I am the type of person that usually stands neutral in a debate. I like to try to understand both sides of the story and see all of the positives and negatives. I feel uncomfortable with confrontations and provoking others for no good reason. However, there are a few circumstances that really ruffle my feathers.
I grew up on a farm and didn’t receive my first cell phone until I was a sophomore in high school. I didn’t get my first smart phone until a few months ago because my entire family did. Parents are now giving kids under ten years old smart phones. Honestly, I feel this is completely unnecessary and seriously annoying. Why is the world so dependent on technology and social media? Is this dependence only going to grow worse in the future?
I understand the significance of technology and social media for businesses and marketing, especially in the sport industry, but I don’t think that businesses should solely rely on social media or texting to communicate with their consumers and stay connected. Social media allows people to feel like they are connected to the rest of the world without a real, physical connection. There is no replacement for having customer service and communication skills and I feel like the technology craze is jeopardizing those skills for the younger generation.
There are several benefits that social media has contributed to the business world but it may also prove to be detrimental to those that consider it the norm to consume several hours on their cell phone every day. It seems there is no way around this because technology and social media websites will continue to develop. New media and technology seems to make some things in life easier but does it eliminate the learning process that may prove significant for other aspects in life?
New technology has allowed marketers to send messages to smartphones through beacons. If someone walks within proximity of a beacon, a signal is sent to that person's smartphone. An example I saw was in San Diego's gaslamp district, which is the neighborhood of the Padres stadium. People shopping or dining in the gaslamp district might walk past a beacon and receive a text message telling them that there is a Padres game that night and offer a discount. The University of Mississippi is utilizing beacon technology to enhance fan experience: http://www.olemisssports.com/genrel/070814aab.html
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and think it is CRAZY how these kids have phones. When I was younger I couldn't even imagine keeping track of a cell phone! As far as businesses using social media as a way to communicate I think its just becoming a trend. For a business to not utilize social media would be marketing suicide.
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