Social media allows for sharing of information and content through user-generated dialogues rather than traditional one-way communication. It has become extremely popular for personal, political, and business uses by allowing people to connect online and form relationships. The document provides examples of popular social media platforms Twitter and Facebook, describing their key features and how millions of people use them every day to stay connected with friends and share photos, links, and videos. It also shares a success story of a community crisis center that was able to raise over $160k needed to stay open by utilizing social media like Twitter for emergency fundraising.