Though social media platforms seem to have begun somewhat frivolously as a way to explore whether your favorite college classmate was single, or a more efficient way to share videos taken at the San Diego Zoo, today, these communication avenues have nearly infinite possibilities.
Facebook has transitioned from a college networking facilitator to a channel with 600 million users and over 2.32 billion active monthly users. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. adults (68%) now report that they are Facebook users (Pewinternet, 2018). Social media has in essence changed the way we exist.
Statistics from 2019 note that there are 3.5 billion social media users worldwide. That equates to about 45% of the current population (Emarsys, 2019). 90.4% of Millennials, 77.5% of Generation X, and 48.2% of Baby Boomers are active social media users (Emarketer, 2019). 3 hours are spent per day, per person on social networks and messaging (Globalwebindex, 2019). The shift in communication, specifically via social media presents opportunities for businesses and consumers who are looking to talk to you, and each other.
With all of this comes the growing importance of staying connected, understanding what resonates within ourselves, our teams and our consumers. Effective communication is key to success in our daily lives and in today’s society, much of that is done online.
Be sure to subscribe for the most up to date information on what’s happening at UMass Boston, College of Management.