Digital Nation Paper [final paper]

     Many people have heard the saying, “you learn something new every day.”  While Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites might not have been the outlets for information that people had in mind when this saying was created, social networking sites like these make it possible for people to learn many new things every day, often about things that don’t concern them.  MySpace, created in 2003, attracts 57 million users.  Facebook, created in 2004, attracts well over 500 million users.  Twitter, created in 2006, attracts around 75 million users (WebStrategy).  Many people use more than one social networking site, thereby providing more and more personal information for others to see.  Social networking is defined as, “web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system” (Boyd 1).  The concept of social networking is changing our culture right before our eyes; it changes people’s interactions with each other, as well as how we communicate, share, and learn. 

     When you create an account on Facebook, you might as well just sign a release form for your personal life.  Yes, information like your social security number and address might not be readily available, but your life is essentially online.  People can see your status updates, pictures, and wall posts and determine what you did and where you are going.  Your personal space is gone; you have no control over what others post on your wall, and what pictures they decide to upload of you.  People become more worried about how they appear online than how they do in person, negatively affecting how we communicate.  People communicate with others in the virtual world as if it was the real world, which poses a problem because many times these people forget how to effectively communicate face to face. 

    The motivation behind many Facebook accounts is the intention to easily keep in touch with family and friends.  The intention is to communicate and update them on our lives through wall posts, messages, pictures, and videos.  However, what many people fail to realize is the extent to which we lose our personal identity through these social networking sites.  Instead of being an individual and staying true to oneself, people conform to the expectations of society.  Instead of posting pictures and wall posts to inform others of various occurrences in their life, they post pictures and wall posts they think others would find acceptable.  Before posting pictures, many people often wonder “what will people think of me based on these pictures?”  We become so consumed with worrying about what others think, that we forget the original reason we created our Facebook account.  We create new identities online, a different way to express ourselves.  We might be reserved and introverted in person, but online, we find ourselves to be loud and extroverted.  You start to wonder when is enough really enough?  Who are you really, and how do you portray yourself to others?  Many times the way we portray ourselves to others and how we really are vastly vary. 

     People are consumed with technology, many to the point of addiction.  Facebook.com provides statistics about Facebook users, as well as their activity on Facebook.  According to this press release, there are over 500 Facebook users.  Well over 50 percent log onto Facebook every day, and people spend over 700 billion minutes on Facebook per month.  Over 150 million users access Facebook through their cell phones.  The average Facebook user creates 90 pieces of content a month (Facebook).  These statistics are horrifying.  People become anxious and uneasy when they do not have cell phone reception or internet access.  If they need to communicate face to face, interactions become impersonal.  Many find it hard to make eye contact and hold a legitimate conversation with others. 

     Aside from poor communication skills, there are other repercussions of using websites such as Facebook.  Personal space, something people often take for granted, is compromised.  People often feel invincible and have nonchalant attitudes towards privacy settings.  This allows people to view what others are doing, regardless if they are “friends” or not.  You have no idea who is looking at your profile and what information they know about you.  Often times you can search for someone on Facebook, and they have not bothered to change their privacy settings, thereby allowing you to see everything about them.  As a result, people don’t even need to take the time to get to know someone anymore.  You have all the information you need at your fingertips.  You might not be friends with “Joe”, but you might as well be best friends with the boy.  You have never met him before, but you have seen him around campus.  His Facebook is not private, so you learned that Joe’s favorite sport is football and he loves the Patriots.  His status update informed you that he is going to the game this Sunday.  You decide to look for him on TV, and you spot him in the crowds.  You later see Joe’s Facebook status that he was at the game and he was on TV.  You don’t even know Joe, but you already knew that.  Essentially, you just experienced a day in Joe’s life.  The situation with spotting Joe is not that big of a deal in the scheme of things, but you never know who is looking at your profile and what their motives are.  You might have been creeping on Joe because you had a crush on him, but what if someone was creeping on his page with bad intentions?  What if someone went to the Patriot’s game with a weapon with the intent of harming Joe? 

     Facebook and other social networking sites are slowly sucking out the individual in all of us.  We are conforming, becoming one and the same.  How do we differentiate ourselves anymore?  Everyone has a Facebook and everyone is preoccupied with how others view them.  We spend so much time on Facebook that we forget how to communicate effectively face to face.  In the past, being an individual and “marching to one’s own drum” was a good thing.  People wanted to be noticed and different.  Today, people want to be noticed, but no one wants to be different.  It is as if we are cookie cutter versions of each other, conforming to the standards of society.  Is Facebook really that much of a good thing?  It was created with good intentions, but are those intentions even important and relevant anymore?  Do people even know who they are anymore?  Facebook has taken the individuality out of the person, and it is important that people find ways to regain their individuality. 

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

http://mimosa.pntic.mec.es/mvera1/textos/redessociales.pdf

http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2010/01/19/a-collection-of-social-network-stats-for-2010/

Digital Nation Paper [part 1]

     Many people have heard the saying “you learn something new every day.”  While Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites might not have been people had in mind when this saying was created, social networking sites like these make it possible for someone to learn many new things every day, often about things that don’t concern that person.  Facebook, created in 2004, attracts well over 400 million users.  Twitter, created in 2006, attracts around 75 million users.  MySpace, created in 2003, attracts 57 million users.  Many people use more than one social networking site, thereby providing more and more personal information for others to see.  Social networking is changing our culture right before our eyes; it changes people’s interactions with each other, as well as how we communicate, share, and learn.  

     When one creates an account on Facebook, they might as well just sign a release form for their personal life.  Yes, information like your social security number and address might not be readily available, but your life is essentially online.  People can see your status updates, pictures, and wall posts and determine what you did and where you are going.  Essentially your personal space is gone; you have no control over what others post on your wall, and what pictures they decide to upload of you.  People become more worried about how they appear online than how they do in person, which negatively affects how we communicate.  People communicate with others in the virtual world as if it was the real world.  This poses a problem, because many times these people forget how to effectively communicate face to face.  

     Many people create Facebook accounts to keep in touch with family and friends while they are away at school or that live far away.  They intend to communicate with them via wall posts, messages, pictures, and videos.  However, what many people do not realize is the extent to which we lose our personal identity by using Facebook and various social networking sites.  Instead of being an individual, people conform to the expectations of society.  They post pictures and wall posts that they think others would find acceptable, and they often worry about what others think.  It seems like you cannot do something without people finding out through Facebook or Twitter.   Many people are consumed with technology, so much to the point of addiction.  People become anxious when they have to communicate face to face, and interactions become impersonal.  They find it hard to make eye contact and hold a legitimate conversation with others.  Personal space is compromised, because the nonchalant attitudes towards privacy settings allow others to view what others are doing, regardless if they are “friends” or not.  

Social Media and Web 2.0

1.  Currently, many TV shows and advertisements try to look amateurish to emulate what is seen on the internet. I think that the idea of TV shows and advertising will continue to look amateurish, but I think the quality level will increase.  Everything needs to start somewhere, so there is something to compare it to.  I think the idea of "homegrown" TV shows and advertisements is a good idea, and I think it will be around for awhile.  Not only do they attract large audiences, but they are also inexpensive to produce.  But as I said before, I feel that the quality of these "homegrown" TV shows and advertisements will increase and look better than they do now.

2.  The social media sites that I find myself using the most are Facebook and Twitter.  I did not get a Facebook until the summer before my freshman year of college, and the purpose of me getting it was to stay in contact with my family and friends from home.  However, now that I have Facebook I find myself checking it numerous times a day, seeing what various people are up to.  I also use Twitter frequently.  I use these social media sites because they allow me to communicate easily with my family and friends, and see what other people are up to.  I think Facebook is more popular than MySpace for many reasons.  Its appearance is a lot more visually appealing than MySpace, the privacy settings are better, and there are a lot more features on Facebook than there are on MySpace.  I think MySpace was a fad, but I think Facebook is here to stay.  Not only is it an easy way to communicate with others, but I think at this point, people are almost dependent on it.  People joke that they can't go a day without Facebook, but sometimes I feel that people really CAN'T go a day without checking Facebook.

3.  According to that website, transparency "when used in a social context implies openness, communication, and accountability".  The word transparent means "to see through", so essentially transparency allows one to see through things, and show the truth.  Transparency is an important concept in the social media world because we obtain so much of our information via social media.  Because of that, it is important that us readers know that what we are reading is factual, and not information made up by a random person.  However, I feel that transparency is more important in the offline world because in the offline world you are presenting yourself to others in person, whereas when you are online, you are separated by a computer screen.  Offline its all about how you present yourself and how you are perceived by others.  It is important that you show others that you are honest, trustworthy, and accountable.  If you cannot demonstrate this to others offline, you have little to no credibility.  However, in the end transparency is important both online and offline.

in class photoshop assignment

photoshop final image take 2

I decided that I wasn't too happy with my final image, so I decided to start from scratch and use a new medium. This is what I came up with:

Apple's newest invention, the iPad, contains everything a person could want in a device and more.  Its touch screen allows people to surf the internet, upload pictures and videos, listen to music, download apps, read books, play games, view maps, and connect with others.  Because the iPad has features such as surfing the internet, uploading pictures, listening to music, reading books, playing games, viewing maps, and connecting with people, the "features" themselves are no longer as desirable on their own.  Who wants to own a radio, buy a newspaper, play board games, have an excessive amount of maps, or read books when you can have them all in on device?  Essentially, the iPad is overtaking everything.  I tried to portray that through my Photoshop image.  The iPad represents the gun which is pointing at the books, board games, cell phones, newspapers, and maps.  The caution tape in the background signifies the trouble that these objects are in as standalone objects.  In the iPad, they are valuable, but as I said before, who wants to own all of these separately when you can combine them into one sleek and portable object.  There are numerous messages the iPad gives, including increased reliance on technology, the idea that people can have everything at their fingertips wherever they go due to its light weight, cell phones aren't the only way to stay in contact with people, and it is okay to multi task in this fast paced world.  The iPad has made us extremely dependent on technology, because now we have the opportunity to do many various things all with one piece of technology. 

photoshop final image

Going into this project, I wanted to portray the various messages I had discussed in an earlier post regarding Skype.  These messages include: the increased reliance on technology, the idea that people have the opportunity to connect with people regardless of where they are located, cellphones aren't the only "in" form of technology anymore, and people have the ability to multi task while using Skype.  The background image portrays how Skype enables everyone to be connected, as it literally shows many people connected together through lines drawn;  there is not one person who is not connected through a line.  Skype's functionality and purpose make it possible for someone to communicate efficiently with others, regardless of where they are located.  I chose to demonstrate the power Skype has on society through the picture of the world that is connected by the mouse.  Today, everyone is literally connected with the click of a button.  With one click, you have the ability to chat with people all over the country and world.  This is where the flags at the bottom of the image come into play.  These flags represent the endless possibilities with Skype.  Before Skype, it was difficult to communicate with people on various parts of the country and world, partly due to excessive international and long distance phone rates.  In the bottom right hand corner, I have a cellphone with the word "rejected" over it, demonstrating how cell phones are not the only "in" form of communication anymore.  The various times and phrases throughout the image represent the diversity and flexibility of Skype.  In a way, Skype has made us more dependent on technology, because now that we have the opportunity to talk to people easily and cost efficiently in other parts of the world, people take that for granted.  Essentially, through this image, i tried to portray what Skype is, and the effects it has and will have on society.

Photoshop Assignment

Photoshop Assignment Part 1

The medium I am focusing on for this project is webcams.  Webcams are an up-and-coming medium that is constantly gaining attention and popularity.  Webcams allow people to communicate “face to face” with people that they otherwise might not be able for various reasons, including distance and expenses.  One has the ability to broadcast videos on the internet, take and upload images and videos, have real time communication, and contact people all over the country and world.  Two well known services that allow people to use their webcams to connect with other people are Skype and OOVOO.  The content in webcams includes software to use the webcam, speech, videos and images, and audio files.  There are many messages that are expressed through webcams.  These messages include: (1) more reliance on technology, (2) people always have the opportunity to connect with others, regardless of where they are in the world, (3) people can multi task while video chatting, emphasizing the fast paced world we live in, (4) cell phones are not the only “in” form of communication, and (5) communication has the potential to be personal again.  Numerous college students decide to go to school away from home, and many also decide to study abroad.  Before webcams were around, students may have encountered difficulty while communicating face to face with family and friends unless they were visiting them.  However, with webcams, it is possible to communicate with family and friends “face to face” whenever and wherever, as long as there is internet access and a webcam.  Before webcams, it was difficult to contact people who were abroad other than by email and letters due to expensive international rates.  However, with a webcam, one can leave videos for people and video chat for free, regardless of their location.  It is also more personal than phone calls, because you are able to see the people you are talking to, instead of just hearing their voice over the phone.  Essentially webcams keep people feeling connected and personal, something that cell phones lack the ability to do.  Overall, this innovation has had a large impact on global culture and society.  With the ability to video chat with people all over the country and world, people are becoming more understanding about various cultures, and it is easier to relate to them.  Also, businesses have also been impacted by webcams.  People have the ability to work remotely, whether their home is Boston or London, and appear virtually in meetings.  Business deals no longer need to be done in person.  People can interview for positions via Skype instead of traveling to the company’s office to have a face to face interview.  With webcams, the possibilities are endless.

McLuhan Assignment

Skype is a free service that allows people to stay in contact with people around the country, and even around the world.  Its features include video chatting for people who have a webcam, voice chatting for people who have a microphone, instant messaging, file transferring, screen sharing, and conference calls.  Skype can also be used as a phone line for a slight fee.  Skype allows people to easily communicate with others; all you need is a computer and internet access.  Skype is an interactive medium because you are connecting with other Skype users.

Apple's newest invention, the iPad, contains everything a person could want in a device and more.   Its touch screen allows people to surf the internet, upload pictures and videos, listen to music, downloads apps, read books, play games, view maps, and connect with others.  The iPad is light and portable, making it easy for people to take it with them wherever they go.  It also connects users to the closest Wi-Fi networks.

Twitter is an increasingly popular form of communication.  It allows people to write status updates in 140 characters or less.  People choose who they want to follow on Twitter.  Typically, people follow their friends, celebrities, sports teams, and stores to receive updates about what is going on.  You can also have people follow you, thereby allowing others to see your updates.  People can use Twitter from their phones, the internet, and various applications, such as "Twitterrific".  Twitter also allows people to create lists, so you can organize who you see in your timeline.  People all over the country and world use Twitter, so with one click of the mouse, you can see what is going on through real time trending topics.  Also, many businesses are starting to use Twitter with the purpose of connecting more with their customers.  Twitter is also interactive, because you can reply to people's updates and also tag people in your updates so they know to read them.