the past 10 or so years.
It’s no wonder why we’ve all seemingly been thrust into the sphere of social media. As technology changes, communication methods inevitably experience a shift, too. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article (which, of course, I viewed online) supporting the fact that social media is one of the—if not the—fastest growing form of communication.
This article was not to say that traditional forms of communication such as face-to-face dialogue, phone chatter, and mail correspondence (snail mail) will forever fade; rather, it’s saying that social media is increasing rapidly, surpassing even communication via email. According to statistics from Nielsen Co., email usage has only increased 21 percent worldwide, in comparison to social networking’s 31 percent increase.
Why, you ask? Social media is quick, it’s personal, it’s immensely interactive, and at the end of the day, it’s viral. It satiates humans’ needs for personal interaction; allows people to create content; and allows for the rapid transfer of information, ideas, and opinions.
Business and journalism schools all over the country are catching on to the social media phenomenon, realizing the need for formal education in this new sector of communication (and indubitably, marketing) by offering such classes. Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Harvard Business School, and New York University’s Journalism Institute, to name a few, are educating students on topics such as basic blog etiquette and online content promotion, to practicing basic business and journalistic ethics using social media.
To think, when I graduated from the University of Iowa’s historic and award-winning School of Journalism and Mass Communication not even two years ago, the social media rumbling had yet to enter the classroom, confined to our personal Facebook “pokes” and photos. I never imagined social media would change the face of communication, give it a new medium—let alone land me a job in an evolving and influential industry.
It’s an exciting time right now for everyone involved in the social media space—students, educators, journalists, business leaders, and beyond. How has social media affected the way you learn, teach, or simply communicate?
[Photo from GHIE on Flickr]
