The traditional water-cooler has been drained out by an overly demanding and news-thirsty society. Whereas once prime time news prioritized the viewer's awareness and set the agenda for top of mind conversation, today "prime time" is relative to not only time zones but also social networks. With the introduction of social media, society has blended geographic barriers and freed itself from the dictating hands of time. One can voice his/her passions to anyone and be an active participant in the groups and communities that he/she chooses to become a part of. Instant accessibility to news and varied opinions has sped up the pace and changed the dynamic of global politics. The good old newspaper that once reached one's doorsteps in the morning is now virtually transmitted to smartphones within seconds of a new edition's release, and with a couple more seconds you can get the opinions of bloggers, journalists, and political figures. The instantaneity and accessibility of information challenges opinion leaders to devise stronger communication strategies to battle out multiple sources of negative criticism. Today, the water-cooler is timeless, formless. However, the freedom granted by selective media consumption may also be costing us the price of a less informed and united society. Due to an overwhelming amount of information, we choose to stay within our preferred networks, turning away from what we define as irrelevant material. Although social media has in a sense brought us closer in many ways it also making us farther apart. The water-cooler is dead.
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