Individuals now serve as channels of information through social media by creating media artifacts and providing feedback and edits to content. Social media is characterized by individual profiles, sharing content with connections in real time, enabling public and private conversations, and providing tracking of history. Popular forms of social media include social networks like Facebook, microblogging platforms like Twitter and Instagram, professional networks like LinkedIn, media sharing sites like YouTube and Flickr, collaborative news sites, discussion forums, and virtual worlds. While social media allows people to stay connected at a lower cost and provides entertainment and learning opportunities, it also increases demands on relationships and can be addictive. Information shared may not always be accurate or beneficial, and personal content could affect careers.

1. PLEASE READ!
People as media
Individuals serve as channels of information. Traditionally, this is limited to folk media, writing or creating a media
artefact. With the advent of social media, individuals have been empowered to not just create media artefacts but to
give feedback, edit and add on to the media artefacr.
Characteristic of Social Media;
 Individualized, builds profiles (includes personal details, pictures, likes)
 Contents with friends and people (includes referrals by other friends or by the site itself)
 Uploads content in real time
 Enables conversations (both private and public)
 Provides tracking (history and threads)
Formals and example of Social Media
 Relationship or Social Networks- Facebook
 Micro-blogging – twitter, Instagram
 Special Interest networks – Linkedin, Pinterest
 Media Sharing – Youtube, Flickr
 Collaborative news- Reddit, Waze
 Discussion Forums- Google Groups
 Group buying/merchant sites – OLX. Groupon, Dealgrocer
 Virtual worlds- Farmville, World of Warcraft, Secondlife, Minecraft
ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS
AREAS ADVANTAGES LIMITATIONS
Relationships People who are physically apart can
continue to communicate at a lower cost,
send pictures, use live-streaming. Thereby
strengthening the ties between them.
Demands in relationship-building
increases with social media. People
expect friends and family to respond
immediately. Some private
conversations can be made vulnerable
to exposure.
Diversion/Entertainment Social media can provide great
entertainment and allow users to have a
respite from their busy schedules.
This form of entertainment can often be
addictive. Others find it more difficult to
manage their time wisely and to focus
om the task at hand.
Learning Social media provides a platform for real
time collaborative learning. Resources can
be made readily available. Learners can
take control of their own learning.
Teachers need to develop skills for a
more inclusive and personalized way to
facilitated learning. Not all information
is valid, accurate, or beneficial.
Recognition Instant recognition by the way of simply
liking a post can be very gratifying and
encouraging.
Social media has created a specific need
for validation and attention.
Career progression It has become easier to market oneself
through social media. Connections and
referrals are established more quickly.
There is no operation of private and
professional. What is posted about the
private self may affect the professional.