It’s been more than a decade since the first recognized social media platform, Six Degrees, was launched in 1997. It paved the way for other social media sites that we know of such as Facebook and Instagram to be invented. And the latter two are some of the most well-known social media sites that we currently use today as our platform whether for personal or business use.
In this blog, we will share with you how social media impacted our lives and how it became a part of us through the years.
Social Media’s Original Purpose
Over the years, there have been a lot of social media websites launched that many of us have tried, used, and are still using. But not all succeed to secure their position. Some have gained fame overnight but eventually lost their magic and became forgotten. On the other hand, they all had one main goal when they were launched—building connections.
The original use and purpose of social media is a way to connect people and to connect society. This is where we share our thoughts, ideas, opinions, and feedback (virtually]) to our connections—our family and friends. So, regardless of the distance from one another, we all are staying connected and updated with each other.
Despite the variety of social media platforms that we use today, it is still supposed to be faithful to its main goal. But over the years, as it became part of our lives, the concern about its sole purpose has been questioned.
Social Media Has Evolved Over The Years
Compared to when social media was first launched, we’re limited to only a few that we can use. Today, we have a variety of platforms to choose from. And over the years, the way we use it has also changed as the platforms are so easy to access. You just sign up for an account, start posting, and make connections.
It’s like our online diary where we share a part of our life with our family and friends.
But as years passed by, social media also opened doors for other possibilities. It has evolved and gone beyond its purpose of just a tool for connecting people and society.
It also became a space for opportunities to manifest. It helped—and still is—for businesses to grow and solidify their name and branding. It became the birthplace of new businesses. And it also opened the possibility to be a stage for people who can’t find breakthroughs and start a career in their respective fields.
This also became a training ground for social media influencers and made a name in the mainstream media. Social media has opened a lot of opportunities in many aspects knowing that accessing it is easy.
It doesn’t matter how we access our social media—whether through a desktop, tablet, or mobile device—as long as we have the internet and the social media account(s).
And compared to before, posting simultaneously on different platforms is now possible.
On the other hand, as it became an integral part of our communication and a [virtual] land of opportunities for many people and businesses, it also became a rooting ground for unwanted miscommunications due to irresponsible postings.
Our Responsibility When Posting
Using social media as our medium or platform for our personal use, business, or branding comes with great responsibility. We have to be keen with the information and details we share. One wrong and misleading post or [social media] status could lead an image, business, or life to crumble.
That is how social media has become impactful in our lives. And throughout the years, we’ve witnessed it happen.
When we make a post, we’re not only sharing it with certain people. There’s always the possibility that it would reach millions of users of the platform within seconds—whether through a share button or a screenshot. There’s a possibility that it could go viral or it could go trending. And, in some cases, what you posted could be used against you—verbally or legally (in court). There are a lot of possibilities.
And even though we have the capabilities to optimize the settings, limit our audience, block trolls, and/or report unhealthy and toxic social media users, the cycle keeps going on.
So, that is why companies or even the big social media influencers generally hire a team that focuses solely on the posting and marketing of their branding through social media. This helps them to carefully study the trend, observe the comments and replies to the postings (and status), and be ready to have a countermeasure in case of unforeseen situations.
But for most users like us, we always have to keep in mind our original purpose of using the platform. We should be aware of our surroundings, we should be aware of how people would react to what we post and what we share online.
Social Media Is Good But…
As mentioned above, the original purpose of social media is to connect people and society. It is a good place to express our thoughts and ideas. However, we should always know our boundaries.
We should set limits on what we can share and express. Your social media account is your own. You own it. But what you share is something you should take responsibility for.
Social media is evolving—it continuously is—and we have to continue being the bigger person moving forward by being responsible for what we post, click, like, and share. Don’t let it overtake you as a person, you should still be the one taking control of yourself today and moving forward.