Media And Social Media

“Digital technology will fundamentally transform education, the way we work, play and interact with one another suggest that these new media will have an even greater impact on our culture than the invention of writing and reading” (Furedi, 2014). Social change is the transformation over time of the institutions and culture of a society. In today’s culture, technology and social media is something that effects everyone. These days, everyone is involved with technology of some kind. There have been many social and cultural changes in the past ten years due to social media and technology. The Internet has changed communication and relationships, everyday life, education, subcultures, and social protests (Ch. 20). Before the 1990’s. universities

6). The Internet has affected our everyday culture in how we communicate. Virtual communications are now a big part of our culture. “Human beings need to network. It is one of the major sources of happiness and fulfillment and the more they interact, the more satisfied they are going to feel” (Cohn, 2012). With network-based social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, we are able to communicate quickly. People use social media, texting, and email to communicate, instead of face-to-face interactions, phone calls, and writing letters. The ease interactions that people have through social media allows for relationships to flourish.
Our society is becoming more industrialized because of technology. George Ritzer explained this as the “McDonaldization” of Society. Our society is becoming more efficient, calculable, uniformed, and controlled through automation. Almost everything in everyday life has changed. E-mail is used instead of letters; E-commerce replaces trips to the store; bank machines are used instead of bank tellers; prepackaged meals instead of a home cooked meal. Automated touch-tone answers your question. Ritzer argues that this social life is less personal and more uniformed (Ch.

People are greatly influenced by what others say and do (Cohn, 2012). People communicate online and join in on a social network of nongovernmental organizations, religious and humanitarian groups, human rights associations, consumer protection advocated, environmental activists, and others. People are more informed about these different groups because of the easy access to information. The electronic networks can comment their ideas on events and pressure corporations, and governments. The Internet allows people all over the world to campaign for their cause (Ch. 13). “Occupy protests, the Arab Spring, the mobilization of resistance against the Government of the Ukraine or in Hong Kong was heavily dependent on the resources provided by social media” (Furedi, 2014). Al-Qaeda and other jihadist use the Internet to spread ideas and to gain followers. They encourage violence by posting videos on their websites or even on YouTube (Ch. 3).
Social media and technology is related to the Symbolic Interactionism theoretical approach. According to Mead, language allows people to be self-conscious of