One of the perks of social media is to create the opportunity for like-minded people from any corner of the world to come together and share their common interests through social media groups, forums, and channels. Without a shadow of a doubt, social media is the best thing that has ever happened to freedom of speech. Yet, there is still a long way to come for the utmost version of it.
Social media is serving as a means to help people connect from all over the world where the internet is accessible. They share common agendas and engage in the online activities they believe in. People have been making use of social media to create their own ‘tribes and clans’ virtually. Even though there are some pathetic people out there, deliberately spreading hate speech and all sorts of immoral activities, there are those who are using this opportunity to celebrate diversity and enjoy multiculturalism. These trends are creating new cultures of globalization and freedom of expression.
Trends of Social Media
Just like any other technological fruit, social media had to go through several changes and evolutions to stand in the position it is today. It has evolved from communicating through mores codes to instant messaging, to multimedia messages, to electronic mailing, and to the real-time internet social media, we are witnessing today.
These days, where the conventional methods of social participation are fading away, Technology has empowered people to satisfy their sense of belonging by allowing them to be part of virtual society. People have been forming and engaging in online groups to discuss and keep in touch with their social, educational, political, entertainment, business, dating, professional and historical issues. According to the report released by stastistica.com, social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2020 over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide, this number is expected to rise to nearly 4.41 billion by 2025.
Features That Make People Stay on Social Media
The ever-increasing human need for a sense of belonging, attention, and appreciation is catalyzing the speedy advancement of social media. Almost all of the platforms on social media have been working to fulfill the rising demand of their users. They usually follow up with their users’ feedback to give the best experience by constantly improving the following features:
- The Sign-up process: social media platforms are always looking for an easy, user-friendly, and smooth signup process to save their users from long, boring, and complicated steps.
- Profile customization: the freedom to customize of user-profiles is becoming super important for social media users. People feel more comfortable when the authority of customizing their social media profiles is in their hands. It gives them a sense of control, and the right to decide the amount of information that pops into their devices.
- Web feed: interactable web feed features seem to interest a lot of social media users as they can allow them to stay updated about matters, they are really concerned about.
- Chatting alternatives: people are getting drawn to social media platforms that can provide diversified communication alternatives through text, audio, and video chats.
- Search alternatives: diversified means of searching alternatives allow people to search for their acquaintances, favorite media files, and virtual communities of their preference, either through words, photos, or audio search options.
- Sharing link: access for sharing content among several social media platforms. This gives people the opportunity to spread their ideas and movements among a multitude of social media platforms to reach many like-minded mates.
- Privacy policy: people by nature don’t feel safe when they feel that their privacy is invaded without consent. A transparent privacy policy would allow virtual activities to stay alive and keep people interested.
Digital Global Nation Is Underway
Social media platforms have been serving as a struggle ground for various social movements. People just use their posts, hashtag, and share buttons to spread a cause. And like-minded people from any corner of the world would join them. Social media allows thoughts and ideas to be shared and spread fast and loud. Usually, such loud voices are not to be ignored due to the probable negative impacts they could impose on authority and business corporations.
So many times, people have come together to face oppressors, demand justice, boycott companies, stand with human rights values, and celebrate diversity. Yet it’s impossible to deny that, few others have joined social media to spread hate speech and polarization. Despite the shortcomings, the fast pace at which humanity is traveling wouldn’t have been possible without the intervention of the internet and social media.
All because of the internet’s accessibility, humans are getting to know each other and learning to adapt to each other’s culture through social media gatherings on various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok, Twitter, Wechat, Google+. Others are able to start their own digital ‘clans and tribes’ on Telegram, Whatsapp, and Paltalk. Others share their ideas on digital forums like Quora and AskFm.
People are getting used to sitting at the captain position in their own stories and contents. They can be leaders of their circle and can have followers. Likewise, they can follow whoever they feel suits them. Social media is showing us an illusion of a digital community that possibly leads to a digital nation.
Photo: 13_Phunkod/shutterstock
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