fruitloops

[averagestudent7]

Global social media: China

China’s Ban on Western Social Media Platforms:

The Online population of China has hit a pivotal point. The Chinese government reported about 882 million users are currently actively using the Internet, which is 57.7% of the population (Thomala 2020). However, China has been blocked from accessing Western social media sites. Access to world famous, social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook is NON EXISTENT ! All these regulations are classified as ‘China's Great Firewall’, and it is the biggest censorship scheme in the world. It is a collaborative initiative between government monitors and technological and telecommunications providers who are required to apply the state law. It began in the year 2000 and now the government has hired over 50,000 individuals to impose the censorship, block websites that it disapproves and pressure search engines to filter material that is considered malicious (Bamman 2012).

Instead the Chinese entrepreneurs have created their own versions to cater to the local market. Popular social platforms in China are WeChat and Ren Ren (Fong 2016). 

China social credit system:

China first introduced the "social credit scheme" in 2014, and it is anticipated that the system will be completely enforced nationally by 2020.

How does the government keep track of the actions of its citizens?

Surveillance cameras are installed throughout the nation, law enforcement officers use AI-powered wearable technology and drones to track people. Two of China's largest firms, Tencent and Alipay, also have government statistics on citizens' actions by keeping track of how they use the service (Diamond 2018).

PROS and CONS

The Government insists that the purpose of the credit scheme is to improve the honest mindset and credit rate of the whole population (China Copyright and Media 2014). It seems to have succeeded, as one resident said, "I feel that in the last six months, people's attitude has gotten progressively better, for starters, when we drive, now we're always going to stop in front of crosswalks. If you don't stop, you're going to lose credit points. Initially, we were just concerned about losing points, but overtime we have adapted to this change (Cheng n.d.).

Others however, fear that the credit system is too much to manage.

People lose points if they smoke in non-smoking zones, drive poorly, post lies and misinformation (SustainSU n.d.), do not see elderly parents on a daily basis and many more.

The social credit scheme will compensate and prosecute individuals on the basis of their credit score. Many of the fines include:

Restrictions on travel

Banning you or your children from the better universities

More challenging to find a career

Public embarrassment

Is the Social Credit Scheme a way to instill positive conduct and provide people with security? (MY OPINION)

Can you foresee the humiliation being applied to your children because you don't have a decent social score? It's wrong, I guess, because who you are doesn't characterize your children.  I don't believe that children should be refused a spot in prestigious schools if their parents have a bad social  score.

In comparison, I think the blacklist is ridiculous. I'm sure, it's reasonable to punish people for committing  crimes, but I believe it's unfair to put people on the blacklist. What if these people just want to change? By having them on the blacklist, it makes it impossible for them to turn for the better, since most things, such as getting a career, are literally rejected.

REFERNCES:

Thomola 2020,  Number of social media users in China 2017-2025, Statista 2020, viewed 18th November 2020, <https://www.statista.com/statistics/277586/number-of-social-network-users-in-china/#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20there%20were%20around,world's%20biggest%20social%20media%20market.>.

Fung 2016,  6 CHINESE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT, viewed 18th November 2020, <http://blog.tutorming.com/business/chinese-social-media-sites>.

Bamman 2012, Censorship of social media in viewed 18th November 2020, <China, https://firstmonday.org/article/view/3943/3169>.

Diamond 2018,  China's Surveillance State Should Scare Everyone, viewed 18th November 2020, <https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/02/china-surveillance/552203/>.

CHeng n.d., Chinese Social Credit System (II): risks and prospects , viewed 18th November 2020, <https://polikracia.com/chinese-social-credit-system-i/>.

SustainSU n.d., China’s social credit system: a threat to social sustainability? , viewed 18th November 2020, <https://sustainsu.wordpress.com/2018/11/22/chinas-social-credit-system-a-threat-to-social-sustainability/>.

[averagestudent7]

Social Gaming

Social gaming first took off on Facebook a couple of years ago. Remember Farmville? Words with friends ?   That was the golden age of interactive gaming but many of you may still be enjoying such games. Constant requests to access these kinds of games have died down, but there are already all kinds of interactive media titles with broader audiences today.

Hang on a minute, what's social gaming? What is a social game and what makes it different compared to other games? Simple, you might say, a social game is a Facebook game. But it isn't that simple. Not all Facebook games are the same and what about games on other social media platforms? Call of Duty has a powerful and experienced multiplayer community could that be called a social game?

As we can see, describing social gaming isn't that easy. Yet it is a vital term to recognize within the context of a fast developing, evolving market. So let's get acquainted with some other gaming terms that could help us work together to better describe social games  (BUFF 2018).

Casual Gaming

Many of the games you'll find on social media will also easily be called casual games. They don't need a lot of experience or any special ability to be good at. Typically, they have a premium version if they're not absolutely free. They're not technically heavy either, and they seem to be played often, but in limited sessions (Hope 2018).

A great example of casual gaming are indie gaming titles such as candy crush. Back in 2016 this game took up majority of my time but now a days i hate seeing people play that game, oh the trauma that game has caused me i s mind boggling. I’ve spent a considerable amount of money on the in game purchases, just to get to the next level.... smh.

Sharing:

Next up we have Sharing which the most significant aspect in social gaming. It's similar to and different from, multiplayer games like Call of Duty. Social games are multiplayer, of course, in the strict sense of the term, but they come from a multiplayer with a different approach (Synclarity n.d.). Social games are usually structured around more casual contact between participants. Sharing items, exchanging compliments, ranking your mates, and encouraging new players to participate are an important part of most multiplayer games.

Toxicity of Social gaming:

Research has shown that many video games depict prejudices against women, and the content can promote sexism. For example women are traditionally underrepresented in video games. They are portrayed as beautiful humans, sexual slavery and obscene. Women were depicted as sex objects by showing nude or partly revealing clothes. In a machine review of 47 randomly chosen games, female characters wore low-cut clothes and the cleavage could be seen ( MUSTOFA  2018).

Simulation or a monetization?

As online distribution has become much more popular, it is converted into digital downloads that can offer massive new additions or update small content at a fixed price. As the presence of online gaming grows, new monetization techniques have been created. Some games offer monthly subscriptions to play on game servers, allowing fees to access experience bonus content are all called microtransactions ( Bin Fang, Qiang Ye and Goes 2019 ).

A perfect example of monetarization, of social gaming, is the launch of the PS5. I have been a fan of Sony ever since the release of the PlayStation one, As soon as they announced that the PS% was being released on November 12th i did everything in my power to ensure that i get my hands on one of the consoles asap! As i’m writing htis it has been exactly 24 hours since i collected my PS5 i did not purchase any game titles as they advertised that it was backwards compatible and would run PS4 games at a higher framerate (plus i was broke:/),  however i realized that in order to play these PS4 games on the PS5 you need to pay a conversion fee of $5 to $15 depending on the tile.

And here i am writing this blog hoping that my dad buys me a PS5 game soon, cuz i aint got no cash ...... till then imma cry myself to sleep:’) 

References :

Bin Fang, Qiang Ye and Goes 2019 , ‘Social Influence and Monetization of Freemium Social Games’,  Management information systems , vol.36, no.3, pp 730-754

Buff 2018, What exactly are social games and what makes them different? , viewed 13th November 2020, <https://medium.com/buff-game/what-exactly-are-social-games-and-what-makes-them-different-e24623382558>.

MUSTOFA  2018, Toxic Behavior in Online Gaming, Is it Necessary? ,viewed 13th November 2020, <https://hybrid.co.id/post/toxic-behavior-in-online-gaming-is-it-necessary#:~:text=Toxic%20is%20a%20choice&text=The%20type%20of%20toxic%20behavior,%2C%20cheating%2C%20and%20many%20more.>.

synclarity n.d., is social gaming a new social media?, viewed 13th November 2020, <https://blog.synclarity.in/marketing/is-online-gaming-the-new-social-media>. 

[averagestudent7]

Fandom

We're all fans, even though some don't admit it. Being a fan of something doesn't only refer to idolizing a single band, or writing fantasy, but also cafes, and restaurants that you visit quite often.  According to Pearson (2010), fans are individuals that are fascinated with a specific place, celebrity, video, TV show, and somebody who can generate reams of knowledge regarding their fandom item. They also engage in communal events. 

i just so happen to be obsessed over The Witcher franchise, some would say a little too obsessed..... What can i say, There’s no thrill like slicing through mythical beasts and riding through medieval villages helping the poor, (or at least doing this virtually via my PS4 or watch henry cavil replicate it on Netflix).

All fans deserve to be in the culture. In the age of social media, group building has been simpler and several of them have been popular. A popular fandom right now, is the presidential election of the united states, Donald Trump has become a even bigger mean due to his rambunctious tweets and his iconic golden sloppy hair, and also his slogan “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. 

Fans are frequently viewed unfairly by the media as possessing 'abnormal' obsessions with celebrities or nerding out on the things/people they're a fan of. However, fandom today is assumed as a  part of the daily life of 'average' individuals. Here is a short video explaining what fandom is all about.

The benefit of fandom is for certain individuals it is a gateway to escape from  reality and put all their problems aside for a short period of time and talk to people with mutual  interests about what they are passionate about, thus helping, tackle many public health issues such as depression and suicide (Weist 2017).

Fan Activism

 Fan activism can be described as a mode of civic activity and political participation that arises from the desires of the fandoms and the fan community. Fan advocacy will be a fan-driven initiative to participate and address civic, social and political concerns (teen vogue n.d.).

There is tremendous influence and ability for fan activism. Fandoms can be intellectual and political opposition to the heteronormative and patriarchal ideals of culture. The potential of the fan groups to assemble and organize in response to casting decisions, program cancellations, etc. is well known. These community organizing efforts are also being used to support movements for social justice and civil rights, encouraging young people to participate (weebly n.d.). 

The following video is an example of Netflix creating fan activism. 

References:

Pearson 2010, ‘Fandom in the Digital Era’, Popular Communication, vol. 1 , no . 2, p. 84-95

Weist 2017 , Psychologists Say That Belonging To A Fandom Is Amazing For Your Mental Health ,Teen vouge, viewed 11th November 2020, <https://www.teenvogue.com/story/psychologists-say-fandoms-are-amazing-for-your-mental-health>.  

weebly n.d., a guide to fan activism, weebly, viewed 11th November 2020, <https://fanactivism.weebly.com/fan-activism.html>.

[averagestudent7]

Crowdsourcing & crowdfunding

What is Crowdsourcing ?

Crowdsourcing is a procurement model in which individuals and organizations receive products and resources, including proposals, polling, micro-tasks and finances, from a broad, relatively transparent and frequently changing community of users (crowdsourcingweek n.d.).

What is Crowdfunding ?

Crowdfunding is a method of financing a project or venture by collecting small sums of funds from a vast number of individuals, primarily through the Internet. Crowdfunding is a method of crowdsourcing and alternative fundraising. In 2015, more than US$ 34 billion was generated worldwide by crowdfunding (fundable 2016).

Where can crowdsourcing be found?

Many businesses and organizations use dedicated crowdsourcing platforms such as 99designs or Fiverr to find alternatives for niche activities such as web design, proofreading, or app testing. Elsewhere, companies are turning to social media sites like Twitter, Facebook , and Instagram to collect suggestions about new goods and services (Livescault 2019).

(Says.com 2018) suggests that through crowdsourcing, people are willing to participate digitally in innovative and participatory ways to make their voices heard. This can be seen in Malaysia's GE14, where the # PulangMengundi hashtag on Twitter urged Malaysians to return home to vote. This culminated in a lot of engagement as people formed groups online to become supporters for people who could not afford to travel back to vote. Thus, in times of need, social movements will profit.

However there can be situations where the data collected via crowd sourcing may not be accurate and thereby leading the user to make wrong decisions that may cost them rather than benefit them.

REFERENCES

crowdsourcing n.d, what is crowdsourcing?, viewed 30th October 2020, <https://crowdsourcingweek.com/what-is-crowdsourcing/>.

fundable 2016, crowd funding at a glance, viewed 30th October 2020, <https://www.fundable.com/learn/resources/guides/crowdfunding/what-is-crowdfunding>.

B. Livescault 2019, what is crowdfunding?, viewed 3oth October 2020, <https://www.braineet.com/blog/crowdsourcing/#:~:text=Many%20companies%20and%20organizations%20use,for%20new%20products%20and%20services.>.

Says.com 2018,  #PulangMengundi: M'sians pitch in to help those who can't afford to travel home for GE14, viewed 30th October 2020, <https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/04/356247/pulangmengundi-msians-pitch-help-those-who-cant-afford-travel-home-ge14>.

[averagestudent7]

Public Health Campaigns & Communities

What is Public Health ?

Public health is about ensuring people stay well and protecting them from risks to their health. Often public health efforts include supporting individuals, and sometimes they include coping with larger issues that have an effect on the health of multiple people (NHS n.d.). A good example of this is the current global pandemic situation. Professionals from all over the globe have come together to educate and increase awareness  of Covid-19 thereby ensuring public safety.

Social Media’s Influence on Public Health

The benefit of social media in public health is yet to be fully studied. Recently, however, social media has been extensively used in public health where physicians and community officials across the globe use the medium to keep in contact with the same agency and communities. A perfect example will be the latest pandemic that is going on. Covid-19 is so widespread that the possibility of public contact may be lethal, so social media is a medium for experts to collaborate and inform the public about the risks and hazards of the virus and thereby hopefully save millions of lives.

The above diagram illustrates, how experts on the dangers of Covid-19 use social media platforms to educate the general public as to why the should practice social distancing and the harms of Covid-19, as a result of constant uploads and public announcements, individuals gradually incorporate these practices into their daily life thus ensuring the public health and safety (Chou, Oh and Klein, 2018).

In conclusion , social media is sometimes an important medium to make us feel less isolated while emotionally separated, to share problem-solving solutions to the new problems we all face, and to showcase our viewpoints in this tough moment. It also allows users to express their interests , hobbies, abilities, feelings, etc. In addition , people can even get to know strangers via social media. Social media has been identified as transparent, collaborative, engagement and building communities.

However, any mode of communication medium has its pros and cons, which is also why social media is also referred to as being a double-edged sword, ultimately it is up to the user to decide on how he/she perceives it (Pooja n.d.).

REFERNCES:

nhs n.d., what is social media, viewed 30th October 2019, <https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/working-health/working-public-health/what-public-health>.

Chou, W., Oh, A. and Klein, W., 2018, ‘Addressing Health-Related Misinformation on Social Media’. JAMA, vol. 320, no.23, p.24.

Pooja, n.d. Why Social Media Is A Double-Edged Sword: Thoughts On The Good, The Bad And The Purpose, Pooja Anand. viewed 30th October <https://poojaanand.com/blog/why-social-media-is-a-double-edged-sword>

[averagestudent7]

Activism &Protests via Social Media

Social Media activism is a broad form of activism that uses media and communication technology for social and political movements.   It is also a medium for grassroots activists and anarchists to distribute content that is not accessible through mass media or to post censored news stories (PewResearch 2018). Basically this is where all the juicy content resides, so lets dive in. 

#hashtag Activism 

Hashtag activism is a term invented by media sources that refers to the usage of Twitter hashtags for Int

ernet activism.  Hashtag advocacy is a strategy to broaden the use of communication and make it democratic in such a way that everyone has a way to share their views and opinions (GlobalCitizen n.d).

Here are a few #hashtags that have been used in the past by Social Activits;

1.   #HeForShe

We all know that gender equity affects everyone, don't we? And feminism for women?  Well, we have a significant part of the He For She movement to thank for that. This UN Women movement, endorsed by Emma Watson and Justin Trudeau, aims to consciously engage men and boys in a fight that was traditionally thought of as "a woman's matter” (pwc n.d). 

The United States of America, Mexico and the United Kingdom are among the leading countries in the world in terms of contributions and contributions to join the cause.

2.  #ASLIceBucketChallenge

Who doesn't remember the happy summer of 2014, when Facebook's news streams were all over the place, overflowing with people with ice and water flowing over their heads?

In the UK, one in six people engaged in the ice bucket challenge, which allowed people to nominate their mates to grab the baton to keep the momentum rolling (ALS Association 2019).

Turns out those much-mocked Ice Bucket Challenge videos helped do a lot of good. Two summers ago, the challenge, designed to raise money for research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, took the internet by storm. Supporters ended up raising over $115 million for the A.L.S (Rogers 2016).   

3. #BlackLivesMatter

Black Lives Matter is a decentralized political and social movement promoting non-violent civil resistance in protest of police brutality and other race based abuse towards African-Americans (Anderson 2016).

With its roots in an emotional Facebook post, after the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012, this hashtag has sparked a civil rights campaign that would transform the face of the United States. There are currently more than 26 chapters of Black Lives Matter across the United States (Calderwood and Hales 2019).

The campaign is fueled by sorrow at the nearly infinite flood of wrongful deaths; anger at institutionalized racism; indignation at the consistent lack of fair treatment for all African-Americans.

How Protests Become Successful Social Movements

While hashtags used for activism are capable of educating and gaining people's interest and mobilizing as many people as possible, they should understand the implications of posting such content and what is acceptable for posting. Activists are urged to devote their time developing and revealing less divisive knowledge and to help people understand about the root causes of the crisis.

Still, protests such as the huge Black lives matter march that took place earlier this year, while vital to the development of transformational reform, is only the first step. There are obvious reasons that some campaigns languish and die away while others flourish, and protesters need to take the lessons of history to heart (PND 2018). In order to make a meaningful difference, the campaign needs to follow these five golden steps:

Step 1: Define the change you want to see

Defining change obviously is a recurring trend for popular campaigns. Gandhi decided to be independent of the British. The Civil Rights Movement required concrete laws to be enacted. The color revolutions required a change in government. This were both concrete targets that could construct a plan around them (Gribbin 2017).

Step 2: Shift the spectrum of allies

When you have specifically identified the improvement that you want to make, you need to start looking at the spectrum of allies. Find out that you should expect active or passive support from and provide neutrality at best — or, at worst, active or passive resistance. As Sun Tzu wrote, "Know yourself, know your opponent, and know the landscape." The terrain is a continuum of allies (abc news 2018).

Step 3: Identify the pillars of power

While it is vital to attract supporters from up and down the continuum of funding, it is also important to recognize the organizations that have the ability to bring about the reform you want. These "pillars of influence" can include the police, the media, the school system, government departments, or other organisations. As vital as public support is to the cause, nothing is going to improve without structural support (Popovic and Satell 2017) .

Step 4: Seek to attract, not to overpower

Every campaign is trying to fix any inequality, so it's easy to slip into the pit of demonizing the other side. And this is when a lot of movements fall off the rails. Anger is an effective mobilizing force, but anger without hope is a crippling force. You ought to have an affirmative argument for affirmative tactics ( Mongiello 2016 ).

Step 5: Build a plan to survive victory

Ironically, one of the most dangerous phases of the revolt is just after victory has been won. In Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution, the incoming team was unable to establish a single, efficient administration, and soon the nation reverted to anarchy. Secular demonstrators succeeded in Egypt in 2011, but the subsequent elections were won by the Muslim Brotherhood (Popovic et al 2017)

In conclusion, it is crucial not to associate the call for reform with the ideals that the campaign aims to embody. Only because you win an election or have a policy approved and financed doesn't mean it's time to claim victory. In fact, it is at this stage that you need to reinforce relationships and renew the commitment of each stakeholder to what has generated progress in the first place.

References

abc, 2018. 'No-One Is Listening': Tens Of Thousands Mark Invasion Day With Protests. Abc.net.au. viewed 22nd October<https://www.abc.net.au/new s/2018-01-26/invasion-day-protests-in-melbourne-and-sydney/9364940>

ALS Association, 2019. Ice Bucket Challenge Dramatically Accelerated The Fight Against ALS.  The ALS Association. viewed 22nd October <https://www.als.org/stories-news/ice-bucket-challenge-dramatically-accelerated-fight-against-als> 

Anderson, 2016. History Of The Hashtag #Blacklivesmatter: Social Activism On Twitter. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. viewed 22nd October <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/08/15/the-hashtag-blacklivesmatter-emerges-social-activism-on-twitter/>

Gribbin, 2017. Hanson Insists She Can Hold One Nation Together. viewed 22nd October <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-30/pauline-hanson-vows-to-prevent-one-nation-fragmenting/8220196>

Mongiello, 2016. Repository.upenn. viewed 22nd October du<https://reposito ry.up enn.edu/cgi /viewcontent.cgi?article=4267&context=edissertations>

Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. 2018. Activism In The Social Media Age. viewed 22nd October <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/ 2018/07/11/public-attitudes-toward-political-engagement-on-social-media/> 

pnd, 2018. How Change Happens: Why Some Social Movements Succeed While Others Don't, Philanthropy News Digest (PND). viewed 22nd October <https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/off-the-shelf/how-change-happens-why-some-social-movements-succeed-while-others-don-t> 

Popovic and Satell, 2017. 8 Massive Moments Hashtag Activism Really, Really Worked. Global Citizen. viewed 22nd October <https://www.globalcitizen. org /en/content/hashtag-activism-hashtag10-twitter-trends-dresslik/>

pws, n.d. Pwc Proudly Backs Heforshe. PwC. viewed 22nd October <https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/about/diversity/he-for-she.html>+

Rogers, K., 2016. The ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ Helped Scientists Discover A New Gene Tied To A.L.S. (Published 2016). Nytimes.com. viewed 22nd October <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/health/the-ice-bucket-challenge-helped-scientists-discover-a-new-gene-tied-to-als.html#:~:text=It %20turns%20out%20t hose%20much,%24115%20million%20for%20the%20A.L.S.>

[averagestudent7]

Political Engagement

Politics:

Politics is characterized as the actions of the government, the representatives of the parliament, the individuals and groups who aim to influence the way a country is governed ( Brendan 2020).

Political engagement:

Political engagement is the inclusion of voters in the nomination process and   Sanctioning leaders who exert influence in government, even by entering   themselves as leadership candidates. Political Engagement requires individuals' behavior as voters, as actual and potential challengers for leadership positions in government and organized communities that are under pressure Elected politicians and civic authorities named by civil society Action and collective opposition (worldbank 2019).

Integration of Social media and Politics.

The political landscape has changed quite a bit in the last few decades. The internet has played a significant part in this transition. Social media , in particular, is becoming a serious influence in political campaigns and the way people learn about controversial issues. Candidates and their followers are constantly sharing their opinions on Facebook and Twitter. Each group has its own pages on which it broadcasts propaganda and calls for donations ( Satterfield  2016).

“Fake News”

Election campaigns are now informed by any story, whether true or not, published through social media. It's becoming more and more difficult to differentiate real news from bogus web news. Social networking makes this distinction extremely confusing. The endless stream of memes, links and theories about political figures and politicians is a mixture of reality, lies, humor and speculation.

The Future of Politics due to Social Media

Since social media is relatively new, we're only beginning to see its effect on society. There are likely to be a lot of political shifts due to social media. There are also plans for online voting that could lead to more voters engaging in the elections. This could make social media even more influential, as users could literally vote moments after reading the new updates or ties they've discovered on Facebook or Twitter ( Silverman 2010).

Many advancements are also going to change politics. Social networking survey strategies will become more popular and potentially more effective. There will be more virtual campaign rallies and town halls. As social media is becoming more prominent, its effect on politics can only grow over time. It's going to be fascinating to observe how this is playing out.

References

Brendan, 2020. Definition Of POLITICS. viewed 7th October <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politics>

Satterfield, H., 2016. How Social Media Affects Politics |. viewed 7th October <https://sysomos.com/2016/10/05/social-media-affects-politics/>

Silverman, M., 2020. The Future Of Social Media And Politics. viewed 7th October <https://mashable.com/2010/11/01/future-social-media-politics/>

Worldbank, 2020. Pubdocs.worldbank.org, viewed 7th October <http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/612211464199873818/Chapter-Two-Political-Engagement.pdf>

[averagestudent7]

Is Tumblr a blog or a social network site ?

Tumblr. What is it? Could it be considered as a another social networking site?Before we get into detail, lets learn a few key terms that will help us understand this dilemma much easier.

Social Networking Site:

According to (Griffiths et al 2014) Social networking sites are interactive networks where users can create individual public accounts, connect with real-life colleagues and encounter other people on the basis of mutual interests. a few popular social networking sites are, Twitter(news, events), Instagram( where people post what they had for dinner last night), LinkedIn (Business profiles).

In current times due to the whole world going into a lock down phase Social Networking sites have played a crucial role is connecting one another. Some would say it is the only thing that is keeping us sane, guess isolation isn't as fun as i thought it'll be. 

Blog

When blogs started in 1994, the blog was something like a personal diary that people shared online. In this online diary, you would talk about your everyday life or post stuff you've been doing. People then had an opportunity to communicate information virtually in a new perspective.  This is how the wonderful world of blogging started (Srkba 2018).

Tumblr

Tumblr lets you post something effortlessly. Post messages, images, quotations, references, music , and videos from your computer , phone , email, or anywhere you happen to be. "It's a crossroad between a social networking platform and a journal. It's often described as 'micro-blog' as people usually post brief bursts of text and fast snaps as opposed to longer diary type entries found in more conventional blogs (webwise 2020).

Coming Back to the Original Question, is Tumblr a social networking site ?

In my opinion i believe that tumblr can be considered a social networking site since it enables people like you and I to interact with each other and communicate about mutual interests. It also helps certain businesses to interact with their target audience, since Tumblr could be used as a place where people rant about their onions on a particular product, the firm that produces that product could use that information and communicate with its audience on how it could improve.

In short, Tumblr is a blog and social networking forum since it has served all parts of the journal as well as the social networking website.

List of References:

References

Griffiths, M., Kearns, B. and Timko, C., 2014. Social Networking Addiction. Social Networking Sites, 109(12), pp.2079-2088.

Skrba, A., 2018. What Is A Blog? - Explanation Of Terms Blog, Blogging & Blogger (2020). [ viewed 25th September <https://firstsiteguide.com/what-is-blog/>

Webwise.ie. 2020. Explainer: What Is Tumblr?. viewed 25th September <https://www.webwise.ie/parents/explainer-what-is-tumblr-2/>