You Can Major in Social Media.

So, this past summer I gained a new addiction. It wastes a lot of my time, some may say it rots my brain, it is a gateway addiction, and it costs me $7.99 a month.

Netflix is like that friend that is a bad influence, but for some reason you are attracted to it. Not only am I addicted to instant streaming movies, it has also branched other addictions such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, How I Met Your Mother, and my newest obsession... Mad Men.

For those of you that do not know, Mad Men is an hour long drama about an advertising firm on Madison Avenue. It is based in the 1960's. Mad Men centers around the dashing Donald Draper, the creative director at Sterling Cooper (later known as Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce) and his provocative lifestyle. So, because I am an advertising major, I was told that I need to watch this show, and obviously the first five seasons are on Netflix.

So I am midway through season five, Peggy has just asked the rest of the copywriters "am I the only one that can drink and work at the same time?" and I'm laughing because I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was hysterical. So as I am about to tweet this little quote, it dawns on me: social media was not an actual thing in the sixties.

I mean, I am not stupid, obviously social media was not around in the sixties, but in the past decade, give or take a couple of years, social media has blossomed into a normal, everyday function. Without even thinking really, I just reach for my phone and open Facebook for something to read.  I know if I need a quick recipe, I can find it on Pinterest, or fast news can be found on Twitter.

Social media, however, has branched into more than just a quick hobby and a way to creep on old classmates and exes. Social media is a career now. In order to be successful in public relations or advertising you need to know not only the basics, but how each social media outlet works and why. I mean, what do you think Don Draper would do if he had to walk into Jaguar with a social media pitch ready? Not that Mad Men is an accurate view of the advertising world, but his typewriter doesn't exactly connect to WiFi.

Over time every industry has undergone changes to enhance their business. Every industry has had to adapt to new technology and new ways to promote themselves. Social media has become a huge part of that. I know the first thing I do when looking for a new hair salon or when I want to try to a different restaurant is look for not only their website, but their Facebook page. Facebook, along with websites such as Twitter and Pinterest and many other sites, has allowed the expansion of customer word of mouth, and it also allows businesses to personally connect with their audience.  A lot of the jobs that I am looking at now demands knowledge of social media, lucky for me I grew up in the generation that introduced it, so even though I complain about Facebook's newest look, and I can still follow it (for now).

We have came a long way since the sixties, I wonder what they will think of next.