It's a Small World After All

"Ultimate proof that our world is getting smaller and smaller," one Facebook user wrote in a comment on the company's post.

This was a comment within Facebook’s data blog of how the social network connects us with people throughout the globe. We share a common connection with people that we may not personally know. Most of us college students admit that we do not know our entire group of friends. However, in a way, we are all essentially connected. The article shares that the average user is only 4.74 degrees away from any other Facebooker. What does this mean? It means that the average user is roughly 5 people away from any other Facebook user. 

"Thus, when considering even the most distant Facebook user in the Siberian tundra or the Peruvian rainforest, a friend of your friend probably knows a friend of their friend," Facebook wrote in a blog post about its findings.

The study is not saying that we actually know nor even have any similar interest with the furthest person down the line. It is suggesting that the connections within the world are getting closer and closer. “What a small world” is a famous cliché that is actually becoming reality. Is this positive for society or negative?

Negative

This week we have discussed the dark side of social networks in our online Digital Communication classroom. The direct relationship between Facebook and divorce is an example. Is it possible that we may be fueling the dark side by these unintentional connections? If everyone in the globe is unintentionally getting closer, will we see an increase in Cyberbullying and an increase in divorce relating to Facebook?  It is definitely something to think about.

Positive

Connections are valuable to anyone entering the workforce. Often opportunities come from knowing a friend of a friend. In this respect we are increasing our chances to succeed in a business environment. However, not only does it open doors for us in the workforce, it reveals many opportunities for intercultural connectedness. The connections allow us to experience intercultural communication on a wide spectrum. This allows one the chance to become globally sound and interconnected with the world thus making them a well-rounded individual.  

Thoughts anyone? 

Concert etiquette with an emphasis on technology and social media

The social media phenomenon is taking over our lives. It seems that our society can no longer function without updating their Twitter or Facebook accounts. Is this bad? Technology can be useful, but is it becoming too much? “Technology and Concerts: What not to do” is an article that explains proper concert etiquette with an emphasis on technology. Is technology consuming our lives to the point where articles need to be published explaining the proper technological etiquette? Something seems wrong about that. 

Photos

The article explains that one should not be taking photos, talking on the phone or multitasking. Leave the photographing and videoing to those paid to shoot the events. It is annoying to see phones constantly in the air and blocking others views. Some people think it is ok to shoot the entire set or concert, but it isn’t. Be respectful of others at the concert by keeping your camera phone in your pocket. 

Conversations

Don’t talk on the phone at the concert. Enjoy the concert and don’t miss out on the action because of an incoming or outgoing phone call. Constantly shouting into a cellular device can take away from others enjoyment of the music. 

Multitasking

Multitasking is the worst of the three. Constantly checking the Twitter feed, email or playing games is an absolute no. It can distract others from the music being played and can ruin their experience. Others are there to hear the music and bond with people who have similar musical interests. One should stay at home if they plan to be engrossed in their smartphones at any portion of the concert. Concerts are also a time to pay tribute to the bands that create our everyday music. Respect the other concert goers and respect the band. 

Everyone has their own opinion on what is proper event etiquette and what isn’t. However, the point is that technology may be getting out of hand. One can utilize technology, but don’t become consumed by it. It can be beneficial to separate oneself from the social media and technological worlds. Take a break from all the Twitter and Facebook updates. Embrace the moment!

?Social Media Stalking?

"Online, there's a fine line between searching and stalking". Reading and re-reading that title makes me wonder about our use of social media. The amount of information one can find about another is scary. Brenna Ehrlich and Andrea Bartz, producers of the blog and book “Stuff Hipsters Hate”, are very helpful in the world of digital communication. They have talked about how to deal with online stalkers and even answered user submitted questions about using the internet to find someone. Does using the internet to find someone make one a stalker? Ehrlich and Bartz answer the question! 

Ehrlich and Bartz explain that it all depends on the context of how one uses the information. They explain that if one has common occurrences with the person then it is okay to pursue them. However, one has to be careful of how they track someone online. One example included Facebook. Searching for someone online and finding their Facebook is a common incident. They shared that it is okay to send the person a quick inbox message and friend request. From there, one has to wait for a response or acceptance of the request.

They share that the information found online is usually put out there by people who don’t mind being found. Men will probably be flattered by the experience and thrive off it. Everyone on Facebook has the ability to make their profile private. If they didn’t want to be found, their information would be locked up. Ehrlich and Bartz share that the same procedure should be used upon finding an email address. However, if one doesn’t find the email address easily, they should give up. One may be considered a stalker if they find an email address hidden within the pages of Google. 

The article is very interesting. It shows that we need to be careful of what we put online and how we use the internet to interact with people. Using the internet to find somebody is totally acceptable, but obsessive searching may move someone into the stalker category. Mainly, this is just a friendly reminder to be careful of the information one puts out there. Too much may be detrimental, but too little may affect one as well. Tune into Ehrlich and Bartz! They are two funny ladies!

Multifaceted Twitter

Twitter is a social network. It is perhaps the fastest information sharing social network out there. Information is flowing constantly and updated frequently. However, how much of that information is useful? How much of that information is useless? A lot of the information circulating through the site can be absolutely meaningless to the rest of the globe.  What does this mean for Twitter? It means that people are skeptical of its purpose. However, Twitter and its users are about to show skeptics the benefit of such a social network.  

Twitter Stories is a project put in place to show meaningful and positive experiences through Twitter. It involves one following @TwitterStories and following up the story with the hashtag #twitterstories. People share stories of finding jobs, finding their dogs and receiving donor kidneys. What does this mean? It means that social media and Twitter can make a difference. The use of Twitter can impact the lives of oneself and others. It can be used in emergency situations as well as social situations. This alone increases the value of having a Twitter account.

The more uses a site can exhibit will positively affect its overall use. Tying a humanitarian purpose to Twitter makes it one social media site that can be extremely beneficial. This is important to note for anyone trying to promote an idea. Anytime an idea springs, make sure that it is multifaceted. The general idea was social media, but it is also used for greater purposes. Sometimes this occurs on accident, but make sure the opportunity is available. 

Social media is not only used for a social purpose anymore. Twitter has proved that social media can make a difference. It can be the make or break in a person’s life. It not only provides social interaction, but provides opportunity. Joining Twitter almost seems like a must! Those not on Twitter are missing out on opportunity. Conform to the newest form of social media and give Twitter a chance. There is a purpose for Twitter and it is forever growing! Keep in touch with @TwitterStories and become a believer!

Adaptation in the Newspaper

The Newspaper Association of America is embracing social media! The gap between the newspaper industry and social media may soon begin to close. The article entitled “Newspapers use social media to say 'Smart is the NewSexy'” explains that they are encouraging students to receive their information via newspaper instead of Facebook and Twitter. Their slogan “Smart is the New Sexy” implies that the more you read the newspaper, the more attractive you become. What can we learn from this?

Social media has struck gold! The newspaper is realizing that they cannot compete with social media so they must concede defeat or join the enemy. This is how we know that social media has exploded and will continue to rise. It is only a matter of time that everything becomes associated with social media. The phenomenon is still growing! Those who were involved in the old way of doing things are now adapting which is a big step. 

The Newspaper Association of America is using Facebook and Twitter sites to promote their newspapers. Is this smart? Or are they ruining the idea of the newspaper? They have been declining in paper sales over the past few years according to the article so something had to be done. When it isn’t working, one has to fix it. Using social media can be their fix. This allows them to reach a broad audience and interact with newspaper readers all across the globe.  The newspaper is fighting social media with the use of social media. 

The success of the idea is determined by how the idea takes off and is managed. The slogan is catchy and may attract a few people, but that isn’t enough. Constant updates and involvement within each account is a must for success. Whoever is updating the Facebook statuses or Tweets must be prepared to keep the followers interested. If everyone loses interest in the sites or idea, it will only be remembered as a temporary fix. This site explains what Facebook groups and Tweeters need to do to reach students!  With the catchy slogan and the power of social media, the association stands a good chance of improving its situation. Crossing my fingers for the underdog!

.University.Social.Media.

John Hopkins University is using social media to the max. The university has its own site entitle Hopkins Interactive. It is a site where prospective students can learn about the college from current students. Blogs and videos talking about their experiences are released by students who attend the university. Prospective students want to learn about the campus they may attend and gain the information in a down to earth way. Social media provides students this opportunity. All the information below is a summary of the information presented by the article “How colleges use, misuse social media to reach students”. 

Reaching students through brochures and pamphlets should no longer be an option. Students want to receive information in a way that is appealing to them. Students are on sites like Twitter and Facebook a majority of the time, so why not tap into them. Anything can be posted on the site from campus updates to athletic contest information. It is just another way to get information across. However, social media must be used correctly or the idea will fail.

            The university must not leave the Facebook or Twitter account unattended. If they are unattended, people will lose faith in them and forget about them. Information must be constantly flowing through the websites. Students must have an eagerness to check the feed because of all the updates that occur. If only a few posts or tweets occur, students may not even bother. The key is to keep the students or prospective students engaged! 

            Use students to present the information! It shows the personality of the campus and helps prospective students relate. They don’t want to read blogs from the staff because it doesn’t give the college a real feel. Prospective students want to hear from the student body. They want to hear the truth about the campus and get an idea from the students who attend the university. 

            Social media is a powerful tool! Universities need to utilize this tool and change the way they promote themselves. Technology is changing the way people do business and relate ideas. Bring the information to the students and make them feel wanted! Make the students feel like the university cares about them and show the students they are not just a number. Tweeting to students or prospective students can be the first step. Remember, keep the account updated and post frequently!

It Could Be You

Google Plus is struggling. A Google engineer accidentally released info saying that the site was a “study in short-term thinking” and a “knee-jerk reaction”. This has caused a significant drop in Google Plus members and is not good for the site. Google Plus is essentially an attempt to capitalize off of Facebook’s success. However, it has been the exact opposite. The site was released in June and has almost hit rock-bottom. 

What does this mean for social media? It means that others are trying to capitalize off the success of already popular social media. We will always see new sites go up that essentially provide the same service.  The “original” social media sites need to be aware because they need to keep their sites up to date. They need to keep users pleased and give them reasons to stay around. Adaptation is the key word. Sites need to adapt their original ideas and intentions to fit some of the requests of the users. Usually the user has no say in how the site should be adapted, but it would be something to look at. Then again, who am I to say? 

Users need to be aware of this because something better may come along. We must be conscious of the other social media sites being implemented or we might miss out. Let us broaden our horizons and take a look at different Web 2.0. Other sites may be suited to our specific needs. Web 2.0 is an extremely large market and keeps expanding. Don’t be afraid to research other options! Don’t be afraid to browse around! 

This also means that you could be the next innovator. We are all experts in social media and know what we like about it and what we don’t. Don’t be afraid to express your ideas and expand on them. Google Plus tried an idea and it didn’t work, but I’m sure it won’t stop them. Don’t let failure stop you in your tracks.  Anyone of us can be the next Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. It all starts with an idea! Even just one YouTube video can make someone revenue beyond their wildest beliefs. The use of social media can possibly be used to get ahead. It is an outlet and possible money maker, so don’t be afraid to express yourself!