Author: Social Media Highly Transformational

By Phyllis Groner

UPDATE AND CORRECT Publishing and technology industry analyst John Blossom told a Westport Public Library audience tonight that social media’s influence is far more transformational than many may believe.
Westporter John Blossom addresses a Westport Public Library audience tonight on social media. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Phyllis Groner for WestportNow.com

Blossom is a Westporter and author of “Content Nation: Surviving and Thriving as Social Media Changes Our Work, Our Lives, and Our Future.

“We are a nation of publishers…..we have the ability for anyone to influence others easily using highly sociable and accessible publishing tools…computers, cell phones, Web sites,” he said.

In fact, he said he estimated there are already 59 million people using social media publishing tools who are seriously trying to influence other people in the world – equivalent to a nation the size of South Korea. He added,“Publishing is the DNA of civilization.”

With the new tools it has been possible for “the news” to be sent around the world from inaccessible places, he said.  Sometimes news has spread well before the traditional news media has arrived on the scene because cell phone photos were used to transmit the information, Blossom said.

“Communities can create their own publications such as WestportNow,” he said. “Social Media will be the tool to help us survive.” 

He also said,“I think we will see more social media benefits for people in new contexts. Content is information and experiences that benefit an audience in specific contents.  There is no content if there is no benefit.”