My thoughts on the Revolution of Social Media

What is your perception of social media, do you think it is a fad or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

Social media can be viewed both negatively and positively, depending on how our society chooses to use it to their advantage. However, social media has been the biggest shift throughout the years and has changed the way we connect through the globe. With the click of a button, there are more services at our very own reach that has become even more accessible and inexpensive, the education system has been expanded through online learning and we are able to connect with individuals from all over the globe. From online shopping to hybrid courses, are some of a few examples of innovation that adjusts to the needs of customers and students, providing flexibility in the comfort of your own home. In relation to the video, “Social Media Revolution,” it was very detailed and eye-opening to read the statistics based on how social media has revolutionized our society. An interesting fact that caught to my attention was, “the years it has taken to reach 50 million users through, the television: 13 years, internet: 4 years, and Facebook: 100 million users in less than 9 months (WebSpy).” It is quite surprising to see the popularity of social media rapidly increasing with more activity and users creating accounts daily through well-known social networking sites such as, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and many more (WebSpy).

An example that brought attention to many individuals across Canada was the ALS ice bucket challenge, where participants took part in the challenge by pouring a bucket of ice and water over their heads to raise awareness for ALS. To give a brief description, ALS, otherwise known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which the nerve cells die, leading to muscle weakness, followed by paralysis that spreads throughout the body (ALS Canada). In support of the ALS research, approximately 260,000 Canadians who partook to fight against the ALS disease, raised over $16 million through the ice bucket challenge (ALS Canada). With the record-breaking donation in history, the ALS research has partnered with Brain Canada bringing a total investment of $20 million, while $6 million in programs provided critical support to Canadians who are living with ALS (ALS Canada). You can do your part by participating in the 2015 WALK for ALS (ALS Canada). Below the description, a link will be posted in regards to the walk and how you can register if interested. Thank you for reading and use social media wisely!

Link to 2015 WALK for ALS in Ontario:
http://www.walkforals.ca/ontario

References:

ALS Canada. (n.d.). ALS Society of Canada. Retrieved January 14, 2015, from 260,000 CANADIANS RAISE OVER $16 MILLION THROUGH ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE: http://als.ca/en/news/awareness/als-societies-across-canada-commit-10-million-als-research-and-announce-new

WebSpy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14, 2015, from Social Media – The Biggest Shift Since the Industrial Revolution?: http://webspy.com/blogs/social-media-is-here-to-sta/