Monday, August 24, 2009

Social Media

Welcome to the new semester! One of the things that i noticed last semester was how much time i was spending with Facebook. If you don't know about Facebook, then you need to look it up. Google it. Using this social connector, i have been able to re-establish contact with friends from long ago. I recently had dinner with an old college buddy that i found by using facebook.

So here's my question to you. How has social media like facebook, myspace, youtube, changed your life? Do you use any of these programs? Some people even have their cellphone connected to facebook. I'm amazed at how much information people will share on these sites. People constantly post pictures of themselves in compromising situations. I even know some employers who check candidates' facebook pages to see what kind of person they are in private. Do you think the Internet, with the help of these programs, is helping us reveal too much about ourself. Is modesty fading because of new media? Or does the possibility of re-connecting with old friends and establishing relationships with similar likes and dislikes outweigh the negative implications of this media. Remember, two paragraphs. Again, welcome to class.

18 comments:

gina said...

I think that facebook is a great way to connect and stay connected to people. However, It is a blessing and a curse at the same time. I remember when I first got facebook it was mainly just college kids who had it. Now, like you said, everyone has it.
You can make facebook and myspace relatively safe by blocking your profile from people that are not your friends. You shouldn't add people that you do not know because they can find out a lot about you. Whether or not you have a lot of information up about yourself, people can tell a lot by a picture. Like where you hang out and who you hang out with. It is also always on the news about how someone got fired from there job or didn't even get hired in the first place because of things their employers had seen on their facebook or myspace pages.
Sure, you can block your photos or not have photos on your account at all. But, the minute that someone else that has a myspace or facebook profile posts a picture and your in it, there is nothing that you can do about it. Once it is on the internet eventually anyone can get their hands on it.
So, facebook and other sites like this are fun to have as long as you keep it clean.

Marilyn said...

I do not have facebook or myspace, nor do I have the desire to start either. I am already spending most days on the computer as a requirement for my job. I want to spend my down time on something other than the computer. It seems that facebook or myspace consume too much time updating and whatever activities are involved.

My daught and her family all have facebook and myspce accounts. If I want to catch up with family or friends, I can look on their accounts. My observation of my daughter and her family who have active facebook and myspace sites has not been favable. I see my daughter’s family engage less in family interaction. They are together but each person sits with their computers, updating or checking the facebook accounts. They spend hours with their computers engaging in very little communication. I see that as a potential break down of family communication. The amount of time they spend on facebook seems excessive and addicting.

Besides the amount of time spent being online with face book or myspace, I don’t want personal information forever floating around cyberspace. Technology is changing so many aspects of our culture, some not for the good.

Alexis K. Ellis said...

I think the advent of media like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are good for professional pursuits for your career, but I think people forget that the negative things they post are viewed by employers, instructors, and family and can cause detriment to your reputation. Having a good reputation seems to be long gone, and I think people do not take into consideration having self-respect for themselves because they are posting from home or in social gatherings.
I think that the media today gives too much leeway for postings that are obscene and indecent. Their should be restrictions on postings because people can really get hurt. Mass media today is good for being able to reunite with loved ones, but you have to be careful who you trust over the internet because people can post lies, and anything you want to her.

Unknown said...

I definitely agree with the previous three postings. These mediums can be both beneficial and harmful. If one has an account through any of these, measures should be taken to keep them safe and clean. These measures should be taken by the owners of the company as well as the owner of the account. On my accounts, I do not allow people who I do not know to be my friends. I also screen my comments so that if there are any vulgar or obscene comments, they are removed promptly. I have family that look at my websites and don't care to have them see those types of things. I do post pictures from crazy get togethers, but nothing ever obscene.

I believe that in the beginning all of these social cites had stricter restrictions, but as time went on, these became relaxed. I believe that money is the primary cause for this. Our society is greedy and the love and want of money overrides many safety concerns. This is unfortunately human nature, and I don't feel that much can be done to regulate that.

Mary said...

I have a Myspace page. I use it to keep it touch with friends that don’t live by me anymore. I do but pictures on my Myspace page. My pictures are set to private but I still don’t have any crazy pictures on there. I do not have my last name on Myspace or anything else that is really important. I think Myspace, Facebook and Youtube are ok to use but have to be careful what you say on those pages.
Myspace, Facebook, and Youtube can get some people in trouble. A lot of young kids are not setting their pictures to private. Some of those young kids are putting up pictures of themselves half naked on their MySpace and Facebook pages. Those kids do not think because one day some can get a hold of those pictures and use it against them. Youtube people show videos of them dancing and being pregnant. They tell what is personally going on in their lives on their videos. Some of those things can get them in trouble.

Glenda said...

I sit on the fence when giving an opinion on the use of the internet whether in the form of blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. I do believe that the availability of this media is valuable, but I do not think the potential danger/harm it can cause is fully understood. My children are grown and both use Facebook religiously. However, I continuously talk to them about what they are putting out there for the world to see and what the potential consequences could be.

Don't get me wrong, I do go out and look at postings for good friends/relatives I an unable to see very often but usually only when they tell me they have posted something new.

My youngest sibling was murdered just for being in the wrong place at the right time. Can you imagine what could happen when the world already knows about your life and your likeness?!? Maybe I am a little old school, but the old saying of 'better safe than sorry' still works for me.

a said...

As a part of my graduate program, I had the chance to look deeper into the social networking phenomenon. Obviously Facebook and Myspace rule this market, but social networking sites are so much more than a place to meet up with friends. For example, President Obama utilized his own SNS (social networking site)among other internet sources during his campaign. Also, musicians use Myspace as a free source of advertising along with being the interface between them and their fans. Thus, their is more than just an elementary use of these sites.

However, having a younger sister in high school, I am amazed at how much more tech-savvy 16 year old girls are than I am. My sister has owned more phones in the past year than I have in my entire life. Their entire social life revolves around the internet and the ability to share information via the Web. This scares me being an older brother and being aware of the dangers of such sites.

Whether we like it or not, the example of my sister and her friends is the way the future will be. Businesses must adapt to this and understand where our society is headed. To answer some of the questions more directly, I feel like the dangers of exposing too much of ourselves outweigh the positive attributes of SNS. I'm a user of Facebook, and I admittedly don't safeguard myself as much as I should. I fear for my sister and our society as a whole if we continue the same trends as we do today.

Dianna and Joe Davis said...

I have a facebook, and there are days when I am so appreciative of it and others when I wish I could get rid of it like my cell phone.
I do not have any other social networking sites, and though I enjoy staying connected with friends on facebook and seeing what old friends are up to, recently my membership to the site has become an essential way for me to get business done. I am the president of the Roadrunners on campus and over the past few months I have discovered I would be lost without facebook in association with this group. It has become an integral part of the communicating I do with students of this organization and others that the organization works with. I suppose this is the same dynamic change that has come over my generation as cell phones. The world existed without them for thousands of years, yet unfortunately I can't imagine functioning without one. And perhaps, it is just that our society has changed so much from the opportunities provided by such sites as this, that closer and more frequent communication is just simply expected. Thus, it is essential if we want to communicate with the world as it now expects us to.
I do sometimes wish, however, that we could go back to the days "old school" communication. Constant facebook instant messages every time I get on to send out an announcement get very old very fast, and this incessant demand for attention just puts that much more of a strain on the already stressful task of navigating technology and getting your voice out.

Mark said...

I set up a face book account to keep up with my local friends and co-workers. It was an easy way for us all to establish times to go Mountain Biking and what not. Then like a flood all of these old friends (and honestly people I don't remember) started contacting me. Some have been great, a guy I was in the coast guard with in Michigan lives about 30 miles from me in Seattle. Go figure.
Other friends however have not been so great. Many people I knew earlier in life have gone very different directions than I have and one of my biggest pet peeves is for some one to make an assumption out how I feel or what I beleive. That being said I have had to block people who continually "invite" me to participate in their political garbage polls or what have you. These are things I would rather keep personal and not share with all my current co-workers/friends.

chapman said...

Facebook and Myspace is great tool for connecting with old friends and meeting new ones.Facebook is the now thing, more of tool to connect with differrent groups of people from the same backround or organization.
Myspace is open book forum that you can look at anyones profile pictures and most people tell more than what they should about themselves.Myspace is a computer louge with out the music,drink and occasional drunk.
I do not have a facebook or a Myspace Account some people are better left behind but I will say I have though about sign up for a facebook account.

David Camp said...

I have an account with facebook and myspace that do make keeping up with friends easier. I don’t put to much personal information on the sites though because my friends already know my whole name, birthday, etc. I do think that some people could get in trouble if they don’t set the privacy levels on these sites or use a little common sense and discretion when posting pictures, blogging, or anything that that will be out for in cyberspace for anyone to see. I agree that these sites and the Internet have both good and bad points, but the same argument can be made on almost anything.

I don’t think modesty is fading so much as I think it’s just easier to spread the information faster. I am sure with every new technology some risks are taken, being dared/daring, acting silly, or just not thinking. I am betting when the tape recorder was the hot new item, some people probably thought they where great singers, and I bet some of them got embarrassed when there friends caught them. I am sure the same can be said about the instant camera, camcorder, digital camera, etc. So I think whatever modesty or lack of modesty we see is just because we are able to see more information faster and easier.

Unknown said...

My relationship with facebook is a love hate relationship. I love the fact that I can stay in touch with all my friends who live in different states, but honestly I hate the fact that facebook has grown so large that literally everybody is on it now. I use my facebook account regularly because it is a great tool for college students but I have all intentions of getting off when I graduate. I was on myspace but I got off it about a year ago because of all the random guys adding me and messaging me, it was starting to get creepy. I am not on twitter, but I am familiar with it becasue I have friends on it, and I believe twitter is cool if you are a celebrity because what they do on a day to day basis is interesting; however normal people's lives just arent that exciting. I mean if you ask most people why they are on twitter it is to follow their favorite celebrity. I am a fan of all three forms of media as long as people are smart about it, and use it safely and responsibily.

I also just heard on the radio recently that insurance companies are in the process of charging their customers higher rates if they use these forms of media because people are offering too much information to strangers which puts them at a risk. I found this fact very interesting and its just another way this form of media is changing our society. Personally, I believe if you want to stay in touch with friends and family across the world you should get skype. It's more private and more personal, and you actually get to see your loved one! I love facebook but skype is the hot thing right now!

Unknown said...

Without a doubt, social media like facebook, myspace, and youtube have affected the way we all live our lives. I remember when I heard about facebook for the first time, and when I did open an account I was instantly hooked. My life has changed since then, and I do not use the myspace and facebook accounts that I created. Looking back on things, I would accept people to be my friend that I did not even know, and now I think to myself...why did I do that?! The thought of someone viewing pictures of my family and reading private things about us made me reconsider my usage of those accounts.

While there certainly are negative and positive aspects to social networking, I cannot say that the positive implications outweigh the negative ones. I was watching CNN a while back and there was a debate as to whether or not the people who contribute to stories via facebook, youtube, etc. should be considered journalists because while they are adding to a story they have not received any formal training. I feel fortunate to have the ability to view a clip someone from another country who was an eye witness to a particular event has submitted because those things truly add to the journalistic experience. However, when I see a a story about a picture being used in an adoption scam that was taken from someone's facebook account, I feel extremely uneasy. It is very beneficial that we as a society have access to these networking tools, however, we must exercise caution with the things that we post. As David mentioned, it is not that modesty has faded, we simply have more access to a wealth of information about others.

jdg158 said...

I believe that facebook is a great tool in being able to keep in touch with friends. In today's society we are always so busy and rushed that we sometimes lose contact with our friends and family members. You can get on facebook for 10 minutes a day and catch up on a month's worth of information on what your friends have been doing.
While I do like facebook, it is getting to the point that you can't have any privacy as an individual anymore. People know where you are, what you're doing, and can access picture of you with the click of the mouse. Employers can also check your page to see what kind of person you are, and how you live your life.
Facebook can be a fun and useful tool, just remember that people are watching you and judging you on this site so you have to be careful what information is put on your page.

Sherry Osborn said...

I created a MySpace page, but only after my two daughters told me that they had one, and everyone else has one. You know that old saying....Monkey See, Monkey Do! I rarely get on it anymore! I do not have a FaceBook page, but I have thought about MAYBE creating one. This is only to communicate with my preacher, and keep up with other things that are going on in or with the church. I have no desire or interest to see what everyone else is doing or what they will be doing. I have enough things going on in my own life and don't want to waste time on MySpace or Facebook when I could be utilizing my time more efficiently.
These sites haven't impacted my life very much because I do not utilize them.
I do strongly believe that there is too much information being exposed on these sites. There is also too many things that are being exposed like body parts. Sometimes you will see someone who has posted pictures of themselves in their underwear or bathing suits.
I believe that these websites can be dangerous. Especially for children because of predators. That is why you will hear about in the media of a child who has went to meet someone in person whom they met on the internet, and the child is never heard from or seen again.
However, you have to remember that the person that is the owner of the MySpace page or Facebook page is in control of what is posted and how much is posted. He or she is the one that will have to accept responsibility for the contents of the page.

Sherry Osborn said...

I forgot to add that those websites can be beneficial for those that are trying to find a lost loved one or reunite with an old friend or maybe even a high school sweetheart.
It could also be beneficial for someone who is adopted and trying to find their birth parents or family.

So there is good that can come out of it. There is positives and negatives for everything in life, and you have to take the good with the bad. It's what you make of it!

Crystal said...

I, too, have recently become engaged in 'Facebooking' as it has come to be known in my group of friends. My 20th year high school reunion is this year and we have connected with many old classmates using this media. I find that it can be an addicting way to spend time. Many days, if I haven't logged in I feel like I am lost, not knowing what is going on with my friends lives yet!
I am enjoying being able to keep up with the lives of people I haven't seen or heard from in many years. I do have it installed on my phone and find that a one or two line status update is most of the time enough to keep me informed of someone's entire day! I do have to remember that the things I post can be viewed by many people, but it's so exciting to be able to see pictures of my friends, their kids, their vacations, etc with the simple push of a button! Just think, without facebook I would never get to view these things otherwise. I'm hooked!

KamrynsMom said...

I think that facebook is a great way to stay connected with old and new friends, but I also think that there is a way to present ourselves. Facebook to me is like a first impression. People will judge you based on the content of your page, pictures included. Social media has changed my life in many different ways, I have met a variety of different people from all over the world as well as people in my hometown. I use facebook, myspace, and youtube. Basically I use facebook and myspace to stay connected with my friends, new and old, while I use youtube to look up videos. As I previously stated, facebook is like a first time impression, it is what it is. Where you left a comment about employers who check candidates' pages, I know of this because in my Microeconomics class a group came to talk to us about how to create a successful resume, and about good interviewing skills to practice when applying for a job. One of the men who had came to talk with us informed us that he had thrown away a resume after logging on to the candidates myspace page, and found pictures of them drinking. He said that he was not judging the individual on what they do outside of work, but if they thought it was professional of them to post pictures of themselves getting drunk on the world wide web, then they were in the wrong profession.

I do not think the internet is helping us to reveal too much about ourself because it is up to us whether or not we want to reveal such information. People would find ways to send out revealing information with or without the internet. I think the ability to reconnect with old friends does outweigh the negative implications of media because anything that can be used for good can also as well be used for bad. It is up to us whether we make the right decision to use the net for good or bad. Only we will reap the rewards, or consequences of our behavior.