The Impact Social Media have on People Globally: How have the Social Media Impacted the lives of people globally?

“Social Media isn’t a fad; it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.” (Qualman, 2010). Communication as it is known today is truly and constantly changing as a result of social media utilization and thus the dynamics of human relationships take on a new perspective. The first thing that comes to mind when one hears the words, “Social Media”, is definitely the means by which one can communicate and meet with people across the globe, through the different channels that are now available. What do we really mean by “Social Media”? “The term refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share and or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks”. (Provencher, pg 1). The Social Media has definitely become a great significant part of our society and thus defines how people integrate. For this we can thank our technology visionaries who have created this platform. People can now freely express their opinions, thoughts and feelings which can be shared with family and peers.

What types of social media or networks are there existing today? While Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and WhatsApp might be the first sites that comes to mind, these however, do not represent the full scope that exists. Through social connections: Facebook, no doubt arguably one of the most popular and world’s largest social media utility, has provided users around the globe to build connections and share information with people and organizations they choose to interact with. According to (Provencher, pg1), “as of September 2010 Facebook has more than 1.15 billion users worldwide”. Twitter, on the other hand, is a social networking or micro blogging platform which also allows groups and individuals to stay connected and as it says, it is basically sharing one’s thoughts and ideas and also keeping up with others. Google +, though relatively new is designed to allow users to build circles of contacts which is also integrated with other

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