Social media departs from more traditional forms of media in that it lacks many previous barriers of accessibility.  Through the advance of modern information technology, communication between people has never been more fluid.

One of the most indelible marks of the advancement of social media is the flurry of Internet programs and “networks” that have emerged.  Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace allow users to create and manage personalized spaces on the Web, and provide a forum for individuals to interact – regardless of geographic location.  YouTube and Flickr helped to usher in the era of video and photo sharing, and the expanding Blogosphere has unleashed the enormous potential of “personal publishing.”  The list goes on and on.

Social media can also have significant implications for doing business.  Internet marketing has emerged as an medium, with multi-billion dollar corporations and small businesses alike taking advantage of its opportunities.  Small businesses, for example, can launch relatively far-reaching advertising campaigns at very reasonable costs.  As more and more businesses devote resources to developing marketing for social media, those who do not may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.