This document discusses social media and its impacts on society. It begins by defining social media as web-based technologies that allow the creation and sharing of user-generated content, blending technology and social interaction. It then discusses several trends related to social media, including the death of control over communication, fewer gatekeepers, fragmentation of information, and social media becoming a community rather than just a distribution channel. The document provides statistics on social media usage in the UK and discusses some of its impacts. It focuses on how to maximize platforms like LinkedIn, blogs, YouTube, and Twitter for professional networking and branding. It also discusses types of social media users and some privacy, security, and social issues related to usage.