For years LinkedIn has trailed MySpace, and the social behemoth Facebook, but a new report indicates this is changing. According to this article on CNN, LinkedIn just past MySpace for second place in the social media race, at least in terms of unique monthly visitors. For months MySpace has been losing steam, while LinkedIn has been gathering momentum and attracting new users – about 1 million new users a week. While LinkedIn still trails Facebook by a wide margin, the social network has been making recent strides.

…It would be the world’s 3rd largest. I’m sure many of you have seen this video, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to share it with you, in case you haven’t seen this yet. It really speaks to the power of social media, and shows just what a force it has become in recent years. Here are just a few eye-opening facts from this amazing video, aptly titled “Social Media Revolution”:

-Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30 years old

-A new member joins LinkedIn every second

-Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears have more Twitter followers than the entire populations of Sweden, Israel, Greece, Chile, North Korea, and Australia

-50% of all Internet traffic in the UK is for Facebook

-Over 37 million people viewed Volkswagen’s Darth Vader Super Bowl ad on YouTube

Oh, to be young again – a sentiment that many of us have felt a time or two as we get older. With their entire lives in front of them, the youth stand upon the precipice of possibility – the world within their grasp. In our youth lies the hope of the future, but when you consider the unique challenges facing the youth of today, one worries for their future. As the economies of the world struggle to find balance, the notion of graduating from school then landing your dream jobs seems out of reach for some. With a bleak job market, sluggish economic recovery, and massive debt levels, the earning potential for the next generation is not as promising as it once was. The evolution of society comes down to our ability to leave our children a better world than what we inherited - and for the first time in a long time many people are questioning our ability to do so. When you consider this, along with the fact that the price of college (and everything else) continues to rise, I worry that the next generation will become far too familiar with the concept “I can’t.”