Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- Five years ago, Twitter accounts started popping up on computer screens across the world and it seems more and more people use twitter for a number of reasons.
President Obama used Twitter to raise funds and keep his followers up to date during the presidential election.
Following the recent earthquake in Japan, organizations and relief efforts are taking to Twitter to post information.
And just a few weeks ago, protesters in Egypt used Twitter and other social media tools to fuel their protest of Egyptian government.
USC students have taken to Facebook to plan a rally at the state house.
This Wednesday they will come together to ask Governor Nikki Haley to reconsider Darla Moore for the USC board of trustees. The Facebook group "Students for the Reinstatement of Miss Darla Moore," has over 2000 people registered.
"It wasn't that we thought about it, it was just instinct for us," said USC senior Zach Lamb, who has helped students organize.
"For most college students, facebook, new media, twitter, you know youtube they're things that are just already there. They're on our phones, our laptops and computers so that was the first outlet that we had available to us," he said.
In addition to the facebook group and event for the state house rally, Lamb says they began using the twitter hashtag, or the pound sign you see, of "#teamdarla"
"Twitter kind of gives you the instant reaction your gut reaction. and Facebook has become more of your development and process out of a story with notes and messages and events," said Lamb.
USC instructor Doug Fisher says social media sites are the new town squares, and flyers.
"It's easy, it has a greater reach, it's quick and it gathers national and international media attention in the process," said Fisher, and he only expects those resources to continue growing in the future. Lamb agrees.
"It can be picked up instantly by thousands of people and everybody can know and then that can start to gather their own information on the topic and I think it really puts news content back in the hands of the audience," said Lamb.