Her Magazine

:let's get physical Let's get Physical Technology continues to change the way we connect and communicate with each other It is still possible to send a telegram or write a letter which not so long ago was how we connected and communicated. This has been replaced more commonly by texting and email over the last decade, and now social media posting is replacing texting and emails to a large degree. It is not just the physical method of communicating that has changed, the way we format our communication has changed dramatically too. It is far more common now to post, tweet or text many short messages throughout the day than to sit and write a long letter or email about the day. With this change in method of communication the tools we use to communicate with are changing too. My mother tells me the best meal is the one you have in front of you and the same goes for social media access. You can of course social media from your computer and no mobile device can match the reliability of a well maintained computer connected into a good broadband connection, but you're going to have a hard time slipping that computer in your back pocket when you're out on that adventure we have called life. Tablets and smartphones are taking over the way we communicate and social media is a big part of this. Having lost the comfort of a full sized keyboard our messages, even emails, are kept to the bare minimum. Typing on a four to five inch screen is an acquired art in itself. With the ability to take and send a picture of where you are, what you are doing or even what you would like, why bother typing out a long description when a point-click-post does the job. To use your social networks to their full potential, you need to access them from your mobile device so you can share your favourite moments as they happen, and get up-to-the-minute information on who's doing what, where, and why. Here are few of the ways in which social media dominates our lives today: Most people prefer to get their daily share of news by looking at 34 | www. h e rmagaz i n e . c o. nz stories and updates posted by friends on Facebook or from people they follow on Twitter, instead of reading news websites. As we get news from the social media, we know the person recommending it, which makes news social too.. Social media also influences our buying decisions as companies now leverage these platforms, which consequently has a considerable impact on our purchasing decisions. It has made it easier to launch a business as interest-focused groups on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks help locate potential clients, collaborators and staff. Social media has transformed the way we stay in touch with friends social media is now being increasingly used to search as well as maintain both old and new friendships. One of the strongest ways these technologies have had on interpersonal communication is how people in long-distance relationships can stay in touch and continue to be in a relationship, be it friends or romantically, in real time. Of course there are some downsides to this real time method of communication. The cell phone made it far too easy to call ex-girlfriends or boyfriends when not of calm state of mind but at least it was still a one on one conversation. Now Facebook and Twitter let us share our frustrated moments with, well... the entire world. Do you really want complete and immediate access to social media when your decision making is at its most compromised? The flip side of instant communication is instant social suicide without enough time to reconsider the wisdom of over-sharing your most embarrassing moments. There is an old saying that goes "make sure your brain is in gear before engaging your mouth". Maybe we should update this to "make sure your brain is in gear before hitting send" Happy messaging!!! Cliff Salter www.pchardware.co.nz

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