Sarah Hall

Jim Beatty
English 2010
July 21, 2016

Social Media Report Paper

Social Media has not only become a key part of todays modern lifestyle, but it keeps us
connected with the world 24/7. Whether that be through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or simple
emailing, we use some form of social media every day. Its crazy to think that about a decade ago social
media was hardly a trend. There were only a few platform bases such as YouTube and MySpace, but even
so, these were still growing. Most of the world still hadnt jumped on the media train yet. These last 10
years have seen such a significant rise in social media usage, not only in forms of communication, but in
business, advertising, and marketing as well. Social activism has also been playing a major role in social
media as well. With technology ever-evolving, its more accessible to be connected with friends and
people from around the world, therefore making social media a huge benefit and ultimately allowing us to
be more social.
The use of social media has been increasingly popular. Facebook is a huge platform that people
use internationally. As of March 2016 the Facebook user base is at a whopping 1.6 billion active users,
surpassing the population of China. In Lori Ann Wagners article When Your Smartphone Is Too Smart
for Your Own Good: How Social Media Alters Human Relationships, she references a Pew Research
survey which states that 73% of adults online use some kind of social networking platform, and 42% use
multiple platforms. Of these adults online, 71% are Facebook users, 63% of whom report visiting the site
at least once per day; of those, 40% report visiting the site multiple times per day. Facebook is a great
platform that helps people keep in contact with others. You can instant message, post photos, update your
status for others to comment on, and even just watch funny and educational videos. Facebook also helps

relationships to develop positively. When couples portray positive, cheerful and upbeat statuses about
their relationship, relationship maintenance behaviors on Facebook reported greater relationship
satisfaction (Seidman). People who share their relationship status on Facebook for others to see, show
that they are more serious about the relationship with their partner, gaining higher satisfaction. If I were to
see that my boyfriend posted a photo of the two of us on Facebook with a caption that speaks positively
about our relationship, I would feel reassured that he loves me and that he is happy and he wants the
world to know it. This proves that Facebook isnt only great for casual conversations with others, but it is
also beneficial for relationships.
Studies are showing that people are becoming more interactive with one another, even though the
style of communication has changed. Face-to face conversations are slowly being replaced with texts and
emails, but we also have Skype and FaceTime available to us. This makes it easily accessible to talk to
each other while on two different continents and still have the same feel as an in-person conversation. Its
really comforting to know that you could be halfway across the world and have the accessibility to see
your families faces on your phones screen wherever you are. There is technology all around us and it has
become wildly popular. According to the United States Census Bureau (2014), from 1984 to 2012,
households in the United States with a computer have risen from 8.2 to 78.9 %. Households with internet
access have risen from 18.0 % in 1997 to 74.8 % in 2012 (Cyr, Berman, Smith). These statistics are
continually increasing as we advance. As much as people disagree, the facts point to us as being more
communicative with technology and social media than ever before.
Lastly, social media has become a staple for many student activist groups. Social media allows
for activists who all agree on a political standpoint, to come together and make a social change. Because
of the fact that not everyone lives in the same area and cant congregate in person, social media platforms
make it possible to do so over the internet. It only takes one person to start something up online for it to
attract many others to follow along as well. Many people post petitions online in hopes to gather lots of
followers and ultimately make a change. Some of these petitions and activist groups may include the likes
of stopping animal cruelty, LGBT rights in the community, how to stop excess pollution in our air, etc. It

doesnt have to be an issue that only relates to one specific area. Once people around the world notice that
these issues are common everywhere, social media makes it easy for these activists to band together to
help make the necessary changes. Reading/watching political news and using the Internet for contacting
politicians and public sector officials through e-mails or newsgroups posts make social activism a lot
more accessible. The relationship between Internet access and online exposure to political information,
shows that Internet use was positively related with political efficacy (Velasquez and LaRose pp.458).
These studies show that using social media, as a means to connect for social change, have been proven to
be positive for student social activism. Its beneficial for those to post their political views online and
have others support them and want to make a change. Its a lot more convenient now to have access to the
internet and create social groups in which participants can carry out their plans for change.
Social media has been proven time and time again that it is ultimately making us more social
human beings. It creates easier and faster ways through social media platforms for us to communicate
with each other and to stay in constant contact. Social change can be developed through student social
activism to help create foundations in our government issues. Technology will continue to advance; it is
up to us to adapt with is for our social benefit.

WORKS CITED
Wagner, Lori Ann. When Your Smartphone Is Too Smart for Your Own Good: How Social Media Alters
Human Relationships. Journal of Individual Psychology vol 71 Issue 2 2015 pp.114-121. Academic
Search Premiere. http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=103721596&site=ehost-live
Seidman Ph.D, Gwendolyn How Facebook Alters Our Relationships. Psychology Today. May 28, 2015.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/close-encounters/201505/how-facebook-affects-our-relationships
Velasquez, Alcides; LaRose, Robert. Social Media for Social Change: Social Media Political Efficacy
and Activism in Student Activist Groups. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media Vol 59 Issue 3
2015 pp.456-474. Academic Search Premiere. http://search.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=aph&AN=108866865&site=ehost-live