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I posted a response on Katie Messina's, Grace Sin's and Billy Hild's Blog.

Whither the Individual?

In today’s society social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Myspace are not only wildly popular but becoming a necessity to people of all ages. Youtube allows viewers to post and share videos where as the rise of blogs has been changing the way people express themselves. John Jantsh defines social media as, “The use of technology combined with social interaction to create or co create value.”  With all of these new forms of social media, many people fear that people are losing their own identity and conforming to the cookie cutter profiles these sites require.  I couldn’t disagree more.

With new technology comes more opportunities. The Internet world has grown rapidly in just the last few decades, back when my parents were growing up, the Internet did not even exist. Now lets think about that for a moment. Without the Internet there was no looking something up on Google or typing your papers. In order to do research a student would have to search through textbooks and then either hand write or write it on a typewriter. Think about all of the time wasted on searching for information. In today’s world we simply type into Google what we are looking for and more results than we know what to do with come up in a blink of an eye.

Now let’s consider social networking sites such as Facebook. Although there are some guidelines that must be followed, it in no way limits the way a person can express themselves. People can choose their friends, share photos, update their status, relationship status, and personal information. Facebook allows a person to share, as much or as little as they choose to, which I think is pretty cool. It is a way for people to keep up-to-date with what is going on in their friends lives.  It is defiantly a way that people can extend their self.

In the Social Media article it explained how back in the 1970s when someone watched a T.V. show they viewed as offensive it was more difficult to voice their opinion.  The viewer would be able to voice their opinion about the show with the people who were around them at the time but it would be challenging to go beyond that. The person could send a letter to the show, but that could take a long time to get a response, or more likely possibility, get not response. Thanks to social media today that same person could simply voice their opinion in a blog, or on a discussion board. This would allow others to respond and share their opinions and the information would be available for everyone to see. This is the publish than filter model that is different from in the more formal media such as the news and radio.

In the Digital Nation Video it examined how the rise of this new technology also created some problems. Children were now unable to focus their attention on something like reading a book, and could only learn through games. Other teenagers were experiencing an addiction to the Internet or computer games and College students found it nearly impossible to be disconnected at any moment. I believe that these problems are not as serious as the film has you believe. Too much of anything is bad. Of course it is not a good idea to expose children to computer, cell phones, and video games all day everyday! I believe that as long as parents monitor the use of these technologies the positive effects outweigh the negative. Young children should have serious restrictions to the amount of time they spend using technology so they will not form a dependence on it. I think schools should continue to teach using basics like reading books but honestly, if games help make learning fun why not include them in the curriculum? If the loss of personal space is what turns people away from technology, then that is just silly. The use of social media does not stop people from reflecting on their own. It is only an additional resource to use for collaboration.

It is confusing to the world about the effect technology is having, but that is just because it is new. A lot of people have a hard time adjusting to change, but change is a necessity to growth. I am sure many people were hesitant about automobiles replacing horse and carriages but think about how positively that change affected the world. With social media comes countless possibilities to extend ourselves more than we ever thought possible. So instead of running away from it, embrace it!

Questions

1. Today many TV shows and advertisements try to look amateurish or "homegrown" to emulate what is often seen on the Web. Do you think professional production values will continue to drop, or do you think amateur user-generated content will get better over time? WHY?? I think that user-generated content will improve over time. The reason for this is because technology is improving rapidly. Not too long ago most people did not even own computers and the Web is still fairly new. The more time that the web has been around the more advanced it will become.
   
2. What social media sites do you find yourself using the most, and why? In your opinion why is Facebook so much more successful than MySpace, and do you think Facebook is "here to stay" for the long term.
3. The Social Media site that I use the most is with out a doubt, Facebook. The reason I think that Facebook is more successful than Myspace is that Facebook is more of a way to communicate with a person's friends. People have to get permission to see your profile my "friending" you. Also It is a great way to keep in touch with people who you don't see everyday and know what is new with them. The way people can tag and share pictures, links, send messages, chat and  update statuses all in one site, makes Facebook appealing to all ages.
   
   before answering question #3 please read the Transparency in Social Media Blog Article
   
4. Why is transparency such an important concept in the Social Media world? Is it MORE or LESS important in the offline world? According to Wikipidia,  "Transparency… when used in a social context, implies openness, communication, and accountability." The reason that this is so important in the Social Media world is that when certain people accept money to endorse companies in their blog or twitter then viewers do not know whether what that person is saying is their true opinion or if it is what they are being paid to say. In real life most people tend to tell the truth and have transparency, they do this naturally without even thinking about it. Sometimes when people are on the web they do not tell the truth because they don't view being transparent on the web the same as off the web. This is a problem, people should be transparent both on and off the web.
   
   

McLuhan: The Medium is the Message Project - Cellphones

In this project I tried to show the impact cellphones have on our culture. Where as ten years ago few people owned cellphones, today, nearly everyone has one. People of all ages from young children to the elderly use this device regularly for its content of texting, talking, internet, sending pictures, etc. The effect on society that this rising use of cellphones created is huge (According to McLuhan, this is the message) For one thing, texting has changed the world. The rate of car accidents due to "distracted drivers" has increased significantly. Drivers are actually taking their eyes completely off the road to text while operating the veihical! Also in schools many students regularly text in class taking their focus away from the teacher. On the positive side, it has never been easier or faster, to get into contact with people. Friends, family and bussiness people can quickly and efficiently send information to each other without having to have a whole conversation or leave a message. Also, talking on cellphones is extremely convienient. If a person is away from home and they need to talk to someone, they no longer have to search for a payphone, they always have one on hand. Same with using the internet!

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