Do you think that social media has the potential to bring about real social change?

I do believe that Social Media has the potential to bring about real social change. There are so many things we can now do, that we were never able to do before social media. We can use social media tools to help get awareness out about anything or everything we want. All you have to do is hit share, and everyone you are connected to can read what you post.

Facebook groups are a good way to bring about this social change. You can make a group for a cause, and invite people to join. These groups can reach more than just your social group. You can reach people all over the world, easier than ever before. 

An incredible example of this comes from the disaster that just occurred last year in Japan. A female student is studying at an university in California and was very worried about her family back in Japan, she had no way to get a hold of anyone. She later found out that there was a video posted on YouTube that showed her sister on the balcony in her family home with a sign saying "we are all ok." http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/15/california.student.japan/index.html?hpt=C1#

Online petitions, awareness groups and spreading of the word through Twitter and Facebook, we have all done at least one of these. But how much impact does one person make when doing these. We think because it touches us, it will touch others. Social media is creating a social awareness among teens that are actively interacting with others on various social networking sites. There was a survey done by World Vision. 80% of teens use social media, almost half of them, say they have become more aware of the needs of others as a result of their use of social media sites. About 34% of the teens surveyed have "liked" or "followed" a charitable organization or cause that they believe in. http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/about/20110222-New-Study-30-hour-famine-girl-more-likely-use-social-media-support-causes

Even though there are good things that come from social media, there are also bad social changes as well. Since everything is easily accessible on the computer, or by mobile device. People have lost the personal contact that used to be there. Instead of picking up a phone to ask a question, you can just throw off a quick text or message through a social media site. The face-to-face contact has lowered due to these changes. Why use the mail to send a letter, when you can just send it through email or a website. Communication barriers are increasing but decreasing at the same time. Everything is quicker and more convenient, but at what cost. I know children, under the age of 12, who have cell phones, and instead of calling up friends to hang out, they just sit on the computer, or mobile device and use it to instant message their friends. When I was 12... To contact my friends I needed to pick up the "home phone" and have a real conversation. There was no sitting at a computer and wasting the day away.

There is always good with the bad. But at the end of the day, it’s all about what you can do. Even though there are bad aspects of this social change, caused my social media, I still think that it can be a great thing. Needed information can get out and reach more people faster than ever before. And when it is in time of need, this can be the greatest thing needed, especially in these changing times.