A Summary of Social Media

Social media can be defined as "a website that doesn't just give you information, but interacts with you while giving you that information" (Nations, 2012).  Media is a tool that aids in communication.  Social media therefore, is any tool used for communication that allows for reciprocal communication rather than just providing information.  This form of media technology allows users to respond and interact.  "Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter.  Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too" (Nations, 2012). 

Social media takes on many forms.  It includes websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.  All of these sites are considered more complex forms of social media.  However, since social media refers to a form of media where interaction can take place, sites that ask for feedback also fall under this category.  Social media includes websites that use social bookmarking, social news, social networking, social photo and video sharing, and wikis.  All of these sites allow for some form of interaction.  Some are as elaborate as having profiles, chats, and friends, while others only allow interaction by tagging, voting, or comments. 

Social media has grown in popularity over the last decade.  Today more and more organizations are finding the benefits of having an app or other access to social media networks.  Through these wide spread interactions, information, marketing, and new ideas are able to spread like wildfire from one person to the next.