Global, Social, andPersonal Impacts of SocialNetwork Media

IntroductionSocial Network Media is changing the way we communicate, find information, and even the waywe live. In this exploratory paper, we will share what we have learned during our 3 week summercourse about these impacts, and weave in some of our personal stories to illustrate the waysocial network media have become a part of our daily lives.

Social Network MediaSocial media are media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.Social media use web­based technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues into social mediadialogues. Social media is often referred to as "a group of Internet­based applications that build on theideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange ofuser­generated content" (Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein). Businesses also refer to social media asuser­generated content (UGC) or consumer­generated media (CGM). Social media utilization is believed tobe a driving force in defining the current period as the Attention Age. A common thread that seems to befound in all definitions of social media is social media is a blending of technology and social interaction forthe co­creation of value.

In the paragraphs that follow in this section, we will summarize the important ideas we havelearned from our readings about social network media.

Global ImpactNielsen recently released a new report that officially documents what many of us already know, just never

substantiated through data. According to a study published at the end of January 2010, Nielsen observedthe online social activity of consumers around the world and discovered an 82% increase in time spent onsocial networking sites in December 2009. On average, users spent more than five and a half hours onpopular networks such as Facebook and Twitter in December 2009. In December 2008, users clocked justover three hours on networking sites.

Social Media Revolution 2012 [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs(Strahler)

In this section we will share stories and news that illustrate how social media networks havechanged politics and even governments from around the world.

Recently, Pakistan took a stand against the posting of images of Islam’s prophet, Muhammad.Some members of the faith find it offensive to create imagery depicting the prophet and incombatants to this, the Pakistani government blocked Twitter in their country for several hours.Though Facebook provoked the initial arguments, they agreed to conceal the postings ofMuhammad’s imagery from Pakistani citizens due to their countries laws.(http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan­blocks­twitter­because­of­material­considered­offensive­to­islam/2012/05/20/gIQAFWdlcU_story.html)

As social media progresses and becomes a larger part of the global society, it is important tounderstand that free speech is not guaranteed in all countries that have access to these sites.This is not to say that we must personally restrict ourselves, but we must remember that thereare consequences for these actions and that the direct result may not be punishment for theculprit of the “crime.” (A. Cannon)

Canada is also taking advantage of social media. Most Canadian politicians have a socialpresence, which they or their teams manage. Some of their governmental departments are eventaking steps to integrate social media into actually government operations.Glen Murray is the Minister of Research and Innovation for the province of Ontario. After a socialinnovation summit, Murray wanted to find a way to bring the public into the discussion. Murrayand two other ministries created a crowdsourced wiki to help create an official policy paper onwhat the government’s approach to social innovation should be. Like Wikipedia, any user canadd articles or edit submissions in a collaborative effort to create official policy.“We are adjusting and trying to get ahead of the curve of a generation of social media users whomore and more see social media as a way of affecting social change,” said a spokesperson forMurray’s office. “People are engaging with social policy in a way that they haven’t before andgovernment will either adjust or be adjusted.” ( C. Chickerell)

http://mashable.com/2011/07/25/government­social­media/

Meanwhile, in Russia, the blogging platform LiveJournal ­ viewed as being outdated and primarily used forpersonal journals in the US ­ is the main platform used by intellectuals and others seeking to publish theirthoughts in a format that allows them to also connect and form communities with other users

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine­17177053). In March and April of 2011, and again in December 2011before the elections, a series of DDoS attacks that targeted the site were suspected by many bloggers tobe done in order to stifle the free press LiveJournal provided (D. Abraham).

When Barack Obama ran for presidency in 2008, he became one of the first politicians tosuccessfully harness the full potential of social media networks. Since then, the door has beenopened for many others to follow suit. Here is an article I found on the Business Insider websitethat discusses how Hillary Clinton uses social media as a political tool: How Hillary Clinton UsesSocial Media as a Political Diplomacy Tool 2011­12 The article talks about political groups andmovements that have come about since Obama’s election run, such as the “Tea Party” and the“Occupy Wall Street” movement.

The part of the article that I found to be most interesting, talks about how Hillary Clintonhas since then become somewhat of a spokesperson for the use of social media networks. Shehas used them herself to communicate and spark dialogue amongst U.S. citizens and the worldaround. She encourages government organizations to use what is called “Smart power”, orusing technologies to their fullest capabilities. Clinton has used smart power herself through textmessage money raising and sending technology specialists to Africa to help developingcountries make better use of technology. Hillary has made social media networking a big part ofher work and views its use in a positive light. She once said that the internet and social mediaare the worlds "town square, classroom, marketplace, coffee house and nightclub." (B.Niewodowski)

This seems to be one of the slowest groups to jump on the social media bandwagon. Itmay be due to the fear of national security issues or feeling less professional but as agovernment that is based on working for the people, what better way to communicate withthe majority of people other than social media? For a nation that has been overcome bythe internet for communication, it only makes sense for the government to use it as well toreach the masses. If a party wants to gain support, they can reach out through facebookand twitter to send their message. Police and safety officials can use twitter for citizens tosend in alerts , pictures, or videos of potential problems. As I read on mashable.com., theopportunities are endless for every branch of government to reach out in their own ways. Itjust seems like they are falling behind due to unnecessary fears when they could takeadvantage of so many opportunities without compromising security or private information.

http://mashable.com/2010/05/19/government­agencies­social­media/

(S. Hatchett)

Social network media can be used to gain support for a cause. In days gone by, organizationswould prepare literature and attempt to distribute it at the venue most relevant to them and hopethat the people who needed to see it would happen across it. s Today, the organizations can

harness the power of social networking to increase channels of distribution. With a littlepreparation, people around the world will have access readily available with the click on amouse. The possibilities for reaching those who want or need the information most is limitless.In addition to the most popular site such as Facebook and Twitter, organizations can make useof other venues such as InfiniteCauses. The site “platform is simple and, soon and withouthassle, you can spread your cause and mobilize more people.”

Source: http://8causes.com/

Social ImpactsSocial networking sites are generally thought of as the province of the young. It’s where they connect withtheir friends, arrange their social lives, chat and discover new people and even romance. That, at least, isthe conventional wisdom. But it’s not quite correct. Millions of people of all ages use these sites. They’vebeen massively popular very quickly, in ways no­one could have predicted. But how does that affect work?

How our Communication Has Changed Over Time [Infographic]http://trak.in/tags/business/2011/09/22/communication­past­present­future/(Strahler)

If you have ever been out to eat or shopping you might notice groups of people standing around together. Ifyou look closely however, often those people will not be talking or paying attention to each other; instead,they are interacting with their cell phones. Students today spend more time on the internet and socialnetworking sites than ever before. The education world is having to set up standards and rules to monitor orin some cases ban the use of personal electronic devices due to student inattention in the classroom.While students do prefer to chat on social networking sites and browsing the internet, as educators weshould be considering how to make these tools more effective in our classrooms instead of how to get rid ormask them. The site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLw8L8V6Clw shows a clip of how education ischanging and the importance of educators changing with it. The quote by Confucius at the end is very truefor today’s learners: “Tell me... I will forget. Show me ...I may remember. Involve me...I will understand.” (K.Hooker)

Pertaining to the youth more so than adults, on the sitehttp://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/08/social­kids.aspx it talks about the effects (both positiveand negative) of social network sites. As far as negative impacts, the site says that “Daily overuse of mediaand technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making themmore prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them moresusceptible to future health problems.” (Larry D. Rosen).

Although close friendships made over the internet still require the same amount of time and investment tomaintain and face­to­face encounters are still a large factor in the difference between casual and goodfriends, the site http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912161147.htm suggests that socialnetwork media might lower the risk for initiating a new friendship. The article’s ultimate conclusion seems to

be that while social media cannot supplant in­person communication, it can help facilitate and alter theways in which that communication occurs (D. Abraham).

While social networking media can help those with social anxiety issues, there is also a growth in thenumber of individuals who experience anxiety that is directly related to social media, as found here:http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/04/social­media­anxiety­disorder. Some of this includes being worriedabout others’ reactions to one’s Facebook and Twitter status, being overloaded with information from varioussocial media sites (as described here:http://socialmediatoday.com/rachelhappe/402008/social­media­overload­anxiety­polarization), and sadnessover the lack of friends and nervousness over initiating contact with other people (D. Abraham).

How Social Networking Affects WorkWhether employers approve or not, employees will sneak personal time on work computers to check theirsocial networks. Unless there’s an official policy against it, and even then some will try. In many ways,social networking sites can be quite addictive. For example, logging on every few minutes to see what yourfriends might be doing. This often cuts into work time but with so many people doing it, employers oftenreach a compromise by giving employees time when they can access the internet for personal reasons. Thiscan actually make personnel more productive because they don't feel like they have to sneak around whendoing it and since they are given an allowance of time each day, they tend to work harder the rest of thetime.

The Kansas City Business Journal recently shared an interesting story on how social media may beaffecting employee ethics. The National Business Ethics Survey (NBES), a study that explores the views ofthe U.S. business arena, was one of the first to assess whether social networking is influencing employees’views about ethics at work. According to Patricia Harned, “over the past few years, we have seencompanies establish policies concerning social networking in the workplace so it seemed fitting to addquestions on the topic (to the NBES).”

What did the 2011 NBES reveal about social media and ethics at work? Social networkers were askedwhether it is acceptable to “friend” a client or customer on a social network (59 percent said yes) andwhether it is acceptable to keep a copy of confidential work documents in case they are needed at the nextjob (50 percent said yes). To the contrary, their non­active social networking counterparts responded at anacceptability rate of 28 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Among active social networkers, 42 percentfound it acceptable to blog or tweet negatively about their company or colleagues versus 6 percent of otherworkers.

So does this mean that social media has made employees less ethical? Harned warns that the findings arenot an indictment about the character of social networkers: “It appears that they are more willing to considerthings that are ‘gray areas’ — issues that are not always clear in company policies as wrong; and that’s anarea for further study.”

Whether or not the NBES study a correlation between ethics and social media, it raises some seriousquestions for management. While no one likes the idea of Big Brother” watching us in the workplace, asolidly but realistically crafted corporate policy is paramount to guiding employees in the best use of socialmedia. As the Kansas City Business Journal summarizes, “flexibility, adaptability, attentiveness and timewill be your allies as you navigate these waters.” (T. Beckley)

Once reading an article by social times social media in the workplace seems to be an increasingproblem. It is no surprise that sites such as facebook are growing bigger and bigger. Social mediawebsites are known for being addictive. Therefore, many employees leisure time, which they useto check these sites has continued into their work time. According to the article 48.3% ofemployers allow their employees access to these social websites for use other than business.

There are two main approaches that companies seem to use when dealing with social media. Thefirst approach is for the company to protect their brand at whatever cost. If this means they ban allsocial networking while at work. If it is not banned they will make strict rules and guidelines fortheir employees to follow.

The second approach is that the company use social media to increase their brand awareness.With all the changes with technology social media can influence many people. If companies andemployees use these sites correctly they can increase their market.

I can see where some companies would want to use technology to increase their brandknowledge. However, social media and technology does not work for all companies.(M.Shrewsberry)

The Downside Of Social NetworksPeople post a lot of information about themselves on social networks such as their full dates of birth andphone numbers. They talk about their education, things they’ve done whether good or bad, they join groupsin their social network, and more.

One thing that job candidates have found is that employers have started checking social networking sitesbefore interviews, which means that some of the bad things they’ve reported on their profiles have comeback to haunt them, and might even have a bearing on whether they’re offered a position.

Individuals have also found that a negative material on their social network can also lead to termination. Forexample some airline employees started a group on a social networking site, complaining about passengersand more. However, it came to the notice of their employers, and some of the employees were disciplinedwhile others lost their jobs. Put it all together, and you need to remember that social networking sites arevery public places, and what you write is available to a lot of people – so you need to be very careful when itcomes to what you reveal, whether personally or about work.

I think the basic idea of social networking is an excellent way to communicate with others and share ideas,find information, and make connections with others that may not have been possible in other ways.However, as a teacher, I have begun to see the harm that this free source of communication has done to ourstudents. Bullying has been an increasing problem in the school system sand now bullies have free reign tocyberbullying from the safety of their own homes, hallways, classroom, or anywhere else that they can getaccess to the internet. They no longer have to fear immediate retaliation from the person that they arebullying. Also, once one person begins the bullying, others can join in and add to the bullying. In addition tothat, they can make up aliases making it very difficult to find out who is behind the aggression.

Furthermore, many people seem to forget common sense when it comes to social network sites. You seeover and over where people “friend” people that they hardly know or don’t know at all. Then they make theirprofiles public where anyone can see their information and posts. Also people use “check in’s” and links like“foursquare” to tell others about their whereabouts, even when they are leaving town. This creates publicaccess for the wrong people to know that your house is empty or when you are in a vulnerable position. Weteach children to not talk to strangers and not give out too much personal information but adults get onthese sites and put their information up for everyone to see. Kevin Johnson, a senior researcher withsecurity firm InGuardians, says “the most significant vulnerabilities are not in hardware or software, but in ausers' use of social networks.”

In addition, some people use these sites to air their dirty laundry. They may be going through a tough timein a relationship or work and think that only their “friends” will see their venting. However, they forget thattheir “friends” can share those comments with other friends or employees that can lead to disciplinary actionor even slander lawsuits. It seems at times that people get lost behind the computer and forget that once itis written, it can never be taken back and someone with the right skills can find anything and everything thatthey have ever written. I don’t necessarily disagree with employers looking at facebook accounts prior toemployment because if a person doesn’t have the common sense to have discretion when using thesesights, I don’t know if I would want them working for my own company and entrusting them with professional

responsibilities when they show such a lack of intelligence in their own lives.(Staci Hatchett)

Another misconception of social networking is the idea of ‘privacy’ on these sites. While many ofthe social networking websites offer privacy settings, in reality, nothing is truly private when youpost it online. The second you post something online, it is databased somewhere and even if youdelete it, are you really deleting it? In a 2010 New York Times article, it identified how the webhas created an age of “never forgetting.” What social networking media has done is crash theprivate/public divide and put upon us a more transparent society. It was David Brin’s book, TheTransparent Society, which predicted how new technologies would force and erode the idea ofprivacy. While this book focused on video surveillance technologies and the idea of “Big Brother,”it is Web 2.0 technologies and websites like YouTube which have allowed us to become our ownworse enemy at times with sharing videos and added new levels of transparency to society ­ bothvoluntarily and involuntarily. (Strahler)

In a recent study done by the The Center For Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, where 600 facebook userswere surveyed, an exorbitant 75% of respondents reported being unhappy with their bodies, with 51%attributing this negative outlook to Facebook.(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/is­facebook­fueling­our­body­issues_n_1497392.html) Withpictures spanning the years, from the freshman 15 to the summer spent cycling through Europe, Facebookis a literal timeline of the body’s progression. Additionally, it allows for comparison between one’s self andother friends, focusing on the aesthetic and calling into question our own appearance vs. others. (A.Cannon)

Students are particularly victims of the downsides of social networking.Besides distracting students from schoolwork, social networking websites mayalso feature incriminating or inappropriate information or pictures on studentprofiles that are in violation of school policies or codes of conduct. It hasbeen noted that school administrators are not monitoring these socialnetworks, but when certain profiles are brought to their attention orreported, investigations are done and disciplinary actions are taken.

Social networking can prevent students from getting jobs, internships, andinterviews due to unappealing or offensive profiles. This is due toinappropriate content such as pictures, statements, and other information thatmay hurt a student’s chances of gaining or being considered for employment.Employers take social networking profiles and their contents very seriouslyand regard them as a reflection of personal character (M.Martin).

Source:http://www.pacific.edu/Campus­Life/Safety­and­Conduct/Safety­and­Security/Online­Social­Networking­Dangers­and­Benefits­.html

The damage had been done, now what do they do? Enfamil found themselves in a major crisis over a claim by amother that the formula killed her baby. This story hit social media and spread like wildfire. The PR firm,GolinHarris, for Enfamil jumped in and helped but one would say that the damage had already been done.Scientists with the CDC and FDA conducted tests on various types of powdered infant formula and distilled water,known as nursing water, and found no cases of contamination by Cronobacter sakazakii. Four babies, including

one in Missouri and another in Florida who died, were sickened by the bacteria that are found naturally in theenvironment and in plants such as wheat and rice. The Missouri baby, Avery Cornett of Lebanon, Mo., died earlierthat month after appearing lethargic and displaying signs of a stomach ache, CBS News reported. Tests at aSpringfield hospital showed he had Cronobacter, and he died a few days later after being removed from lifesupport.Now of us want to hear stories like these where an infant has been lost, but to make a claim as serious as thiswithout proof first is unnecessary. (C. Chickerell)http://www.cbsnews.com/8301­504763_162­57351494­10391704/enfamil­infant­formula­cleared­in­kids­bacterial­infections/

While social media is used to connect many individuals with resources they would not otherwise know about,when it comes to medical information, this can be a double ­edged sword. Because social media isuser­generated, the information available may not be the most accurate. In a study completed by the ClevelandClinic, it was found that information regarding inflammatory bowel disease on YouTube, while readily available,was of poor content. Sharing of this type of misinformation could be extremely harmful to the health of peopleusing it as a resource. (C. Kiger)Source: (October 31, 2011). Social Media: Important but Often Misleading Source of Healthcare Information. InHealthcare Informatics. Retrieved June 2, 2012, fromsocial­media­important­often­misleading­source­healthcare­information.

A core target audience of social media includes the Millennials (a.k.a. Generation Y), and there is debatebrewing as to whether millennials are the most distracted or the most engaged generation:

Scroll to near bottom to see video:

http://mashable.com/2012/05/10/millennials-social-media-adora-svitak/#?tw_p=twt.

This generation as a whole has embraced technology as they continually seek a challenge, need constantinput, and do not want to experience boredom. As such, they often have a difficult time compartmentalizingtheir work personas from their social personas. That is, they take multi­tasking to a whole new level andcross boundaries between work and play quite frequently. However, this can cause challenges in theworkplace.

For example, a few years ago a Resident Assistant at WVU was fired due to what was deemed“inappropriate postings” on his personal Facebook page. He made the mistake of friending some ofindividuals he was charged with leading, and this blurred the boundaries in an unfortunate way. The trulyinteresting part of this story is how completely shocked the RA was in the end, although he admitted that hewould have never said in the presence of a student what he had posted on his page. The reach of socialmedia has presented some new questions as to how personal behavior can affect our professional standing.Should undergraduate Admissions counselors friend potential students? If so, is it acceptable for them topost pictures where alcohol is being consumed? Do we need to consider having two selves in the socialmedia arena (personal vs. professional)? This separation seems contrary to the millennial way of thinking.

While millennials strive to network and balance work/life effectively, the question must be asked as towhether many have developed the concentration and communication skills to truly be effective in thebusiness world. Some people are finding it harder to concentrate for long periods of time, and can becomeoverwhelmed by the amount of information requiring synthesis. The key is to take advantage of thetechnological abilities of this generation but in a way that provides adequate structure to ensure goals aremet. For more information on engaging millennials in the workplace, see:

http://humanresources.about.com/od/managementtips/a/millenials_2.htm

(T. Beckley)

The Positives Of Social NetworkingSocial networking sites is an excellent way for business networking, too, whether it’s on a one­to­one levelwith contacts, or rapidly putting together groups on the site relating to industries or events. They’re a good,quick way of disseminating information to a number of people and putting them together in one virtual placewithout having to create your own site or contribute to forums.

There are also specialist business social networking sites that are very useful not only for networking, butalso when job hunting. They’re effective for posting your resume and keeping you in contact with those inyour field and outside it.

Used wisely, social networking sites can offer a lot to work, by making employees feel appreciated andprivileged, and also to help the ongoing necessity of networking for business people.

A lot of times on the news you will see about the negatives that social networking brings, butwhat we do not get from this is that social networking is actually a very positive thing if it is usedthe right way. When doing a little research on http://socialnetworking.procon.org/ I found a list of“pros”. I am not going to list them all out, however I did find one of them to be interesting. “60million americans received help with major life issues (changing jobs, finding a new place to live,buying a car, and caring for someone with an illness) from people in their social networks in2006.” (Social Networking ProCon.org). When sitting back and thinking about all of the things thatpeople use social networking for, it is remarkable. Not only this, but it allows people to connectwith family, friends, as well as meet new people. Social networking is very useful if used in apositive way.

There is also the possible benefits social networking could have for those with anxiety, particularly socialanxiety. As this article suggests (http://soshable.com/can­social­media­help­with­social­anxiety­disorder/),social media could be used as a method to slowly expose those who experience Social Anxiety Disorder(SAD) to more interactive situations while not immediately removing them from their “safe zone”, thus givingthem an opportunity to communicate and connect with others while reducing the number of triggers thatcould hinder them. (D.Abraham)

Another benefit of social networking is having the ability to make connectionswith people that have similar interests or goals. A social media website canbe a way to connect with people from previous environments, such as school orwork. It may also be a place to meet people that one may not be able tointeract with otherwise. Therefore, meeting new people and staying connectedwith old friends via social networks is a major benefit. According to theUniversity of the Pacific, meeting someone in person is a thing of the past.

Additionally, these types of websites offer individuals an opportunity to

create a positive self­image. A profile, such as on Facebook, gives each usera chance to create the image of themselves that they want people to see bylisting their best qualities. It is also a great place for classmates,administrators, or even future employers to get to know a little bit about theuser, and with some effort, the user can give off a great impression beforeeven meeting that person (M. Martin).

Source:http://www.pacific.edu/Campus­Life/Safety­and­Conduct/Safety­and­Security/Online­Social­Networking­Dangers­and­Benefits­.html

Many businesses are using social media as a means to advertise their organization at no cost. This isespecially beneficial for not­for­profit agencies that have limited funding for public relations. In addition togaining recognition, the organization can keep followers apprised of their events and news. Manyorganizations have a widget on their page for donating directly to the organization. There are alsoopportunities for individuals to help with funding the charity of their choice by tweeting or ‘liking’ their chosencharity in competitions offered by a variety of funding sources. In 2009, Hugh Jackman offered $100,000 tothe charity with the best tweets which was split between two organizations. Organization like Chase Bankoffer contests periodically to allow those who ‘like’ their site to vote for their favorite charities to win a portionof their prize through Chase Community Giving. (C.Kiger)Source: Rosen­Molina, M. (April 28, 2009). How Charities Harness Social Media to RaiseAwareness, Money. In MEDIASHIFT Your Guide to the Digital Media Revolution. Retrieved June2, 2012, fromhttp://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/04/how­charities­harness­social­media­to­raise­awareness­money118.html.

Personal ImpactsIn recent years social media, likely more than anything else, has significantly impacted most of our dailylives. Envisioning the global conversation that has developed over the past few years because of tools likeFacebook and Twitter might have been unimaginable for most people at the beginning of this decade. Butsocial media communication tools have profoundly changed our lives and how we interact with one anotherand the world around us. Here are the top areas that social media has affected in our daily lives.

1. Where We Get Our NewsFriends on social media are increasingly becoming people’s trusted sources of information, even more thansearch engines. Tech blogger Mark Cuban recently noted, “For the 1st time ever, more people are findingmy blog from Twitter and Facebook referrals than via Google.”

Of course, many people still use RSS feeds to stay up­to­date on blogs and publications of interest, but ourlist of sources for what is worthy of our attention has expanded significantly. Furthermore, by getting ournews from social media, we know who is recommending it, and can easily communicate with that personabout it. News is more social than ever.

In the Pew Research Center’s “The State of the News Media in 2012” (http://stateofthemedia.org/)dedicated a section to What Facebook and Twitter Mean for News due to impact these socialnetworking websites have had on the news industry. This is evident in the case of natural disasters­ Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami coverage ­ to the average citizen live­tweeting breakingnews ­ Sohaib Athar tweeting the Osama Bin Laden raid.

The study does conclude that “social networks at this point are mostly an additional way to getnews, rather than a replacement source” and “consumption is mainly supplemental.” Socialmedia sites give us the power to share and disseminate news faster than ever before. (Strahler)

Furthermore, a grand example of a powerful social news website would undoubtedly be Reddit. The central idea ofReddit is for users to post important news articles and other Internet phenomena (memes), with those postingsbeing upvoted or downvoted by others users. Essentially, the most intriguing news stories and Internet trends areranked accordingly. Robert Quigley writes “The Reddit community and the Reddit algorithm work together toensure that mostly interesting pictures, videos, and articles quickly make their way to the front page of the site.”Hence, Reddit is all about speed, and a reader may discover news a day or two earlier than on the more traditionalnews websites. According to Quigley, “Reddit’s speed and its nose for good stories aren’t bad things, but they pluginto an online infrastructure that amplifies its findings to the point of drowning out other signals.” Therefore,instead of reading only USA Today, Reddit enables one to discover a multitude of the top­rated news articles rated byan online community dedicated to bringing the most intriguing stories to the Internet forefront.

The following image, the symbol of Reddit, can be found on numerous news websites alongside other social mediasharing links such as Facebook and Twitter. (M. Preece)

Quigley, Robert. “How Reddit Controls the Internet News Cycle.” Geekosystem. Geekosystem, LLC, 2012. 31 May2012.

2. How We Start and Do BusinessIt is easier than ever to start and launch a business today, in great part thanks to social media. We can notonly locate potential collaborators and employees through interest­focused Facebook groups, Twittersearches, and niche social networks, but perhaps more importantly, social media gives people who havetime, but little money for advertising, the chance to engage with others and promote their business. A recentarticle in the New York Times concluded, “For many mom­and­pop shops with no ad budget, Twitter hasbecome their sole means of marketing.”

While business in the past was generally conducted with those in one’s immediate environment, socialmedia, including everything from blogging to tweeting to posting videos on YouTube, has opened newpossibilities for both customers and clients. Who we do business with and how we promote that businesshas moved increasingly online, and for small business especially, social media has proved valuable.

LinkedIn is a social networking site most often used for professional networking. It was founded by a formerYahoo! executive in his living room. Today, over 160 million people from over 200 countries use linkedin as ameans to stay in touch with former employers, search for new jobs and share information about currentemployment opportunities within companies. They expand their twitter audience by linking their feed to theirprofile page and allow for connections and the public to view a virtual resume as well as pictures andachievements through their profile. (http://press.linkedin.com/about) In the April 2012 edition of Wired,the article “For LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman, Relationships Rule the World,” Hoffman states,“all of the attributes of a business now apply to an individual and if you want to get better at yourjob, you should be an active member of LinkedIn. Because we can connect you not just to newpeople but to new insights.” (http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/03/ff_hoffman/all/1) (Strahler)

LinkedIn has also been given preferential status in the world of stock­exchanges, proving to be a moredesirable option over Facebook. As investors weigh in on the stability of the newly traded social networking

site, LinkIn stock proves to be the dominant competitor among publicly traded social networks.(http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/liking­linkedin­while­wary­of­facebook/) (A.Cannon)

Another social media website that is beginning to become a significant toolfor businesses is Pinterest. In fact, it is starting to direct more traffic tocompany websites than YouTube, Google+, and LinkedIn combined. Pinterest is avirtual pin board that is used to organize pictures. Usually, these pictureshave links attached to them that take the user directly to the websiteregarding that pin. For instance, a user may pin a picture of a wine that theyenjoy, with a link to the winery’s website, to their Wine pin board. The pinsthat users make can be seen by fellow “Pinners.” New pins can also be sharedvia Twitter and Facebook, further spreading the reach of a company or product.

Pinterest is becoming a virtual catalog for sharing products of all types,which can be very useful for many businesses. Much like most content on theInternet, Pinterest pins have the potential to go viral. The websiteideeli.com saw a 446 percent increase in traffic due to their presence andpins on the still­growing website. While some businesses have the potential togain much success from Pinterest, the website may not work as well forbusinesses or products that aren’t as visual (M.Martin).

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222740

3. How We Meet and Stay in Touch with PeoplePeople certainly still meet others at social venues like clubs and parties, but it is easier than ever todiscover people who share our interests through social media, whether that means via groups on Facebookor following people on Twitter. Even if your interests lies in an obscure area, like 15th century poetry inFrance or Nepalese art, there is probably a Facebook group about it, and a Twitter search will likely turn upother people talking about the same subject.

Of course, there is only so much communication that can happen through a social network, but viaTweetups and other in­person events, people are expanding these online interactions to face­to­facemeetings. The introductions are initially made through social networks, then people develop the relationshipusing phone calls and in­person meetings.

The number of people meeting online is increasing at a rapid rate. According to Statisticbrain.com andverified by sources including Reuters, Herald News, PC World, and The Washington Post, over 40 millionpeople have used social networking to explore dating online. While many people will not be successful intheir quest for love online, those same people will meet and make friends with many other people and lookthrough hundreds more profiles. Statistics also show the annual revenue for online dating is $1.049 billionand the average online dater spends $239 annually on dating sites. These numbers continue to rise as ouraccess to social media expands. (K Hooker).

Additional Source (T. Beckley)http://voices.yahoo.com/what­percent­people­meet­their­spouse­online­6705868.html

With immigration and migration in today’s society, people are moving much farther, more frequent andleaving their friends and family in hopes to make a better life. Social media allows people to think less aboutleaving their homes because they are easily able to stay in touch. Exchange students are able to leavetheir families and go to the United States for a new experience, and are able to stay in touch with theirfamilies every day if they choose to, through facebook, twitter, text, call, skype, etc. My family had anexchange student many years ago and we are able to stay in touch with him still today due to facebook.Social media allows for everyone to stay in touch with one another so easily it is remarkable.

4. What We RevealThe old paradigm in communication was that people generally revealed very little of their fears and doubts.They tried to present the image of themselves to other people as completely confident and knowledgeable.The goal was to make sure that you appeared like you were always in complete control. But this is shifting,in part, because of social media. The paradigm is now no longer to try to appear perfect, but to be moretransparent with your thoughts and feelings, to reveal your humanness.

We now have queens acknowledging that they get nervous at times when speaking, CEOs being morehonest and at times using blogs to express reservations over past decisions, and people openly sharingpersonal views on social issues. Of course, what we decide to reveal and when to reveal it can be delicate,and there will always likely be items we wish to keep private. However, rather than working to hide ourthoughts and feelings, social media is helping to create greater personal transparency.

Perhaps with this greater personal transparency, more trust can be placed in our leaders, corporations, andinstitutions. According to Paul Klein, “Today, global corporations run the risk of being busted at any time.The best defense against this is transparency.” With this sense of global openness, it is less likely thatbusinesses will cheat their customers, and it is less likely that newspaper editors will falsify articles. Ourmost powerful leaders now have a tremendous responsibility to be ethical in their practices, andtransparency could help bring some of the most upright, ethical individuals into our global, leadershippositions.

Social Networking Media has given power to the masses, and it is creating a greater balance betweenbillion­dollar corporations and local businesses, CEOs and the working class. It has created a stronger voicefor the less fortunate, enabling them to challenge these higher corporations and hold them to greaterstandards; transparency breeds accountability. According to Paul Klein, “Transparent companies are clearabout the results of all business practices, both good and bad. Successes, failures, problems, and victoriesare all communicated to all stakeholders.” Although it is not without its pitfalls, Social Media Networking haspositively impacted society with its push for transparency in all realms of life, public or personal.

Morgan Spurlock delivers an interesting presentation on transparency and how we should embrace it.http://blog.ted.com/2011/04/06/the­greatest­ted­talk­ever­sold­morgan­spurlock­on­ted­com/ (M. Preece)

Klein, Paul. “Transparency: Social Media Is Forcing You to Tell the Truth.” Forbes. Forbes.com LLC, 2012.30 May 2012.

Final Thoughts and ImplicationsThe future of social media is evolving as we continue to see new developments in socialmedia platforms, and the way we use and interact with these digital media. Social mediaoffers many interesting and exciting opportunities socially and globally on how we getour news, how we start and do business, how we meet and stay in touch, and what wedisclose online. With the increase in popularity in mobile phones ­ with it estimated by2014 that mobile internet usage will surpass desktop internet use(http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/2011­mobile­statistics­stats­facts­marketing­infographic/) ­ we will form new and innovative ways to connect and utilize these powerful devicesto harness the information in effective ways.

While the internet and social networking tools provide a lot of positive uses, we mustkeep in mind the downsides to these tools as well. With increased accessibility to socialnetworking tools and new tools being introduced all of the time, we will continue to seedevelopments (and) in regulating cyberspace. Privacy, intellectual property, security,and online safety are just some of the issues that will be continued to be addressed inthe years to come. It will be important to understand the terms of service and privacypolicies, so you can become (a) more informed when using these social networkingtechnologies. (Strahler)

Social media networking has changed the conversation of learning. The chalkblackboard of yesterday has turned into the Learning Management System of tomorrow,and the ability to reach learners with different learning preferences and physicalrestrictions has increased significantly. Educators have a choice to either resist orembrace this revolution in the way we share and process information. We must choosewisely. (T. Beckley)

In order to choose wisely, we must keep in mind that this wonderful gift of technology isnot without its dangers, educationally or socially. As educators, we need to embrace itwith an attitude of moderation. We cannot ignore the methods that have worked, nor canwe shun the newest technologies. As we learn and teach with this new technology,Social Networking Media, we need to model how it should be used not only ineducational settings, but all settings. Hopefully, our students will adopt an attitude ofmoderation and have the ability to choose wisely as well. (M. Preece)

Social networking can be positive or negative depending on how they are used. Workingin education I am able to see some of the positives. When teachers embrace thetechnology they are given many wonderful things can come from it. Learning haschanged drastically in the last 10 years. In the past teachers relied on textbooks andchalkboards. Now they use projectors and ipads. They also use the internet more to

obtain information to discuss in class. (M.Shrewsberry)

Social networking tools and media are a double­sided sword, and many of the things that are seen as faultsof the systems can also be its greatest strengths and vice­versa. Due to this, perhaps social networkingmedia would work at its best when used in moderation and combined with a live, human element (D.Abraham).

Social media is an animal of a completely new species. It’s connecting us with users all over the globe andworking on a 24/7 schedule. It’s a medium for communication, a marketing tool and a virtual scrapbook of allof our online interactions. It can open doors to great opportunities, and great dangers. Incorporating socialmedia into the classroom comes with the huge responsibility. Students must understand the rules of thisnew environment. But before they can understand, educators must comprehend these rules so that we canrelay them with confidence. (A. Cannon)