What is your perception of social media, do you think it is a fad or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

Social media has become the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution.  It has expanded and improved since yesterday and will continue to expand and improve even tomorrow. Social media is growing rapidly and has become part of our lives, whether we have consented or not. It is hard to avoid such powerful organizations when we become face to face with them at every corner we turn. Not only can we stay connected with our social media networks at home but now we can take them with us on the bus, at work or even on a simple walk, all with one click on our cell phones. Yes, social media has expanded to cell phone applications, now the anxiety of waiting to come home and checking our facebook notifications or twitter updates can be satisfied anywhere and anytime. It is amazing though, how much social media can affect our lives. Through facebook we rekindle with old friends or distant family members. We can comment on our friend’s pictures from the party last week and send a quick reminder on our co-worker’s “wall” about a shift we need them to take this weekend. It has all become so convenient.  No more having to wait to physically see a person or even call them on the phone. Nope, all it takes is a few typed words and a send button to make our lives that much easier. Although social media has benefited us in so many ways and has admittedly made many things so convenient in our “busy” lives, every good thing has an ugly side. Just as water can be so calm and beautiful and allows us to rid ourselves of the blistering heat on hot summer days, it can turn dangerous within a blink of an eye. From soothing splashes of water arise rapid waves, teaching us to be careful and that too much of a good thing, well, isn’t necessarily a good thing. Social media breaches privacy on so many levels for example, archiving all our information and pictures. People we haven’t even met know where we live, where we work and where we go to school. Who really sits there and reads the privacy agreements when signing up or making an account for these sites? Don’t we all just skim past it until we get to the “I Agree” checkbox? As many people have experienced, social media sites also stem hatred and fighting. Behind a computer screen people send each other threatening messages, which is a form of harassment. But these things are never reported because it has become a norm and happens to often to be taken care of. Social media is a whole other world with different rules. Social media sites have helped us in many ways but there is so much that we don’t question. Is it because we don’t care? Or is it because we just don’t know? Are we ignorant to the unappealing facts? Do we only want to see the good and pretend the bad does not exist? Whatever the case may be, social media is unstoppable. It will expand and grow to new lengths every day.  As the general public, we are the targets. So we should embrace these sites because of their benefits, but never forget our rights to safety and privacy.