It’s unbelievable that there was a time when people really thought social media was a fad. Even today there are people who like to say that Facebook or Twitter will, in the next few years, become entirely obsolete, but that sort of smugness is already proven a little premature. You use it for everything, and so does everyone else, which points to the likelihood that your children’s children will one day get the chance to view grandpa’s antiquated Facebook wall.

Social Media Is Its Own Country

Statistics show that if the users of Facebook, the largest social media platform in the entirety of the universe, formed their own country, it would actually be larger than the United States, coming in third only to India and China.

To simply say “everyone uses social media” significantly downplays its importance and relevance. It’s not just that billions of people use it. It’s not just that people stay in contact with friends, family, loved ones, and barely recognized acquaintances. Some users wouldn’t talk to friends without social media, yet they live in the same “country.”

It Influences Everything You Buy

It’s become common practice for companies and businesses to have active profiles on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. People now expect their favorite brands to have active Instagram feeds and Pinterest pages as well. In fact, 85 percent of all consumers fully expect the businesses they patronize to have an active social media presence. If a company doesn’t have a Facebook or Twitter, consumers move on to the competition. It’s a reputation thing.

Not only that, but when a business advertises its product or a friend shares a particularly great deal or service, social media users believe it. They’re far more likely to become influenced by what their friends, family, and favorite brands share, meaning that the company or business that doesn’t use social media could lose out on revenue.

It Doesn’t Cost a Dime

Technically speaking, social media is free. It doesn’t cost you anything to use it, so why wouldn’t you? Although you can always pay to advertise on your favorite social sites, it’s not really necessary if you know how to write posts and reach your audience. The average DSL prices for the Internet have seriously decreased and, as a result, the popularity of social media has proportionately increased. With wireless connections, even data usage on mobile devices is largely obsolete.

It’s Changing the World

People use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to change the world. Petitions go around every day, to stop everything from bullying to animal cruelty. Just recently, politics exploded over social media, thanks to several intrepid Twitter users and YouTubers. Social media changes the way people vote, it keeps them informed about news they might otherwise miss, and it creates enormous changes in the world at large, not just in the United States but in every country with an active social media base.

Social media’s not going anywhere, although it will certainly continue to evolve and change, to best meet the needs of its users. Where do you sit on the social media fence?