It's time for the nursing profession to leverage social media

Advances in technology have transformed the way we live, how we work, and how we interact. Social media include web and mobile-based technology platforms providing an opportunity for information exchange, dialogue, and communication (Kaplan & Haenlein 2010). The strong consumer interface, temporality, and accessibility poise social media to be the next technological wave in health care. Social media come in many shapes and sizes. From wiki platforms to Twitter, these communications strategies are increasingly entrenched in our modern world. Whereas many academics look with scepticism and scorn on web platforms such as Wikipedia and Google, they are popular and highly useful information sites. Social media have proven the power for social change: the Arab Spring and London Riots have demonstrated that a low-cost, citizen-driven force can drive social change. Can we expect the same for health?