January 29th, 2009
by Amy Dunn
Now that the much anticipated Obama Inauguration is history, many of the 2 million who were lucky enough to witness this event are now documenting this historical event in our own way. After my husband edited our personal story and posted on You Tube (with the intention to share with friends and family) I began to wonder if Social Media channels are going to affect the way history will be told in future generations. Will our children and grandchildren and their children study blogs and other Social Media sites such as My Space, Facebook, You Tube & Flickr to get a true sense of our American culture?
For thousands of years, historians have only been able to rely on other historians, many tainted with political bias, to tell the real story of our past. Yes, there have been personal letters, paintings, and other attempts to document the real story; but these findings are so rare- it is hard to think of them as anything other than an exquisite gem nestled deep within the gigantic picture. It is absolutely true that historians have made miraculous discoveries with their extensive research- but can you imagine what we would know if they had access to the tools we have today?
What would bloggers have said about the Great Depression? World War II? Nazi Germany? The Civil War? The Inauguration of FDR? JFK? What would we have learned if regular people from all over the world had the ability and the freedom to post their thoughts and their images captured on their cameras? Can you imagine if we could experience Woodstock through You Tube? By participating in social media-we are fulfilling a need to distribute and consume immediate information. But just think- we are also contributing to the resources that will one day be used to educate future generations on our history.
Web Marketing Therapy Related Links:
- Using the Web for Social Good: Highlights from The Women’s Conference Panel on Changing the World Through the Web
- What’s In a Name? The Importance of Being Authentic in Social Media.
- Amy’s Ten Favorite Social Media Sites of the Year
- Web Marketing Therapy Diagnosis - Social Media Overwhelm
