The Struggle Was Real For Social Media – Let’s Not Swipe Left

As social media has evolved, it has permeated all aspects of day to day life. However, during this evolution, a number of fears have arisen around the use of these platforms.

Computers in the early 20th century were the size of a room and the Internet was just a set of protocols for internet working.

Fast forward to the early 90s and the size of computers had decreased, and high speed internet was introduced.

By the late 90s, the internet was starting to impact culture and commerce, including the rise of email communication, two way interactive video calls and the World Wide Web.

Social Networking Services

The concept of Social Networking Services (SNS) emerged from the internet, and became defined as a platform to build social networks or social relations among people who have similar interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.

Early forms of SNS included websites which allowed you to build your own online communities.

Twenty years ago social media began to make its mark by connecting users globally. Then, in 2004, the concept of a social networking service further evolved with the innovation of key platforms such as Myspace, LinkedIn and Facebook. New platforms were developing at a rapid rate and became known as social media technologies.

These take on many different forms including blogs, business networks, enterprise social networks, forums, microblogs, photo sharing, products/services review, social bookmarking, social gaming, social networks, video sharing, and virtual worlds.

Social Media and the Smartphone Revolution

The innovation of smartphone technology has recently been a catalyst for increasing the power of social media. There is a strong correlation between the increase of social media usage and the innovation of mobile technology.

Mobile devices are now more affordable than ever, and wireless networks ensure they are faster and almost ubiquitous.

In 2015, there were 3.649 billion unique mobile users and 1.685 billion people actively using social media on their mobile. There are 1.79 billion social network users globally.

Facebook alone had 1.55 billion users and LinkedIn has over 347 million registered members. Over a third of the world’s population have an active social media account.  

Misconceptions and Fears

Social media is growing, changing and evolving at a rapid rate. Unsurprisingly, misconceptions have arisen which can scare companies and individuals away from actively engaging with social media channels. These may include the concern that:

• All channels and platforms need to be used, not just one or a select few.
• It’s “for the kids.”
• Managing your company’s accounts requires you to hire someone.
• Social media completely removes the need for traditional channels.

These misconceptions have created barriers which have influenced and hindered the user’s experience and overall willingness to actively participate.

To investigate this further, Procurious, together with the eWorld Procurement and Supply conference, is launching a survey which aims to establish ‘What frightens you about social media’?

The survey examines what factors influence our practices, the fears that come into play when using social platforms, and if individuals notice the lack of their own social media presence.

The survey will only take a few minutes to complete, and by completing it, you can help us understand what people need to know in order to dispel these rising fears and misconceptions.

Social media has become a critical part of our social fabric. These sites are where we go to interact with people, inform ourselves and most importantly, to aid our businesses.

By understanding the barriers to full social media use, we can help to make sure everyone can get involved.

Click Here to Complete the survey: ‘What frightens you about social media’?