Social media is an exciting part of life. Since its meteoric rise in popularity, it has become an all-encompassing part of our lives. We use it for everything from keeping up with old classmates to helping elect our next president. More and more, photographs are becoming as integral as the text accompanying them. With ever-growing advances in technology, photography is growing at an ever-increasing rate. Cameras and video recorders are everywhere! They are in all types of devices and places, as little as 20 years ago, we would not have thought possible. This ever-changing social presence brings with it some great opportunity, as well as some areas for concern.
The younger generation that is being raised along with this awesome technology will have some decided advantages. It seems as they were born looking through the lens of a camera. Or should I say the viewscreen of a digital camera or smartphone. Having worked with some young adults, I have seen a lot of candid and staged photos. The quality of these shots is amazing! Some of the landscape and nature photos could hold their own against some I've seen in publications. With a little formal training, some of these young people will be doing phenomenal work. Social media is, in essence, becoming a portfolio for up-and-coming artists. It is a place where you can see and interact with prospective employers and employees.
Some of us in the older generation had to struggle a little to learn the new technology. As our confidence grows we are seeing more use of photography on media sites from the previous generations. Tradesmen and contractors are using it to showcase their work. They are posting albums of completed projects, and showing clients projects in progress in real time. Reviews from previous customers can go along with the photos. I have seen TV and mainstream media personalities utilize social media and photography to promote themselves and charitable causes. There are seemingly no limits to the use of photography in social media.
Along with the professional and productive side is the funny, silly side, such as all of the duckface selfies and pictures of everybody having a good time watching their favorite games. This is, of course, the social part of social media. We love to take pictures of what we are having or dinner or the funny intersection sign of Rock St. and Hard Place. Sometimes we can get so caught up with having fun we can forget our friends are not the only ones seeing these photos. More often than not employers are asking for access to social media sites you use. The fact of the matter is as these sites become more of a part of our lives we have to learn how to be as responsible as we can. Photographs and social media make for some great memories, and like everything that goes out on the internet, stays on the internet. Make smart choices with your photos and you will have a more enjoyable social media experience.