Major in Social Media?

Photo Credit: Tama Leaver via Compfight cc

One college in New Jersey is opening a center for social media study and will be offering a business degree with a concentration in social media marketing. New programs like these are suggesting that social media is here to stay, and will be a major way that all types of business will market in the future.

On one hand this may be a new and exciting opportunity if you have ever thought about  pursuing a career in social media. On the other hand, the push towards marketing any and all products through social media is a reminder that there are more and more targeted advertisements everyday on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, ect. Have you ever seen these advertisements on social media and thought about what and why they are advertising? It is not always bad, but it is important to keep in mind that there is a ton of thought and money that goes into exactly what advertisements  appear on your social media. Here are some questions you can ask yourself that might be helpful in understanding advertisements in social media:

1.) Who created  this message?

2.) What lifestyles, values and points of view are represented in, or left out of this message?

3.) Why is this message being sent?

4.) How might other people understand this message differently than I understand it?

5.) What creative techniques are being used to attract my attention?

Have you noticed advertising in social media? Have you ever thought about making a career in social media? Let us know in the comments!

Sources: NJ.com and ACT for Youth