Social media hits and misses in 2012

With the country's three biggest social media tools firmly established, 2012 was all about finding new, unique ways to use them. From YouTube introducing millions to Joseph Kony and child soldiers to Olympians realizing that yes, you can be accountable for tweeting before you think, this year saw social media users herd around causes both noble and misplaced, utilize blogs to make quick mockery of politicians' miscues and take to their statuses and friends lists to rally supporters when companies sought to exploit their membership.

Following is a list of some of the biggest trends and changes in social media in 2012, sans Gangnam Style, which doesn't qualify because it's just a video of an international pop star pretending to gallop on a horse behind a catchy beat. -- Joseph Serna

December 19, 2012