The Positive Impact of Social Media

Parrack, D (2012 April 19). The Positive Impact Of Social Networking Sites On Society. retrieved April 18 2014, from makeuseof Web Site: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/positive-impact-social-networking-sites-society-opinion/

The topic of this article is on the positive effects social media can have on people.  Parrack's purpose is to explain the positive impact social media can have on us and how its grown to be such a big part of society and that it can no longer be ignored.  Parrack discusses some examples of the positive impact social media can have on our lives such as building relationships and helping stay in touch with the world.  There's no doubt that social media sites can lead to the breakup of a relationship, but social networking sites can also put you back in touch with someone you have lots in common with and maybe help you approach someone that you'd be to scared to do in person.  It also helps you stay in touch with people across the world.  When family members live in a different state they can still stay caught up in the events of your life. And you can stay in touch with childhood friends that have moved away.  Social media allows people to express themselves without being face to face and have people emphasize with them and listen to what they have to say.  Parrack concludes with agreeing that there are both positive and negative sides to social media. But he believes that when used in moderation, social networking sites are neither evil or a blessing, but that they're somewhere in between.  This article added to the positive effects of social media that I mentioned in some of my other blog posts.  In conclusion, social media can help improve society in many ways by helping track down criminals, help people in need, receive news from all over the world, and stay in touch and strengthen long distance relationships.  This article is very useful for my blog because I think it's important to stay positive and look at the good side of things.  

The Negative Impact of Social Media

Koikai, E (2013 May 8). The Negative Impact of Social Media on our lives. retrieved April 18 2014, from the moose Web Site: http://themoose.no/2013/05/08/the-negative-impact-of-social-media-on-our-lives/

The topic of this article talks about many of the ways social media can negatively affect us.  Koikai's purpose is to inform people of these ways and the effects it has on our lives.  Although Koikai agrees that social media has contributed to many positive things she also sees the negative effects.  Just like what I talked about earlier in my blog, the article discusses that addiction is a very real negative impact that social media can have on some users.  Koikai claims that even though social media addiction hasn't yet been linked to a disease or disorder, the countless hours spent on social media may be the cause of undiscovered behavioral disorders and has lately become the issue of much discussion and research.  And according to Koikai some researchers have linked anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, and other mental disorders to people that spend to much time online.  Social media is also known to be a big distraction in our lives and a privacy issue.   Many of us who aren't addicted still check for updates throughout the day which causes us to get distracted from what's really important. Social networks are supposed to help us learn and connect but sometimes it makes us feel distracted and unproductive.  As for the privacy issue, many people think their information is safe on the internet but really that's not always true.  On Facebook most people list their full name, birthday, age, school, work, family members, hobbies and more.  It may seem harmless but in reality it increases the risk for identity theft.  Koikai also talks about how social media and bullying is a big issue.  She claims that a majority of kids and even adults will experience cyber bullying in one form or another, because on social media sites people can post whatever they want without facing any serious consequences.  Although social media has already affected the way we think and act, it is not going anywhere so people should work on examining their social media habits.  Some facts from this article relate to and expand on some of the issues that I've discussed earlier in my blog.  This article gives a really good explanation of the negative impact social media can have on people.                                                                  

Do Facebook's privacy settings always work?

Nelson, P (2011 January 28). Why Facebook's privacy settings don't always work. retrieved April 18 2014, from KSL Web Site: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=14168498

The main topic in this article is that there really isn't a guaranteed way to hide the things you post on Facebook, even using the privacy settings.  Nelson wrote this article to tell people to just don't post things that may come back to haunt you.  Keep all private information off the website and if you don't want someone to see a post don't even post it because even the privacy settings can never be fully trusted.  Using the privacy settings for status updates you can exclude certain people from seeing your status.  But don't think that's going to stop the person from finding out because their are ways around that.  Nelson claims that even if you exclude a person from your status, other people may talk about it and maybe even post about it.  There's also the share button, so even if you set your privacy settings to keep someone from seeing your posts or photos, the friends that can see them have the option of sharing them with all their friends.  Which is a problem if that friend is a mutual friend of the person you were trying to hide the post from.  And lets say that you accidentally post something stupid, you can delete the post or comments but people can screenshot the conversation.  This is a very interesting article and it connects to my last video post.  It shows how nothing you post online is ever totally private, and that their are ways around the privacy settings.  Be careful what you post online because it may come back to haunt you.

Jack Vale's Social Media Experiment

  Jack Vale does an experiment on social media by searching the closest Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook posts to his current location and freaks people out by making them think he knows personal information about them.  It just shows how unaware we are of how much personal information we put online and that anyone can see it.  What's scary is that people can see the location of where you posted, so really anyone could stalk you if they wanted. This video might make you think a little differently about social media!

Response to "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not be Tweeted" quote

In "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not be Tweeted," Malcolm Gladwell (2014, p. 175) says, " 'Social networks are particularly effective at increasing motivation,' Aaker and Smith write. But that's not true. Social networks are effective at increasing participation-by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires."

You can tell by Gladwell's tone in this quote that he is disagreeing with Aaker and Smith.  He believes social networks lessen the motivation that participation requires.  Which means that because social media is so easy and convenient, then you don't need much motivation at all.
  I agree with Gladwell on what he says about social networks and motivation.  In my opinion social networks distract me from doing what I really need to be doing and so that lowers my motivation.  Just like I talked about in my post about social media addiction, if you are constantly checking it and its distracting you from your responsibilities then I think social media isn't affecting you in a good way.  Social networks are good sometimes, but for me I find that it can distract me from my homework which doesn't increase my motivation at all.

Response to Nyajuok's blog post

http://openminddaily.blogspot.com/2014/04/media-going-extinct-i-read-article-how.html

In one of Nyajuok's blog posts she writes "I read an article how media print is dead and come to think of it;it is. It's pretty sad that people would rather quickly look on the internet for information than a newspaper.Seems like the concentration isn't the same but, print media seems to stand it's ground and not ready to back down yet against it's biggest competitor " The Internet". I guess it's a good, less tress will be cut down."

I agree with Nyajuok's statement.  I do think its kind of sad that print media is being taken over by technology and the internet.  And sure its a good thing that less trees will be cut down, but in my opinion I have always liked the hard copy of things.  I like reading and holding an actual book rather then reading it on a kindle or Ipad. I like cd's because you will always have them, unlike downloading it online where if something went wrong it could get deleted.  And I really like how in this class we hand in printed out essays instead of emailing them. That way the teacher gets to give feedback and write on it, and you know it gets turned in rather then wondering if it got lost in the internet.  But don't get me wrong, I have nothing against computers.  I think computers, the internet, and new technology are great tools if used the right way.  And I guess it all has to do with opinion.  Some people might like reading more on a kindle instead of a book.  As long as print media doesn't totally disappear, and I can still go to the store and buy a book, then I am okay with that.

Feedie: the app that lets you donate a meal just by taking a picture

Social media has ways it can help society, the Feedie app is one of
those ways.  I think we all know people like taking pictures of their
food, but the Feedie app transforms pictures of food into actually
sharing food for those in need.  Using the Feedie app is easy.  Just
download the free app and visit one of the participating restaurants.
Post the photo to your social media, such as Facebook.  And then the
restaurant donates money to The Lunchbox Fund, which is a charity that
provides meals to hungry school children in Africa.  You get to share an
awesome food picture, the restaurant gets advertised, and hungry
children in Africa are getting fed.  What an awesome idea for an app,
check it out!

Police use social media to track down criminals

Kelly, H (2012, August 30). Police embrace social media as crime fighting tool. retrieved April 11 2014, from CNN Tech Web Site: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/30/tech/social-media/fighting-crime-social-media/

This article's topic is how law enforcement is using social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube to gather evidence to solve crimes.  Social media may negatively affect society in some ways but it also has its positives.  The author’s purpose is to inform the public on the ways social media is being used as a tool to catch criminals.  The article claims that criminals are bragging about their crimes online, even setting up drug deals and uploading incriminating videos.  Drug dealers have been known to post public updates that include information on their location so clients, and unintentionally, law enforcement know where to find them.  Some law enforcement are even going undercover on Facebook to try and catch criminals.  They create fake profiles to attempt to befriend the suspects.  Although making fake accounts is frowned upon and violates Facebooks’s terms of service, it is not illegal and the evidence collected can still be used in court.  Authorities can also request private information directly from the social network with subpoenas and warrants, or even make an emergency request for information if they believe that there is an anticipated danger or threat.  Law enforcement’s social media effort began small, but now police are teaming up and receiving training from social media experts.  According to a recent survey, police social media use is catching on across the country.  Out of 1221 federal, state and local law enforcement that use social media, four out of five officials use social media during investigations.  The majority said social media helps to solve crimes faster.  The survey also found that Facebook is the most used social network by law enforcement and second is YouTube.   This article shows that social media can also affect society in positive ways.  Social media sites are strong resources to help law enforcement solve crimes and get dangerous criminals off the streets.  I think this article is very useful to my blog’s topic. So far I have posted about the negative effects of social media but it is also important to notice the positive.

"Is Google Making us Stupid?" By Nicholas Carr

 In Nicholas Carr’s essay “Is Google Making us Stupid” he states that he feels like the internet is changing the way people’s minds work and think.  He says that deep reading used to come naturally and that his mind would get caught up in the narrative.  But he has noticed that as he has spent a lot more time online, he’s not thinking the way he used think.  He loses his concentration, gets fidgety, and gets distracted more easily when reading.  He feels like media is reprogramming us.  Carr Supports his ideas by stating that he’s not the only one who feels this way.  Carr interviewed psychologist Maryanne Wolf, who said that the efficiency and immediacy style of reading promoted by the Net may be weakening our ability to read deeply.  Carr also mentions Friedrich Nietzsche whose writing style changed because he went from writing in pen to writing on a typewriter.  The invention of the clock has even changed the way we act and think.  Carr talks about studies that have been done on the human brain and how even the adult mind is constantly reprogramming itself and altering the way it functions and how media has affected it.  Then Carr discusses the thoughts of the two young men who founded Google.  Apparently they desire to turn Google into an artificial intelligence machine that might be connected to our brains somehow.  They think if we had a smarter artificial brain attached to our own brain that we’d be better off.  This is scary because they make it seem like the brain is outdated and not enough.  In the end, Carr wraps up by stating his fears of us turning into “pancake people” spread wide and thin as we connect with all this information accessed by the touch of a button.  We have come to rely on computers and it is like our own human intelligence is flattening into artificial intelligence. 

I think Carr’s essay really relates to the topic of my blog.  Technology, the internet, and social media all have benefits and have helped improve society in certain ways.  But Carr really points out how the internet is actually changing the way our mind thinks and works.  Just like in my post about social media addiction, social media has the ability to change your brain chemistry and the way we act. Carr made a lot of good points in his essay and it made me think from a different perspective.  It even made me realize how it’s affecting me.  I thought about it and realized that I also rarely read books anymore and that it’s really hard to focus if the reading is long and I’m not particularly interested in it. But do I think that Google is making us stupid? No. But I do agree with some things Carr pointed out.  The internet and social media can negatively affect us greatly.  But I also think it’s a great tool and can really help us.  I believe it’s all about how you use it.  

Coke Finds a Way to Cure Social Media Addiction

"Did you know that the world spends 4 million years online every month?" the soda giant asks. "If you're watching this video on your mobile phone, it's time to put it down. Look around you, there is probably someone special you can share a real moment with. Enjoy it with an ice-cold Coke.”

It seems like everyone is always on their phones now a days.  Recently there has been a lot of talk about social media addiction.  I came across a video that coca cola made about the cure for social media addiction that really made me laugh. I hope you enjoy it!

Social Media Addiction

Morrison, K (2014, March, 11). How Social Media Has Become an Addiction. retrieved April 4 2014, from Social Times Web Site: http://socialtimes.com/social-media-become-addiction-infographic_b144691

The main topic of this article is about the issue of social media becoming an addiction.  Morrison points out that social media takes up a lot of our time.  And that for some people it may be putting their physical and mental health at risk.  About 72 percent of adults use social media and the average user spends as much time on it a week as a part time job.  Social media has been found to cause low self-esteem, loss of sleep, work, and even relationship problems.  Morrison concludes that social media addiction might really be a problem with brain chemistry.  A study from Harvard shows that talking about yourself online can cause a part of your brain to light up that also lights up when using an addictive substance such as cocaine.  For some people it is very easy to get hooked.  I think this article is very useful to the topic.  Some people think there are no issues with social media, but this article shows how detrimental and harmful social media can really be.