Abstract

One of the defining phenomena of the present times is Social Media. Social media attracts online technologies and practices that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and media themselves. It is called Social Media because its users engage with and around it in a social context, which can include conversations, commentary and other user-generated annotations and engagement annotations; it is a way for people to communicate and interact online. The growth of social media and other Web 2.0 technologies is unprecedented (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010). On the other hand, traditional printed media have seen their impact decreasing slowly with the introduction of online and social media, which have changed the world in many ways. There are a few important features regarding both traditional media and new media, such as: media experience is limited, one directional, and the sense receptors used are very specific. For example: print media - sense of sight, radio - sense of hearing and TV - sight and hearing. As for the New Media, media experience is more interactive, audiences are more involved and can send feedback simultaneously; it integrates all the aspects of old media. It is an integral part of everyone's life. Social Media gave people a voice, something to believe in, it empowered them to express their feelings and share their thoughts. Even if they had a slow start in adopting social media, universities worldwide use it for purposes varying from marketing and branding, to communication and recently, as an informal educational tool. Keeping in mind the main purposes of improving instant communication, reaching and engaging more people, is how universities use social media. In the eLearning Center case study, it is used for marketing, communication and improving the image of distance education.