Editorial: Social media, planking and netballers

A few years ago the term "social media" would have meant little to nothing to many.
Let's see how far we've come.
Now it's everywhere. To a lot of people it's their whole world - their job, their friends, their entertainment, all their spare time is all wrapped up in a little box (PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone, whatever) that tells them what to do, what to Like, who to befriend or follow, who to talk to ...
At one time website communities like Facebook and Twitter were referred to as being part of something called Web 2.0, which in part refers to our interaction with the internet moving beyond merely reading other people's websites to engagement and interaction, like creating and sharing our own content.
A Herald-Digipoll survey this year found half of New Zealanders have an online profile, with half of those admitting to checking it daily.
There can be few people left untouched, whether directly or indirectly, by the reaching, probing fingers of social media, moving that sphere from the trivial to the influential.
You may have noticed the increasing number of references to Facebook and Twitter in news stories.
This week a simple posting by a netball fan about Mystics shooter Cathrine Latu sparked a debate over attitudes towards body size in athletes.
A word I didn't even know existed on Sunday is now the top trending topic on Twitter in New Zealand.
"Planking", in which people post online pictures of themselves lying face down in peculiar places, wasn't really considered newsworthy though, until a man in Brisbane planked seven storeys to his death.
Facebook and Twitter postings appear regularly in stories about the infamous (Natalia Burgess) and recently deceased (Emily Longley).
By gaining access to this means of mass communication, everyone can have their say on the world around them, and, depending on security settings, anyone can read or see what those people have been up to.
In this environment a craze can start up every few days and die just as quickly. Or a throwaway comment meant for a few friends could have all manner of consequences. No wonder our Prime Minister's Twitter account is so straightforward and serious.
But while these online tools have become important for our understanding of the world around us, they shouldn't be given more weight than they are worth.
Social media's greatest strength - anyone can say anything to everyone - could also be its greatest weakness.