In today’s highly ‘techie’ world, social media is now considered as one of the most influential communication channel in terms persuading large crowds. It has been proven that social media is considered as one of the most important source of information in the highly-digital era. People now log-in to their social media accounts, whether it be Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites to know about the latest happenings in the world. Social Media has also become a stage where people can voice out their opinions that as a result influence the decision making of others. In a sociological point of view, social media has a complex yet effective impact in society. There is a strong psychology of persuasion present in social media (Goodyear, 2014).
Larson (2013) understated that society has a tendency to seek for social proof. Wherein they accept and follow what other people are thinking or saying. Social Media, due to its wide range of audience is a good example for social proof. People look for affirmation in terms of decision making from what they see and read from their accounts. For example, people use social media to campaign for their desired election candidates. The post reached worldwide viewership. The post can receive both positive and negative feedback from other people and thus creating a venue for exchange of ideas. The people who can read the arguments of other people are affected by the facts and opinions being exchanged in their social media dialogue.
The concept of persuasion in social media is also rooted in the basic paradigm of “strength in numbers.” Even unconsciously, people based the authority of a person in social media based on their followers, number of likes and other quantifiers that will make people measure their following. This is a virtual representation of the magnitude of influence of one specific individual. People, based on their nature, have a higher tendency to believe information they see if it is supported by a large number of people. For instance, people think that a Facebook post is worth sharing because there are many others who shared the same post in their timelines.
The social significance of social media, especially in today’s context, is felt on a large scale of issues. Social media is beneficial in terms of spreading information because of its accessibility. Technically, it is free and everyone who has an available account and internet access can receive information. The downside is that anyone can claim that they hold reliable information. The challenge now is for people to be more cautious in terms of selecting which information they see in social media are credible. There are a lot of opportunistic individuals who use social media for their personal gain without remorse on the possible consequences of their actions.
Social media rely on crowd sourcing. This technique is useful because it reaches a wider audience across the globe. It also helps companies, for example, to monitor the demographics that follow their posts. This technique is helpful in terms of crowd profiling and research. Companies can have ideas who are the usual visitors and followers of their products. In conclusion, social media changed the platform of the type of society people live in today. It has caused a social revolution. Its effects are felt in a wide scale. It is helpful, yes, if its potential is harness in the proper way. Companies must use this medium wisely in order to increase market visibility and influence. As Larson (2013) mentioned the social revolution also made people more responsible for the information they are posting because they need to keep in mind that the information they post online will be accessed by others. There is also a great challenge for people to be responsible for their opinions.
References:
Goodyear S. (2014). The Power of Social Media. The Huffington Post.
Larson, C. U. (2013). Persuasion: Reception and responsibility (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.
