How are social media platforms redefining and revaluating the ties that bind us together - Essay Example

How are social media platforms redefining and revaluating the ties that bind us together? The advent of social media redefine and revalute our communication by constantly keeping us in touch via asynchronous methods. Social media allows us to have endless connectivity and has gained a very personal element in our lives. It has defined our personality by allowing us to customize, upload and share sentimental elements beyond our imagination. The digital revolution has provided public relations practitioners with a new communication challenge: social networking sites.

Considered a form of social media, social networking sites have altered the way people communicate, interact and respond, in particular reference to personal and professional relationships. This is depicted via as the author states that her whole life is now shifted via communication from the phone. This can be perfectly portrayed as the author narrates a situation in which a younger woman injures her thumb and needs a band-aid. But instead of knocking in her door, she sends the person a text to not intrude privacy (Turkle 264).

This is beyond the comprehension as technology has truly taken over from all aspects, including doing easy tasks. Social media has overly taken an every human task and has automated it with a personalization. This same scenario can be correlated when the author discusses the situation with Rebecca, who was intrigued in pets. Her father suggested that she gets a turtle, but the realistically did not want to handle the intricacies of keeping a pet. Hence, social media has dramatically modified this by taking something humane and converting into a digital life form.

It can also be dangerous because it makes us humanity lose intimacy, cut off human contact, but at the same time maintain a following for ‘x’ amount of friends and followers globally. Make no mistake, the author signifies the importance of this as he states, “The world, as we are told is in midst of revolution. The new looks of social media has reinvented social activism.”(Gladwell 134). Without a doubt, social media has created a lifestyle, just not a fad that aligns with the future roadmap in 2020.

Soon social media will play a huge role in Artificial intelligence, a tie that binds us together because it creates a revolution, a unique following, unparalleled to anything we have witnessed.The second element that social media has added a tangible value to our lives. Social media has quantified our lives to an element in which our lives have a price value. Social media provides a way to research and connect with influencers that can be quantified with a dollar amount. Building genuine relationships with people who have an influential presence online is an important avenue for both PR and marketing.

This is perfectly depicted via as he states, “The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism. With Facebook and Twitter, the traditional relationship between political authority and upended.” (Gladwell 134). When the social uprising occurred in Tehran, the first thing the government did was to shut down a social media. Recently during the Israel-Palestine conflict, a group of ethical hackers hacked the national defense of Israel. The focal point in clear- social media is the primary target in any given circumstance.

This was never a reality as other facets and elements took precedence However in recent years, social media becomes the primary channel to target because of its following, power, and the dependence it caters to In addition, it has become easy as a “click-of-button.” It has been detrimental for many individuals because it has put them in under constant spotlight. For the first time, people’s data has a dollar value attached to it-something that could never be fathomed. As a matter of fact, Turkle point out that, “Computers will no longer wait for humans to project meaning to us.

” (Turkle 264). Undoubtedly, that is exactly what social networks do; they allow individuals to market themselves as assets, which puts a quantifiable value. Hence, social media allows an individual to have a quantifiable value, which is an unexpected feat.