The more I read this quote to myself the more my brain starts to get frazzled. It sort of reminds me of the aged old question “What came first, the chicken or the egg? I mean, without the websites there would be no online social networks and vice versa. People would have to make connections in the real world. OMG can you imagine that!
I don’t think the quote is really insinuating that the websites are not needed. I think it is questioning the importance of the websites. After reading the quote 328 times, I am still not leaning towards agreeing or disagreeing with Mike DiLorenzo’s quote. The websites are a necessity. It’s what happens after landing on that website that produces the experiences. Websites are the cornerstones of the social networks.
What is a social network anyway?
An online brand presence for a social media website is obviously very important. It also has to be easy to use and provide the tools that produce the social network experience. The websites contains the blogs, pictures, videos, comments, instant messaging etc. How would the social network ever evolve without it also being about the websites?
I think if you asked people what a social network is, they would name the most common social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This now makes me lean towards disagreeing with the original quote and I feel that social networks are definitely about the websites. The websites are the hubs connecting us all to social networks. Experiences come from our interactions on these social media websites.
Here is an interesting link about "Sharing Experiences Through Social Networking"
Did you hear about the cat that robbed the bank? It was all over the Internet today so it must be true right? This is why you have to be extra careful when reading the news in this age of social media. It lets anyone in the world with something as small as a smart phone be a journalist.
I personally think it has interfered with the quality of news and information published, but if you are smart about where you choose to get your news and information from you have a good chance of reading the truth.
I find a lot of people like to read gossip stories and think of that as news. People have become desensitised to graphic or hurtful content and it reflects on society.
There are millions of news stories and information posted online than ever before but that does not mean they are quality ones. I even find there are so many spelling mistakes in major news papers as if the reporters are not proof reading their own articles but just pumping out as many stories as they can that don't inform us as they should on the subject.
I feel that soon a large amount of people won't read or watch the news but use social media outlets to hear quick clips of news and not the full stories.
I know I know, that is a baby on the left but they soon grow up and become social media experts in the blink of the eye.
I only actually realized Facebook was banned for children 13 and under about a year ago, as it seemed everyone and his dog had a Facebook page. I chose to do my blog assignment on Facebook for Childrenas I really can’t decide if I think they should have access or not, but hopefully by the end of this blog I will have a better idea.
It is kind of funny reading that Sesame street, SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, Charlie Brown, Barbie and Bratz Girls to name a few, have massive Facebook followings, but how can this be if children 13 and under can’t sign up for an account? I know there are lots of strange people out there but even so!
The main reason children are banned is that Facebook has to comply with COPPA[1]but they are now looking into ways of allowing them to safely use Facebook with the consent and help from their parents.
Social Media is now part of our culture and there is no going back. We can either allow Facebook for children by making it safe, or we can ban it and hold the parents responsible if their children are able to sign up. There are many excellent social media sites for children[2]and greatOnline Safety Tips for Kids.[3]
Even though there are some excellent social media sites for children they want to feel grown up and do what everyone else is doing, including their own parents. It’s like telling your child not to smoke or drink, some of them just have to try it. While reading different online articles it seems that Facebook is sometimes used to babysit children and keep them entertained. Parents know their children have lied about their birthdays but don’t seem to be concerned. Part of me feels that soon you won’t see children playing outside anymore, kind of like how strange I find it that you never see old people outside in Canada… that’s another blog altogether though.
I think it is the responsibility of the parents to teach their children how to use social mediaand technology wisely and safely. Communication is the key here. Parents should have daily talks with their children and take an interest in what they are up to online. No secret passwords until the child is old enough to be independent and trusted.Facebook and the word bully seem to go hand in hand these days. If you are not openly talking with your children about what they are doing online then don't expect them to feel comfortable coming to you for help dealing with an online bully.
I guess after reading articles and typing my blog I have come to the conclusion Facebook is not evil for children and Facebook are not out to make money off of them. It comes down to the legalities of it all and how the children are allowed to use it. I think Facebook will probably have the children's accounts setup via their parents accounts so that there is parental consent used.Facebook are able to block inappropriate links, sites, feeds, pictures etc from reaching children under 13, so I think going forward we will soon see it opened up to all ages.
As the saying goes, there's "no such thing as bad publicity". When it comes to Twitter and the entertainment industry this famous saying is not always the case. When Twitter is used in a positive way, amazing things can happen but in the blink of an eye a negative wave of tweets can instantly spread around the world causing teams of people to jump into damage control mode.
If you look at the Top Twitter users based on followers, you can see practically all of them are in the “Entertainment Industry” I personally lean towards thinking there are more positives than negatives around its usage in the entertainment industry. If I read great things about something I will explore it further. If I read negative things about something I will still investigate further and keep an open mind, but not everyone is like me, they believe everything they read on the Internet. This can lead to exploitation.
Being able to instantly get information, reviews etc. and be part of the online Twitter experience allows us to participate in a way you can’t do with regular entertainment mediums e.g. TV, radio or magazines. TV’s are being made to be more interactive though.
You have to be smart when using such mediums as Twitter. We need to constantly keep in mind that the entertainment industry is all about money. They will do anything in their power to get it. After reading this article it becomes apparent that the entertainment industry monitors Twitter using such programs as these and make changes accordingly. For example, if a new movie is coming out and there is a Twitter buzz going on and they see people are not being positive about it then the film companies can change the outcome of the movie to please the masses. On the negative side to this it could stop the creativity of the filmmakers and their original vision. They may be forced by the entertainment companies to comply with the people’s wishes. This might deter new and upcoming actors, authors and musicians etc. as they may be manipulated or molded into something they are not just to please the fans. This happened before Twitter came along but not to the same extent.
Twitter is a cheap and effective way of promoting music, movies and books etc. This means newcomers have a chance to be heard by thousands or millions of people where before resources and money would have been a major barrier. Using Twitter this way might mean people lose their jobs in conventional entertainment careers but there will also be new jobs to be had.
In the future I see Twitter becoming an even bigger influence on the entertainment industry. I see us all becoming a live interactive audience 24hrs a day, as social media is embedded into our TV sets and everyday life. There are no limits as to what the future holds for Twitter and its competitors. Bring it on, that’s what I say.
Hey, come back. I'm not calling you old. I am referring to technology and gadgets. Even if you are old, you can stay and look around my new iPhone blog and hopefully appreciate why I love the iPhone so much. It is fantastic, and it has personally enabled me to keep in contact in real time with my family back home in England using FaceTime. It puts the whole world at your fingertips, and there is nothing it can't do or help you do. Well, it can't make a cup of tea "yet;" but I am sure I could configure it to turn the kettle on remotely.
My iPhone is simply amazing. It is compact, lightweight, and the best thing since sliced bread. It would not surprise me if one day it did slice bread! I was going to make a list of all the brilliant things my iPhone can do, but there are too many to type. Click here if you are still not convinced. Go on, admit it, you want one now, right? Here is a video with a few photos taken on my iPhone 4 while on holiday in Cornwall, England last year. Enjoy!
My name is Sylvia and I am originally from a town called Urmston which is located in Greater Manchester, England. I have lived in Ontario, Canada for quite a few years and love it.
I hear you asking yourself what Mancunian Sylvia means. Well, a Mancunian describes a person from Manchester in England. I am sure you have heard of someone from London being called a "Cockney"
Over the next few weeks I will be posting to my blog as I complete assignments for my Social Media and Society class which I am taking at Durham College.
Here is a picture of St. Clements Church in Urmston.
