All over the world, roughly around 2.5 billion people are switched on to social media, and it is a figure that just keeps rising. It has become part of our lives – a tool used every bit as much as a knife, fork, spoon or toothbrush. In a single minute in time, some 30 million Facebook messages will be typed and sent.
There will be around half a million tweets fired off across the World Wide Web in the time it will have taken you to read just to this point in the article. The figures for all the leading players in social media are astounding: Instagram photos, Skype calls, Pinterest pins and a crazy million views on video-sharing website YouTube in just under a minute, all go to confirm that social media is not just a phenomenon but a revolution. Betipy has created an interactive content piece called “The Internet in Real Time” which allows you to see the huge scale at which these networks operate.
History will mark these days down as a revolution of social media, in much the same way as we had an Industrial Revolution divided now into four eras. Social media pretty much embellishes the Third Industrial Revolution – often dubbed the Digital Revolution but it also has a future in the Industry 4.0 Revolution.
Social media is about to embark on something refreshingly new and exciting: AI, nanotechnology, virtual reality interaction and even quantum computing. There is little doubt that our social media platforms will change and adapt to this new revolution, as it has the potential to connect the billions of more people to go online.
It will also have the potency to improve business and inspire organizations to improve its goals – all achieved through the power of social media. Even banking has been integrated into social media. Money transfer platforms like PayPal and Apple Pay are shifting millions of dollars in a matter of minutes.
Are Social Media Platforms the Future of Banking?
It was not that long ago when people would routinely say, “Online banking is not for me”, “I don’t trust the web with my money” or “There’s no way I’m putting my personal details online”.
However, security standards, multi-bit encryptions and years of hassle-free eCommerce later, those precautious attitudes are starting to change. Ask yourself when you last heard of anyone that strongly condemned an eBay purchase, a PayPal transfer or purchased an item instore using Apple Pay or another digital wallet platform like Google Pay.
Doctor Skype, How Can I Help You Today?
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a dynamic way in which we can communicate in real time with another person via a live video link, usually for free. It is the most impressive technology that social media has produced so far.
A visit to a virtual doctor on Skype has helped thousands of people with ailments, conditions and health concerns. This is all achieved without leaving the home, which many who suffer from physical conditions struggle to do anyway.
Related: Capturing Skype Calls from a Computer Screen with Movavi Screen Capture for Mac
Dr. Skype also extends to group chats among other patients that share the same medical condition. There is a glaucoma community, one for sufferers of cystic fibrosis and even an entire online community group dealing with mental health issues. This list goes on.
As well as being a digital revolution, social media has taken us on a cultural experience of a revolutionary kind too. We are changing the way we meet new people, form relationships and get to know new friends.
The sheer scale of social media has been a useful tool for staying safe. Where an earthquake, terrorist attack or disaster occurs, Facebook has a “Marked Safe” option for those present in the nearby location.
Activists and people wanting to expose human rights abuses regularly post videos and images online. It is possible in the future that someone could face court action with an online video used as evidence.
Of course, something so big as social media is certain to have its grubby side. Trolls, fake news and online grooming all make for bad headlines and show us that there is a darker side to the internet. But something this massive and life-changing is bound to have an unsavory chapter.
Related: Big Data and Revolution That Currently is Happening
No revolution in the history of mankind was ever without its cynicism and distrust. However, new privacy laws and tighter controls over online misuse are paving the way to a clearer and better managed online experience.
We can now share what we want, when and who to, thanks in part to new EU GDPR laws. The internet – and this very much includes social media – was a bit like a digital version of the Wild West during its early days. As time went on, it became safer and less misconducting.
But with its changing landscape came much greater use. The 2.5 billion people that use social media today in 2018 numbered just around a million only around a decade ago!
