The term “social media” is subject to many different definitions and interpretations. To make it simple: for my purposes, if you’re reading this blog, you’re a user of social media. If you ever listen to podcasts, you use social media. If you’re on Twitter, you’re a social media user.
But why do you use social media? I’m running an informal Condorcet poll at http://is.gd/qKkz. Please click on the link and follow the instructions to rank your uses of social media (blogs, podcasts, and Twitter). I’m testing some theories, and I’ll give you a tentative report next week.
Please repost links to this poll. Thanks!
I use social media, essentially, for three reasons: 1) To meet new people from all over the world who are doing exciting things; 2) To stay abreast of news (social media, especially twitter, is much more efficient than traditional news-gathering sources); and 3) to keep in touch with my friends scattered literally around the world.
One more word on the subject: more than a passing fad, social media, and this is especially true of twitter, is doing something wholly new with communication. I can’t tell you exactly what that is, let alone what it will become, but I can tell you it is far less random and far more informative, let alone narcisstic, than it appears at first glance.