The strange power of social media

It's amazing how social media and the internet in general can make someone or something famous for practically nothing, such as the "Alex from Target" craze that started last weekend. All someone has to do is make a post, usually in the form of a picture, to Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or any other popular social media site, and if enough people share it to their friends, the subject of that post is suddenly famous all over the world as a viral sensation. Sometimes, as with Alex from Target, it even evolves into a meme with people making their own versions of it, or just making fun of it, and it's not long before the whole thing gets "old" or "boring" and the search for the next viral hit begins. But this "famous for nothing" phenomenon is one of the biggest influences brought on by online social media in recent years.