New Media Blog

[dennis-perry88-blog]

The wonderful versatility of smart phones.

It was not so long ago that we were all using fax machines. Sending messages by post and relying almost entirely on face to face conversation for social interaction. A memory of the distant past, things have changed. The modern world now revolves around one tiny 15 inch screen that is essential to all of our lives; the smartphone.

Sat on my train to London this evening I am surrounded by a number of weary travellers, all glued to their phones. They’re not just texting either, they are using a wonderful array of applications that previous generations would be entirely unable to comprehend.

The man to my left is watching a film, the man in front of me is chuckling as he discusses his day with someone through radio waves and I am not one hundred percent, but I’m pretty sure the lady next to me is enjoying a pretty intense game of candy crush.

For playing such a pivotal role in my life, for waking me up for my 9ams for allowing me to speak to my mum while I am away at uni I say thank you smartphone. We salute you.

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

It’s true that smartphones have a wide range of uses that help in many aspects of our lives, but can it be said that we’ve become too reliant on this technology? There was a time before smartphones and everyone managed to entertain themselves just fine. But now, if someone’s phone dies it’s cause for panic! In all the same ways they help us, these devices leave us lost (literally sometimes). If I’m travelling a long way and my phone using its GPS dies, I’m lost- I’m not used to having to use road signs! If the phone of that lady next to you playing candy crush dies, she’ll be bored and won’t know what to do with herself.  As much as our smartphones have done for us, we’re frankly lost without them.

[fran-hutchins]

I recently discovered this quote, and couldn’t believe quite how true it was. I’m a sucker for posting something on Instagram and refreshing it every five minutes to see how many likes it’s reached. But why do I care so much? The same applies to Facebook and Twitter. If my post doesn’t get a certain number of / any likes I almost feel as though I have failed. Am I not funny enough or inspirational enough or pretty enough to get people to like my posts? A post with no likes is like getting a big fat 0% on a piece of work. But when and why did this social law of ‘likes’ come about? We rely on them to feel accepted and in my opinion, that’s a real shame.

The question I guess I’m asking here, is what do ‘likes’ even mean? I guess in some ways, linking back to what I said earlier, likes are seen to be a form of social acceptance in today’s society. But why are likes so artificial? Courtney from work has got 350 likes on her photo of her night out, but Jack from school has only got 5 likes on his photo of graduation? BUT WHAT DOES IT REALLY MATTER? Why is one more photo more or less justifiable to ‘like’ than another? Which kind of photos are actually worthy of likes?

This brings me on to the question of, do likes actually mean anything real? I’m playing devil’s advocate as I say this, as I’m just obsessed with getting likes as anyone else. But why do I care so much? I mean, I can understand from the perspective of large companies and advertising. Putting an advert up for something new on Facebook and it getting loads of likes is obviously beneficial from a business point of view. Companies use this in order to share their ideas and show popularity, encouraging people to buy their products. HOWEVER, when someone like me posts an image or a status, I’m not selling anything or trying to achieve anything, so why do I let something trivial such as likes affect me and the way I present myself online?

Something that is particularly common in the younger generation, is this idea of ‘like 4 like’. A common hashtag, implying that if someone likes your photo, you are then obliged to like theirs in return. But why? Surely if you know someone is only liking your post because you asked them to, then there is no fulfillment from it? Your likes and theirs are insignificant. Your like, your name, your attention, is merely another number on a list. It’s meaningless.

Likes are often seen as a competition. Those with lots of followers and likes are often regarded as Facebook and Instagram ‘famous’. But is there even such a thing as Instagram fame? As the quote at the start of my post says; ‘being famous on Instagram is like being rich on Monopoly’. In our current day and age, we are constantly being asked to comment on, share and like other people’s posts. Imagine if we took the time out of our day to actually compliment something, rather than give them a worthless like on post on Facebook or Instagram. Perhaps then we would feel confident in ourselves, rather than confident in a virtual world where it often goes unnoticed. I guess my message from this post is; compliment someone on what they really are, TELL THEM that you ‘like’ what they’re wearing or show an interest in what they’re doing. When will we learn not to be satisfied with liking something presented to us from behind a screen? Make it genuine. Make it actually mean something.

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

I very much agree that the obsession the online world has with ‘likes’ is out of hand. What does a ‘like’ even mean, because it doesn’t always mean the person ‘likes’ what is being said. For example, if you like a Facebook status someone has put up about losing their job or about the illness of a family member, you’re not supporting this news, you’re supporting the person behind it.  Likes are treated like a currency, but its a currency you never get to cash in; a currency that many people see as value for their self-worth. That’s why I support your call to action- give people real compliments and focus on real life, not validation from people on Facebook giving you ‘Monopoly money’.

[ben-smith]

Social networking in the 21st century.

The obvious advance in technology in today’s society has led to many changes. In this post, I will be focusing on how it has changed the way professionals network.

The idea of strong and weak ties is considered very important in life, and more specifically, in business. Strong and weak ties are quite different with regards to a certain relationship, but both have the similarity that they can extend your network, much further than your usual reach.

 An interesting question to ask yourselves is this: Do you feel you fit in with ‘Dunbar’s number?’ He argued that a single person can only maintain a functioning relationship with a maximum of 150 people. There is evidence to suggest that this number still has relevance in today’s era of social media. 

(https://eileenbrown.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/why-dunbars-number-still-matters-in-this-facebook-obsessed-age/)

Weak ties have arguably become even more influential because of social media sites, such as Facebook, and LinkedIn. Weak ties are crucial in order to bond groups of strong ties together. As a result of peoples weak ties, social networks and ‘circles’ are put into contact with each other, and may share mutually beneficial information with one another. To give an example, imagine I was part of a group that loved to play/watch sports. I could miss a new song that had been released, that could help me/my friends work out and train harder. Having a weak tie who likes music could potentially share with me this information, that I otherwise might have missed.

The main message in this post is that, the rise in social media has made it much easier for weak ties, to stay as weak ties for a long time. It is very easy to keep in contact with old acquaintances when all you need to do is log into Facebook, instead of having to track down where they live, and send a letter via the post, or call them on the phone.

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

It is obviously good that we have such ease when it comes to keeping in contact with friends and acquaintances. BUT, the issue with social media favouring greater ‘weak ties’ over fewer ‘strong ties’ is it begs the question, how many friends do we really have. How many of the people we have as ‘friends’ on Facebook would we actually call our friends in real life; how many of them would you ask for a favour or have a chat with? Facebook has created a world of fake friends; I mean you can have 1000 friends on Facebook, but it’s impossible to have this many friends in real life.

[dennis-perry88-blog]

My Soulmate Google

Google has become one of the most powerful computer sites in the world. The question is asked by many of us: ‘How do search engines even make any money?’ They’re just really handy right? They don’t sell anything so how in the world can they make anything? The truth is shocking and it is the last thing that some people might expect, but their product is in fact; YOU. Google is a metaphorical soulmate to all of us. Every question we ask, it listens. Every question we have, it is always there with the answers. Recording every detail of our being, Google knows all of our habits.  Blissfully unaware we go about our day to day internet surfing, unaware of the fact that major internet webpages are looking over our shoulder, trading and swapping our interests like stockbrokers on wall street. These profiles provide advertising companies with the opportunity to wave whatever we like in our faces, encouraging us to spend spend spend. We take it for granted that everything is fine, it is safe. I mean, its Google right? Everyone uses it! Just stop. Stop for one second, open your mind and let me ask you a question. Are you really ok with that? Do you have any problem with the fact that google knows your likes and your dislikes? Everything in fact, stretching from your allergies to your favourite shopping site. If one random person in the world knew everything about you and you didn’t know them then would you be reacting so passively? My conclusive question is very simple. Are we allowing one major multinational company to know way too much information about everything that we think?

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

I agree that Google knows too much about us and shouldn’t have the right to sell our information to the highest bidder, but it can be argued that it’s necessary.  If Google didn’t make its money this way then how would it? You have to ask yourself whether you’re willing to give up information such as your shopping history on Amazon in exchange for the amazing free service that Google provides. Saying this, it is worrying how a company, only interested in profit, has effectively unlimited access to our online lives- something needs to be done.

[ben-smith]

The slippery slope of digital technology

In today’s world, it seems we are walking hand in hand with digital technology down a dangerous path. For the youth of this generation, we are desensitised to the idea of an ever watching eye. It is what we have grown up with, and i’m sure it is what we will carry on living with for many years to come. However, is this really always a bad thing?

Well obviously, there are a lot of basic principles of privacy being betrayed. Google is not designed to give us information, google is designed primarily to take information away from us, to see what we are thinking, what we are buying, and what we are interested in. WE are the product. 

However, that being said, is it such a sacrifice to make?

The customisation of our search engines, or our Facebook news feeds gives us a better experience. Google ads can be very annoying yes, BUT, i can honestly say I’ve made purchases through these advertisements.

A lack of privacy is often a virtue. For example, there is a setting on kindles, whereby you can see what someone has written, and make comments on certain chapters. These comments can be seen by others, and can be used to improve/learn/debate. In a sense, Readers can be writers, and writers can be readers.

To leave you with a final thought - Would you sacrifice parts of your privacy, in return for instantaneous and endless knowledge at the touch of a button?

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

I agree that this seems like a small price to pay for something so important, but is this a sacrifice we even need to make?  Do we need to give up our rights to privacy in exchange for the service the internet provides- why can’t we have both? We need to stand up to Google and Facebook NOW, before we get to the point of no return in which we have no privacy whatsoever.

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

Facebook- friend or bully?

If there’s one thing you can rely on Facebook for, it’s to dig up the past like it’s its job- well I guess it kind of is its job isn’t it?  Facebook has many functions; one of these is to act like a database of embarrassment. A bully at school might forget about a stupid thing you said one time a year ago, but you know who won’t- Facebook. In fact it’ll be keen to remind you of your embarrassing haircut when you were 14 or of some stupid status you put up about how you don’t want to go to school tomorrow.

Facebook has built in mechanisms to remind of things you previously posted. Any user of Facebook will be more than familiar with the message ‘a year ago today’; a part of the ‘memories’ feature Facebook added. Obviously they thought it’d be a nice idea to add a feature that acts like a 13 year-old kid in the playground that won’t give you your football back. Online nothing’s really ever deleted- once up anyone can see and save it themselves; so once you put something out there to the online world, be ready for it to be thrown back in your face at some point down the road.

But maybe I’m not giving Facebook enough credit. Often people put things on Facebook they want to remember; while they may come to regret it later, at the time people put things they’re not embarrassed about on their page. Photos with friends, reminders of parties attended and old statuses about what was relevant 5 years ago all bring a smile to most of us, so Facebook reminding us of this doesn’t have to be a bad experience.  Just because we now live in an age where nothing is forgotten doesn’t mean Facebook and other social media has to be our enemy- it can be our friend too.

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

Stalking- creepy crime or common practice?

If someone told you they were being stalked, you’d tell them to call the police. But if someone said they were stalking an old friend on Facebook you’d probably pull up a chair and join in.  

Technology has added a whole new social dynamic to our lives.  We act differently online to how we act in real life and that’s a fact. The social norms and rules online are frankly just different to the real life ones we’re used to. Normally prying into someone’s private life and finding out all kinds of information about them (who they’re with, where they are, what they’re doing) is seen as socially unacceptable behaviour. On Facebook or Instagram this doesn’t stand true.

There’s one big reason for this. Everything that can be found online about someone is voluntarily shared (normally by them). This means you’re not technically invading someone’s privacy as you can only see what they’ve made public to the world. But the problem is some people don’t think they are showing ‘the world’; when people put something online they often forget pretty much any of the 3.5 billion people in the world with internet access can see it.

This creates a big problem; people don’t realise how much others can find out about them. The default privacy settings on Facebook have gotten more and more lax over time. By default now anyone with internet can access anything on your Facebook profile.  Now, you might say, ‘just change your settings if you care so much!’ but do you really think many of the almost 2 billion users (many being middle aged or older) are going to bother, or even know how to?

When I say anyone can see what is put online, I mean ANYONE. Your first thought might be a random person in a distant country, but think closer to home. Your family, potential employers, exes, acquaintances; these are just a few examples of what I mean when I say anyone can see the permanent online footprint you leave.

There’s an easy solution to this- don’t share what you don’t want everyone to see.  But let’s just say that’s easier said than done. Even in a sober frame of mind who among us thinks about every single demographic that could see your next Facebook status or Instagram caption?

The truth is we don’t, and if we did it would ruin the fun of social media. I’m not sure I can live in a world where I can’t tag my friend in something inappropriate on Facebook or put up embarrassing photos of them for their birthday.  The point is, while you should be aware of who can see what you put up online- don’t let it completely control you.  No matter what you put up, or who you are, you’re going to get stalked once or twice- but that shouldn’t be cause for alarm; it’s just an inevitable part of the technological age we live in. Instead of living in fear of being stalked, I implore you to get online and join in!

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

Does technology mean we’re never alone or always alone?

We live in a world run by technology.  Everyone is connected. No one is alone.  No matter how far you are from someone you’re only seconds away from contact.  All it takes is to get out your smartphone and use one of the countless messaging apps available.  

Never being alone.  It’s a nice thought that all of your closest friends and family are only seconds away from you, but unsurprisingly this doesn’t come without consequences.  It’s a lot harder to avoid people you may not want to speak to; anyone that wants to has many different ways of contacting you and people close to you.  This can be a worrying thought.  What is even more worrying is the road we’re headed down if this trend of technology creeping into all aspects of our lives continues.  Is a WALL-E-esque future of flying fat people inevitable?

Hopefully not.  Is this idea of a ‘connected’ world in which we’re never alone even a reality?  While looking from the outside it can seem we’re never alone, it’s doubtful everyone actually feels like this. I know I don’t. In fact, technology can have the opposite effect.  When you’re physically with someone it’s all too common for them to be texting away, checking Facebook or Snapchatting someone.  This can create the feeling that rather than being never alone, as a result of technology, we’re really always alone.

It’s a sad thought that all of this technology designed to connect us and bring us closer has had the opposite effect and is really pushing us further away from each other.

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

Does your echo drown out all the other voices on Facebook?

Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2003 for one sole purpose- to connect people.  While at Facebook’s creation this was meant on a lot smaller a scale, now Facebook boasts how its 1.8 billion users have the ability to communicate with people all around the world, sharing different cultures, opinions and beliefs.  

But is this idea of Facebook being an endless source of ideas that challenges our beliefs, a lie?  Facebook (and most other social media platforms) uses a personalization algorithm which works by changing your feed to prioritize showing you posts that you already agree with. Instead of challenging your beliefs by giving you a range of opinions, it does the opposite.  It creates an echo chamber. An echo chamber of your own opinions; Facebook purposely reinforces our pre-existing perceptions of the world.  

While it might seem nice and easy to have it appear everyone agrees with you, it can be dangerous.  Creating a filter bubble in the way Facebook does discourages open-mindedness and creates ignorant people who think that what they think is right because they see nothing to the contrary!

Facebook should do more to protect the foundations of social media and the internet as a concept and help create an environment of unbiased, balanced opinions and information.  The fact that many people use Facebook as a primary source of news makes this more worrying and means Facebook needs to stop underestimating its influence and change....now.

[jacobnewmediablog-blog]

‘I think therefore I am’. When Descartes first wrote this in the 17th century he must’ve had no idea that people would still be talking about it 400 years later. But just how true is this statement today?

When the French philosopher made this relatively simple remark he was using it to prove we existed- if we can think, we must exist. In a simpler time when the piano hadn’t even been invented the concept of computers with a virtually infinite capacity of memory was far out of reach. Nowadays, we rely heavily on computers in our daily lives. Computers remember the past for us through photos, and sites like Google mean we don’t have to use our brains to filter information anymore- so just how much are we thinking?

These technological filters are a useful tool at our disposal; without them finding what we want from the endless banks of data on the internet would be a near impossible task.  But they don’t come without a cost.  Relying too heavily on technology in this way can be a slippery slope that we may not be able to climb out of.  By not using our brains to filter information, we may slowly lose the ability to filter information as well.  

This may not seem like the end of the world, but losing a basic skill is definitely not something on the top of my list!