The Mob, Final Paper

            If a person were to log online and search “Social Networking Websites”, around 14,300,000 results would come up. If this same person were to search how many people are users of social networking sites, they would find out that MySpace has 57 million users, Facebook has 400 million users as of February and Twitter has 75 million users. These are just three of the popular social networking sites that exist and between them; there are around 532 million social networking users. All these people obviously are using these sites on their computers, but in addition to that, about 91 percent of all social networking users’ access sites on their cell phones. Through social networks, cell phones and computers, absolutely anyone can be connected to anyone or anything at any given time. Nevertheless, is this connectivity good?

            If anyone can connect to anyone or anything they want to at any given time, there are definitely going to be effects on society. Some of these effects are addictions to technology such as cell phones and computers, changes in relationships between people and a change in the way people think and act. The effect on the way people think and act has been far the greatest effect on society due to connectivity. There have been reports done saying that children with cell phones say, “they feel unloved if they don’t wake up with at least four text messages.” People who have been born into the technology age act much differently than those who were not. They are used to things happening instantaneously due to high-speed Smartphone’s and computers.

People born into this technology era have been connected their whole lives through instant messaging, texting, and social networks. Due to this connectivity these peoples thinking is different, they have very little patience for lectures, “tell-test” instruction and systematic logic.  Even though these effects may seem negative, there are more positive than negative effects.  Information is more readily and quickly available to people who need it. It is much easier for people to keep in contact with one another than it was without this technology and social networking sites. People are more innovative and always thinking about how to do things more efficiently and how to improve.

            Since technology has lead to constantly being connected to anyone and anything, have you ever wondered who is trying to connect to you right this second? Many of the social networking sites have a user’s real name and information attached to them, or they have a user name. Even though a name or user name is attached, there is still a degree of anonymity. Besides the sites that use people’s real names and user names, there are websites that are completely anonymous.  This anonymity has also allowed people to do good for others. There are many sites where you can make anonymous online donations to charities or causes that a person believes in. There are also sites set up where a person can report tips or crimes anonymously.

Unfortunately, the anonymity that allows people to be kind and do well also does the same for people who want to exercise cruelty. Some of this anonymity combined with the connectivity of today, there has been many cases of cruelty, hatred and anger, so much so that some may think anonymity combined with connectivity is always going to result in hatred, cruelty and abuse. This is a hard point to argue against due to many reports of hatred on social networking sites that has been publicized by the media. More and more reports of cyber-bullying leading to young teens and children suicides are appearing and online websites combined with anonymity are leading to an increase in cyber-bullying every day.

All these reports of cyber-bullying have left one question on everyone’s mind: Where is all this anger coming from? Obviously, there are always going to be angry people and children in the world. There has always been bullying amongst children, and even adults.  According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, some of this anger and cyber bullying is just because children can extend their bullying through all this new technology. The anger, cruelty and hatred was already there, now it just can go farther, especially due to the anonymity. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, the cyber bully can actually cover up their identity through the computer or cell phone and anyone who has access to the website the bully is doing their bullying on can join in. In fact, cyber bullying has caused an increase in bullying, an increase in hatred and cruelty, due to the face that the bully cannot even see the direct response from their victim. Cyber-bullying is a large part of the anger that is being released on the internet. The only way to explain all this anger and hatred is that the internet is anonymous outlet for people to release their anger on.

Another question this anger raises is, is this online anger a result of the same anger characterizing much of our society's discourse, or is it the cause? There is no correct answer to this question considering it is mostly a question based on opinion. I personally believe it is a combination of both, this anger online is a result of society’s anger, yet it is causing society to be angry. Many people in today’s society have a reason to be angry. Many people still are jobless, the workforce is still not hiring many people, the economy is still suffering; these are all causes and reasons for a person to be angry. When people are angry, its human nature for them to want to vent and someone to complain to, and the internet seems to be the perfect place to do this. A person can insult, hate and even terrorize someone they are angry with while remaining completely anonymous. However, when someone is being bullied and terrorized anonymously, it causes people to become angry and hurt. It causes depression; it drives people to commit suicide. When society sees an adult, or especially a young child committing suicide due to the anger they are the victim of online, it makes society angry that a child had to go through that pain, and thus forth the cycle repeats.

Connectivity has both its benefits and its downfalls. It allows information more readily available, creates a new way of learning and thinking, and a new way to have and create relationships. At the same time, however, connectivity is allowing people to hate and terrorize each other. Connectivity can be either positive or negative; it depends on how you look at it. 


sources: http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2010/01/19/a-collection-of-social-network-stats-for-2010/
http://www.cyberbullying.us/Cyberbullying_Identification_Prevention_Response_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Social Media and Web 2.0

1. I think amateur user-generated content will get better over time. I think this because if the content and production level of TV shows or advertisements drop, people will be less likely to view them. I personally do not like to watch TV shows or ads of low production, to me and many other people, they do not look good and are just annoying to try and watch.

2. I find myself most often using Facebook and Twitter for social networking sites. I use Facebook more than others because it is the most popular and one of the most convenient ways to see what my friends are up to and to communicate with them. In my opinion Facebook is much more popular and successful than Myspace is for many reasons. One reason is security, Facebook is much more secure and has much better privacy options than Myspace does. Another reason is there used to be much controversy over Myspace. Another reason is that Myspace was the first popular social network to be launched so it gave Facebook the opportunity to learn and grow from Myspace's mistakes.

3. Transparency is an important concept in the social media world because it shows truth. It gives accountability to websites and other forms of social media and it shows communication. I think transparency is more important in the offline world. The definition given for transparency, when used in a social setting, is that it implies "openness, communication and accountability".  Showing someone that you are open, able to communicate and that you are accountable is extremely important in the offline world. Those qualities and features are what people look for in each other. Those qualities are what employers look for when they are hiring new people. Those qualities are what employers look for in their employees.

In class photoshop assignment

 due

I chose the medium of a Blackberry. In the upper right corner it shows a Blackberry, two windows of Blackberry Messenger and a Facebook logo, with a green check. This shows some of the content that is in a Blackberry. Some of the messages that Blackberry's create are that instant messaging systems, such as AOL Instant Messenger, house phones and computers are no longer necessary if you have a Blackberry due to all the features that they contain. In the lower left corner, a house phone, computer and AOL Instant Messenger are shown with a red X through them. This shows that to all the features with a green check mark, all the devices with a red X are no longer useful or needed.

Photoshop Assignment, final post

The medium I chose was the social network Facebook. The main content of the website that is used the most is speech. Speech is used through posting status' on your homepage and then talking to people on Facebook chat, which is Facebook's instant messaging system. This photoshop document shows the Facebook process starting from the creation of Facebook and then ends with showing how insanely popular Facebook has become. 

           The book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal, shown in the bottom left corner, is the creation story of Facebook. It tells all about how and why Facebook was created. The next picture in the Facebook process, shown in the upper left corner, shows the Facebook log in page. The log in page is where you sign up for a Facebook and is where the social network phenomenon begins. Once your logged in you see your personal home page, which is shown in the upper right corner. On your homepage, you use speech through posting statuses, navigating to other people's Facebook and writing on their walls, and commenting on their pictures. A message from a personal homepage on Facebook is that email rates, actual phone use, and even text messaging rates could significantly decrease from all the communication possibilities. Also shown in the upper right corner, is a Facebook Chat box and the "Who's Online" section. This is Facebook's instant messaging system. A message that is sent from this is a significant decrease in the use of all other instant messaging systems. In July 2010, there were more than 500 million, active Facebook users, and all of those users have Facebook Chat on their Facebooks'. Thats 500 million less people using other Instant Messaging systems. 

       Facebook has become a huge phenomenon and that is shown in the chart in the lower right corner. Since December 2004, there has been an extremely increase in users from less than a million then, to 500 million users in July 2010. This chart shows the message of all the content. Facebook is now a main medium today. It is a main form of communication and many other programs, causing a major decrease in all other forms of communicating with others. 

Photoshop Assignment Part 1

The medium Facebook has many different forms of content. There is speech, icons, video, pictures, photographs, games, applications, advertisements, calendars, and an instant messaging system. There are many messages that can be sent from the content of this medium. One message is a that there could be a decrease in phone usage, emails, and instant messaging providers, such as AIM, due to being able to write and talk to your friends’ right on one website. Another message is there may be an increase in certain websites and sales due to the advertisements Facebook has. Another message is that a decrease in video tapes or DVDs, and printed photographs could occur due to being able to post videos and pictures right to friends Facebook’s. Some other messages are that there could be a decrease in actual calendar sales due to the one Facebook supplies for you and a decrease in video game sales and iPhone and iPad application sales may occur due to being able to play games right on Facebook that you can either buy at a store or from Apple software. 

McLuhan Assignment

A BlackBerry is a new innovative medium that shows interactivity. It combines a phone with many different components. One component is the internet and with having the internet on your phone, it combines your cell phone to social networking sites. As well as having the internet on your phone, BlackBerry’s even have their own form of communication, the BlackBerry Messenger, or “BBM” for short. This one device can make calls, send text messages, receive and send emails, allows you to easily access websites and then send instant messages to other BlackBerry users, not to mention all the other miscellaneous features. 

Facebook has recently had a communication breakthrough. Besides being able to just write and post comments, videos and pictures on other peoples Facebook’s,  you can now Facebook chat with your friends through Facebook’s instant messaging system. 

The iPad is a major new invention that connects almost every medium together. On an iPad you can go online, talk to friends, play games, listen to music, and even download and read a book.