3 Industries That Will Never be the Same Thanks to Social Media
Social media has officially integrated itself into the inner workings of our society. The reach it has is undeniable, and it has changed the way we do so many things that it would be impossible to list them all here. That being said, there are a handful of industries that have been forever changed, thanks to social media. These industries simply don’t function the same as they used to. Here’s a look at a few of those industries.
Photography
It’s now easier than ever to become a photographer. The underlying concept hasn’t changed; the knowledge base and required equipment are certainly still the same. But the entire process of getting started has changed radically. Nowadays any aspiring photographer can create their own Facebook page to promote their budding business and establish their brand. These cases typically start with close friends and family, and rely heavily on personal recommendations to get the ball rolling in the beginning.
The concept of social media has changed the way established photographers promote themselves as well. Copyright issues have become more common, as more and more users choose to share their new photos with their friends and family over social networks.
One factor that has certainly changed when it comes to photography is that consumers increasingly look to social networks to find potential photographers. This lends to the idea that it’s easier than ever to become a photographer yourself.
Mobile Phones
For decades, mobile phones were just that: phones. Now they are personal planners, calendars, calculators, cameras, notepads, and, of course, phones. It’s pretty typical of modern society to constantly seek ways to change and improve the status quo. This is made especially evident by the new line of 2014 4G phones from T-Mobile.
Consumers now expect their mobile phone to be able to do much more than simply send and receive calls and texts. Imagine explaining to Alexander Graham Bell that, in the year 2014, humanity would possess a device that could not only transmit sound from one place to another instantaneously, but we could also do it without any cords.
Suffice it to say that social media has changed the mobile phone industry forever. It will now and always be expected that mobile phones more closely resemble a computer than a telephone, and connect us to each other through social networks. In 2013, 200 million of Facebook’s two billion users don’t own a computer. Rather, they access the social network through their favorite devices. That is itself a testament to the impact social media has on the mobile phone industry.
Greeting Cards
It started back in the late nineties when email started to become commonplace outside of the office. When you opened your email on your birthday, you might find an e-card from your best friend, and a greeting from your mother. Well that concept continued to grow and evolve, and has now become a full-fledged social media tradition. Instead of sending a greeting card to your friend on her birthday, people are more inclined to send a thoughtful message via social media, or post a picture and tag them in it, along with a heartfelt message.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the number of greeting cards that people in the U.S. purchased dropped from six billion to five billion over the course of the last decade. The U.S. Postal Service reports that both personal correspondence (which includes greeting cards) and invitations fell about 25 percent between 2002 and 2010 alone.
These days the Internet and social media has just made it entirely too convenient to send special greetings and messages that the greeting card industry will not ever be the same.
These three industries will continue to be important aspects of our society as a whole, but will have to continue evolving to keep up with technology trends. What are some industries you’ve noticed make major changes in response to social media? Please share with us in the comments below.
Joe Fortunato is a freelance writer from Tampa, Florida. He enjoys learning about new subjects, following his Baltimore Orioles, and traveling the country for fishing. You can find Joe on Twitter at @joey_fort.
