Take a second to think of a point of time, fifteen years ago, and reflect on how people were functioning in society and what actions did businesses have to take to be successful in the market. Don’t lose that thought just yet; now, compare those times to today. When I did this activity, I realized how the world has changed drastically and all of this would not have been possible if it weren’t for all the innovations in technology. Technological advancements are a frequent occurrence and are making life efficient for various individuals and businesses. If Moore’s Law continues to be preached, all the advances in technology and reductions in cost will make computing devices accessible to every single individual worldwide
If there are any components of technology that has impacted the generation in any way possible, it would be the introduction of social media. One on one conversation with people was a well-known method of communication back in the day. Those days will never been seen again due to the the increasing trend in the use of social media. If you have not been introduced to the world of social media yet, let me do the honors. Social media is referred to as the newest interaction tool among individuals or groups of individuals in which information and ideas are created, shared or exchanged over virtual communities and networks . Social media can be accessed through computers, mobiles and any technological device that uses the web.
As mentioned earlier, social media has influenced the society in a variety of ways and I would like to share some insight on how it impacts two key aspects in the community that are important to us.
Communication
Communication is an important aspect of today’s society and if it was not for this, societies and governments would be on the verge of destruction. Educational institutions would probably be most affected by the absence of communication as their goal is to educate students on applying different aspects of communication related to accurate grammar, vocabulary and spelling so that they are able to use these skills in future interactions, especially when composing emails to either a manager or a recognized professional. Furthermore, social media has completely changed the way people communicate with one another. Twitter, one of the kings of social media, has a 140 character limit when a status is being posted as well as slang terms and abbreviations are often used in order for people to share their thoughts within the character limit. With 93% of our communication context missing, people are finding it easier to make decisions and form relationships between words based on phrases and abbreviations. Abbreviations such as LOL (laugh out loud) are frequently depicted on social media websites or text messages, which tend to have a much greater meaning in today’s society rather than a three character word.
Numerous social networking websites exists today
Before the introduction of social media, not a lot of people were fans of writing but for those who did, they spent a lot of time writing letters or emails to an individual, as the action of writing was highly valued in society. Writing plays an important part of a person’s routine in today’s generation and is regularly displayed on social media websites. For example, when you write a status update on Facebook, it will be delivered to all your friends on your network in a fraction of a second. This further helps individuals to improve their writing skills on a daily basis. I am currently writing a post on a social media site such as Word Press and everyone will be able to read my blog and judge the manner in which I write this blog. This just proves that social media has resulted in people writing mainly for a larger audience rather than an individual plus the fact that several individuals have access to information and news quicker than how they used to be delivered back in the day.
Employment
I would have never thought that social media would play a crucial role in impacting employment. Social networking sites affect different factors of employment such as job searching, the hiring process and policies within the workplace. 
When people are looking for jobs, they first access newspaper postings or career websites. A new trend has started since social media has entered this world. Instead of using job posting websites, 1 in 6 unemployed people dedicate their time and effort towards social media in the form of social networking websites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to find a job. LinkedIn is a very popular social networking website which is used mainly for professional networking. 89% of job recruiters have hired their employees through this medium.
Furthermore, you should not be surprised if employers invest their time and efforts in browsing through your profile on social networking sites as a part of their screening process. Hiring managers usually love to see the attributes of the individual they are hiring so that they will not regret their decision in the long run. As a matter of fact, I had a job interview last week and the manager asked me if I had any social networking profiles.
It only takes one social media addict to potentially danger a company’s reputation. Employers are now introducing strict social media policies for their employees due to the widespread influence of social media. Employment Law has established that information acquired from any social media websites can be used against an employee in imposing the severity of the punishment.
On the whole, employers and job seekers rely heavily on social media. Social media has provided companies with effective interaction tools to maintain contact with clients, customers and employees. An employer who wants to advertise and promote a new product or a brand can use websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to reach a larger audience.
To conclude, social media has a huge impact in every individual’s life and if it has not done so yet, it will eventually be a part of your routine in the future. To provide you with additional insight on how the social media revolution is capturing our lives, take a look at the video below
Revolution of Technology 