The meteoric rise of social media in the 21st century has seen it grown far beyond its original purposes of networking. As people around the world jump on board various platforms, all of which appeals to a diverse range of audience that encompasses the whole human race, its reach has increased by many folds. Humanitarian organiz ations, political parties and businesses- from Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) to Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) - have all jumped on board, greatly enhancing the communication of their message, agendas and advertisement. However, the party with the greatest to gain is without a doubt- the consumer. Social media has seen the explosive boom of online shopping, allowing businesses to coordinate the buying and selling of goods worldwide; perfect for the scouring of bargains, after all, who minds clicking a few more times if you can get that expensive wallet at a significant discount? However, the positive repercussions are not all as shallow. One such example is the ease of which people can now provide feedback, resulting in various service providers’ better understanding of what the consumer might want to enhance or abolish. The independent nature of social media also makes sure that feedback and critique of products- whether in online or physical form - cannot be as easily falsified. This provides a more reliable resource of which potential consumers can fall back upon when deciding on their purchase. The depth of information consumers can acquire at the click of a button is also greatly enhanced. What was once a long, tedious process of calling companies one by one in search for a product or service has become a consumer paradise: detailed descriptions and information can be fit into something as easily accessible as a Facebook page. In more recent times, the rise of “gateway” social media platforms has also provided another dimension for consumers to obtain information. Micro-blogging site Twitter has brought perspective to the information highway. Playing on the relatively short attention spans of the general population these days, Twitter provides short bursts of information- no more than 140 characters per post- that is often accompanied by a link to a longer and more in-depth article or business page. Axel Bruns confronts social media and journalism in a time of crisis through his analysis of Twitter during a recent New Zealand earthquake. His example illustrates how journalists are now relying on social media