The growth of these networks is not a slow one either (Facebook only had 100 Million users in mid-2008) especially in developing countries, with the number of Facebook users in China jumping from 100 000 to 700 000 in the month of January 2011 alone. (Doesn’t sound like much compared to the 600 million total, but remember China has the strictest internet filtering policy in the world which blocks many popular sites including Facebook, so those 700 000 users are going to extreme lengths to use the website) Australia itself has around 10 Million Facebook users and 2.5 million Twitter users.

Now that we’re done with the figures: these websites have come a long way from their humble beginnings to become much bigger than anyone ever expected. Many people use Facebook and Twitter for different things: communicating with existing friends and family, finding interesting and likeminded people they don’t already know to chat to, sharing experiences or even playing a simple game. But there is one use of social networks that I believe is the most important one (and no, it’s not spying on your ex or seeing which of your friends looks the best in a bikini!) It’s the spread of information and news which I like to call social media. Twitter and Facebook have played a huge role in bringing people news in a quick, concise, easy to view and up-to-date format. (This point is backed up, somewhat ironically, by the Facebook group ‘Waking up & checking your Facebook like it’s the morning paper‘) And the name of this group seems to be spot on. Many people now check Facebook and Twitter before they even get out of bed. We used to have to wait for the evening news bulletin or ever the next day’s newspaper to hear what was going on around us, but now chances are that if something is happening, someone with a smartphone will be there before Channel 9. Bam, a minute later they’ve tweeted about a child being abducted or a bad car accident on the M1. Or maybe even an illegitimate government being overthrown.

And this last example is where social media has really come to the fore. In August last year, social networking played a big part in the federal election here in Australia, and in the campaign leading up to it. In January social media went from bringing us small time news about traffic jams to the latest word from pro democracy activists suffering brutal crackdowns by authorities. In Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and Ivory Coast, the story was all too similar. No journalists allowed into the country, foreign journalists found to be reporting on protests were captured, deported or had their offices destroyed. Phone and TV services were cut to entire countries in an attempt to silence millions of protesters. But they wouldn’t be silenced, and social media was their saviour. Tweets were retweeted and showed in mainstream media around the world. Some would disagree, but I believe that if this social media hadn’t existed, these protests would have largely failed. With the help of Twitter and Facebook, protesters defied their brutal governments and got the attention of people everywhere. Without these social networks, would we have known the real truth of the events in Northern Africa and the Middle East? Would so much attention have been drawn to the plight of these people that governments all around the world heaped both diplomatic and military pressure on the leaders of these countries to stand down? I would say no.

Of course the fact that it’s so quick and easy to spread information has its downsides, too. The usual editing process undertaken by traditional media organisations doesn’t happen, nor often does fact verification. Social media helps spread information quickly, and this naturally includes false information too (proven by widespread discussion across social networks about celebrity ‘deaths’ that never actually happened) One could argue though that this lack of editing can be a good thing – you can’t say much in 140 characters, so the information given can often be raw, unbiased and brutally honest, unlike traditional media. This picture of Christian pro-democracy activists in Egypt protecting Muslim activists while they are praying is one of the most moving things I’ve ever seen, and to my knowledge it has never appeared in any newspaper. It was taken by an activist in the middle of a protest (and subsequent crackdown by police) and uploaded to Twitter.

I’m almost done taking time out of your day that you’ll never get back, I promise. But to wrap this up, social networking is becoming a day to day part of our lives that we likely couldn’t live without. It has done everything from reuniting old friends from primary school to helping pro-democracy activists organise protests. And once you wade though the large number of pre-teens hating on Selena Gomez for dating Justin Bieber (because they are delusional enough to believe they actually have a chance with him), and people posting about what they ate for lunch or the fact that they can’t find any good skirts in their size, it really can become a useful tool for sharing information quickly, having a joke, debating issues and connecting with people. (Perhaps in some cases posting about your lunch is allowable, for instance if it’s so exceptionally good that you want to recommend it, or perhaps if it’s so bad you find pubic hair in it) But we must be wary of fake information, and more importantly, social networking shouldn’t replace face-to-face contact. Nothing should, ever. After all, it’s the basis for all types of relationships, is it not? Essentially, social networking is getting a heap of M & M’s thrown at you when you only want to eat the blue ones. Except without the inevitable multicoloured stains on your clothes. And the M & M’s. There’s a lot of great, funny, informative and touching stuff out there and good times to be had, you’ve just got to find the good things amongst all the other rubbish that shows up on your screen.

In 1940, Winston Churchill said of brave RAF pilots (who beat the German Luftwaffe in the Battle Of Britain, saving many thousands of English lives): “‘Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.”

It’s not nearly as momentous or catchy but perhaps now, it could be said of social networking: Never has so much been said by so many to so many…

Masterchef is about the only show on Channel 10 that doesn’t have it, but that’s probably only a matter of time. If they do introduce SMS voting for Masterchef I really hope it’s for the judges. I’d vote Matt Preston off – what a sellout. He’s even got his own compilation record.

I’d like to see ABC News bring in SMS voting to all of their bulletins – then I could vote off all the stories of about celebrity ‘meltdowns’, breakups and whatever the f*** Jessica Watson’s circumnavigated this time. I get she went around the world and everything, but surely circumnavigating the aforementioned Matt Preston would be a more difficult challenge.

And what’s with the influx of EVEN MORE reality TV? If I want reality, I’ll get off my butt and go outside. I don’t care which celebrity can dance the best or which ‘average Australian’ is the best cook, but there’s one type of reality TV that really, REALLY gets me. We all know the type of show I’m talking about – the one’s where we get to see what supposed ‘socialites’ do in their spare time. The Hills and The Kardashians to name a couple. These annoy me more than anything because these people aren’t even good at anything – singing, acting etc. I really don’t care what people in the public eye do in their spare time.

It’s all well and good if they’re talented, but can all of them just sing their song and pretend to be a character and then just go away? I like actual news and decent programming on my TV thank-you-very-much. Comedy, drama, docos, sport etc – no problem. Reality – I change the channel. Of course there are other stupid programs that aren’t reality, 2 And A Half Men can disappear too.

Finally – what is the point of 3D TV? Again, if I want to watch something in 3D, I’ll walk out of my damn house, not sit in front of a screen! Who wants to wear those ridiculous glasses anyway?

Just quickly, ABC News 24 starts very soon, and I can’t wait. For the first time those without a Fox Box can get news whenever we want, not only at two or three set times a day. I just hope it lives up to all the expectations. If so, it’ll be a great thing for TV.

In the comments box, if you wish:
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