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"Selfie" becomes Word of the Year
With social media growing rapidly, words and phrases related to it become more common place. Although, the word "selfie" was not created in 2013, it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. -
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
ALS Association has raised over $15 million to further research Lou Gehrig’s Disease through the Ice Bucket Challenge where celebrities and individuals post videos of themselves getting ice dumped on them to raise money. Social media has been a powerful tool in charity work. -
Pinterest Announces Buyable Pins
Pinterest adds pins that allow purchasing features within the app. This is beneficial for businesses to promote their products through social media. -
FaceBook Live
Joining other platforms, FaceBook adds a streaming feature that allows users to video live while their friends watch in real time or later as they view it. -
Elections
The spread of "fake news" was a hot topic during the elections. "Troll factories" spread false claims and information and conspiracy. There are ongoing investigations into Russia's influence at trying to influence the U.S. elections. -
Brussels Explosions -Social Media a source of news
Bombs exploded at the Brussels airport killing 32 people and injuring hundreds more. Many people turned to social media to find out more details and better understand what had happened. Most individuals are getting their news from social media. -
Social Movements
metoo sweeps the world as people come together to discuss and fight against sexual harassment and assault. Hashtags and other means on social media have opened up awareness, discussions, allowed victims a voice, and encouraged change. -
Snap Map
SnapChat adds a map that allows you to find your friends and shares your location with your friends, raising questions of privacy and safety. -
Character Count
Twitter doubled the amount of characters that are allowed in a tweet from 140 to 280. -
GoFund Me -California Wildfires
Word spread like wildfire about the evacuations and the destruction caused but the wildfires in California. GoFund me pages were started for the victims who lost their homes, businesses, and belongings to the fires. Community and global outreach is widespread because of the internet and people can reach out to each other and support each other through the web and social media.
