Report on Social Media

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say social media has changed the world. The implications social media sites have on communication and public opinion are massive. No matter what angle you look at it, whether from a business, person-to-person, or societal viewpoint, the Facebooks, Twitters, etc. of the world have changed the way we communicate, who we communicate with, and why we communicate.

When it first came about, social media was thought of as a purely personal thing. You could have your Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, whatever it was, but it wasn't intended to be seen by anyone but the people closest to you. I remember being thirteen years old with a Myspace for the first time, and I felt like I had unlocked a whole new world of limitless social potential. I felt I could express myself in whatever way I liked without fear of judgement or punishment from parents, teachers, relatives, or anyone else. But as I grew up and social media evolved, all of this has changed. I am now friends with my 70 year-old aunts on Facebook. My profiles are now on the radar when it comes to job searches. And a parent or professor or boss could easily google my name and find my online presence in a few clicks. Now I realize how important it is to be just as careful online as I would be in real life, if not even more so. Social media is no longer just for small, close friend circles. It's now for the entire world.

Being that the majority of my education has been in the business field, I want to focus on how social media has affected this area in particular. Just like with parents and older generations, business were slow to get involved with social media in it's early days. But now, they're seen as out of touch if they don't have profiles across several platforms. It's almost mandatory now for companies to have Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages, and ones without supporting Instagram, Pinterest, and Linkedin pages, just to name a few, are fighting an uphill battle. According to Search Engine Watch, who researched Fortune 500 social media usage in 2013, 77% of the companies have Facebook, 73% have Twitter, and 69% have YouTube. Additionally, 35% have Google+, 34% have a blog, and 9% have Pinterest, Instagram and Foursquare (Slegg). For a reference point, only 20% of Fortune 500 companies had a Twitter account in 2009 (Bennett). But big businesses aren't the only ones bullish on social media nowadays. A 2014 Linkedin study found that 81% of small businesses are active on social media, although specific site use wasn't included (Gravel).

It's clear that social is becoming more important for businesses, but just having an account is no longer enough; it's all about how you use it. Now that so much of the world is social media savvy, businesses have had to learn the most effective ways to use these new platforms to reach both their core consumers as well as new ones. It's clear that one of the easiest and most effective business functions social media can handle is marketing. Social media is a marketing machine, as anyone who follows your profile will automatically see your posts on their timelines, giving companies a surefire way to get in front of consumers eyes. Rightfully so, 93% of businesses that use social media use it for marketing (Qualman). Going hand-in-hand with marketing is promotion and advertising, both of which are comparably easy to do on social media. Social media promotions provide an easy way to engage consumers, and social media advertising is one of the surest ways to ensure your message gets seen by target consumers, given all of the wonderful demographic and psychographic filters social media sites provide. Outside of marketing purposes, social media is a useful tool for lead generation and can help companies get a feel for current trends, both in the industry and on a larger scale.

Though using social media for consumer engagement in the form of marketing, promotion, advertising is a no-brainer, there are right ways and wrong ways to do it. In my best practices post, I outlined some of the best ways to use Twitter and Instagram, but some of these practices can also be applied to other platforms. Some of the key considerations I touched on that could be applied on a broader scale are:

• Post several times daily. A profile is of no use if it isn't continuosly posting new, engaging content.
• Make use of multimedia. Varying posts in the form of text, picture, video, gifs, etc. add variety and appeal.
• Use a genuine voice and display brand values. Staying true to your brand on social media is a must, as it gives your business credibility and respect.
• Don't over-sell yourself. Promoting and marketing to consumers is great, but not every post should be "selling" something, or even talking about the brand. Be relatable and have a two-way conversation with your consumers.
• Capitalize on trends and use them as avenues to interact with your brand specifically.

By taking note of these practices, businesses that use social media can optimize the effectiveness of their operations. Though they are by no means absolute and all-encompassing, they give a general baseline of what to do to make sure your company is getting the most out of social media usage.

All in all, social media has become of incredible importance for modern businesses. No longer are Facebook and Twitter (and everyone else) solely personal platforms. They now connect people and organizations on a global level and have completely changed the way we all communicate. Making use of them is no longer suggested; it's required. Knowing what you want out of social media and applying the best practices should help any business have success in this still-emerging, and world changing media platform.

References:

Bennett, Shea. "The Social Media Statistics Of Fortune 500 Companies." AllTwitter. Media Bistro, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 May 2014.

Grazel, Jennifer. "Social Media: A Hotbed For SMB Growth and Fertile Ground for Financial Services Prospects." Linkedin Marketing Solutions. Linkedin, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.

Qualman, Erik. "Social Media Revolution 3 (4:15 Version via Erik Qualman)." YouTube. YouTube, 22 June 2011. Web. 12 May 2014.

Slegg, Jennifer. "Fortune 500 Social Media: 77% Active on Twitter; 70% on Facebook." Search Engine Watch. N.p., 25 July 2013. Web. 12 May 2014.

What Are The Current Social Media Best Practices?

Simply having social media accounts is one thing, but using them effectively is whole other ball game. While it's true that being present on social media is half the battle, there are a lot of ways companies can optimize their feeds to create interesting and engaging profiles. For the purposes of this post, I'll explore the best ways to use two of the most important platforms on the web: Twitter and Instagram.

Using Twitter effectively, like anything else, requires time and effort. While anyone can type out 140 characters in a few seconds and circulate it through their following, thinking more carefully about type of content and timing can help users leave a bigger impact on the web. Though brands will inevitably do some things differently based on need, here are some universal practices that can help out any user:

• Use a profile picture that clearly depicts the brand logo. Companies should want their avatar to be instantly recognized by anyone scrolling their timeline. Keeping a familiar logo as the main photo accomplishes this.
• Companies should also make sure their background photo (and cover photo) are branded. They may use an alternate logo or design, but there should be a level of consistency between profile photo and ancillary artwork.
• Profile descriptions should include, at the very minimum, company website and location. Companies would do well to also post short bio for what the brand is about, accolades and accomplishments, as well as favored hashtags.
• Tweet several times daily. Though the number may vary based on the type of organization, it is crucial to get at least a few tweets up a day.
• Time your tweets. Companies should have a calendar as well as a daily schedule for tweeting that best matches their consumer base. Though timing varies considerably, the general rule is that weekends are best for engagement, and during the most important during-the-week tweets should go up near the end of the workday (5-6pm).
• In terms of actual content, there should be a comfortable mix between text, photo, video and links to other sites. This will skew based on type of company, but it's important to consider all media forms when tweeting.
• Brands should make use of hashtags, but not in an exploitative manner. Instead of using 10 hashtags to increase a posts connectivity, use one or two that best fit the content without seeming spammy.
• Brands should actively seek out their consumers and engage them. Reply to comments both positive and negative to show consumers they are interested in what they have to say.
• Creating new, brand specific hashtags is also a good way of engaging consumers and generating buzz.
• Stay aware of relevant trends can capitalize on them, even if they're unrelated to the brand and/or industry. It doesn't have to be all about the company, all the time.

Now that we've looked at some ways to best use Twitter, lets move on to Instagram. Here are some general pointers for companies looking to optimize their Instagram feed.

• Like Twitter, brands should use an easily recognizable logo as their main picture. Though this is probably of slightly lesser importance on Instagram, it's still a good practice to keep.
• Pictures posted on Instagram should be consistent with brand identity. This doesn't mean every picture needs a company logo- but the vibe and feeling of the brand should shine through no matter what the picture depicts. Followers should feel like they're truly "experiencing" the brand. Easier said than done of course, but this is of utmost importance.
• Though this may seem obvious, pictures should be of professional quality. This means making sure there is no blurriness, the colors pop, and there is an inherent aesthetic appeal. Instagram makes this easy by providing filters, but companies must also make sure the original picture quality is up to par. 
• Instagram content should be exclusive to a degree. There is value in knowing there is only one place to see certain photos, and it gives people a reason to follow.
• Brands should shine a light on the parties that help make them successful. This means brands should show appreciation by displaying photos of employees, customers, partners, and anyone else who helps their success. 
• Content should seem thoughtful- don't post a picture just to post something. Make sure every post is compelling and relevant in its own way.
• Hashtags are welcome, though like Twitter, there is such thing as oversaturation. Similarly, captions should be short and sweet as to not lose the viewers attention.
• Frequency and timing of posts is important. Just like Twitter, companies should update their feed at least daily, and should tailor the time of their posts to their consumers. Once again, weekends are the best for engagement.
• Share Instagram photos on other social channels for maximum exposure, including Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.

References

https://business.twitter.com/best-practices

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/belle-beth-cooper/a-scientific-guide-to-pos_b_4262571.html

http://instagram-business.tumblr.com/post/29441248656/instagram-best-practices-to-see-more-tips-and

How Is Social Media Activity Measured?

It's not an easy task for organizations to determine how effective their social media presence is at achieving their goals. Though users can get a rough glance at their popularity through the standard number of "likes" or "follows," it takes more than that to truly measure consumer engagement. In order to paint a more complete picture of how an organization uses social media, and how their consumers engage with it, it is important to look at the analytics. Luckily for these companies, there are now a ton of sites out their that specialize in analyzing social media presence.

One commonly used metric is referred to as "impressions." An impression, according to Simply Measured, "...demonstrates the impact you’ve had on those users and the audience it’s helped you reach beyond your inner circle of influence" (Shively). In other words, impressions help users get a better sense of their interconnectivity with the rest of the social universe. This is a good indicator of whether or not something has gone "viral" or not. Impressions take into account things like "retweets," "shares" and "mentions," combining all the data to figure out how far a message really reaches. However, though impressions tell companies how many screens, feeds and timelines they pop up on, they don't take into account how users engage with a message. So although a high number of impressions is always a good sign, there is much more to the picture.

Focusing on the consumer sentiment, in addition to total impressions, has become of utmost importance. While "likes" and "follows" may imply a brand is popular and well-regarded, they can't tell us exactly how consumers engage with it. The actual content of the consumer messages is crucial. The good news is that it has become easier to track these things, as most social networks have implemented search bars, hashtags, and other sorting tools that are at the user's fingertips from the get-go. This makes for an easy, albeit somewhat crude way of tracking ones own social media activity. Though this could be sufficient for small companies, large corporations often need more sophisticated tracking technology for a reliable measure of their reach and the degree of consumer engagement. Your average mom-and-pop business might be able to see all of their consumer engagement with a simple search through the social media site itself, but a company like Pepsi with several million followers needs a more efficient way of measuring collective consumer sentiment.

Many sites have emerged that track consumer sentiment across social media, using algorithms to determine whether a post is positive, negative or neutral. One such site is Trackur, though many others exist. The site essentially works by "reading" social media posts related to your brand and analyzing key words and phrases to determine the overall sentiment of the post. These sentiments are then combined into one "score" that a company can use to determine its "social influence." Though there are flaws to using automated technology to track consumer emotion (ex. sarcasm detection), it's a useful tool and the best way for large scale companies to manage their vast consumer base.

Additionally, there are a host of tools that track who is engaging with a brand. The most popular site is probably Google Analytics, which can track daily visits to a site, the demographics of users, how they got to the site, how long they stay, and which pieces of content are most and least popular (Honeysett). However, the big social media sites like Facebook and Twitter also have their own analytics that can be accessed through their sites.

Overall, social media analytics is a growing field, and there are now many companies that specialize in the discipline. Whatever sites companies choose to use, total impressions, consumer sentiment and user demographics are incredibly important. By using these more advanced metrics to measure social media presence, companies can get a better picture of the state of their brand than ever before.

References

Honeysett, Alex. "4 Ways to Measure Your Social Media Success." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

Shively, Kevin. "Twitter Metrics Defined: Potential Impressions." Simply Measured RSS. N.p., 29 May 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.

How Do Social Media Platforms Differ

Social media as a whole encompasses a large variety of different sites and platforms. Facebook and Twitter are the most ubiquitous platforms, and are commonly the first sites that come to mind when “social media” is mentioned. But under the umbrella term of social media are many more unique and purposeful sites that keep the wheel turning. For the purposes of this post, I’ll be looking at Instagram and Snapchat as two alternative social media sites that are extremely relevant in their own right.

Instagram is a photo and video-sharing app at its core. The main utility it offers users is the ability to upload their own pictures and video, and view uploaded content from other users they follow. In addition to posting and viewing the content, users can “like,” write comments and “tag” other users. Recently Instagram added an additional feature: the ability to directly message photo and video to particular users. These simple functions are the essence of Instagram.

Upon logging into Instagram, users are placed directly in front of their “timeline,” which is a simple scrolling screen with the content of each user they follow. Newer posts appear at the top of the feed, and all posts are tagged with the users handle, a timestamp, and sometimes a caption. The interface is very clean and user-friendly, making it easy to quickly scroll a timeline. Five tabs at the bottom of the screen control navigation throughout the app. The first tab from the left is the timeline tab. Next to it is the “Explore” tab, which allows users to search for particular hashtags and users as well as view photo and video from people they don’t follow. The Explore tab is extremely useful for finding new, appealing content, and can be refreshed with a simple tap of the arrow at the top right of the screen. The middle tab is the photo tab, which is where users go to take original pictures and video or upload content from other sources. When taking a picture or video, users are given a wide variety of filters to choose from, allowing them to play around with the aesthetics of their content. There are also simple editing functions like cropping, brightness editing, and contrast alteration. The fourth tab functions as a notifications tab, letting users know of any activity related to their account, as well as activities of their following. Finally, the rightmost tab brings users to their own profile page, which features their username at the top, the number of posts, followers and following, and a grid displaying their content. Users can post a short description or profile, but that’s about it in terms of profile customization.

Snapchat is also a photo and video sharing app, but with a few caveats. On Snapchat, all content is sent directly to users; there is no timeline or profile per se.  Additionally, all photo and video on Snapchat are timed - meaning users that receive content can only view it for the number of seconds as determined by the sender. Thus, Snapchats that are sent out are intended to only live for a couple of seconds. Over time users have found ways around this, primarily by “screenshotting” pictures sent to them. Though this defeats the whole purpose of the app, Snapchat responded my notifying anyone who’s photos have been screenshotted. Though screenshotting Snapchats isn’t always a negative thing, many times it leads to risqué or inappropriate content getting leaked. Notifying users when this happens helps to discourage this behavior, although it surely still goes on.

When opening the Snapchat app, users are immediately put in front of the built in camera. The Snapchat camera is the only way to take a photo or video for use in the app. Once a photo is taken, users can then delineate how long it will appear for others, as well as edit the picture by adding text and drawing with their paint-like tool. Aside from this main camera screen are only three other screens. One of these screens, accessed by swiping right on the camera, simply lists any new Snapchats a user has received as well as past Snapchats, although the content can’t be viewed again. By swiping to the left, users can view their friends on the app and search for contacts (via Facebook) to add. The final screen, accessed by swiping left again, lists friends who have added you, contacts you know that also have Snapchat, and another search bar.

Instagram and Snapchat are similar in a lot of ways, though they differ just enough to give users a reason to have both. The biggest similarity, aside from both being photo and video-sharing apps, is the fact that both are primarily mobile. Without a smartphone, you cannot sign up for either app. Instagram allows users to browse pictures and video on the Internet, but the utility of the website is very limited and doesn’t allow for the posting of content.  Similarly, Snapchats can’t be posted via the Internet, and their site only has five tabs: blog, support, jobs, privacy, and terms. Also similar is that both apps allow for the direct messaging of content, though this is the core of Snapchat and just a recently added Instagram feature.

The differences between the apps are mainly in the structure. Instagram is more traditional, in that it allows for a profile, and posts accumulate on a timeline that can be viewed at any time. Snapchat on the other hand survives off of timed content, and completely forgoes the idea of a user profile. Snapchat is a much more “bare bones” operation than Instagram, Snapchat also, as of now, doesn’t have any advertisements in its app, while Instagram recently implemented an ad program in the form of “Sponsored” posts.

All in all, Instagram and Snapchat are both much more limited in scope when compared to Facebook and Twitter. There are many less customization options, and users are bound to a certain array of activities. But I don’t think the limit on possible uses hurts the apps; in fact, I think there is a lot of value in their simplicity.

How Do Organizations Use Social Media?

Social media has become an integral marketing tool for all kinds of companies. As the world becomes more connected, companies have begun to harness the powers of digital to connect with customers, increase brand awareness, generate buzz, and promote themselves in a positive way. Given the wide variety of channels available and the low cost of maintaining a presence, social media marketing and advertising has become easier and more effective than ever. If that weren't enough, social media doubles as the ultimate customer relationship management tool. Having a digital presence has become the norm these days, and the companies that don't have a consistent brand presence across multiple channels are behind the curve.

 In the past I've done work posting on social media accounts for a few different businesses. The driving force behind these posts has always been engaging the consumer and making sure the brand is visible. With the amount of posts the average person scrolls through on a daily basis, it is essential that something goes up every day. Even if it's a trivial, random post, posting itself ensures that the company will be seen. One of the companies I previously worked with was my brother's T-shirt line Business As Usual. Back then I would help out primarily by crafting Facebook posts and filming videos that would be shared on both Facebook and YouTube. My brother and I would create some videos purely for social media promotion, while others would be highlight reels of events and other things. The key for us was to make funny, shareable content that would entertain fans of the company as well as whoever else happened to see the video. If we weren't posting videos or photos, we would put up quotes, ideas, and other thoughts pertaining to core values of the company. While we never ran formal paid ads, we did any and every free thing we could to stay socially relevant to our followers.

I see a lot of the same from companies I follow on Twitter, although the effort and strategy behind social media marketing has undoubtedly increased in recent years. One company I follow that makes great use of social is the National Basketball Association. The NBA maintains extremely active channels on every platform I follow, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Vine. The types of post aren't exactly the same for all platforms, but the strategies they employ seem to take advantage of each platform's strengths. For example, Facebook posts tend to contain always contain video or pictures, with a large chunk of posts promoting sponsors and other league initiatives. The highlights and game to game stories are still there, but Facebook takes on a purer advertising tone than other platforms. Twitter on the other hand is used for quicker, real-time updates; generally game scores, instant highlights, and brief promotions for other NBA stuff. The rest are pretty self explanatory: YouTube handles highlights, promotion video, and original productions, Instagram handles pictures and short videos, while Vine is ideal for short, replay-able highlight clips. All in all, the NBA maintains an active, consistent presence across all platforms, which drives maximum engagement with fans like myself.

All in all, social media is has become a marketing staple for most modern companies. They know that consumers are engaged when using social media, and having an active and consistent presence is good for business. Whether posting original content, promoting, or connecting with consumers, social has become a mainstay for in marketing, advertising, and PR departments around the world. 

Is Social Media Good or Bad for Society?

Just like with relationships, I believe social media has a complex effect on society. Depending on how it is used, it can have positive or negative effects on society as a whole. However, weighing the pros versus the cons, I believe that as a whole social media is ultimately beneficial for society, and we're better with it than we would be without it.

The connectivity that social media provides allows us to communicate across the globe more quickly and easily than ever. That alone is enough to make it a beneficial tool for society. News spreads infinitely faster, whether it's trivial or important. This has huge implications for society in a number of respects. In terms of safety, social media makes crisis communication is more thorough and effective, while also giving us better tools to track down criminals. Nowadays, it's much harder for criminals to act without leaving any traces of their behavior on social media (Rupert). Whether they post something incriminating, or someone else posts a witness account, social media makes it much more difficult for the average person to eliminate all evidence pertaining to a crime. That combined with the rapid spread of news makes it easier for law enforcement to keep society safe and secure.

Outside of safety, social media can serve as a strong political tool. Platforms like Twitter can unite people across the country with similar interests and allow them to be heard. The "voice of the people" is often a cliche when it comes to politics, but social media allows each person to truly make a difference and have their opinion heard. The result is a society that is more in sync with the views of the people, which in democratic countries is exactly what politics are supposed to be about.

Social media also affects consumer engagement, which I think is good for society. It gives people the platform to communicate with the people, companies and brands that matter most to them. Similar to the political example, it allows their voice to be heard. This could in turn lead to the people, companies and brands being more in tune with what their fans and/or consumers want. This means not only better communication, but better products as well.

With all those good things happening, how could social media be bad for society? Well for one, the connectivity aspect could lead to the spread of misinformation. Whether it's an inaccurate news story or a straight up lie, the pace at which social media allows news to spread is almost too fast for its own good. Before we can evaluate the validity of some stories, they've already spread to millions of people, which can have huge implications. If you need an example, look no further than the time the stock market declined after the Associated Press Twitter account was hacked and tweeted that President Obama had been injured in an explosion. In an instant, the S&P declined by 0.9%, wiping out $130 billion in stock value (Matthews).

Additionally, social media can be a detriment to society based on privacy issues (Jung). The same force that helps us capture criminals can prevent honest, hardworking people from getting jobs. Any post you put out on the Internet can be found later on, and often times this ends up hurting employees. Whether its a raunchy photo album or an insensitive post, the content we put up on social media is low-hanging fruit that can undermine our merits in the real world. While some might say its better to weed these people out, I believe that most people with this type of content are more or less average people that would otherwise be contributing members of society.

This issue with privacy plays off of another detriment of social media: the made-up personas and false connections that it often fosters. By allowing people to hide behind a screen, social media often brings out negative traits of people, which can in turn influence the behavior of others. It can also lead to inauthentic relationships, which can undermine the relationships we've established in the real world and create conflict.

There's a lot going on with social media right now, but I believe most of it benefits society. Though the pitfalls and absurdities of social media are still alive and well, I think most of what social media has been able to accomplish is good for society as a whole. The global connectivity, speed of communication, and potential for engagement make social media an asset for society going forward.

References:

Jung, Brian. "The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals." Small Business. Chron, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html>.

Matthews, Christopher. "How Does One Fake Tweet Cause a Stock Market Crash?"Time Business & Money. Time, 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://business.time.com/2013/04/24/how-does-one-fake-tweet-cause-a-stock-market-crash/>.

Rupert, Samantha. "Social Media's Top 5 Contributions to Society." Social Media Today. N.p., 18 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://socialmediatoday.com/slrupert/1393636/social-media-top-5-contributions-society>.

How Are Relationships Affected by Social Media?

In my experience, social media has had a very complex effect on real-life relationships. There are positives and there are negatives, but the overall impact is difficult to quantify and can vary by user. The creation of an online avatar is a double-edged sword. Though it can do some amazing things for relationships, it also serves to undermine a lot of our real-world interactions.

The best thing social media has done for me personally is make it much easier to stay in contact with old friends and acquaintances. Prior to the creation of the Facebook and Twitters of the world, maintaining any sort of relationship with people from the past required a great deal of effort. If you wanted to talk to them and catch up, you'd have to either know their phone number, address or email, and then go out of your way to initiate a conversation. If you didn't know the person well enough to have this information, finding and contacting them would be near impossible. As a result, one's relationship with them would fade, even disappear, as soon as they stopped seeing them. Social media provides a way around that, allowing us to easily maintain contact with these otherwise forgotten people at the click of a button.

Evidently this benefit of social media isn't merely anecdotal. An infographic by Schools.com posted on Mashable purports that 84% of people use social media to stay in touch with faraway friends. Other ways people use social media to maintain relationships are to share good news (62%) and schedule plans (16%) (Laird). Another benefit the Laird article points out is that social media makes it easier to foster new relationships. In their survey, 83% of respondents said social networking helps shy and lonely people make new friends, while 26% said social media is good for facilitating new friendships in general. Though I'm not the type to try and meet new people on the Internet, I think it still serves as an overall benefit of social media.

But aside from all the positive effects social media can have on a relationship, it can definitely inhibit certain aspects of life. Nowadays almost anywhere you go you're bound to see at least a few people with their eyes glued to their phone. Whether it's people at a party that don't want to converse with others, or concert goers that are eager to share their experience, the use of social media has become so ubiquitous that we often miss out on other things happening around us. The same article I referenced earlier notes that 24% of people surveyed have missed important moments in person because they were busy using social media. Even though I myself am very wary of "overusing" social media, every once in a while I catch myself getting sucked in for too long. It's an annoying habit that I think takes away from some of the simple pleasures in life.

There are a couple other areas where I think social media hurts relationships as well. One thing I see all the time is people creating alternate or embellished personas via Twitter or Facebook. Some of the quietest, sweetest people I know have profiles that give off a completely different vibes. An article in Psychology Today supports my observation, noting that social distance and false intimacy are two of the factors leading to these "fake" personas (Formica).

Social distance refers to the idea that happenings on social media carry less weight to us than something in the real world might. We're observing peoples' lives from a faraway, public vantage point; a place where our feelings are less involved. It's almost like seeing someone get shot in a movie versus real life. In both cases you know what's happening, but the person in the movie seems less real to us, and therefore doesn't affect our feelings in the same way. When that's the case, it becomes much easier for users of social media to freely post thoughts without really thinking about what they're saying. It gives them the comfort to step out of their normal lives and into a new online identity. False intimacy on the other hand refers to the connection we might feel by reading a social media feed despite not being involved. Seeing vacation photos from a middle school friend might make me feel like I have a deeper insight into his life, but in reality it's an inauthentic connection with no real intimacy. This could affect how I interact with this person even if our relationship hasn't changed at all in the real world. The two terms sort of run against each other, but both play a role in our creation of false personas.

So although social media can be an excellent tool to connect with old friends, make new ones, share news and make plans, it comes with extra baggage that weighs down the benefits. The distance it provides can drive people to act differently, and sometimes it can take away from precious real life moments. I don't think there's a definitive answer to whether or not social media is good or bad for relationships- but it certainly depends on the motivations of the user.

References:

Formica, Michael. "The False Face of Our Social Media Persona." Psychology Today. N.p., 18 Oct. 2010. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/201010/the-false-face-our-social-media-persona>.

Laird, Sam. "Is Social Media Destroying Real-World Relationships?" Mashable. N.p., 14 June 2012. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. <http://mashable.com/2012/06/14/social-media-real-world-infographic/>