OMG, I have to Tweet that
A look at the ways that social media has changed our lives
Katie Manko
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News
In the past half a decade, social media has become as common as breathing among people of all ages.
Statistics show that Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months. If the website were a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world in terms of population.
Over 80% of companies are using LinkedIn as their primary tool for finding employees and with twitter and online advertisements, we no longer search for news-the news finds us.
"A large cohort of people in their late 20's and 30's are using social networking sites to post advertisements and make fan pages that promote their businesses. Small local businesses use word of mouth through these sites and it is easy to post a picture of a product online and buy an advertisement for it to display on facebook or twitter at a very low cost," said Matt Milless, Director of Student Activities.
Social networking sites have also had a major impact on the world of dating and relationships. Last year, 1 in 8 marriages were the result of couples meeting through social networks.
These sites have thus provided a service for people to connect with others in a way that otherwise would not be possible.
For example, back in February 2008, Kelly Hildebrandt, a 20-year- old from Coral Springs, Florida, searched her name on Facebook and discovered a 24-year old man with the same name living in Texas. The female Hildebrandt messaged him and the two ended up developing a relationship via facebook. Now, two years later, the two Kelly Hildebrandts are engaged to be married.
Twitter, a microblogging service that allows users to post tweets to both the public and their followers, is another major online social phenomenon. Twitter in particular has allowed people to post their thoughts and feelings and follow celebrities.
"Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire population of Ireland, Norway, and Panama," stated a YouTube video entitled "Social Media Revolution."
Statistics show that Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months. If the website were a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world in terms of population.
Over 80% of companies are using LinkedIn as their primary tool for finding employees and with twitter and online advertisements, we no longer search for news-the news finds us.
"A large cohort of people in their late 20's and 30's are using social networking sites to post advertisements and make fan pages that promote their businesses. Small local businesses use word of mouth through these sites and it is easy to post a picture of a product online and buy an advertisement for it to display on facebook or twitter at a very low cost," said Matt Milless, Director of Student Activities.
Social networking sites have also had a major impact on the world of dating and relationships. Last year, 1 in 8 marriages were the result of couples meeting through social networks.
These sites have thus provided a service for people to connect with others in a way that otherwise would not be possible.
For example, back in February 2008, Kelly Hildebrandt, a 20-year- old from Coral Springs, Florida, searched her name on Facebook and discovered a 24-year old man with the same name living in Texas. The female Hildebrandt messaged him and the two ended up developing a relationship via facebook. Now, two years later, the two Kelly Hildebrandts are engaged to be married.
Twitter, a microblogging service that allows users to post tweets to both the public and their followers, is another major online social phenomenon. Twitter in particular has allowed people to post their thoughts and feelings and follow celebrities.
"Ashton Kutcher and Ellen DeGeneres have more Twitter followers than the entire population of Ireland, Norway, and Panama," stated a YouTube video entitled "Social Media Revolution."
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