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Online Gaming

These days most of our entertainment and leisure comes from online, after all we live in a world where puzzles, board games and other traditional forms of playing are now done through the use of computers and smart phones (Lee 2015).

Online Gaming Etiquette

Even with online gaming there is a general expectation from gamers in regards to etiquette. But unfortunately, there are ethical measures that are broken by online gamers, and the most serious issue tends to be the lack of security and privacy in the online world, that then leaves the door wide open for cheating (Lee 2015). Cheating is actually a preexisting issue that appears in any form of competitive formats. In online gaming the absence of face-to-face interaction allows gamers to secretly use search engines to download cheat codes in order to gain an unfair advantage when gaming online against other people (Lee 2015). While this may not directly be hurting people, it does take away the fun from online gaming, and is unfortunately tarnishing its name.

Addiction to Online Gaming

Online gaming addiction has recently become a very real problem for many people, especially teenagers. Online games tend to be addictive because they have no ending, and therefore gamers can enjoy creating and becoming an online character that lives in a world where they can escape their fears, and leave their regular life and their problems behind for a period of time (Psych Guides 2014).

There are emotional and physical symptoms of online gaming addiction according to Psych Guides (2014), some signs are:

Emotional:

Feelings of restlessness and becoming irritable when unable to play

Preoccupation with thoughts of wanting to play the game

Isolation fro others due to the amount of time spent playing the game.

Physical:

Fatigue

Headaches or migraines due to eyestrain

Poor personal hygiene due to lack of time.

Help for Online Gaming Addiction

There is treatment available for online gaming addiction, including different types of therapy. Some treatment options include:

Medications (although this opens a whole new can of worms with concerns of substance abuse and overdose, or the addict not taking the medication or forgetting it)

Counseling

Psychological help

Unfortunately there are always going to be issues associated with online gaming, as there are always people who need to break the rules and regulations.

References

Lee (2015). Online Gaming [online] Available at https://sites.utexas.edu/emilyleeincyberspace/2015/12/01/online-health-information/

Psych Guides (2014) Video Game Addiction Symptoms, Causes and Effects [online] Available at http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-symptoms-causes-and-effects/

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But First, Let Me Take A Selfie!

We now live in an era where everything ends up on social media. Remember that night you partied a bit too hard? Well, you probably don’t, but guess what? Facebook is about to remind you! And that photo of you and your friends where you look like you have 3 chins, well that’s just been posted on Instagram! Nothing stays private anymore, with more and more information filling up our news feeds, available for visible publics to consume and make use of.

Selfies are extremely popular within our society today, but sadly what seems like a bit of fun, actually creates narcissists to become involved. Studies have been conducted to show that there is a correlation between narcissism and selfie-posting among men (Seidman 2015). The study measured narcissism and selfie-posting behavior in two groups (one group had 748 adults, and the other had 548 adults) (Seidman 2015). The results showed women post more selfies than men (no surprise there!). In terms of narcissistic behavior, different facets of narcissism were examined:

Self-sufficiency

Vanity

Leadership

Admiration Demand

The study concluded that in general people are good at detecting narcissists from their profiles, mainly in selfies that actually indicate narcissism, but there was a small yet consistent correlation between narcissism and selfie-posting (Seidman 2015).

Social Imaging

We all have connections with other human beings, and these patterns of connections are always changing, and part of that change is due to the role of technology. This is a great video that explains why looking at online social data is only a small part of the picture.

https://vimeo.com/70534716

Social imaging is basically a technology that is used to represent and identify social behaviors (social imaging 2014). These are technologies that are able to visualize the biological functions and behaviors that can not be seen from the outside, also known as imaging (social imaging 2014).

Privacy, a thing of the past?

With people constantly uploading to social media, and being able to ‘check in’, there are concerns for the continuing lack of privacy on people’s lives. While this mostly comes as choice for people, the Australian Government has issued a page to help people use social media safely. The Australian Government (2015) recommends the following to stay safe when using social media:

Read and understand social networking privacy settings, be aware of what you share and who you are sharing it with.

Ensure you read and understand any terms and conditions before accepting and agreeing to them.

Protect your accounts with strong passwords.

Think before you post—people other than your friends and family may see what you post online.

Think before you click—remember that it can be difficult or impossible to remove posted photos or information after the event.

Be careful posting information that could compromise your or others the security, such as:

date of birth

address

 information about your daily routine

holiday plans

 your children's schools.

Consider turning off geolocation features in social networking apps.

Don't post inappropriate photos of you or your family and friends, and always seek permission before posting a picture of someone else.

Never click on suspicious links, even if they are from your friends, as their social media account may have been hacked.

Be wary of strangers as people are not always who they say they are.

Never access social networking by clicking a link in an email or other website.

Don't use social networking sites that do not offer any privacy settings or that enable users to contact each other anonymously.

References

Seidman (2015) What is the Real Link Between Selfies and Narcissism? [online] Available at https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/close-encounters/201508/what-is-the-real-link-between-selfies-and-narcissism

Social Imaging (2014) Welcome to Social Imaging [online] Available at http://socialimaging.blogspot.com.au/

Social Imaging (2014) What is Social Imaging? [online] Available at http://social-imaging.org/crest/english/social-imaging/

Australian Government (2015). Socializing [online] Available at https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/internet/stay-smart-online/socialising

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Natural disaster warnings now issued via social media?!

A natural disaster has occurred and you want to keep up to date with breaking news, so you turn on the telly, right? Sure! If you want to be housebound! But if you still want to know all the news while continuing your daily tasks, then switch over to social media!

Advances in technology in recent years has proved tremendous for social media, as it has advanced in a way that no one thought possible. It consumes our lives in a way no one can describe. And yet we continue to indulge in it.

In America, September is National Preparedness Month. This is a month where the American Red Cross and other emergency agencies join together to educate people on how to prepared for a natural disaster, and it also teaches people how to use social media to their advantage if a natural disaster occurs (Facebook 2011). A brief outline of this plan (according to Facebook 2011) looks like this:

Make a plan - use Facebook to start a group and share your plan around so others are aware.

Stay up to date by following the American Red Cross on Facebook.

Have social media accessible on your phone.

Update your status during a natural disaster to let friends and family know you are OK, they can then send help if needed.

Use social media to help rebuild after a natural disaster, by organizing clothing and food donations (for your family or community affected by the natural disaster).

A wonderful example of how social media has helped during a natural disaster is during the recent earthquakes in Nepal. On April 25, 2015, an earthquake struck Nepal and killed over 8000 people, while also leaving over 250,000 people homeless (Priess 2015). Immediately after the earthquake, social media was filled with safety reports and concerns, but it took 2 days for the messages to be received. Suddenly, Twitter and Facebook exploded with requests for help (Priess 2015). Only 40% of the population of Nepal is online, so people in rural areas that required assistance had to message other people in the cities, and then the messages were put on social media (Priess 2015).

Help, supplies and aid were then sent to Nepal, and locations of injured people were found because of their posts and tweets. It was amazing to see social media helping people during this time.

References:

Facebook (2011). Using Social Media Before, During, and After a Natural Disaster [online] Available at https://www.facebook.com/notes/disaster-response-on-facebook/using-social-media-before-during-and-after-a-natural-disaster/10150290416059936/

Preiss, D. 2015. How social media is helping Nepal rebuild after two big earthquakes [online] Available at http://qz.com/406562/how-social-media-is-helping-nepal-rebuild-after-two-big-earthquakes-2/

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The sad truth about the misuse of social media.

Social media has created a world in which there are no excuses for not catching up with people. Sure, we can all say we are too busy, but the reality is that lots of us are using social media everyday, and it really only takes 30 seconds to send a message ‘how are you?’. Sadly we also come across people who misuse social media for their own benefit and gain (usually to try and be popular, or to hide their insecurities and make themselves feel better), and these people are usually given the term of a ‘bully’.

Cyber-bullying sadly affects 1 in 5 children in Australia aged between 8 and 15 years of age, which for me is a shocking and scary truth given that I am the mother of a 9 year old child. Bullying in school children using social media can have tragic and long term effects on children, and will cause them grief 24/7, no matter where they are or what they are doing (Mamamia 2014).

But it is not just cyber-bullying that is a misuse of social media, there are also employees who misuse social media in the workplace. The Victorian State Government (2015) classes the following as misuse of social media in the workplace:

breach of employment obligations

serious misconduct

sexual harassment

unlawful discrimination

a criminal offense

threats to security

exposure to legal liability

infringement of the privacy of staff.

Some misuse of social media can be so serious that it is classed as a criminal offense, so serious in fact, that offenders will find themselves having to attend court, and also the possibility of being handed a jail sentence along with hefty fines and community service. These offenses include child pornography, stalking, and menace, harassment or causing offense (Victorian State Government 2015).

Sadly, the misuse of social media is a regular part of our everyday lives, and for those who are unlucky enough to become the victim, I feel for them. I was bullied verbally through high school for being short, and I am now thankful that it was only verbal abuse. Had social media been around then the 3pm school bell would not have been my escape, the bullying would have followed me home to my computer and phone. But my parents may have then been able to find out and help had the bullying been on social media.

References:

Mamamia (2014) Cyber-bulling Statistics in Australia [online] Available at http://www.mamamia.com.au/cyberbullying-statistics-in-australia/

Victorian State Government (2015) Misuse and Legal Consequences [online] Available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullystoppers/Pages/socialmedialegal.aspx

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Social Media in regards to Activism and Protests.

We know that social media is a powerful and useful tool that we use to stay in touch, share pictures, and well, to really just check in on each other. But apart from this, there are other uses, and this is shown in activism and protests (as just one example).

Activism is taking action to effect social change, and includes changes through social, political, economic and environmental change (Permanent Culture Now 2015). We all remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that filled our social media news feed last year, and it left us all giggling at the strange faces that were pulled by the participants when the ice hit them. It was amusing, but for a worthy cause, and was also an extremely successful activism campaign (Moore 2015). Social media is revolutionizing the way activists organize. Check out this short YouTube video that goes more into how social media is revolutionizing:

https://youtu.be/AN-kIJI_5wg

When I think of protests, I think of people yelling their hearts and souls out trying to make a difference about something they are truly passionate about. But social media also plays a role in protests (much to my surprise!). But of course, just like any tool, there are inherent weaknesses and strengths, and the effectiveness of the tool (social media) depends on how effectively they are used (Papic and Noonan 2011). The role of social media in protests has created a considerable amount of media attention because the ease of use of social media have made the tool easier to execute messages (Papic and Noonan 2011).

A good example of the use of social media in regards to protests happened in Egypt and Tunisia in 2011, when the increased use of social media (networking on sites such as Facebook and Twitter) was used to help organize and initiate civil disobedience campaigns which also included street actions (Papic and Noonan 2011). The use of social media here allowed organizers to motivate and inspire people through their social media campaigns to leave their homes and join like minded people on the street who were also facing off against the government. This was all done with minimal costs to the organizers and so was therefore an advantage to them. This is a really interesting article, so I have added it in the link below, it will only take 3 minutes to read and is totally worth it!

https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110202-social-media-tool-protest

References:

*Permanent Culture Now (2015) Introduction to Activism [online] Available at www.permanentculturenow.com/what-is-activism/

*Moore, S. (2015). Social Media Activism: Changing the World, One Post at a Time? [online] Available at www.socialmediatoday.com

*YouTube (2010). Social Media: Online Activism [online] Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN-kIJI_5wg.

*Papic and Noonan (2011). Social Media as a Tool for Protest [online] Available at https://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20110202-social-media-tool-protest

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Social Media in Politics

I did not think that I would ever see the day when social media and politics would collide, combine and work! I have always thought of social media as a more relaxed and informal way of staying in contact, and politics has always been a serious, formal profession to me, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense, really what better way to engage young voters than through the media platform they use all the time! And while America was the first country to use social media in politics, it did not take Australia long to cotton onto this ingenious idea.

But while this is definitely a positive for candidates, there are also negatives. Social media has the power to spread messages or information quickly, and ultimately make things go viral (Worthy, B. 2015). This then introduces the term ‘accountability’, as rumors, gossip and innuendo can spread like wild fire and therefore undermine legal processes (Worthy, B. 2015). Check out this quick reading about Jose Antonio Rodriguez Salas (the mayor of a small Spanish town called Jun Granada), and how he perceives the power of social media in politics:

http://theconversation.com/social-media-can-bring-down-politicians-but-can-it-also-make-politics-better-46705

Social media is a method that is used for recruiting, motivating and empowering supporters (FILPAC 2015). Social media is easy to use, and therefore makes it an easy and effective tool to spread the word about upcoming events, schedules and talking points. But when it comes to reaching out to the individual voters, social media can not be the only source relied upon (FILPAC 2015). Candidates and politicians need to remember that views on social media does not equal nor guarantee votes. The use of social media in political campaigns all comes at a cost. During Obama’s 2008 campaign, a huge $15 million was spent on social media alone. This is because social media platforms like Facebook involve bidding on CPC (Cost Per Click), which is a method where you pay each time someone clicks on your ad (FILPAC 2015).

At the end of the day, there is lots of conflicting information as to whether the use of social media in politics is actually useful or not, but in my opinion, if it is reaching people who can relate to the use of social media, then it must have some positive use.

References:

* FILPAC, 2015. Social Media in Politics [online] Available at www.filpac.com/advice/social_media.htm

* Worthy, B. 2015. Social Media can Bring Down Politicians, But Can it Also make Politics Better? [online] Available at http://theconversation.com/social-media-can-bring-down-politicians-but-can-it-also-make-politics-better-46705

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Blogs, Blogs and more Blogs!

A blog is defined as an online personal journal that is updated frequently (BlobBasics 2014). Blogs are both kept and updated online by the original author, and other readers can leave their comments or opinions at the end of the blog. It is a way for people to express themselves and provides some enjoyment for fellow followers and readers. Check out the following link for more information about blog basics:

http://blogbasics.com/what-is-a-blog/

During week 4 we were introduced to some new terms and ideas, especially the term ‘The Public’. Warner (2002) describes a public as ‘a concrete audience, a crowd witnessing itself in visible space, as with a theatrical public’. Public’s form themselves around events and are therefore cultural formations.

Networked public’s are shaped by three central dynamics. These are invisible audiences, collapsed contexts and the blurring of public and private. The following YouTube video is  At the Hyper public Symposium, Danah Boyd of Microsoft Research discusses how young people adapt to and modify norms and techniques for privacy on social networks, it is long but has some great information that also touches back on the past four weeks we have studied.

https://youtu.be/bdLCKdjClFw

We touched on counterpublics, and the names Michael Warner and Nancy Fraser were mentioned, as these people along with others used the term counter public to describe the smaller and loosely connected groups that are working to counter social structures.

Back to blogs and blogging! I found it quite interesting that blogging is not just done with pen and paper (or keyboard if on the computer). Blogging can also be done by voice recording, and even through the use of YouTube videos, who would have thought! (or maybe I just a bit behind in the technology department). The following YouTube video is about blogging, but is written for simple minded people like myself!

https://youtu.be/NN2I1pWXjXI

Happy reading!

References

BlogBasics 2014 http://blogbasics.com/what-is-a-blog/

YouTube http://blogbasics.com/what-is-a-blog/

YouTube https://youtu.be/NN2I1pWXjXI

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Blog 1 - Social Media

Before I start, how many of the social media logos do you recognize off the top of your head:

Quite a few? You’re possibly being consumed by social media platforms, slowly but surely!

It is incredible how social media has begun to consume our lives! I was on the train a few weeks ago on my way home from a great family day out, and we were in a crowded carriage, and every single adult (at least 30 of us) including myself and my husband had our heads buried in our phones and tablets, no doubt using social media to help us cope with the relatively short journey to our station. It was quite sad to see really, and me being a part of that hit hard. It made me realize that I am overdoing it on social media, I am loosing out on the simple things like staring out the train window day dreaming. As of October 2015, there were 14,000,000 users of Facebook that visited the site in Australia, and this number does not surprise me all!

Check out where your favorite social media platform ranked below:

http://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-october-2015/

Since my train ride to realization I decided to cut back on my social media indulgence, but just like every diet I try I failed! The temptation is there, and it’s not just the connecting with friends, sharing photos, talking to mum that has me hooked, it’s the endless parameters that are being introduced to social media. I stumbled across a Facebook page that is for mums in my area to ask questions, post recipe ideas and generally just have a chat with each other (or to whine about our husbands!). This got me thinking about how much social media has and still is evolving.

It can be hard to imagine life without social media, but in our generation it was once non-existent! In 1997 the first social media site began, called Six Degrees (History Cooperative 2014). This only lasted until 2001, when the new social media websites were established and opened the world up to blogging and instant messaging (we all secretly remember the days of MSN messenger!). Once the year 2000 had arrived almost 100 million people had internet access, and therefore it became easier for people to become socially engaged online (History Cooperative 2014). MySpace was the original social media profile site that everyone used, but once Facebook was birthed it quickly left MySpace behind. Facebook is still the most popular social media platform, followed by Twitter.

References:

Crowling, D. 2015 Social Media Statistics Australia - October 2015. http://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-october-2015/

History Cooperative 2014. http://historycooperative.org/the-history-of-social-media/