Social Media - Crack for the Masses

Nowadys, many of us are on at least one social media platform.
We eat, breathe and live our lives openly on it. We cannot do without it. Personally, I hate it because is like a succubus, constantly calling out only to suck all the time out from us. Yet, I cannot do without it because it has been invaluable in helping me stay in contact with friends from around the world. 

Without it, I feel like a part of me is missing and like an addict, I need my my Facebook fix. 

 But what is it about social media that gets us all hooked? 

Before we answer that question, lets first understand what social media is. Is it just about Facebook and Twitter? Or are there other facets to this mysterious monster?

This is Social Media:

Psych. But really, doesnt it feel as if fireworks go off in our heads when we stalk a cute girl or dig up the skeletons in others closets?

But seriously, what is Social Media?

And essentially, that is what social media really is, a new way for us to make ourselves heard and be heard. But with a new platform popping up every now and then, how can we make sense of all the chaos? Presenting (Insert Trumpets) the Social Network Infographic:

After a slow start, right around the turn of the millenium, there was literally an explosion of social media sites. But the Internet is a brutal place. One by one, the interest in the various webs have ebbed and flowed and along with it, the popularity of social media sites. I still remember when I was a kid, ICQ was my life then we moved on to friendster to myspace to Blogger, skipped flickr, ignored Buzz and now live on Facebook and almost exclusively watch TV on YouTube. 

The beauty of the above infographic is that it gives a comprehensive look at what social media is. Its not just about the Facebooks or Twitters. It is also about the YouTubes, and wikis and blogs. Even sites like TripAdvisor and HungryGoWhere are considered social media sites. 

I.E Social Media is anything where YOU make the news.  YES....YOU!

Without you, there is no social media. Why did sites like myspace and friendster disappear? Because we stopped using them. So companies are now designing their websites to attract new users and keep current ones. 

The following video explains what I mean. 

Social media is actively being used to change our behavior to keep us constantly using it. It is dangerous, addictive and wonderful. The constantly changing nature of social media makes it neigh impossible to pin down. As explained by Bart Simpson,

And yet, we constantly buy into the social media game. We cannot get out of it on our own. Like a crack addict, we want more and more only because everyone else around us are goading us own. Like an addict, we are constantly pressured to continue using it because we know that if we don't we would very quickly forget what is going on around us. It is pervasive and futile to fight against. It is here to stay.

So really, I suppose, All we can do now is.........