Social Media Modern Social Networking Dissertation

g. politicians, movie and rock stars, etc.). Indeed, the combination of social networking sites and an abundance of cellular services and phones has even changed the socio-political landscape in countries that do not have an open or democratic regime (e.g. protests in Iran, etc.) (Friends, Fans and Followers, 2011).

The role of social networks have changed the way marketers and politicians view their audience, communicate with them, and even interact. Since social network sites are organized around people, there is a shift in organization behavior within the online community based on the way the message (or candidate) communicates. Over the last decade, really since 2003, online social networks have grown into powerful multi-million member sites, garnering vast amounts of attention from nearly every direction. Facebook and MySpace, two of the most prominent online social network sites in the U.S. account for nearly 6% of all visitor sessions by Internet users and are growing at a rate of nearly 200,000 profiles a day. One of the ways this works is with the development of newer Web-based technologies that allow greater interaction (Cross and Parker, 2004). This new technology, called Web 2.0, increases the individual's ability to share information, to collaborate online and in real time, to interact, to share files and folders with others, and to truly reach out and actualize globally -- something unheard of at this volume of people. Thus, the real power of the new technology combined with social networking sites is that it provides great openness, freedom, and - through user participation and interaction -- collective intelligence. Indeed, those without the ability to become at least partially fluent in social networks will find it terribly difficult to keep up with trends, with the newest products and services, and even an entire generation that receives, analyzes, and disseminates information appropriately (Harris and Rae, 2010).

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Friends, Fans and Followers (2011). Journal of Advertising Research. 51 (1): 258-75.

Cross, R. And Parker, A. (2004). The Hidden Power of Social Networks: Boston:

Harris, L. And Rae, A. (2010). The online connection: Transforming marketing strategy…