The Past, Present, and Future of Media

        Over the last five years media in America has undergone a significant facelift.  Newspapers have seen a drastic reduction in sales and subscriptions, and more Americans now get their news and weather from the Internet or social media sites.  So what does this mean for the future of media?  Will the Internet revolution continue to decentralize traditional media? 

        Social media in particular has seen an exponential increase in the last five years.  What started as a handful of small, little-known websites has grown into an industry that has an estimated value of over $150B.  Yes, that's billions.  The infographic below gives an overview of the growth of social media over the last five years.  Thanks go out to Evan LePage at HootSuite for sharing the information.

http://blog.hootsuite.com/evolution-of-social-media-infographic/

 

 As you can see, social media is kind of a big deal.  

        With the top company valued at $100B and the potential to reach billions of people, companies can't afford not to take advantage of the opportunities that social media presents.  The catalyst behind this growth in industry has been advances in technology which now offers high-speed broadband and mobile networks and the ability to stay connected 24 hours a day.  

        With billions of devices connected around the world and newer technologies being created almost daily, the future of media will see as many changes in the near future as it has in the recent past.  This is especially true for television.  Internet-connected television has just recently exploded onto the scene, with apps and programs like Google TV, Roku, and Boxee already beginning to compete with major national cable programs like FOX, NBC, and ABC for viewers.  This will lead to consumers having almost unlimited choices for video and television, and will help continue the trend that began with social media.