ABSTRACT
CHAPTER 1 When we think about social media, a few things immediately come to mind: Facebook, friends, games, Twitter, Internet, iPhone. We are all familiar with social media in one form or another. Television shows advertise their Facebook page containing games and program information. News stations broadcast opinionated Tweets from Twitter regarding current events. Businesses connect with customers through foursquare so that fans can receive deals and companies may advertise to a specific audience. There are many popular social media sites today which vary in their uses, all the way from fundraising for charities to creating a centralized database of information, from CouchSurfing.org , which lets members find places to stay while traveling, to partyflock.nl , a Dutch community for people interested in house music. Although we are all familiar with what is considered social media, many are unfamiliar with the definition of social media and what exactly differentiates social media from other forms of media.
