Growing up in the computer age, I've seen great strides in technology and the way we use it. Years ago, the world wide web was created as a way to share information among users. This happened barely twenty years ago, and twenty years later we can do basically anything online- order a pizza, shop for clothes, or talk to someone halfway around the world. Virtually every business has a website, people have personal pages, and there are new pages being created every day.
I've seen computers go from giant systems to clunky laptops to computers that are the shape and weight of a notebook- and can act as one. Cell phones are now 10% of the size they were before, and can do 2000x more functions. The funny thing about technology is that it's constantly changing and progressing. You may finally master a program or technology today, and tomorrow there is already a newer version coming out and yours is obsolete. (This commercial is a good example)
Along with these changes in technology also come changes in the way we use it and the accessibility of information. We have gone from slooooow dialup connections to smartphones where we literally have the world at our fingertips at any time. It makes sense then that as we become more technology savvy, obsessed, and dependent, the social media market has emerged and taken off.
In a world before MySpace and Facebook, many companies had basic webpages. As MySpace phased out and Facebook was in, more and more companies were realizing the potential of being online. When Facebook started serving not only college students but parents, employers, and businesses too, the website really took off. There are now millions of businesses, local and national, that have a page on Facebook. Their pages can feature information about the company and its services, promotions and deals, and special offers for those who are "fans" of the company. It's genius really. Teenagers and college students spend so much time surfing the web that it's turning into the cheapest and one of the most effective ways to advertise a company, and perhaps the most efficient way of reaching those from Generation Y. Companies that don't have a high presence online and don't use many social media techniques are at risk of being left behind.
This is so true. It's funny thinking about the mannuals that have gone with all the different things you've listed, from computers, calculators, cellphones, TVS, etc. Now they have an abundance of "mannuals" for Facebook and Twitter and other social media tools geared specifically for any business through blogs, case studies, LinkedIn groups, websites... Or you can hire specialists or interns to set it up. Companies really have no excuse to not take advantage of social media and having a presence online when there are so many resources online spelling out how to do it.
ReplyDeleteI too am amazed at how far technology has come in such a short period of time. I am so thankful that our generation was able to experience these experiences first hand. We are at a great advantage by being able to learn these programs and new technologies from the time they were born and continue to familiarize ourselves with them as they are being developed and improved. By growing up at the time these technologies were being developed we have immediate insight into just how quickly they change and the importance of staying abreast to them. Like you previously mentioned, if we fail to adhere we fall risk of being corporately left behind.
ReplyDeleteIt could be a new crisis for companies if they didn't adopt changes but in other ways it is a great opportunity to grow their revenue by using new technologies. It might seen complicated for people but once everybody's using, the profits generated by it could be astonishing. Technologies could also bring changes on company management and reduce cost. It could be good for firms but might also be bad.
ReplyDeleteIt really is crazy how much things have changed in the past twenty years. We have been lucky to be the "technology savvy" generation and will have success in the workplace in the upcoming years because of this. However, if technology continues to evolve we might not always have a clear understanding and it could be our children or our children's children that will be at the same advantage that we are now. It's crazy to think that those that we feel sorry for now (the older, less tech-savvy generation) may be us in the future.
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