Social Media Has Drastically Changed How We Communicate

INTRODUCTION
The history of human communication began with the oral or spoken tradition.
Through the course of history, the dissemination of messages progressed
from simply the oral tradition, to script, print, wired electronics, wireless
electronics and finally digital communication. The greatest change in
message dissemination in recent history occurred with the introduction of
computers and the Internet in the early 1990s. Since then, this drastic
change of communication medium has significantly affected humans
perception of the media, the usage of time and space, and the reachability
and control of the media.
In the present age of digital communication, time has been compressed by
reducing the distance between different points in space, and the sense of
space has led people to feel that local, national, and global space becomes
obsolete (Harvey, 1990). In addition, the reachability of digital media can
now extend to all people, instead of a limited audience. This is significant
because without the confinement of time and space, the control of message
production and dissemination is no longer a privilege possessed only by
church, state, and government, but instead, equally shared by all individuals.
All these innovations in digital media, or so-called new media, have changed
and continue to change the way we think, act, and live. For example,
digitalization, as a hybridization of print and electronic media in a binary
code, converts analog to digital that requires a completely different mode of
production and distribution.
As Chen (2007) indicated, the impact of digital or new media on human
society is demonstrated in the aspects of cognition, social effect, and a new
form of aesthetics. Cognitively, new media demands a non-linear nature and
the creation of expectations for content, which directly influences the way
people use media. Socially, the most manifested impact of new media is the
effect of demassification, which denotes that the traditional design for a
large, homogeneous audience is disappearing and being replaced by a

specific and individual appeal, allowing the audience to access and create
the message they wish to produce (Olason & Pollard, 2004). Visually, new
media brings forth a new digital aesthetic view, which refers to, for example,
interactivity, manipulation, the prepurposing and repurposing of content
across media, deliberate creation of virtual experience, and sampling as a
means of generating new content (Chen, 2007, p. 95).
The media landscape has changed substantially over the past decade. Digital
content has moved beyond the Internet alone and can be found in radio, TV,
cellular phones as well as on interactive screens in public places. Digital
formats allow for more dynamic advertising over a wider array of platforms.
A challenge for marketers is the effective use of these new dynamic,
interactive
media.
fragmentation
The
combination
of
media
proliferation,
and audience fragmentation has given
media
rise to major
challenges and opportunities.

Marketers are uncertain of the challenges posed by emerging new media
(Barwise, Elberse, and Hammond 2002; Louvieris and Driver 2001). The
Internet is more than another media channel. It has evolved to exploit a
range of high capacity networks and convergent devices such as interactive
digital
television,
online
games,
next
generation
cell-phones
and
more(Barwise et al. 2002). The internet has facilitated a host of other

electronic
communications
which provide opportunities
for
real time
communication, virtual experiences and the capacity to collect rich data

about prospects. As such, new media provides interactive, real time
opportunities for dialogue and non-linear access to differentiated contents.
In the age of satellite telephones, global CNN and the possibility of wireless
Internet connection almost anywhere, it is hard to imagine that there exists a
spot on earth that has not been touched by global communication
(Stevenson 1992).
International communication as a phenomenon is probably as old as human

society itself and has occurred ever since people have organized themselves
in communities and began to exchange ideas and products (Mowlana 1996;
Schoonraad, Bornman and Lesame 2001). However, the phenomenon of
global communication as we know it today is essentially the result of
technological advancements. It probably started with the development of
advanced transport technology such as the steam engine and the internal
combustion engine (Frederick 1993). Currently it is primarily driven by the
worldwide
proliferation
of
advanced
information
and
communication
technologies (ICTs)
However, the vast developments in the media and ICTs in the late 20th
century have resulted in a radical expansion of the scope of international
communication. Currently communication across national borders has
expanded to a large diversity of business-to-business and people-to-people
interactions at a global level. Furthermore, not only the representatives of
nation-states, but also a variety of non-state actors such as international
non-governmental bodies, social movements as well as ordinary individuals
are
increasingly
shaping
the
nature
of
transnational
communication
(Mowlana 1996).
Social media has drastically changed how we communicate. Not too long
ago, we communicated through the mail, on a land-line telephone, and in
person. To- day, we send text messages; leave voice messages; use instant
messenger; send emails; talk through headphones, cell phones, and online
video phones; and, of course, interact through the Internet where a plethora
of social media tools has redefined communication. Such a redefinition has
had an enormous effect. The entire paradigm of social media has altered the
basic rules of communication, especially between business and their
audiences. The one- way communication methods of the recent past
business-to-customer and business-to-businesshave been replaced by a
more
robust
multidimensional
communication
model.
That
model
is
collectively called social media (also referred to as Web 2.0).

With its distinctive features new media has brought human society to a
highly interconnected and complex level, but at the same time, it challenges
the very existence of human communication in the traditional sense. New
media not only influences the form and content of information/messages, but
it also affects how people understand each other in the process of human
communication, especially for those from different cultural or ethnic groups.
On the one hand, intrinsically, the new culture hatched from new media
creates a continuity gap between traditions and innovations within a culture.
Before the emergence of new media, according to Bagdasaryan (2011),
traditions and innovations in human society co-existed in a dynamically
synchronized way, but the speed and impact of the new media resulted in
the inability of traditional values to keep pace with the new cultural values
produced by new media. This cultural gap has caused difficulty in
understanding or communication between generations and among people in
the same culture.
The Rules of Social Media

To communicate effectively in the social media world means understanding
the new rules of the road. People want:
To have a say
Meaningful dialogue
To be engaged and involved in the process
Personal interactions with others
To be listened to
To help shape what they find useful
To connect with others engaged in similar activities
Plain talk
Communication to be genuine and relevant.
To conduct business with ethical companies who work transparently.
To be in partnership.
Understanding Social Media

While the tools and kinds of social media are many and their
implementations seemingly boundless, they all share a common set of
characteristics that meet the rules of social media (stated above).
Herewith, then, are the five Cs of social media:
Conversation. No longer is the communication one way, broadcast

or somehow sent to a passive audience. Social media is at least a
two-way conversation, and of- ten a multidimensional conversation.
Social media engages everyone involved.

Contribution. Social media encourages contributions and reactions
from anyone who is interested. Encourage is the key here; social
media solicits an interaction, positive and negative, by making it
easy to contribute.
Collaboration. Social media promotes an exchange of information
between you and your audience, and among audience members,
by inviting participation. Creating a quick and simple collaborative
platform
requires
that
information
be
organized
and
easily
distributed.
Connection. Accessing information on the Internet only takes a
click. Social media thrives on connections, within its own Web
vehicles and through links to other sites, resources, people, and
automatic feeds. People can even create their own personalized
site of connections.
Community. The fundamental characteristic of social media is the
creation of community: a fellowship and relation- ship with others
who share common attitudes, interests, and goals (such as
friendship,
Communities
professionalism,
form
quickly
politics,
and
and
photography).
communicate
effectively.
Communities
build
goodwill
from
members
to
the
hosting
organization and among members. While these communities are

only virtual with members seldom meeting each other in person,
they are no less robust than the physical communities in which we
live, and in many ways more robust from the simple fact that
barriers are removed.
Generational Perception of Social Media

Three generations occupy todays work- place. The three generations can
essentially be broken out into those over the age of 50, the so-called Baby
Boomers; those in their 30s and 40s, known as Generation X; and those in
their 20s and younger, known as Generation Y. Baby Boomers have the most
difficulty comprehending the phenomena of social media, so the perception
of social media between the outliersBaby Boomers and Gen Ybears
consideration. Baby Boomers essentially grew up in two-parent households
(almost 90 percent of families). For the vast majority, dad worked a job,
mom worked at home. This family unit, with its incumbent network of
extended relatives and neighbors, was the foundation of their lives. Boomers
grew up with black and white televisions, party-line telephones, newspapers, mail, double-feature movies, and mom-and-pop corner stores. Only
about 45 percent of Gen Y grew up in two-parent households. For the vast
majority, dad and mom both worked a job, essentially disintegrating the
basic family unit of relatives and neighbors. Gen Y grew up with color
computers constantly connected to the Internet, cell phones, digital media,
email and text messaging, movies at home, and big box chains. Gen Y is
inherently more comfortable using the tools of social media to communicate
with their network of peers and friends because they have lived it their entire
lives.
REFERENCES
China Media Research, 8(2), 2012, Chen, Impact of New Media on
Intercultural Communication
http://www.chinamediaresearch.net 4 [email protected]
Barwise, Elberse, and Hammond 2002; Louvieris and Driver 2001
Harvey, D 1990. The condition of post mordenity: An enquiry into the
origins of cultural change. Oxford: Blackwell

Chen. G, M (2007) Media (literacy) education in the united states,
China media research, 3(3), 87-103

Olson, S.R., Pollard, T. (2004). The Muse Pixelipe: Digitalization and
media literacy education. American Behavioural Scientist, 48(2), 248255

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INTRODUCTION

large, homogeneous audience is disappearing and being replaced by a

and audience fragmentation has given

challenges and opportunities.

more(Barwise et al. 2002). The internet has facilitated a host of other

which provide opportunities

communication, virtual experiences and the capacity to collect rich data

International communication as a phenomenon is probably as old as human

collectively called social media (also referred to as Web 2.0).

The Rules of Social Media

Understanding Social Media

Conversation. No longer is the communication one way, broadcast

Social media engages everyone involved.

organization and among members. While these communities are

Generational Perception of Social Media

China Media Research, 8(2), 2012, Chen, Impact of New Media on

origins of cultural change. Oxford: Blackwell

China media research, 3(3), 87-103

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