Revolution can be defined as the sudden, radical change in something. Our most famous example here in the U. S. Is, of course, the American Revolution. Another example well known to Americans is the 1960s counterculture revolution here and in most of Europe. An up-and-coming revolution currently taking place is the social media revolution.

People have become content producers instead of content consumers because of social media. In short, the inmates run the asylum. The spread of information and knowledge as dramatically changed. In the past, the norm was broadcast media monologues, where one person distributes information to the masses. TV newscasts and newspaper accounts are the more well known of this.

These norms, however, are being made to exist side by side with what this new revolution is bringing about. Now, any number people may distribute given information to the masses. Everyone is now both receiver and distributor. Hence, these people are now known as content producers.

Several forms of this are common. One well-known one is ideas or concepts designed to be easily regurgitated so that they are easily repeated often to others. Another form is print media, which is designed to be reproduced to the masses. A third form is the movement at ground level of direct dispersement, including rallies, demonstrations, and public speaking. A fourth is the mass sharing of information from advanced search-capable Internet and mobile devices.

Major differences exist between social media and traditional media, also known as broadcast, industrial, or mass media. To start, because industrial media normally requires more resources to share what it knows, social media tends to be less expensive. It’s also more accessible, too. Next, in the structured world of traditional media, specialized training is imperative. In the unstructured world of social media, no such training is required. Social media can be used and operated by anyone.

Third, the impact on response time and newsworthiness has been profound. While in social media, this can be instantaneous, the same can take hours or even days in mass media. However, as the influence of social media on traditional media grows, this difference will probably become minimal.

Fourth, permanence is treated very differently by the two. In mass media, after an article is printed and distributed, it cannot be changed. Corrections, retractions, and apologies may be necessary, but the article is unable to be altered. In social media, however, changes can instantly be made.

There are similarities between the two forms of media. They both are capable of reaching either a very small audience or a very large one. A TV newscast might be seen worldwide or just nowhere else but your small community. A blog post or tweet can reach the same range of people.

The future direction of social media and traditional media is, of course, unknown. One hypothesis is the hybridization of the two. In this scenario, what is known as community media is the use of the frameworks of both traditional and social media. In fact, this hybrid is already being commonly used in some corners.

Regardless of what the future holds, the social media discussion is not whimsical. It is here to stay, though the direction is still unclear. Will hybridization continue to evolve? Will traditional media as we know it survive? Will the social media discussion evolve so much that it consumes both the traditional and the hybrid? Stay tuned to your local media outlets.

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