How Social Media Impacts Daily Life
It’s hard to imagine that twenty years ago the term “social media” would have puzzled people. The internet and cell phones were barely thought of. Computers were just starting to become popular. Today’s average high school student barely remembers these times, if at all, and certainly doesn’t know what it was like living before the age of social media. Social media impacts daily life to such an extent that society would have a hard time functioning if it were taken away. If you don’t think this is true, just think about how you’re reading this article. You’re probably on your smartphone or laptop.
Society was dramatically different before the social media era. Landlines were the predominant way of communicating with friends and family. Funny videos were watched in the evening on America’s Funniest Home Videos. After taking a picture, you had to wait for the photo to be developed before you could see it. These are just some of the little ways that social media impacts daily life. Below are more detailed descriptions of how the world would be different if social media didn’t exist.
A Lot of Businesses Would Be Run Differently
Businesses depend on the internet for a lot of their advertising. Websites work wonders to promote sales. It’s also a cheap (sometimes free) way to let people know about your brand. Posting on Facebook or tweeting on Twitter can not only generate sales for your business, but it helps people find your company that may otherwise never have known it existed.
Some businesses depend on the internet to do all of their selling. Without the internet, these businesses wouldn’t exist. Online stores are extremely convenient for customers, because they don’t even have to leave their house to do their shopping. This wouldn’t be possible without social media.
You Wouldn’t Know What All of Your Friends Were Doing At Any Given Moment
While this may seem like a small detail in the scheme of things, it impacts daily life more than you might think. Before Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, it was difficult to stay in contact with high school friends and past colleagues. Social media drastically changed this. Not only do people stay in contact, but they also learn about each other’s lives through status updates and check-ins. It’s easy to know more about the people that you’re connected to on social networks than the people living in your own house.
The Music Industry Would Function In a Completely Different Manner
One of the major ways that social media impacts daily life is through the music industry. Ten years ago, when a new album was released, you had to drive to the store and buy it in person. While you can still do that if you want (at least for now), you now have the option of downloading that very same album directly onto your phone, tablet or computer in a matter of seconds.
YouTube is another example of how the music world drastically changed thanks to social media. Before YouTube emerged, you had to either buy an artist’s album to hear a song or hope that the song came on the radio. YouTube completely changed this. You can find just about any song that exists there and not only listen to the song, but watch the video as well.
The world has gone virtual in many ways. Shopping, connecting with people and running a business have become much easier. If you’re still not convinced that social media impacts daily life, remember that this article wouldn’t have been written, and you wouldn’t be reading it at this very moment, if social media didn’t exist.