Interruptive, annoying advertising is over. It is now safe to go online again.

The other day it was a friend’s birthday (I knew because Facebook told me...) Thankful for the notice, I went to her Facebook profile, and there was a small message which I had never seen before, that asked me if I would like to buy her a Starbucks voucher as a birthday gift.This particular person lives in America, and was being targeted for Starbuck’s advertisements. Facebook is getting smarter each day.

The question is how. How exactly will the Protection from Harassment Act, which came into effect this past weekend, truly enforce the broad changes it champions?

The one glaring difference is that cyberbullies are now within the reach of the law's extending arm. While South Africa's digital media have been used by people across a wide range of generations, the protection of certain rights remained - up until now - a slightly grey area.

I’ve discussed the extent of the pervasive nature of social media in a previous post. But let’s take a more local look. What does social media mean to South Africans?

According to an article in IT News Africa, social networking in South Africa has crossed the age barrier as well as the urban/rural divide. People everywhere and of all ages are embracing social networking.

It’s not enough to exist in the real world anymore. You also need to exist on an alternative plane of reality, i.e. the virtual world of social media. This is where concepts like FBO (Facebook Official) stem from; the idea is that if a piece of information isn’t documented on Facebook, it’s not authentic or verified. So don’t think you can date someone without updating your relationship status on Facebook - nobody will believe you. (Facebook never lies.)