Social Media Statistics

Social media dominates the internet.  Check out this link with stats on all of the main social media sites:


http://blog.digitalinsights.in/social-media-facts-and-statistics-2013/0560387.html

Some interesting stats that stand out to me:

23% of Facebook's 1.5 billion users check Facebook more than 5 times a day.

4.2 people billion people use their mobile phones to check social media websites

40% of marketers use Google+, 70% desire to learn more and 67% plan to increase Google+ activities

More than 5 million photos are uploaded everyday on Instagram

These stats show the importance and relevance of social media and why it should be a focus for instruction and instructional designers.

History of Social Meida

I found a modern, engaging, and interactive website providing the history of social media:

http://avalaunchmedia.com/history-of-social-media/Main.html

It is interesting that this site begins social media with the postal service.  Some 'experts' debate that social media must be include the internet, and suggest that social media began with the first online forum.  Others argue that social media first began with pigeon posting, in which pigeons would fly messages from one location to another.  From my research, I tend to believe that pigeon posting was the first advent of social media.  While the definition has now evolved to include the internet, the first definition and examples seem to date back to pigeon posting.

Social Media, Redefined...

http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/194754

As I was researching/writing for my midterm paper, I was becoming more confused about the difference between social media and social networking.  This website seemed to be very effective in breaking it down:

"Social media is a way to transmit, or share information with a broad audience. Everyone has the opportunity to create and distribute. All you really need is an internet connection and you're off to the races.

On the other hand, social networking is an act of engagement. Groups of people with common interests, or like-minds, associate together on social networking sites and build relationships through community."

Social media seems to refer more to the message or information, whereas social networks seem to refer to an outlet where social media can be created and found.

Still confused?  Understandably!  It is obviously very complex, as most people describe and refer to them as synonymous terms.

From the examiner:
Social Media are tools for sharing and discussing information.  Social Networking is the use of communities of interest to connect to others.  You can use Social Media to facilitate Social Networking.  Or, your can network by leveraging Social Media.  

Here is a video that really helps simplify social media:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE