Everyone uses it. People can’t go a day, or even an hour, without it. They are the networks that connect millions of people across the globe. Yes, I am talking about social media sites. Social media has changed how we interact with the world. Whether it is for communication, self-promotion or marketing, we use it religiously. Human beings are creatures of habit who love to express their opinions and make their voices heard, which makes social media sites a thriving industry impacting our day-to-day lives.

People want to hear the news, fast, and right at their fingertips. With the ever-increasing technological advancements, it has become easier for people to express themselves through social media platforms. Even though social media is such a significant aspect of today’s society, people tend to focus on the negative aspects and forget about the good.

The influence of social media transforms our society for the better. I’s a forum of support, comfort and encouragement during a time of crisis. There have been numerous disasters in which social media provided an outlet for people to spread the word about relief efforts, volunteer work and information about where to go to submit donations to help disaster victims. In some cases, social media provided the only viable venue for communication. For example, during superstorm Sandy, a majority of people lost power, but some cell networks and WiFi towers remained operational. Many people used Facebook to give details of the destruction and to reassure family and friends they were safe. Twitter even donates a promoted hashtag to lend support to victims.

Social media is also one of the best ways to communicate across vast distances. Many of us are now able to connect with friends and family, far and wide, without having to pay for long-distance phone charges. After studying abroad, students can keep in touch with people they met in different countries simply by logging into one of their social media accounts. The great thing about social media is that they can even share pictures or look at their new friend’s profile page to get a glimpse of what is going on in their lives instead of just hearing about it. Yes, social media can get a little creepy, at times, but when used correctly and for the right purposes it is an amazing and efficient way to keep in touch with people you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Social media has become so popular, that the number of parents and grandparents with a Facebook account is probably at a record high.

Social media is also a form of political influence. It has given a voice to the people. A popular example would be the movement for marriage equality that spread across Facebook platforms everywhere as the Supreme Court heard cases regarding same-sex marriage. Brands even adopted the trend by creating red equality symbols. Social media sites blew up about it as people all across the nation began changing their profile pictures to their political belief on the matter. Social media is a powerful force for change and has the strong ability to influence the outcomes in many political decisions.

Social media has become a significant part of our modern civilization. It is a defining trait of how integrated our social interactions have become. Many of us can barely remember a time before we had social media and, now, we can’t even imagine living in a world without it.