Paper short abstract:

The means of communication are changing fast with the explosion of social media. The objective of the present paper is to examine the role of social media in shifting and establishing new paradigms of communication on the basis of a research survey conducted on higher secondary students.

Paper long abstract:

Social media has completely revolutionised the field of communication. Social networking websites are now connecting billions of people across the world and creating seamless society. Such websites as Skype, Facebook , Twitter, Linkedin, Flicker etc. are playing a major role in the development of a new kind of language.These have become the most preferred means of communication. These are easily accessible and offer the ability to share information and experiences using a wide range of media. Social media has created a vast community of individuals with the facility to chat and exchange information with friends, family and other associates. People are now developing their own websites for providing information and sharing experiences which in turn benefits the people across the globe.This goes beyond the traditional methods of communication. The world of smart phones has explored new dimensions in the field of communication. This has created a virtual society which has exhibited itself in the new form of communication. Internet has transformed the way in which the individuals share information with each other and it has enlightened the masses. The world of multimedia is creating a paradigm shift in the way people connect and communicate with each other in their day-to-day lives in the present globalised world. The present paper proposes to undertake a survey of fifty higher secondary students who are using social networking websites for different purposes; it aims to study how it is revolutionising the methods of communication in an enormous way and establishing new paradigms of communication.