The Benefit of Social Media

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn connect millions of people every day. There are more than 2 billion active social media users around the world (Pew Research Center, 2015). The average person has five social media accounts and spends about two hours every day on these social networking sites, reported by Global Web Index.

These networking sites are vibrant online tools that help people keep in touch with family, friends, and even informed on the latest news. It has transformed the way we communicate in today’s modern society.

As humans, we want to stay connected and this is one of the reasons why social media has grown so explosively. Being connected is one of the deepest drives we have as humans. Social media has changed the way we interact with each other and even conduct business. “One of the greatest innovations of technology is social media, not just in our ability to communicate but in our ability to market directly to those we want to reach,” (Sachs, J., 2016).

With so many individuals online today, the use of social media and online shopping has increased dramatically. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, books, and cosmetics are among the products bought online regularly (PMR, 2012). Many businesses have realized the full potential of these social networking sites and have begun to use them as a marketing tool to advertise their brands. Nine out of 10 U.S. companies are now using social media (Holmes, R. 2015).

We become powerful and connected through social media. It is especially helpful when we are traveling overseas. In 2010, I came to Ball State as an exchange student and the only way I could communicate with my family and friends back home in Tajikistan was through social media sites like Facebook and Skype. I have had many meals with my family through Skype.

According to New York Time, 2016 there are more than 1.6 billion people who use Facebook alone and about 74 million who use Skype. A quarter of the world’s population now uses social media to connect every day; some for business, some for pleasure, some to stay connected. Social media is a gateway that connects us to the world. It is a bridge that connects each and every one of us together.