5 Misconceptions About Social Media
Originally published at The Social Path
Yes, I
know. We’re all tired of lists. But studies have shown that they’re
still the most effective way to list things, and I can’t argue with
science.
Myth No. 1: This is all just a fad.
We could talk about how
socializing goes back thousands of years, blah blah blah, but let’s go
ahead and skip to the modern era. Social networking online has actually
been going on a lot longer than most people think.
I got started as a teen in the early 1990s, when I was running a
BBS. If you’re not a nerd, I should explain that a Bulletin Board
System was like a prehistoric Web portal, except without the Web. You
would dial in on your modem, then be able to e-mail or play games with
other folks who used the same BBS. Some were even networked, letting
you communicate across the whole nation. Yes, hard to believe there was
a time when that was impressive.
So why does social media feel like such a new trend? Well, the
technology has gotten a hell of a lot better in recent years, making it
easier than ever to join or even start a new network. Faster Internet
connections have also made it possible to share more than just words.
High-res pictures, podcasts, movies — you name it, it can finally be
passed around without hours of wait.
(click title for more)
