Three New Notifications: Social Media Changing the World

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Jake Shackelford Mindy Young English 101-02 6 November 2013 Three New Notifications: Social Media Changing the World Social media is a staple in human lives today; it is changing the way people think and the way that they function in society. Social media outlets such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and many others, have opened many routes of contact as a media in which people can communicate more freely with one another. These are part of a much larger base of networking sites. Though originally invented for improving communication between people that were otherwise unable to connect on the level that they desire, they have also created a different plane of existence in which one can be lost and disconnected from his or her social surroundings. As these sites have expanded and become more popular, people have become less protective of their information and privacy. People send friend requests to anyone who seems interesting. With this disconnect from real society and a constant exposure to social media, there is a greater chance for social media to have a lasting impact on a person’s life. The consequences social media can have can be far reaching and powerful. The effects of this constant stream of exposure can range from losing a job, to losing a friend, to losing a life. Social media is taken for granted by most people today, but it is important to consider where it had its beginnings. According to an article issued online by the website Digital Trends, social media as a whole made its debut with the Bulletin Board System, or BBS (Goble). These online meeting places were independently-produced programs where users communicated by means of a central system from which they could download files or games and send private messages to fellow users. As new and effective as this software was, the public quickly moved on. The next step in social networking was
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