2015 in review: Watch world change at click of a mouse

There was a time, not that long ago, where activists would need to actually go outside to raise money, performing incredible feats of human excellence or organising worldwide concerts with all of your rock star mates.

If Bob Geldof wanted to feed the world today, he'd start a hashtag campaign and a video challenge. Not only does that make Bob's life easier – no need to try and convince Pink Floyd to get back together again – but it means that regular people can get involved as well.

During the Paris attacks, people in France's first city opened their doors to those too frightened to travel back home. They organised themselves under the #porteouverte, where people could ask for a safe space or offer room to those trapped outside.

It was a simple human act at one of France's darkest times, and it made a huge difference for those that would have otherwise had to brave the streets. It was followed hours later by #PrayforParis and a whole host of other hashtags that let people on social media discuss events and offer support and prayers for those near the attacks.

Paris also inspired one of the biggest hashtags of all time – #jesuischarlie – which saw more than 3.4 million tweets over two days at the beginning of the year.

Of course, the web also manages to divide opinion, never more so this year than with one question: Black and blue or white and gold?

#TheDress was one of those viral phenomenons that somehow transcends the internet, appearing in international news and being discussed by celebrities, academics and politicians. It was black and blue, by the way, but the debate rages on.

And in 2015 we had our first 'hashtag election' as it was dubbed by savvy media types.

Politicians from around the country suddenly realised they were a touchscreen away from some campaign busting gaffe, and that journalists would be watching their every move on Twitter.

Never has there been more careful analysis of 140 character soundbites than during the run up to May 2015.

#UKIP and #SNP were the most popular hashtags at the time, but who can forget the famed #Milifandom tag which saw a student, known only as Abby, cause a Twitter storm after declaring herself leader of the #milifandom – a group of enthusiastic Ed Miliband admirers. The mocked up images which resulted will live in the memory for many years to come sadly.

There were also several news stories which created a stir on social media and came from the Express & Star website itself. When Watford fan Nic Cruwys was left in a coma following an attack after a Wolves game, tens of thousands of people visited our website to offer their support.

Following the Alton Towers Smiler crash, our readers wanted to know that everybody was fine, leading to some of our most popular tweets of the year. Interviews with the Ambulance Service and updates on the victims were as popular as the original Breaking News announcement, as people looked for more information.

Other toptweets included clashes between fans and police after a pitch invasion at the Villa vs Albion game in March, the news of Cilla Black's death and the controversy involving Dudley Tory Candidate Afzal Amin and the English Defence League.

But it's not all about showing support or following the latest news stories – social media lets us all tear each other apart for bargains too, usually on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The American import was a little bit quieter than it has been in the past, but there were still plenty of bargains, and people willing to work for them. Whether it's a punch up over a Panasonic TV or a fight over a fridge freezer, it's a special, traditional way of kick-starting the holiday season.

But why bother going out when you could instead sit watching Amazon, hitting refresh every 60 seconds just in case something new and exciting gets added to the line-up.

Black Friday feels too commercialised though. Back in the olden days – it must have been at least 2013 – we had one single day to blow our life savings. Nowadays the event has been stretched to fill the whole weekend, culminating in Cyber Monday.

And it's thanks to the power of social media that the Black Country has been making waves around the world.

A staggering eight million people have viewed an online video of dancing grannies sensation The Fizzogs after it was picked up by a Mongolian record label.

The clip shows Fizzogs Sue Hawkins, Deb Nicholls and Jacky Fellows performing one of their dances to South Korean star Psy's Gangnam Style at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the summer.

It is the second time the Grannies have been projected on to the internet after their dance at the Stourbridge Festival went viral earlier this year.

At one stage the video was being watched an amazing 8,000 times a minute.

Another clip that began as a short sketch on YouTube ended up as a film starring Robert Plant and Steve Bull.

The story of Doreen has captured the imagination of the public and made her a star far beyond the Black Country.

The character, played by Gill Jordan, is a scrounger of all kinds, claiming foster care allowance for her 20-something biological daughter Trollop.

And she has had audiences in hysterics. The 15-minute clip was watched more than a million times when it was released, and led to a stage show and then the film.

Social media is now an important part of our lives. Your followers can't go a day without seeing what you've eaten, the cute things your dog's done and your opinion on the latest episode of The Walking Dead.

But while most of what we post is fairly mundane, even to ourselves, social media is rapidly becoming the biggest, most accessible force for good.