Hi :)

Just a Mexican Mom, Jesus Lover, living in VA

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Personal view on Social Media

Social Media and Business

Get out of the way everyone, social media is taking over! While social media was designed for personal communication between users, it has evolved into a platform where different users are taking advantage of social media. These different users are organizations of all sorts; retail stores, dentists’ offices, churches, doctors’ offices, pet stores, etc. So many different entities are using social media as a platform to advertise what they do, and it is amazing! However, there is a different manner at which these users should approach social media, professionalism is key.  Holden (2016) tells us that even when it is acceptable for businesses to have a social media page, they should proceed under a framework of professional, legal, and ethical guidelines. This behavior is known as e-professionalism. Holden (2016) also tells us defines e‐professionalism to be “the attitudes and behaviors that reflect traditional professionalism paradigms but are manifested through digital media” (p. 1). In my personal experience, using social media to get a message out to the public works well. I am on my church’s social media team and spreading church messages, biblical passages, and even sermon recaps have helped our church reach people that we could not reach before.

Social Media and Personal Use

On a personal note, social media has both its positive and negative aspects. People share as they will and sometimes, they share their negative energy. On the positive side, social media helps you form connections. I was able to connect with family in Mexico, that I never really met in person. I was able to share family stories with them and they shared things with me that I never knew about our family, honestly this would never had happened if it was not for social media. Whiting and Williams (2013) tell us that the ten major reason why people use social media are “social interaction, information seeking, pass time, entertainment, relaxation, communicatory utility, convenience utility, expression of opinion, information sharing, and surveillance/knowledge about others” (p. 3). When used personally, social media turns into a sharing frenzy.

Society and Social Media

Social media is used for both personal and professional purposes and sometimes both at the same time, but it is important to separate these forms of communication. If you own a business, you should separate your personal and professional page. Advice Media (n.d) tells us that a business page is used to showcase the service it provides while a personal page represents the views of a single viewer. Advice Media (n.d) also tells us that a “it is against Facebook’s policy to use a Personal page for business” (p. 2). While it is okay for a business owner to have a personal page, they can not interlap.

Now, lets take the information mentioned above and analyze how it has affected society. Society now turns to social media for their information. Potential employers are looking at personal pages to decide whether they should hire someone, and users are checking business pages for reviews before deciding if they will utilize their services. Others check their spouse’s social media pages to make sure they are being faithful. Social media is one of the first places people go to for opinions, news, and entertainment, and for some, the only place they go to.

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Computer-Mediated Collective Action and the Mass Media

The Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, and out of nowhere people were forced to stay home. Being home allowed more people to spend more time online, at the same time there were many injustices being brought to light such as the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. A mix of both things strengthened online activism. Some may think that because this kind of activism starts in an online format, that it may stay in an online format. Milošević-Đorđević and Žeželj (2017) tell us that “some claim that “clictivism” creates the false sense of making a difference, and undermines real life activities, others say it actually fosters it.” The fact is that mass media and computer-mediated communication do have an impact on collective action. Greijdanus, de Matos Fernandes, Turner-Zwinkels, Honari, Roos, Rosenbusch & Postmes (2020) tell us that we might be on the verge of a new concept called connective action, where the call to action begins online through mass media outlets such as social media, news broadcasts, and radio stations. The call-to-action cascades down from these platforms and into interconnected personal networks. Mass media has created a path for online activism to merge into real life activism.

Black Lives Matter Movement

Let us take for example the BLM (black lives matter) movement. With the shut down order, more of the protest planning was done through computer-mediated communication avenues. People shared the time and date of such protest with friends through messengers, text messages and group chats. Thousands of people were then inspired to march all throughout the country for a cause they believed in. Online activism turned into real life activism. Mobile tools were necessary for both the communicating and planning aspect of the protests. People from state to state were able to communicate and coordinate efforts. The Black Lives Matter initiative became a worldwide cause. Without Media sources propagating both the injustices within the Black community and what the Black community was doing about it, the collective action would not have been as large, it would not have reached global status.

BLM and Mass Media

The BLM movement was reported on television, through the radio, and on social media. Television was the main platform where people received the opinion of others on the movement, videos were shown of the protests, and people were interviewed due to their connection with the movement. Television networks and shows aim at captivating the attention of viewers. On the other hand, radio stations entertain and grab the attention of their listeners through words alone, so the amount of information presented needs to appeal to the ears, and emotions of people. Through social media, people can be more interactive and voice their opinions. Social media posts allow people to dissect the information presented, and really think about its content.

My News

I rarely watch the news anymore, watching the news requires me to sit down and pay attention while my lifestyle as a mother of three is to constantly be on the move. I learn about news events through social media. Having news in print allows me to go back and further analyze what is happening, but to be honest I rarely have the time nor the desire to dig in deeper.

Computer-mediated communication has affected the way information is exchanged in many ways beginning with reliability. Newspapers used to look for accurate information and would retract themselves if erroneous information were given. However, with modern forms of communication anyone can post anything online and pass off as credible. My news consumption has granted me the ability to treat the news as another passing article, not really affecting my life. Not being able to get away from mobile news has made me immune to certain stories. The amount of news I have available has become vast, hundreds of articles or videos are available anytime I want. There is so much overload that it all blends together. One shooting seems to be the same as another, or one robbery seems the same as the next.

 All in all, mass media has taken over the way we receive our news with computer-mediated communication. People receive, share, and react to news in a more instant way. News is no longer just discussed at the end of the day over a meal, the news is always available, and change is always an option.

References 

Greijdanus, H., de Matos Fernandes, C. A., Turner-Zwinkels, F., Honari, A., Roos, C. A., Rosenbusch, H., & Postmes, T. (2020). The psychology of online activism and social movements: relations between online and offline collective action. Current Opinion in Psychology, 35, 49–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.03.003

Milošević-Đorđević, J. S., & Žeželj, I. L. (2017). Civic activism online: Making young people dormant or more active in real life? Computers in Human Behavior, 70, 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.070

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Computer-mediated Communication

You and I... well we might not be the same. We might dress differently, we might speak differently, we might have been born and live in completely different places. With all these differences, how do we even communicate? Where do we even start? Can I suggest computer-mediated communication! Good or bad, computer-mediated communication works. I can talk to you, I can talk to my family in Mexico, and even meet someone who lives across the world in Japan, all from the comfort of my screen. 

WHAT IS COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION?

Let us investigate the first question, what is computer-mediated communication? Computer-mediated communication is any type of communication facilitated through a computer (remember our phones are made up of tiny computers so they count as well). Just today, I have used my phone text messages to message my church group, Facebook messenger on my tablet to message my friends, and my laptop to access an online school portal to communicate with my classmates.

COMMUNICATION ON THE DAILY

Different media tools are solely used to communicate. I used these tools to send a message, they received the message and even replied, but did it enhance my relationships? During these isolated pandemic times using computer-mediated communication has been a lifesaver. It has been the only tool that I could use to feel like part of a group, part of the community. The woman in my church group shares their lives, their troubles, their encouragement, and their love for me. It may not be in person, but I feel like I am a part of something greater, and it can be transferred to face-to-face when the time is right. Facebook messenger allows me to stay in touch with people far away. My family in Mexico is getting to know me, and I can continue my friendships. These conversations are a bit different; they feel superficial. The connection is not there, and the conversations do not go beyond “hi how are you.” There are always two sides to a coin. One side is engaging communication while the other is superficial communication. 

PRIVACY

Privacy, in a world where everyone posts everything online can be hard to come by. Auxier, Rainie, Anderson, Perrin, Kumar, and Turner (2019) tell us that “72% of Americans report feeling that all, almost all or most of what they do online or while using their cellphone is being tracked by advertisers, technology firms or other companies”. Companies use our communication data because we allowed it to happen. When we select ACCEPT on our usage terms of the agreement, we give companies the right to use our data. 

POSITIVE ASPECTS

Do not despair, computer-mediated communication is not all bad. There are many positive aspects of computer-mediated communication such as support communities. No matter what your ailment, your interests, your age, or your needs there is a support group online that you can keep in constant touch with! Some of the more socially awkward kids have meaningful connections and feel belonging in ways that they often struggle with in-person (Smart Social, 2020). Online groups can communicate in a lot of ways. Groups can meet on video, audio-only, or asynchronously (White, 2020). 

MY TAKE ON COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION

Some say that computer-mediated communication is destroying the way we communicate, others are saying that it gives us opportunities to communicate in a way we could not before. Here is what I think about it. Life is about moderation. Anything taken in excess will have negative effects. The same concept applies to computer-mediated communication, if it is the only way you communicate it will have negative effects. On the other hand, if you use it in combination with other forms of communication it could have great positive effects. Nothing in excess is good! 

References

Auxier, B., Rainie, L., Anderson, M., Perrin, A., Kumar, M., Turner, E. (2020).        Americans and Privacy: Concerned, Confused and Feeling Lack of Control Over Their Personal Information. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/11/15/americans-and-privacy-concerned-confused-and-feeling-lack-of-control-over-their-personal-information/

[Image of woman and man communicating, online image]. It’s Owl Words. https://itsowlwords.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/our-group-experience-engage-in-cmc/

Smart Social. (2020). 22 Examples of the Positive Impact of Social Media. Retrieved from https://smartsocial.com/positive-impact-of-social-media/

White, A. (2020). What type of online group is right for you. Retrieved from https://allenwhite.org/2020/07/21/what-type-of-online-group-is-right-for-you/