Categories: The Webconomist

Social Media: It’s Not The Technology It’s How We Use It

In a Twitter discussion tonight (#PR20chat – hat tip to Beth Harte for initiating a good chat), there was some discussion around “technology” and it’s importance in Social Media. Yes, it is important, but the technology is simply an “enabler” or “facilitator” and the original intent of the creator of the technology can change – this the “bargain” created by the end user. The bargain?

Sure. As an example, Facebook was intended for students. After a few years, it became available to everyone and now the average age of a Facebook user is in their 40’s. Why? Because that’s how it was adopted. As MySpace was adopted by youth. The underlying technologies are similar, but the use is very different. So the bargain is recolved when
Twitter was put out as a secondary interest, but then the public got ahold of it and next thing we knew, it was an emotional search engine and became a vital political communications tool for Obama in 2008. The public changed the intent of the technology – and made the bargain on each tool, not the inventor of the technology.
Spammers got a hold of email and turned it into the next Direct Marketing tool. SMS/txt messaging has grown into a tool for bringing people together and helped organize the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine in 2005.
While it is vital to understand “how” the technologies work, it’s most important to understand how they are actually used – and how they are used closes the bargain between the initiator and the end public.
More of the conversation on Twitter search here.
Thoughts?
Haligonia Editors

See news happening near you? Tell us. Click here to email our team.

Share
Published by
Haligonia Editors
17 years ago

Recent Posts

Charges after road rage incident sends man to hospital

HRP release: On December 6 at approximately 12:20 p.m., officers responded to a report of…

2 hours ago

Senior and driver attacked by same suspect, charges laid

HRP release: On December 6 at approximately 12:20 p.m., officers responded to a report of…

1 day ago

Planning and Successfully Executing an Office Move in Toronto

Organising a move is always a complex undertaking, and when it comes to office moves,…

1 day ago

Securing Tokenized Wallet Payments in Regulated Gaming

  Source: Pexels One recent trend with regulated gambling platforms in Canada has to do…

2 days ago

(UPDATED 12:55pm Dec 8) Precautionary boil order issued for 2,000 homes as watermain break disrupts service

Updated Dec 8 12:55pm Halifax Water release: The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents of the following update regarding the water…

2 days ago

Special Weather Statement: Alberta clipper brings snow and high winds Monday (Posted Sun Dec 7 10:30 am)

Environment Canada release: 4:41 AM AST Sunday 7 December 2025 Alberta clipper to bring snow…

3 days ago