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Executive Summary
This document focused on the role of social media, now and in future. To achieve this goal, it focused on a number of issues that surround social media. The world has experienced a lot of creations and innovations as a result of the works of man. This includes the invention of fire, the creation of the wheel, agrarian revolution, industrial revolution, scientific revolution and at the present moment, technological advancement. Each and every day, the world is experiencing a lot of development in the field of information, communication and technology. As a result, the manner in which we think, operate and interact with each other and our environment has changed.
One of the greatest innovations that man has come up with as a result of technological advancement is the development of social media and networks. These new phenomenon has taken over almost each and every perspective of our lives. It has taken over the manner in which we interact with each other and with ourselves, with businesses, societies, professionals, institutions and so on. However, like any other environment. It is due to this fact that it was essential to conduct this study. The aim of this study is to determine the role of social media, now and in future. However, to narrow down the scoop of the study, the following four research questions were formulated:
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How has social media changed the lives of people?
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What impacts do social media networks have on businesses?
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Is social media a fad or is it a sustainable force that will change how we interact with one another and with businesses?
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How is social media evolving and what is its future?
These questions were formulated in order to guide the line that the study would take. To ensure that these questions were covered effectively and efficiently, the following study hypotheses were formulated:
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Ho1: Social media has a huge impact on the lives of people
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HA1: Social media does not have a huge impact on the lives of people
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Ho2: Social media has a huge impact on business entities
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HA2: Social media does not have a huge impact on business entities
However, the time span for carrying out this study was limited. This acted thus as a major limitation to this study. Another limitation of the study was the fact that the amount of relevant literature to support the study was limited since the social media industry is a new area of study. However, several methods were used to collect the relevant data that was required in this study. Despite the fact that social media is a new industry, document review was the method that was used to gather a lot of information pertaining to the topic of study. Books, journals, magazines, theses, online publications and other forms of media were used to gather supporting information with regards to the study. These materials were gathered from various sources including libraries and online databases.
To support the information that was gathered from document review, interviews were conducted. These interviews were conducted on people and business entities. This target group was essential in providing the information that was required for the study as it aimed to determine the impacts of social media on people and businesses. The respondents for the study were individuals between the ages of 12-65. This age group is the most active proportion of the global population. In addition, observations were also conducted. To ensure that the data that was collected from these methods were precise, several analyses were conducted. First, the data that was collected from interviews and observations were analyzed using a computer software package known as SPSS version 16.
In addition, Porter 5 Forces, SWOT and PESTEL analysis were conducted on the social media industry in order to get an in-depth understanding of the industry. From these analyses, it was identified that social media plays a critical role in the lives of individuals since 77% of the users who were interviewed had accounts in at least one of the online social network sites. In addition, 73.3 of the business entities that were interviewed had fun pages on social network sites. Therefore, this proved that social network sites play a critical role in the lives of people and businesses. Furthermore, the social media industry was valued at approximately $100 billion and more investors were still will to put their money in the industry. Therefore, this proved that social media is not a fad but a sustainable advancement to the future. Despite minor setbacks and reputations that social media has faced, such as the England riots of 2011, social media has and will play a critical role in the lives of people and business entities all around the globe.
Introduction
The world is currently facing a major transformation in all aspects of life. The way things operate in the world has become so different from the way it used to be several decades ago. As a result, the lifestyle and characters of individuals have gradually been modified to fit into the changes that we are currently experiencing. Several factors have contributed to the changes that we are currently experiencing. Technology is one of many factors that has contributed greatly to these changes that we are experiencing. To be specific to the context of this paper, social organizations and networks have taken over the lives of many individuals all around the world.
Social networks are virtual organizations on the internet that have been created with the use of sophisticated computer software and commands. These networks enable individuals to interact with each other irrespective of their physical location, culture, background and origin. With the use of these networks, people can share a lot of information with their friends, create and interact with new friends and discuss several issues of concern. All this is possible without having physical contact with one another. Examples of social networks include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, MySpace and so on.
Social media has changed the manner in which individuals and organizations all around the world operate, interact, communicate and socialize. Ever since they came into existence, social media and networks have attracted the attention of millions of people in the globe. Due to the influence that social networks have on individuals and organization, they have managed to change the manner in which the world operates. As a result, a lot of factors in the world now depend on social media and networks. From a humble beginning, social networks have taken control of the globe and the manner in which it operates.
Other than affecting and influencing the manner in which individuals socials, communicate and so on, social media has also played a critical role in determining the manner in which businesses operate. This has mainly been championed by the concept of e-commerce. As Berry (2009) asserts, e-commerce is a term that is used to refer to the process of selling and purchasing goods and services over a variety of electronic systems (p. 237). Examples of these electronic systems include the internet, computer networks and any other telecommunication network. This technological advancement has come about because of the massive advancements that are being experienced in the field of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). These advancements have made the manner in which individuals, organizations, societies, nations and the world at large operate.
Due to the advancement in the field of ICT, the term e-commerce evolved rapidly to include a number of additional auxiliaries. At the present moment, the term is not only used to refer to the buying and selling of goods and services over computer network but it also includes other processes such as the development, marketing, selling, paying, delivery and servicing of goods and services over the internet or any other computerised network (Boone and Kurtz, 2011). The concept of e-commerce has gradually developed over the last several years because of the increase in the rate of internet use by many people all across the globe. According to Boone and Kurtz (2011), e-marketing is the base that supports global functions such as online banking, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, mobile banking, online marketing, electronic data exchange, electronic inventory analysis and online purchasing of a variety of goods and services that are available on the internet (p. 16).
From the above analysis, it is evident that e-commerce has greatly influenced the manner in which operations are conducted by firms and businesses all around the globe. Many firms all around the world use the e-commerce strategy to gain a competitive edge over their rivals in the respective industries that they operate in. It is due to this fact that firms should adopt and implement this change and innovation. This will not only enable them to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals but it will ensure that the organization is run in an effective and efficient manner (Boone and Kurtz, 2011).
Therefore, the adoption of social media and networks by businesses has been as a result of the implementation of e-commerce by businesses. Whether large or small, local or international, most businesses have used the concept of social networking to get a clear understanding of their target market. In addition, social networks offer businesses the chance to meet and interact with their customers. This gives businesses the chance to understand the needs of their consumers, the market and any other external factor that may affect the manner in which they run their operations. As a result of having this information, such organizations stand in a better chance of operating in an effective and efficient manner by being able to meet the needs of their customers and that of the market. As a result, such organizations normally have a competitive edge over their rivals in the respective industries in which they operate.
However, with the current trends, it is evident that businesses are mainly using social media for advertising and socializing purposes. It has been identified that brands use social media to connect with their prospective customers. In addition, brands also use social networks as a mantra to advertise their products (Kaplan 69). Marketers have discovered that social media is one of the most effective methods to reach their target market during the 21st century. As a result, they have tried to utilize social media to the fullest in order to advertise their respective brands and meet the needs and desires of their customers (Kaplan 69).
As a result, marketers have come up with sophisticated methods of marketing their brands via social media and networks. This trend has increased especially within the last two years. Social media marketing has increased because of increased competition. As competitors utilize various marketing strategies, their counterparts in the same industry also come up with even innovative and creative methods of reaching their consumers. This increases the level at which social media and networks are used by businesses to reach their consumers and stand at a competitive edge. Social media has thus become a platform of e-marketing for business entities all over the globe. This has removed the physical boundaries that are present between different states making organizations operate on a global scale.
Background
The Internet
As Boyd and Ellison (2007) asserted, the internet is a key accessory that has transformed life in the 21st century. The internet has made life much easier. It has made the ease at which information is accessed to be much easier. In addition, the internet has made globalization through socialization and networking to be a reality. According to Boyd and Ellison (2007), 32.7% of the worlds population has access to the internet using one way or the other. Most of the individuals who comprise this proportion are between the ages of 12 and 65 (Boyd and Ellison 212). This age group comprises the proportion of active individuals within the population. Thus, from this information, it will be true to conclude that the internet is an essential element of life in the modern era. However, despite the fact that a high proportion of the worlds population uses the internet in one way or the other, most of these individuals do not really have the background information with regards to the growth and development of the internet.
The internet developed from humble beginnings during the 1950s and 1960s. The development of the internet was directly related to the development of computers, a phenomenon that was being experienced during this very time (Gajjala 132). However, the earliest form that may have led to the development of the internet was Arpanet (Gajjala156). Released in October 1969, Arpanet was a network that used packet technology. At that time, packet technology was a new thing and seemed to be sophisticated to many individuals. The main aim of Arpanet was to connect computers in UCLA and Stanford. Thus, in modern terms, Stanford and UCLA were the first hosts in what were currently refer to as the internet. On October 29th 1969, Stanford and UCLA wanted to send a message across the network. The message was the word Login. However, the system crashed at the letter g. This was perhaps the first message that was sent across an online network in the history of the world.
The Arpanet was just but the first step towards a number of creations and innovations that led to the development of what we refer today as the internet. During the same year that Arpanet was launched, the UNIX, an operating system was also launched. A computerised system operates with the use of commands. However, for these commands to function as a sustainable unit, it is essential to develop an operating system that regulates, directs and controls these commands in order to achieve the desired output. Thus, the development of UNIX was a major step towards the integration of the internet. Many operating systems that are currently in use are based on the UNIX. A prime example of an operating system that is based on UNIX is Linux. Another example is FreeBSD. According to Gajjala (2007), these are the operating systems that are mainly used by host serves and internet servers (181).
In 1970, there another developmental milestone was experienced. An Arpanet network was developed. However, unlike the previous one, this new network-connected several parties. These included MIT, BBN and Harvard. This network was more successful than the previous Arpanet network that connected Stanford to UCLA. The internet is currently based on these networks. Later on, in 1971, another revelation was unravelled; the e-mail. In 1971, Ray Tomlinson developed a standard format that was used to be used to set up a standard email address. He developed the acronym @ that was used to separate the username from the address. However, the e-mailing concept had been in practice for sometime before this happened. From several reports that have been documented, it has been found out that during the mid-1960s, users of mainframe computers used e-mails as a form of point-to-point communication between one another. However, the revelation by Ray Tomlinson in 1971 led to the development of a standard format that is applicable up to the present day. Currently, millions of e-mails are exchanges across the internet by users from all around the world. This has made communication via the internet to be much easier.
From this time, the frequency at which innovations and creations with regards to computing and networking increased. In 1972, for instance, France developed CYCLADES. CYCLADES was a network system that resembled Arpanet. However, it did not last for long. Despite its demise, its innovation and development had a huge impact on system management. From it, it was discovered that the main role host computers should play is data transmission and not controlling the network itself. Arpanet also experienced a lot of growth, modification and development. According to Gajalla (2007), the major milestone that was experienced in the history of Arpanet was when the network was able to support Trans-Atlantic communication in 1973 (133). This connection was between the University College of London. During the first year that this network was set, e-mail accounted for three-quarters of the communication (Lazer 15). However, 1974 saw an even larger development in the world of computing and networking. According to Gajjala (2007), a proposal that aimed at linking all Arpa-like networks was developed (184). This concept was referred to as inter-networking. Unlike Arpanet and other related networks, this new system would not have central control. In addition, this new system was to be based on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP/IP).
Since the development of the computer, it was quite difficult to transmit information over networks since this data had to undergo many changes in their form and mode. Normally, data in a computer is always in a digital format. For it to be transmitted over a network, it has to be transformed into another format depending on the mode of transmission. This thus led to the development of a modem; a device that transformed digital data from a computer to analogue format for transmission. Once this information has been received on the other end, the modem converted the analogue data back to digital format to be used in a computer.
This function was only available for mainframe computers. However, in 1977, Dennis Hayes and Dale Heatherington developed the first modem that could be used in personal computers (Hodge 97). This innovation changed the manner in which people would communicate over networks as now individuals had the chance to access several networks with the use of their personal computers. Thus, communication across networks changed to include individuals, not corporations, and research institutions. However, the introduction of the PC modem to the public had adverse effects on Arpanet users. In 1978, the first uncontrolled e-mail was sent across the Arpanet network across California. According to Hodge (2006), this message affected over 600 users (101). This phenomenon, later on, came to be referred to as spam. Currently, this is a common occurrence across the internet. Thus, Gary Thuerk, the person responsible for the unsolicited e-mail in 1978, was the first person to ever make spam.
Currently, there are a number of computerised games and graphics present on the internet. Creativity and innovation have led to the development of 3D games, virtual reality and computer simulations. However, all these advancements come from an advancement that was created in 1979 from a precursor of two games; World of Warcraft and Second Life. The result was a multiplayer game called MultiUser Dungeon. This game was simple as it was based on a virtual textual world. The game was characterised by role-playing, fiction and chatting over the internet. From this simple game, hundreds of thousands of games have been developed.
Also in 1980, two graduate students in the United States developed Usenet (Gajjala162). Usenet provided a platform where people could discuss several issues present in newsrooms on an online basis. Here, people had the chance to give out their thoughts and ideas towards a specific subject. This was perhaps the begging of modern blogging. During the same year that Usenet was developed, scientists at the European Organization of Nuclear Research launched a new program (Gajjala 170). This program was referred to as the ENQUIRE software. It was used by scientists at the particle physics lab. These scientists used the software to keep track of people and projects. This was made possible by the use of hyperlinks.
1982 saw a major advancement in the passing of personal information over the internet. This came about as a result of the introduction of emoticons. Scott Fahlman proposed the use of emoticon : after a joke. This was the birth of the use of modern emoticons over the internet. Currently, there are many emoticons that are mainly used by individuals in chat rooms and social media to express their emotions; hence the word emoticon.
1983 was the year that the internet experienced a major change. On 1st January of that year, all computers switched from Arpanet connections to TCP/IP protocols. This change made it easier for individuals to surf through the internet, network and link with others. However, the transaction affected several computers. To ensure that this new system is sustainable, effective and efficient, the Domain Name System was created a year later (Gajjala170). At the same time, the Domain Name Server (DNS) was also created. The Domain Name System is a system of naming computers, applications or any other services that are connected to the internet.
The same system can also be used to name computers in a hierarchical manner within a private network. Each entity within the network is assigned a special name with reference to all other entities that are present within the system. This makes it easier for an individual to get access/contact with a specific domain within the network. As the internet was growing in size, the Domain Name System made it easier for individuals to search for a specific domain by providing addresses that were much easier for an individual to memorise. According to Gajjala (2007), this was much easier than using IP addresses in order to get access to a given domain (170). With this system in place, users could easily put in an easy to remember the address for a specific domain. Once this is done, the system then automatically changes this address into the numerical form of an IP address.
In 1985, the WELL, a virtual community was developed. The WELL (Whole Earth Lectronic Link) was developed by Stewart Brand and Larry Brilliant. The main aim of this community was to bring together the readers and writers from all across the globe. During its early years of existence, the WELL mainly focused on reviewing and analysing the Whole Earth Review. The WELL became to be one of the largest virtual gatherings and interaction of intellectuals in the world during the 1980s. Due to this reputation, the community kept on gaining more and more users. The WELL is still in operation up to the present moment. Due to its success, Wired Magazine has termed The WELL as the most successful online community in history.
From the mid-1980s up to the early 1990s, tremendous developments were made in the internet world. In 1986, there was a major setback in the development of the internet. This setback was as a result of protocol wars between European states and the United States of America. European states advocated for Open System Interconnection to be used to connect computers on a larger network. The USA, on the other hand, was not for the idea. It advocated for the use of the Internet/Arpanet protocol. These wrangles went on for quite some time. However, the United States idea for the adoption of Internet/Arpanet protocol was finally adopted by all nations. This agreement made the use of the internet to increase. The internet phenomenon now had a global impact. By 1987, there were over 30,000 hosts on the internet. This came about as a result of the adoption of the TCP/IP system. This system made it possible for many hosts to operate within the internet as compared to the Arpanet connections that could only support 1,000 hosts. 1988 also saw an increase of users on the internet.
This increment was as a result of the introduction of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) (Gajjala 174). This revelation made real-time chat to be possible. In addition, it paved way for the development of technologies that support instant messaging that we are currently using. Thus, the development of IRC was a major stepping-stone that boosted communication at a personal level on the internet. Modern chat rooms are currently based on this platform. 1988 was also the year that the first major attack on the internet was experienced. During this year, a worm named Morris circulated throughout the internet. The worm, developed by Robert Tappan Morris, led to massive disruptions on the internet. Most users of the internet were unable to access the system. There were also massive system breakdowns as a result of the worm. This brought about a major standstill in the use of the internet. In 1989, Apple stopped participating in the AppleLink program. Instead, it commenced on a new program known as American Online (AOL) that is still in existence up to the present day. This program made it easier for average internet users to use the internet effectively and efficiently. This program success was based on the fact that it made individuals be more comfortable while using the internet.
In 1989, the internet was in the process of taking a huge turn. This came about as a result of the proposal of a World Wide Web (Boyd and Ellison 219). This proposal was written by Tim Berners-Lee. This proposal was released on the March 1989 issue of the MacWorld. The same proposal was also distributed in 1990. The main aim of this proposal was to expound to CERN that the use of a hypertext system would make the global use of the internet to be sustainable. This proposed system would also be in the best interest of CERN since it would solve the problem of information loss; an issue that was present with the current system that was present on the internet. The internet at that time was organized in a hierarchical manner.
CERN as an organization comprised of thousands of people. All of these individuals were innovative and creative. In addition, they always worked to achieve specific goals and objectives as a team. However, their organization structure was always a setback to their initiative. This is because they were organized in a hierarchical manner. This is not an effective system since it does not allow free flow of information either up or down the levels of management. The adoption of a global hypertext system that was proposed by Berners-Lee would end all this. This system would also solve the problems of linked information systems, trees and keywords. This new hypertexts system that was proposed by Berners-Lee was to be referred to as the Mesh. However, while writing the code, Berners-Lee changed the name to the World Wide Web (www).
During the 1990s, a lot of developments were experienced in the internet world. It is the creations and innovations of this decade that transformed the internet to the status that it is currently in. 1990 saw the debut of the first internet provider in the world; The World. The World was a dial-up internet provider that targeted organizations and individuals. Other than providing internet services, The World also gave its users the chance to connect to Usenet. It also offered e-mail services to its users. The World is still in operation up to the present day although currently there are thousands of ISPs in the world. It is also in 1990 that the World Wide Web protocol was completed. Berners-Lee finally finished coding the World Wide Web. This work was based on the proposal that he had presented a year earlier. The World Wide Web was coded to meet HTML, HTTP and URLs standards. A year later, the first web page was created and released. Just like its predecessors, the first web page had an explanation of what it was, its uses and capabilities, its purpose and most importantly, what the World Wide Web was all about. This information was essential as it gave the public essential information that created a form of understanding of what the internet was and the capabilities that it had. As a result, the mentality that the internet was only for technical people was slowly dying off.
With this advancement, the nature and extent of the internet were growing at an alarming rate. It was thus essential for the internet to be organized in such a way that it will be easy to store, search, retrieve and access files. The development of the World Wide Web played a critical role in reliving this issue. However, as the magnitude of stored and shared files within the internet increased, a sustainable solution was required. This led to the development of Gopher, an application that was designed to search and retrieve documents that have been stored on the internet. The gopher was one amongst the earliest search engines on the internet.
1991 was also an important year in the world of entertainment and communication over the internet. It is during this year that the mp3 format was standardized. This was a compressed form of music format that enabled individuals to share music files and albums over the internet. At the same time, the first webcam was developed in 1991. Although the webcam application was developed in an experimental design for observation, the same concept was adopted to assist in face-to-face communication via the internet. The same application was also used for monitoring and surveillance.
To easily access the internet, several browsers were developed. In 1993, Mosaic, a web browser was developed. Due to its user-friendly interface, Mosaic made it easier for the public to access the internet. As a result, it became the most common browser that was downloaded and used by the public.
The growth of the internet and the impact that it had on the public could now be felt. More and more users continued to access the internet. In addition, applications and programs were being developed each and every single day to ensure that the internet is user friendly. Thus, as a result, the internet became part of the lives of many individuals, especially in developed nations. To keep up with this pace of development, national governments and other organizations felt the need to connect with the public via the internet. This thus led to the government of the United States of America and the United Nations going online in 1993. As a result, the.org and.gov domains came into existence.
At this time, Mosaic was the most common browser that was used to access the internet. However, in 1994, Mosaic faced its greatest competition ever; Netscape Navigator. Netscape Navigator was a primary product of Netscape Communication Corporation. Netscape browser was based on the Mosaic browser although it had a few modifications that made it to be a better browsing program. Netscape was launched a time when the internet was undergoing a great revolution; commercialization of the internet. Netscape took advantage of this by having desirable features that enabled users to use it for a variety of functions. In addition, the browser was offered free of charge for those individuals who did not use it for commercial purposes. This made the program to be a platform of the windows operating system. In addition, ISPs and computer review magazines played an essen
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