Everywhere you look, young and old are on their phones. Tapping, clicking, sharing, laughing, talking, enjoying new digital platforms.

If it is not obvious, digital media is the new social. It is the new, universal water cooler and it is only going to grow in popularity.

Social media has a way of bringing the world closer together.  With the increase of family, loved ones and strangers sharing pictures, stories, videos, tweets, gifs with facebook, Instagram, twitter, periscope, youtube, pinterest or snapchat, there is no end to the amount of content being used every single day.  It is a common thread that used to be available for only the young at heart. But not anymore.  With new social platforms being created daily, the digital media world has found users in both the young and the old. Everyone seems to enjoy it.

So next time you are sitting at the mall or walking down the street, take a good look around. There is a pretty good chance you will see many people looking at their phones. While activity is occurring on these social media platforms, the general public is not only communicating with other people, but also with various business brands. Companies, whether big or small, should pay serious attention. In these online communities, the power and influence of social media is huge. And will only increase in size. Companies and brands should understand this, and adapt their marketing strategies and budgets, or they may get left behind.  Because digital is the new social, and it is not going away.