When I was growing up, I had a cell phone. It had an extendable aerial and a button that made a flap flip open.
It didn’t actually phone anyone, and just made the noises that the phones in the movies made. I was ten, I didn’t have anyone to call. I lived with my parents, my friends were all school friends, there was no need for a working phone.
In my short existance, this has changed completely. I now have a cell phone contract that costs me thousands of Rands every month, because I need to be connected ALL of the time.
I noticed this today when I was reading more news articles on Facebook than I was on News24, as the news was more instantly available there than it was on News24. I searched a news story, it brought up all the people who had commented on that story, as well as various links to news sites with up to the minute updates.
Social Media is instant, its interactive, and has become the most important tool in every connected persons life.
Indeed it is! Check the article I linked about twitter addiction on Facebook!
There is a whole host of new research being done on stuff like this. From Facebook addiction to voyeuristic dependency. Its all happening brand new research, as this stuff is all still brand new!