SOCIAL MEDIA YOUR 21 ST CENTURY WATERCOOLER

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA, ANYWAY? Social media is a way for people to communicate and socialize online. Depending on the platform you use, social media can allow you to share your thoughts, pictures, stories and ideas to your friends, families and coworkers. You can even share all of these things with the general public. Social media is social. Social media gives you the ability to reach a number of different audiences across many different age groups and backgrounds all at once. Social media is designed to be shared.

SOCIAL MEDIA EXAMPLE #1: FACEBOOK

AFSA’s Facebook page

What’s your status?

WHY SHOULD I CARE? Social media is influential. While the term “social media” sounds silly and light-hearted, in reality, it gives people the power to do incredible things. Many of the things that happen online on social media end up reverberating in the real world. Social media has, can and still does: Organize and activate large groups of people Get people fired from their jobs Be used as a method to intimidate or bully Be used as a way to report on a story the mainstream media is not reporting Reveal secrets or secure information not before made public

SOCIAL MEDIA CAN DEFINE A MOVEMENT

SOCIAL MEDIA EXAMPLE #2: TWITTER

AFSA IS ON TWITTER

TWEETING FOR ACTION

TWEETING? POSTING? FRIENDING? SAY WHAT? Social media has its own language. Not unlike the way you and your friends talk to each other, social media has a few words that have become specifically associated with certain platforms. Tweet: a post on Twitter that is 140 characters or less. It can contain links to web pages, mention other twitter users and can even reply to other twitter users’ tweets. Friending: accepting someone’s friend request on Facebook. To see someone’s Facebook profile, you must invite them to be your friend. Status update/Facebook post: writing your thoughts, plans or ideas on your Facebook status.

DO U ABBREV? g2gGot to go ttylTalk to you later wtfWhat the frick lolLaugh out loud omwOn my way tmlTell me later tmiToo much information <3Heart/Love lmaoLaughing my a** off brbBe right back fbFacebook plsPlease srslySeriously

SOCIAL MEDIA EXAMPLE #3: YOUTUBE

SOCIAL MEDIA BY THE NUMBERS

OK, SO SHOULD I USE SOCIAL MEDIA? Social media is for everyone! But, that doesn’t mean everyone should use it. It is important to understand social media, how it’s used and how it can be used. Social media has changed the way we interact with one another. Something that happens in the physical world can easily be put on the Internet in the form of a Youtube video, Facebook post, Tweet or any other social media update.

WITH GREAT STATUS UPDATES COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY Part of understanding social media is understanding your sphere of influence. As a user of social media, it is important to understand who you are influencing, who you are connecting with and how you are portraying yourself or the organization you are representing.

And speaking of social media… Check out AFSA’s new website!