Social media sites have made it easier to see what friends, family, and acquaintances and social media has also made it easier to broadcast information. Some of this information posted by users of these services is as redundant as posting about eating a sandwich but these services can be used to communicate views and with each other when other services such as cell phones and television is unavailable.

Sites such as Twitter and YouTube were used extensively during the Iranian election in 2009 and helped Iranian citizens broadcast the riots which they saw. Although the Iranian government tried to limit citizens access to the internet, citizens found ways to share their experiences in the so-called “Twitter Revolution”.

In an article from the New York Times written in 2009 called Twitter Comes to the Rescue, a New Media Director, Tony Wagner, was seperated from his wife and child on a JetBlue flight. He tweeted at JetBlue and shortly after the tweet, Jetblue responded and flagged his tickets as a priority and helped seat him with his family. The same article referenced how Omni Hotels’ relation to twitter. Omni hotels monitors Twitter and gives surprise perks such as free drinks and special seating.

The explosion of social media websites in the past 10 to 15 years led organisations such as the Library of Congress to archive Tweets from Twitter in an archive. The Library of Congress is still working on creating this archive but the fact of the matter still exists, major archival libraries are working to have a digital record of social media.

Social media, although it has benefits, downsides exist which have the possibility to change human interaction. Rather than meeting with friends face to face, people are using Facebook and other similar sites as an alternative to “real” interaction. Real interaction is part of the human experience but it is slowly moving from the real world to behind the computer. While Facebook is helpful to connect or reconnect with distant family and friends, it is no substitute for real interaction