Social Media's Future

How do you think social media will change in the future? What other trends would you add to the mix? Are they any specific technologies that you think will gain popularity or emerge?

I think social media will continue to spread like wild fire as we continue to request more information at a faster pace. The generations are now looking to click a button on their phone, iPad or media device and have a global view in seconds. We are not just looking and asking for these conveniences but we are demanding it!

The upcoming trends I think we will begin to see are a change in what we use our different social media's for, almost as if we have two personalities. A Facebook profile with our fake name for our friends and inner networking vs. LinkedIn with our full name and business connections. I don't see privacy setting improving to a point in which we can maintain both without altering our personal information on sites such as Facebook.

Twitter in the class room seems to have grown over night, I think we will continue to see social media bridged into education. Students now seem to need more stimulation than ever before and educators are responding to that. Do I think it's necessary? No, but then again I was born in the 80's.

I don't follow technology trends as much as my friends and peers, I'm very content with the technologies I have available now. Of course if I could figure out how to make my entire BlackBerry voice activated that would make me an extremely happy user.

It's been a blast sharing my opinion with everyone through the school year and I want to take this time to wish everyone a happy and safe summer, looking forward to some familiar faces in Sept. :).

Stephanie

Do you think that social media has the potential to bring about real social change?

            We've seen that social media is able to bring about social change. Why wouldn't we use social media to get the message out? We are now in a time when people communicate globally through their phone, computer and portable devices. Is there Wi-Fi? Yes, ok world here we come!

            Twitter is by far one of my favorites and has become increasingly popular over the last 5 years for Actors, Singers and Entertainers alike to get the message out about causes near to their hearts. With their large fan base of thousands to millions hanging on their every tweet. It would only make sense that they use all that power to bring about social good and social change. An amazing story took place earlier this year which started in Canada no less. The article read:

"Hélène Campbell is a 20-year-old Ottawa woman that wanted to raise awareness about organ donation. Campbell suffers from “Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis” and needs a lung transplant.

She decided to take her campaign to Twitter through her @ALungStory account and hoped that Justin would help her promote the cause. She encouraged users to tweet the Biebs with the hashtag #BeAnOrganDonor.

“I would hope that Justin Bieber would do a retweet or even just tweet something himself,” she told an Ottawa newspaper.

A  few days later, Justin responded by tweeting: “@alungstory I got the word….you have amazing strength. I got u. #BeAnOrganDonor”."(Dave Blezard. Justin Bieber Uses Twitter To Help An Amazing Cause. Kiss92.5, 2012)

The strength of social media is shown because following Justin Bieber's post more than 500 people went out and registered to be organ donors, what a gift! This seeming small act will save and change the lives of many, all with a few strokes into the cyber world.

            Facebook has also joined in, the simple search of the work 'causes' presents a link to causes.com which uses social media to get out  various messages. Over 500,000 causes are available for people to join and take part in, users are also welcome to start their own cause. You can make financial contributions or just spread the word and take part in your communities. Everyone can find something to stand behind, from keeping arts in public schools to building wells for fresh water in Africa. A site such as this is wonderful because it gives the public the chance to do something on a global level and help make a difference. They can also start in their own backyard with changes that need to be made right here at home.

            So can social media bring about real change? Yes it can and yes it does everyday a little at a time.

Stephanie Nunes

Social Media and our Everyday Citizens

Does quantity equal quality? I don't think so, everyday citizens give us quantity but not always quality news. Though news is often posted in the opinion of one person I feel that when it is presented from a reputable source such as the Toronto Star of CTV News the person writing the story has an obligation to keep the story as unbiased as possible, they are also representing the entire news station or company. Such a responsibility keeps the story as close to the truth as possible and less likely from becoming someone's point of view and opinion.

Everyday citizens are free to report the news as they see it. One point of view, one person's life experience to compare with. Do these stories still grip us, still open our hearts and minds? Of course. Will we continue to read the work of everyday citizen, I believe so. However when it comes down to hard facts and larger than your neighbourhood stories will we change our tone and look to larger news providers? Without a doubt!

The deciding factor on who we seek out for our daily information in the future will depend on what and how much we want to know. Do we want the inside story on the church bake sale? Are we wondering what our children's curriculum outline is? Though every citizen has the opportunity to be a great reporter and by default a great detective there is still only so much information they are privy to and the human bias is always up for debate. 

Has social media increased the quality of news and information? I don't believe so. Has it decreased it? No it hasn't done that either. It has however given us many options and channels in which we receive news. Our daily email, online, and on our mobile devices. We choose where and when to read the news and decide who we want to receive the message from. What doesn't change....if we are reading it, it's already history.

SOCIAL MEDIA - Fad or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

 I'm going to take this time to focus on only three 'categories' if you will...Content Communities, Social Networking Sites and Virtual Social Worlds.

Content communities such as YouTube have opened up the gateways of sharing information globally through video. We are now able to learn to cook a dish from someone in the country of the dishes' origin! Pause, rewind and replay it. Watch the next pop stars humble beginnings and journey. Laugh with someone hours away as we watch a toddler dance to Beyoncé.

Facebook the most famous of Social Networking Sites has bridged that loss of connection we may experience after moving away from our home town, starting College and University or the growth of families as they start a new life further away from home. We upload pictures and comment of funny moments in each other’s life. We play catch up, get caught up and get connected. How wonderful technology can be.

Do you know what an Avatar is? I hope you said no cause I didn’t know much about it. The Virtual Social Worlds have taken real life and twisted it into the fantasy of your choice. In a way you play God, you design how you look, what you wear, your location and much more. An escape from reality? Hmm I think so. I think as long as you keep at least one foot well planted in the real world you’ll be okay. How does this connect with social networking? Well just like Facebook and YouTube you’re connecting with people from around the world, you just happen to talk, live and co-mingle outside our standard of reality. People begin friendships and even online relationships within these virtual social worlds.

What’s next for Social Networking? Well that’s up to us and the next generations imagination the internet has made the possibilities endless. So do I think Social Media is the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? Well in a word….YES.

-Stephanie Nunes