Social Media
Communication is one of the most important aspects of human being. Emerging technologies have completely redefined the way human beings communicate with each other. The internet has come out strongly as one of the most sophisticated tools of communication.
The social media is the most recent of the forms of communication. When Facebook came into existence in the year 2007, many critics thought that it was another passing wind, just as other technologies that never made it to see the light of the day (Luther & Coretta 63). However, this site hosts over seven hundred million users who visit the site almost on a daily basis. Tweeter was soon to follow, and currently there is the YouTube which comes with more features.
Social media has completely changed the social structures of many societies. Social Media, as Austin (78) says, is the second deliberation to many of the world societies. It has brought out the true meaning of the word globalization. The world is currently a true global village, thanks to the social media. It is now possible to tour the world, share with friends and families in far off locations, and get updated of every little thing that is going on around the world.
It has therefore been possible for people across the world to share their life experiences, their feelings and many other social issues that are worth sharing (Aronson 19). This has seen many countries, for instance the recent uprisings in the Arab world, get liberated from dictatorial rules of people they had almost certainly believed would rule forever, people who had equated themselves to god. This was a tool for a better change.
Social Media and Race
It is still a fact that the world is made up of several races despite the increased interactivity. However, the racial barrier is fast falling apart. This is especially so among the youths who are the most regular users of the social media (Safko 71). It has come to their realization that the world is one, and that the difference in skin color, geographical locations or lifestyles makes everyone unique to themselves and therefore should not be used as a basis of segregation.
Through Facebook, the youths would share, and through this, they have come to realize that race, by its original definition, does not exist. What exists is the difference in the skin color due to difference in temperature and other environmental factors, and the difference in cultural practices as a result of difference societal structure.
Social Media and Religion
One of the most affected social aspects is the religion. Social media has opened up the world. Haught (65) says that religion is like a prison that limits one from a number of activities to the benefit of the religious leaders. Most of these restrictions are always baseless, as this scholar further asserts. People across the world have used religion to manipulate other members of the society to behave in a way that would benefit them at the expense of the larger group of society members.
This is fast changing. Social media has allowed people world over to share and through this, knowledge is passed from one corners of the world to the other (Leithwood & Steinbach 53). This has seen some religion transform, while others fall apart. People who had depended on religion to stay in power unfairly have been forced out of such offices. The world has assumed a new shape, and with it, a new religion that is more liberal and more accommodating.
Works Cited
Aronson, Marc. Race: A History beyond Black and White. New York: Ginee Seo Books, 2007. Print.
Austin, James. The Last Snake Man. New York: Noir Publishing, 2007. Print.
Haught, John. What Is Religion: An Introduction. New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1990. Print.
Leithwood, Kennedy & Steinbach, Richard. Changing Leadership for Changing Time. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1999. Print.
Luther, Martin & Coretta, Klein. I Have a Dream. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2007. Print.
Safko, Lon. The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success. New Jersey: John Wiley, 2010. Print.