If you wonder about the still-new world of social media, and are continually amazed when a few comments on a social media site affect prompt change (whether it’s a political movement, corporate policy, or an unsatisfied customer quieted down) this New York Times article, Redefining Public Relations in the Age of Social Media, provides helpful background. The article, by Stuart Elliott, describes the evolutionary and revolutionary changes in the digital public relations world.
A Few Interesting Thoughts from the Article
- Internet and social media like blogs, Facebook, and Twitter are transforming the relation between those of us in the general public and the people communicating with us. It’s no longer top down communication.
- The many types of media make it easier for consumers to learn about the mix-ups and blunders committed in the name of influence because they get picket up and reported and then move with viral speed through the digital world.
- In a world where so many people can publish to the world from home — the article calls this global publishing power — public relations people and departments must focus on influencing the messages rather than creating them.
- The ability to share every digital thought (see Wikipedia image above depicting the wide-ranging share buttons) transforms the relationship between consumer and business.
Today many teens and young adults move in a world defined by social media, whether they are connecting with friends, looking for a job, or deciding what to purchase. Whether or not their parents make much use of these new media or social networking tools, it is important for all adults to understand (adult media literacy!) as much as possible about communication changes in our world.
If you enjoyed reading this piece, check out these other MediaTechParenting posts about social media and its influence on our lives.
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Very nice post! I agree that online communication is taking over (if it hasn’t already). Instead of asking for someone’s phone number, it is now, “Find me on Facebook!” It seems like face to face communication is becoming obsolete as fast as you can Tweet. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and I think that is wonderful to be able to keep in touch with friends and family all over the world but, there is something about physical face to face communication that not even Skype can imitate.
Thanks for your comment at MediaTechParenting.net. I agree that face-to-face is better. In the conversations that we have with our kids we need to avoid negative opinions about social media, demonstrate our willingness to try new technologies, and reinforce the good things that that technology cannot improve — like communicating face-to-face when it is appropriate (and also when it’s prudent).