Language In New Media

Blogging about language in new media 2016.

[eemmac]

A simple yet extremely effective and recognisable sign on social media. Hashtags have allowed us to not only build up huge databases of images on apps like Instagram using popular tags such as #tbt #likeforlike #instagood #follow - hashtags have also become a great marketing tool, as advertising moves more into the online world. But why are they so powerful?

Hashtags can be adopted by business’s in order to encourage others to talk about their products on social media without the pressure of an ordinary advertisement.

It also puts us in the position as a marketer - we may not realise it but every time we use a companies hashtag we are marketing, and sharing their brand, as well as building up a database of information for the company (it’s a shame we don’t get paid for it though)

Hashtags also have the huge power of being secret advertisers - how do we actually know what is an advertisement and what isn’t? Truth is we really don’t.

Finally hashtags allow companies, their products, and their values to go viral - tags can trend on twitter, tags can be viewed by anyone and anyone who also uses the tag simply by clicking on it, these tags build connections beyond a poster in a shop window which could easily be ignored.

So I think we can 100% agree with the image - don't underestimate the power of the hashtag.

(I'm actually going to add some hashtags to this post in a hope to increase my blogs viriality)

[eemmac]

Memes circulate us rather than vice versa. Interacting with a meme puts us into circulation as a participant.

http://thenewinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/blowballl.jpg

I think this quote really sums up what I wanted to post about virality - to keep it short and sweet, if we go viral we are associated, and defined by that meme in the online world, but this also filters into the offline world.

If you look back at my previous post about ‘Damn Daniel' , and some of the memes we looked at in our lectures such as ‘dog poop girl’ or ‘numa numa boy’ they show how virality creates an association between us and the particular photo or video of us, to sum up - the meme becomes how others refer to us, and also becomes our identity.

Would you want a meme becoming your identity?

(via eemmac)

I totally agree with this quote yeah, I think that you definitely have to be careful with what you put on the internet.  People have to know that whatever they put online can be shared with so many other people, and that they’re always going to be leaving a digital path through the internet.  Now that can sometimes be good, but is often something that the original poster will want to remove sooner rather than later.  People think that things going viral is a good thing because you’re being recognised!  You’re famous!  But really you are just becoming the meme, and then from that on that is your identity…

(via jess-a-barnes)

Yeah I guess there is that excitement of being recognised, but there always seems negative consequences associate with going viral - I know I wouldn’t like to always be im identified as ‘dog poop girl’ haha.

(via eemmac)

I don’t even think that it is possible to go viral without a negative background. From my point of view, going viral is not about something serious but rather about things people can laugh at and something they can talk about. I would never want a meme to become my identity- it reminds me of the fact that the internet never forgets. My identity and my self are too important to me to be associated with virality and being famous.

(via inespinsch)

I agree! I think picking up on what you said about how memes are something somebody can laugh about, it is almost actually worse to be linked with something that can be laughed at, because then you become something people laugh at or talk about because your identity is that meme! Slightly a worrying thought I find.

[eemmac]

Memes circulate us rather than vice versa. Interacting with a meme puts us into circulation as a participant.

http://thenewinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/blowballl.jpg

I think this quote really sums up what I wanted to post about virality - to keep it short and sweet, if we go viral we are associated, and defined by that meme in the online world, but this also filters into the offline world.

If you look back at my previous post about ‘Damn Daniel' , and some of the memes we looked at in our lectures such as ‘dog poop girl’ or ‘numa numa boy’ they show how virality creates an association between us and the particular photo or video of us, to sum up - the meme becomes how others refer to us, and also becomes our identity.

Would you want a meme becoming your identity?

(via eemmac)

I totally agree with this quote yeah, I think that you definitely have to be careful with what you put on the internet.  People have to know that whatever they put online can be shared with so many other people, and that they’re always going to be leaving a digital path through the internet.  Now that can sometimes be good, but is often something that the original poster will want to remove sooner rather than later.  People think that things going viral is a good thing because you’re being recognised!  You’re famous!  But really you are just becoming the meme, and then from that on that is your identity…

(via jess-a-barnes)

Yeah I guess there is that excitement of being recognised, but there always seems negative consequences associate with going viral - I know I wouldn't like to always be im identified as 'dog poop girl' haha.

[eemmac]

The dispute whether games are bad or good for us seems to be an ongoing one, with arguments for both sides - originally I would have done this post to argue that actually it depends on the type of game e.g. violent games initiating violent behaviour and games that are centred around learning are more beneficial. However after taking a read through the article above 👆

I would argue it really depends on how we USE the game - so how regularly we use a game, what mood we are in when using, and our own individual differences etc. that actually depend the way a game will affect us and our behaviour. As well as how this links in to the genre of the game we are using, so action, strategy, MMOG/MMPORG etc. So I guess this is a massive grey area topic and to say that games are either 100% good or bad for us is a pretty difficult task.

What do you guys think, are games bad for us?

[jess-a-barnes]

I agree, I also believe that it really does depend on how people e use them and also I guess the way that they are used.  I know that psychologists have been debating this for a long time and it has been found that some psychopaths who have gone on murder shooting sprees have thought that they were part of a violent video game that they have been playing for a long time.  Clearly these guys were just very unbalanced, and so you can't say that all people who play that- or other violent video games will end up like this. So I do think that it really does depend on so many different possible factors, and you can never claim that video games are 100% good or bad for you until more research has been done in the area. 

[eemmac]

Yeah I agree! Right now there just perhaps isn't enough evidence to come to a complete conclusion, and like you said there is just so many factors you'd have to judge it on.

[eemmac]

Memes circulate us rather than vice versa. Interacting with a meme puts us into circulation as a participant.

http://thenewinquiry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/blowballl.jpg

I think this quote really sums up what I wanted to post about virality - to keep it short and sweet, if we go viral we are associated, and defined by that meme in the online world, but this also filters into the offline world.

If you look back at my previous post about ‘Damn Daniel' , and some of the memes we looked at in our lectures such as 'dog poop girl’ or 'numa numa boy’ they show how virality creates an association between us and the particular photo or video of us, to sum up - the meme becomes how others refer to us, and also becomes our identity.

Would you want a meme becoming your identity?

[eemmac]

The dispute whether games are bad or good for us seems to be an ongoing one, with arguments for both sides - originally I would have done this post to argue that actually it depends on the type of game e.g. violent games initiating violent behaviour and games that are centred around learning are more beneficial. However after taking a read through the article above 👆

I would argue it really depends on how we USE the game - so how regularly we use a game, what mood we are in when using, and our own individual differences etc. that actually depend the way a game will affect us and our behaviour. As well as how this links in to the genre of the game we are using, so action, strategy, MMOG/MMPORG etc. So I guess this is a massive grey area topic and to say that games are either 100% good or bad for us is a pretty difficult task.

What do you guys think, are games bad for us?

[samgenoveseblog]

Roll back the years. Hands up who did it

[eemmac]

🙋🙋🙋 guilty. ‘Sorry that was my friend’ what a classic line, reminds me of being in year 9 haha

[samgenoveseblog]

that raises a good point… one of the affordances of IM is that you could tell the recipient of your message that it was sent by someone else from your laptop and they wouldn’t be 100% sure, as they cant see you! 

[eemmac]

Unless they tried to make you go on webcam ofc haha!

[jess-a-barnes]

This meme shows that obviously people think that there is something wrong with our generation and is notorious I guess, for being constantly online.  I know that this generation’s online presence is a lot more prominent than it would have been thirty years ago- but is this necessarily wrong?

[eemmac]

I dunno about being wrong, it's just how society is. In another 30 years we'll probably have another thing to be sceptical about or worried about. Technology grows, but I think people tend to stay one step behind which is what creates this opinions about new technological developments.

[aatayblr-blog]

Has Facebook over complicated one of it’s most simple features? Just a week ago, a simple like communicated anything from finding a post funny, to supporting someone going through a hard time. Now we run the risk of looking insensitive if we ‘like’ a post about illness rather than putting the sad reaction face. I can’t keep up with how I’m supposed to react, and I don’t think I want to. I normally try to embrace Facebook updates because it’s not like they’ll change back, but I think this is one that I’ll just be ignoring. 

[samgenoveseblog]

i haven’t even used one of these new features yet, have you? 

[jess-a-barnes]

This is a good point actually, I t really does run the risk of people feeling a lot more under pressure about what button to press to communicate what they’re feeling; with one button you know where you’re at.  But I do also think it has its affordances.  Like I do actually kind of like the sad face button- I mean I’ve not used it, but that’s just because there hasn’t been an appropriate status for me to use it on.  But whenever friends used to put up sad statuses or something, I often felt that by “liking" it was as though I was enjoying their sadness?  At least now you can show that you aren’t without having to write it down.   Although I’m not 100% certain I would actually use it; but I quite like having the option!

[eemmac]

Yeah I think they've over complicated a simple function on Facebook, I don't really feel the need to put anything beyond a like.

[eemmac]

This article argues that emojis could represent individual words. So I thought I'd put you guys to the test, this is my representation of a sentence using emojis, can anyone guess what I'm trying to say? 🙋❌⏰🎊🙋🚗➡️📖📚🔜😩 So do emojis really represent individual words, or are emojis contextually constrained, and dependent on the individuals perception?

[samgenoveseblog]

Roll back the years. Hands up who did it

[eemmac]

🙋🙋🙋 guilty. 'Sorry that was my friend' what a classic line, reminds me of being in year 9 haha

[eemmac]

An example of click bait, a statement ‘dear Caitlin’ and a unsolved ambiguous statement ‘im reluctant to further any…’ which entices you to click on it. I think also click bait is effective because it uses someone who is prominent in the media, or some strange fact at the centre of its story to make you want to click on it even more.

Could you identify what is click-bait, and what would entice you enough to click on it?

[lauren-gordon-blog]

I am a sucker for click-bait. 

Even so, I do think it is wrong and unethical. It can distort stories and usually when you follow through and click on the article it is nothing like you were expecting it to be. For those who don’t fall for it but read the heading alone may come to wrong conclusions which creates lies. Click bait is extremely controversial. 

[eemmac]

Yeah I agree! It's like its still hazardous to our perceptions on certain things, even if we don't click on it!

[jackynewmedia-blog]

Love this video! So funny because it’s true that so much thought does go into a profile picture. I think it’s sad though how people feel they need to get across all of their good personality traits and qualities in photos, rather than people getting to know them, especially on dating apps!

[eemmac]

This is so true! People can read so much into a photo, so the way we present it is so carefully constructed. I mean now a days even potential employers can judge you based on your Facebook profile picture, so choosing one really is an important process for our online lives.

[hollymedia2-blog]

I can’t believe they are making horror films based on Facebook friend requests, this is even worse than that Skype horror movie that came out a few years ago. This just demonstrates the power of social networking in our lives, that not only do millions of people use it, but producers can see opportunities to make films that will make you question how scary the Internet can be. Would you go and watch a film like this? Would it make you think twice about who you are friends with on Facebook?

[eemmac]

There is no way I could watch something like this, I think it would make me sooo paranoid about using Facebook. It's funny how the concept of what is considered scary now (social media) is actually a big part of our lives, and things that could happen in real life. I do think this sort of movies would definitely make me think twice about how I use social media, and how much I associate it with my real life offline.

[eemmac]

An example of click bait, a statement 'dear Caitlin' and a unsolved ambiguous statement 'im reluctant to further any...' which entices you to click on it. I think also click bait is effective because it uses someone who is prominent in the media, or some strange fact at the centre of its story to make you want to click on it even more. Could you identify what is click-bait, and what would entice you enough to click on it?

[eemmac]

I think the development of the app Yik Yak shows how social media has been ‘gamified’. When you think about it, getting up votes on what you yak depends on the technique of the way you write it, if it’s good the more up-votes you get and the more yakarma points you get, exactly like how if you’re winning at a particular game the more points you achieve.

But why does gamifying social media make it more popular to use?

[connectchloe-blog]

I think gamifying social media pleases our brains! Psychologically humans crave social contact and status which is something YikYakk is great at providing. We also crave acceptance so getting lots of up votes on your Yak would be pleasing because it shows people are in agreement with you. 

[lauren-gordon-blog]

I agree! Also I think it is such a wise decision from the app creators as the competitiveness of getting them votes and points gets people using the app more.

[eemmac]

Yeah although it's so strange how something that is anonymous is valued so much by individuals? Your not even able to share that you are getting lots of up votes unless you physically show someone from your phone! But I guess it benefits our own desire to be appreciated for what we say/post.

[eemmac]

I think the development of the app Yik Yak shows how social media has been 'gamified'. Getting up votes on what you yak depends on the technique of the way you write it, as well as the content you include. If it's good the more up-votes you get and the more yakarma points you get, just like getting points in a normal game.

Does the YikYak app suggest we are getting bored of the more basic social media sites like Twitter and Facebook? Now we can post anonymously, and receive something more highly valued than a simple 'like', we can actually 'win' with our posts reaching the top of the hot page, and achieving more Yakama points - so could you argue that in-fact social media is moving away from the social aspect, and more about the competition?

What do you guys think, does gamifying social media make it more popular to use?