I am quite new to the world of social media, with much still to learn about its etiquette and facilities, but I enjoy interacting with people I know and complete strangers all over the world - some of whom have become friends. I was introduced to it by an adviser who told me that to participate on Twitter and Facebook would be good for developing business, and I am sure that for some companies that maxim holds true; however, as I have become more involved with these sites, choosing to forego automation as much as possible and to make social networking a personal involvement, I am seeing the contrast between those members who are blatantly commercial in an unattractive way and those who wish genuinely to communicate with their friends or the world, to share interesting information and to chat about current events and their life.
Facebook began when Mark Zuckerberg created a free site where Harvard students could share their notes - academic networking which developed into social contact and as such it has been highly successful. Part of its success has lain in its simplicity and that it felt as if it were owned by its users. After its flotation on the Stock Exchange, its many investors now want to see a reward for their money and so Facebook users will increasingly be confronted by advertisements and money-making apps, like the new gambling app. Facebook's values have changed and it will be interesting to see if it affects the loyalties of genuine Facebook users.
Twitter, though smaller than Facebook, is more obviously a mixture of business promotion, spam, and authentic communicators: every day I am informed of new "followers" but when I check them, the majority are tyre salesmen in India, for example, or tax advisers in Florida, even questionable dating agencies, who have found me randomly and who have no interest in me or my work but only wish to use me to increase their numbers. Among my new followers, however, are sometimes jewels with whom I am delighted to connect and indeed follow back. I love Twitter, but not the time-wasters.
It is unsurprising, perhaps, that Facebook and to a lesser degree Twitter epitomise increasingly the materialism that is the key value for so many people, and just as our focus on having, making and spending money will be forced to change, so too will social media if the balance between community ethos and marketing opportunity is further eroded. In the end, though, for now, at least, it is the users who will decide.]]>
