Woman: Just before my first year of college, I was excited and nervous about meeting other new students on campus. As soon as dorm assignments were announced, we all began friending each other on Facebook and following each other on Twitter. This is how I found out that my roommate was an obsessive soccer fan and had seen all of Quentin Tarantino's movies.

The school also sponsored online forums, allowing me to learn about different student groups and to find like-minded people across campus. For example, I connected immediately with other students who share my interest in animal rescue and adoption. These online connections and groups helped my college friendships develop quickly and meaningfully, and gave me a sense of belonging on campus before I even arrived.

Today, I'd like to share with you how social media is being used-- not only to help students connect, but also as a powerful tool to advance social causes and motivate us to act on their behalf. We'll start by looking at a compelling theory of why social media is so uniquely suited to forging these connections.

Next, I'll review some data on social media's meteoric rise. Finally, we'll see how today's activists are harnessing social media to support an array of social causes to make life better for us all.