I have a love/hate relationship with social media, but what I have learned is that it really does come down to how you choose to use the tool.
A fantastic example of the power of social media as a tool came to us from Egypt as government forces sought to disorganize protesting groups by blocking internet access. The outside world was cutoff from what was happening inside Egypt until a few clever people realized that Facebook via a mobile device with cellular access could serve as a vital line of communication to get news and images to outside media.
The same can be said following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan. Without reliable hard line or cellular communication available, many relief groups including the United States Navy were able to quickly provide wifi access via mobile satellite "hot spots" and mobile cellular antennas. Many victims who were separated from family were able to use supplied wireless devices to post to social media and alert relatives and friends that they were alive.
On a lighter note, the 'Ice Bucket Challenge' phenomenon of 2014 showed us how social media could rapidly communicate a clever fundraising effort with incredible efficiency. The fundraising went from thousands to millions in less than a month.
It's just a shame that the majority of content shared via Facebook is mindless crap.
