Social media is defined by its interactivity, connectedness, and user-generated content. In today’s society, the use of social media has become a necessary daily activity. Social media is typically used for social interaction and access to news and information, and decision making.  It is a valuable communication tool with others locally and worldwide, as well as to share, create, and spread information. Social media can influence consumer’s purchase decisions through reviews, marketing tactics and advertising. Essentially, social media vastly impacts our ability to communicate, form relationships, access and spread information, and to arrive at the best decision.

Perhaps the most influential social media tool is social networking sites.  Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger, LinkedIn, and Google + are all familiar names to the large majority of society; active social media user or not.  Almost everyone from the ages of 13 to 64 has a Facebook account.  These social networking sites can be used to connect people worldwide.  This means that business meetings can be conducted internationally via Google Hangouts or old friends can reconnect.  For businesses, schools, and various other groups, the communication possibilities are endless.