Social Media (sometimes called “New Media”) is a catch-all term for blogs, audio, video, and any other web content (photography, animation, etc.) that encourages interaction among the creators and the readers / consumers / users of the content. As opposed to traditional media, which is seen as a one-way monologue delivered from the media publisher to the masses, social media is considered a two-way dialogue where the readers and recipients can have an impact upon both the content and the creator.
Some social media relies upon direct action from the viewer / user (such as video mash-ups, audio remixes, etc.), whereas other examples are considered “social” due to their implied invitation to create a conversation among all participants (like blog posts, widgets, etc.).
Here’s a great video from the folks at Common Craft that explains social media in plain English. As they note, it’s “new technology that makes everyone a producer and tools that give everyone a chance to have a say”:
Social Media in Plain English Video courtesy of Common Craft
