How Social Media Has Changed Things | Denver Social Media Agency Weighs In
Can you remember life before Twitter? Before Snapchat? Before Facebook? Some of us today simply can’t remember a time before these things. Many of us can, but it’s hard. I remember having a rotary telephone and a black and white television that (gasp!) only got a few channels. I remember a time when my family shared two cell phones that we turned on only while we were driving. I remember a time when I would make phone calls after 9:00pm or on weekends so that I wouldn’t burn through my cell minutes.
Today, we use our cell phone for so many things that even if I don’t have cell service, I still have many uses for my phone. Social media is how I stay connected to family and friends who live hundreds of miles away. It’s how I get my news, and it’s how I stay connected in my industry. Social media has changed so many things.
Social Media Has Dwindled Our Attention Spans
Human attention spans are now less than that of a goldfish. A goldfish! We are used to quickly consuming news feeds and thousands of tweets without really comprehending what we’re reading. We glance through articles, looking for the key points, but not really reading the full article.
Social Media Has Us Connected
We’re more connected than ever before. Social media has broken down barriers that sometimes make us feel like we’re right there with our family and friends even though we are literally a world apart. I’m personally thankful for the connection that social media allows me.
Social Media Is Building Data
We think that these meaningless actions we do on social media have no value, but they have a LOT of value to the company itself. How do you think Facebook and Google make so much money? They know so much about so many people all over the world that they can sell that data in the form of advertising and analytics to brands who want to know, for example, who might be most prone to purchasing hot sauce gift packs in New Orleans, LA at a given price point. By analyzing and gathering data on us, these big brands can make a killing off of our information, and we’re giving it away willingly all day long on social media!
Whether you can remember a time before social media or not, it’s important to realize that social media IS NOT our entire life! There is a great big world out there to go experience and live, and it was around long before social media ever came into the picture! Maybe today is a good day to take a minute to see how much you have allowed social media to be part of your life. Are you comfortable with how you answer that question? If not, perhaps it’s time to exit all your apps, and go take a walk…and leave the cell phone behind!