Social Media Revolution: Leaps and Bounds in the Last Ten Years

I was chatting with one of my best friends last night about #Freberg13 class and how we’re learning specifics on implementing social media within the realm of business. My friend is a University of Louisville graduate with a BA in Communication. We discussed how my Communication degree in 2014 will be a completely different degree than the degree she received circa 2004. She explained to me that at that time the biggest social media platform was Myspace. All her sorority events were set up through Myspace, and almost all the social media outlets that are part of our every day lives now hadn’t been invented yet.

If you want to check out a timeline of when different social media platforms started popping up, check out this article by Renee DeCoskey called, “Were We Really Living Without Social Media Ten Years Ago?”

I for one remember what it was like to be in high school without a cell phone, laptop, or iPad. (I graduated in 2002.) If you asked me five years ago about my definition of social media, I would have told you I really didn’t care. I found it unnecessary. When you don’t grow up checking your Facebook or Twitter stream in between classes, it takes a while to adjust. (Unfortunately for teachers now, it may be students checking in class.) At first I saw social media as a distraction that takes away from face to face communication. To some degree, on a personal level, I still agree with that argument. Of course we all love seeing pictures and posts from friends and family who live on the other side of the country, but we can’t let social media become the reason we don’t pick up the phone and actually hear a voice and intonation. Yes I know, that’s what Skype is for! 🙂 I’m somewhat of a traditionalist though, who still sends my Grandma letters through the actual post office.

On the other hand, I believe for business, social media is a must this day and age. We don’t write directions on a piece of paper any more; we use Google Maps or Scout. If we want to find the best restaurant when we visit Chicago, we check our UrbanSpoon or OpenTable apps. The bottom line is that social media is a must for any company to survive in the long run. Period.

Take it from me, the daughter of two entrepreneurial spirits who have been managing their own businesses for longer than I’ve been alive; when you open a business in 1973 the process is completely different than when you open a business in 2013. I’m honored to have been a part of this second opening on June 15, 2013, when my Father’s life-long dream of opening Indiana Caverns came to fruition.

Have a Great Day,

Amanda