The Internet May Indeed Be the Downfall of Our Culture! Or Will It?!

For hundred of years, with every new advance in technology it has been proclaimed time and time again that "this will be the downfall of society!"  However, as the years pass these great philosophers who have speculated the end of society for hundreds and hundreds of years, such as Plato have been wrong.  

Yet, with the Internet, scientists may be on to something.  It all has to do with the degradation of what scientists call the reading-brain, which each new advance in technology is said to have more of a debilitating effect on.  In fact, cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf is particularly alarmed with the effects the transition from print media to digital, which is now being used significantly in teaching and will have on not only her children, but on all children across the globe (Furedi, 2014).  

HOWEVER!!!  The Effects May be Positive for People Looking for Social Change

The Internet and social media are also great tools to gather people together quickly.  In fact, many protests have popped up not just in the United States but across the globe that were formed on social media by people who shared mutual interests or were looking to achieve a common goal, in a matter of minutes.  Unfortunately, many of these protests that have formed in the United States recently have been the result of many tragedies that have struck local communities in states across the nation. (Furedi, 2014).

Without the Internet and social media these protests would have taken longer to form and would not have had such a significant impact as many have had lately on American culture.   Also with social media, people have access to the breaking news surrounding these tragic events and resulting protests, which is causing a shift in the culture of society as well.

Reference

Furedi, F. (2014).  How The Internet and Social Media Are Changing Culture.  Retrieved from   http://www.aspeninstitute.cz/en/article/4-2014-how-the-internet-and-social-media-are-changing-culture/

It Causes Fragmentation

It is true that there has been a shift in many different aspects of society, not only in America, but across the globe today because of technology.  Many of these changes have been positive. However, some of the other changes have been as beneficial for the people who have been affected by this change.  One of the large changes that has taken place has been a fragmentation in traditional family life that has tied generation after generation of people together for years.  While, blood may still bind families together, technology does not help in keeping them together as a tight-knit family unit as many once were.

Technology, cell phones, and the Internet have now created instant access to people where barriers used to exist.  So you may be asking if people are more accessible, then why are families being fragmented?  The answer is a simple one; technology creates distractions.  In fact, communication technologies have greatly accelerated the pace of the social change in America (Hanson, 2007).  Today, because of technology people are accessible from anywhere.  That means that more people

bring work home with them or handle problems that may arise at the office while at home, on family time.  Also, people are so connected to their smartphones they often fail to appreciate the time that they are spending with others, including family, because they are connected to technology in some form or another.  This all leads in one way or another to the fragmentation of relationships as the focus is no longer on the person in front of them but what is happening elsewhere in the world around them.

Reference

Hanson, J. (2007).  24/7: How cell phones and the Internet change the way we live, work, and play.    

        Praeger Publishers: Westport, CT.

Facebook Bridges the Cultural Gap?

For study abroad students the difficulty of cross-cultural barriers is a very real thing.  Years ago this problem was much more difficult to overcome.  Through hand-held translation dictionaries or memorization of important terms, students were able to make their way through cities where language barriers were quite difficult to overcome.  

However, many times students became homesick as they were quite disconnected from that feeling of "home", which may have affected what the students took away from the entire cultural experience.  Today, this is still true to some extent.  "Yet with the development of the Internet, cell phones, and a range of social media platforms, the perception that going to study in a foreign country means cutting off or reducing contact with friends and family at home has changed" (Sandel, 2014, p. 2). 

In fact studies conducted recently have proven that students connected to social media who are studying abroad not only have less stress, they are also more in-tune with their cultural surroundings. They are also more likely to bond with students who are currently or have been involved with study abroad programs and connect more with their surroundings (Sandel, 2014).  Technology and social media are paving the way to ease the stresses of studying abroad and helping to break down some of the cultural barriers that study abroad students have faced for a very long time.

References

Sandel, T. L. (2014). “Oh, I’m Here!”: Social Media’s Impact on the Cross-cultural

         Adaptation of Students Studying Abroad. Journal Of Intercultural Communication

         Research, 43(1), 1-29. doi:10.1080/17475759.2013.865662

What Happened to the 11:00 News? The Answer Seems to be Technology!

Sitting in front of the television until 11:00 PM to catch up on what has happened throughout the day is completely unnecessary today thanks to social media.  Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites allow people the opportunity to read, share and even comment on all of the events happening around the world at any point throughout the day.

This shift in the way people receive their news has also meant a shift in the way that news anchors and news casters do their jobs.  In 2012, ABC partnered up with Yahoo! in an effort to remain relevant with the huge shift in the dynamic of the mainstream media news. This effort was designed to create a social media presence aimed at gaining followers and popularity, which would lead to viewers of their news and news programming.  ABC decided the best way to test the social media waters was by experimentation and trial and error, which has proven to be a great way to learn the ropes in the social media game.  The social media team at ABC has conducted two large-scale voluntary trainings with hundreds of employees attending each.  The goal of the social media team at ABC is to drive up numbers to create more engagement.  This philosophy seems to be paying off big time for ABC as their Facebook referrals to their site was up 111% and Twitter referrals were up 163% (Tenore, 2012).

Reference

Tenore, M.J., (2012). How ABC News built a top social media presence with a small dedicated team. Retrieved from http://www.poynter.org/news/media-innovation/158998/how-abc-news-built-a-top-social-media-presence-with-a-small-dedicated-team/

There's an App for That!

Social media has taken over.  This is a bold statement but a true statement.  If you look on any device, whether it is a laptop, smartphone or even a desktop computer you will surely find someone logged into a social media application.  As the popularity of these sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have grown with such ferocity, so have many corporations' interests in gaining revenue from potential customers that may exists on these sites.

What this boom in social media means for large corporations is a new way of advertising and marketing their products to consumers.  Social media allows fans of companies or products the opportunity to like pages in order to stay connected with the brands they love.  What this means for advertisers is a way to target specific large scale audiences with specific advertising messages geared towards increasing marketshare and revenue.  

Advertising employees working for corporations who may be expanding their marketing efforts to social media face the challenges of learning how difficult social media advertising can indeed be.  In a study conducted almost "50% of creative media companies reported skills gaps, with skills for multiplatform content using new digital technologies a primary issue" (Bartosova, 2011).  In other words, people who are used to the traditional method of advertising and marketing are having a more difficult time adjusting to how to be a successful social media advertiser.

Whether you are a social media advertising expert or just starting out some wise advice to follow can be found using this link from Entrepreneur.

Reference

Bartosova, D. (2011). The Future of the Media Professions: Current Issues in Media

Management Practice. JMM: The International Journal On Media Management,

13(3), 193-201. doi:10.1080/14241277.2011.576963

Gone are the Days of the Press

As time has progressed and technology has evolved so have the fields of media and communication.  The reason that these areas change with technology has to do with the fact that they are both centered around technology-based production and distribution processes.

One of the more recent changes to hit the media industry has to do with digital publishing.  Gone are the days of strictly publishing with the traditional press.  In fact, today it is very common to see a person reading a digital version of a book, magazine or newspaper on their phone, tablet or e-reader in practically any waiting area or coffee shop around (Bartosova, 2013).

In fact, digital publishing is taking the media world by storm in such a way that journalists have had to learn new policies put in place by their employers to make sure they are adhering to proper procedures when publishing on social media and other digital platforms.  The Washington Post has even gone so far as to publish guidelines for employees to ensure they are following proper procedures for social media and online digital publishing, which can be found by clicking here.

Reference

Bartosova, D. (2011). The Future of the Media Professions: Current Issues in Media

Management Practice. JMM: The International Journal On Media Management,

13(3), 193-201. doi:10.1080/14241277.2011.576963