Final Project

 Before this class, I had created a LinkedIn account but never took it seriously. By this I mean, I knew it was a very professional work platform and originally thought it would be more difficult to find jobs. After customizing my profile, I really like how it displays your resume and I will definitely be using LinkedIn for further future job seeking. I enjoy how it can be a more interactive and personalized to who you are and what you are looking for. I was able to find many classmates, groups and organizations on here that were very helpful. As far as my thoughts on social media, I am way more aware of the things I am reading and paying attention to. I always take into consideration the possibility of a fake post. I also recently made my Instagram a business account and I love the insights and analytics it gives you. If Im going to be spending a good time of my day on social media, I would like to also understand the back part of it. Social media is very complex and I do believe there are more pros than cons. Although, anyone can take advantage and choose to cyberbully or post inappropriate things, I believe that is in our hands. Social media itself is not a problem. Keeping my future career goals in mind, I definitely see myself using social media for professional purposes to help build an audience and market my work. The link to my Linkedin is www.linkedin.com/in/gisellenieves. 

LJ9

 It is safe to say that EWOM has a major influence on people including myself. Many companies and brands do their best to market what would seem most appealing and attract an audience but us consumers know that not everything is what it seems. The reviews and opinions of others are usually authentic and give you a real insight as to what to expect. It is also easy to make sense of what seems authentic and fake. When I am interested in a product, or place, I will always look at the reviews for better knowledge and recommendations. The same thing applies for social media platforms and comments. Us humans are curious individuals and value what other people think. That is why negative comments or reviews can make a major impact in decision making. For instance, if I want to go to a restaurant and notice four good reviews but one bad review, I will most likely keep the bad review in mind because there has to be truth to what is being said. An example of this are airbnb reviews and this can greatly affect the host. The moment there is a bad review, your overall rating goes down which means you are no longer a superhost. This can affect the way your rentals are listed which can affect your monthly revenue. As far as celebrity influence, most influencers and celebrities you follow and keep up with mean you look up to them and what they think. So I definitely understand why they would have major influence on consumer decision making. If I notice an influencer promoting something, I usually don't let that influence me on how I feel about it because a lot of influencers are usually trying to gain something for their benefit so theres no way to know if its authentic or not. Now I do think the opinions of my family and friends do matter to some extent. These are people you know and respect so of course their opinion would be greatly valued.

LJ7

 

LJ6

I think the topic of laws and regulations is one of the most important things to be aware of when using social media. With social media, nothing is really private. There are people who spend their everyday day lives scamming and stealing information online. I am always so aware of this when sharing any of my personal information and I always think twice before sharing anything. Knowing this and how easy it is for hackers, I always make sure to have my phone updated. I hate viruses and online threats when they pop up because you never know what it really is. It's especially awful that some social network companies will use peoples information themselves. You cant really trust anyone. Reputation is also a big deal on social media and having a positive one can benefit in many ways so it's important to protect it. 

After reading the topic on social media lies and propaganda, I think the worst thing is a high percentage of people believing something that is 100% false and this happens on a regular basis because it's so easy to twist and mislead information. "A growing body of work has focused on the link between susceptibility to various forms of misinformation and broad “cognition,” as measured by various concepts including analytical thinking, numeracy skills, or various thinking styles."(Stecular, 2021.)" Knowing this and the different types of cognitive thinking, I am definitely someone who is a reflective thinker and wont just believe something that doesn't add up or make sense. After reading Russias propaganda, It's crazy how they can manipulate people to believe something so completely false. I cant believe it isn't illegal for a massive company to share a deceiving campaign. ". They’ve remade the world to fit the narrative planted in their heads by Russian propaganda." (IIIing, 2020.) This goes to show how propaganda can keep you from seeing the real truth and thats what they feed into. They are playing with peoples heads because they can. Even though these are claims made by this author, I believe what he is saying because this information makes sense and is logical. Believing your own country is your enemy is not logical. The Washington Post shared a guide to manipulated videos. " The Fact Checker sets out to develop a universal language to label manipulated video and hold creators and sharers of this misinformation accountable." After reading about this, I learned about all of the subcategories and different ways information is deceived. I would say malicious transformation is majority of what I see just because everyone likes to make jokes of situations and relevant people because they can and it's easy to. The most important key I took out of this was to always pay attention to something and see what seems logical about the video. Its hard to constantly remind yourself this especially when you lots of people use social media for entertainment purposes and don't pay too much attention.

LJ5

 This week, I was introduced to a new social network platform called Flickr. This website allows you to post, share, organize and comment on photos. I had never heard of this platform until now but it is very easy to use and anyone can create an account. I immediately noticed the variety of pictures ranging from simplistic things to very complex photos. I really enjoyed this because you can see photos that you probably wouldn't notice or see on a platform like Pinterest or Instagram. Usually I would not feel the need to use this platform again but if I would like to just keep an album of raw, simplistic, unedited photos, I do feel like this website is perfect for that and I could see myself possibly using Flickr again. For this assignment, I created an album of my dog and posted on this blog for others to see. Just being able to post something so simple and meaningful to me is what really matters. After reading an article on digital images and photo sharing, I learned how drastically digital photography has changed. The social use of digital photography signals a shift in the engagement with the everyday image that has to do with a move towards transience and the development of a communal aesthetic. (Murray, S. 2018) Flickr is a good representation of this which makes the platform unique. People tend to focus on materialistic things or holidays and vacation instead of appreciating the beauty in the simple every day things like a flower or a historical house. I definitely will say, in todays world, no one wants to come off as "mundane" and lots of people care what others think of them so often photos can be a representation of ourselves. This is why so many people alter or "photoshop" photos to how they want to be perceived instead of showing the natural, authentic version of themselves. The idea that digital images can be manipulated, altered, or constructed without a real world profilmic object, has led many to conclude that digital images are nonindexical and lack the traces of the material past that were so much part of traditional photography. (Murray, S. 2018)

Murray, S. (2008). Digital images, photo-sharing, and our shifting notions of everyday aesthetics. Journal of Visual Culture, 7(2), 147–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470412908091935 

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LJ4

 It is safe to say that social media has evolved tremendously and is continuing to do so. There are many features and different ways to engage with the platforms. Social commerce is a great example of this and I even find myself browsing and shopping which is a great way to support small businesses. Users also may rely on their social media as a source of income and this goes to show how valuable this can be for brands and creators. Technological innovation has personally changed my life in terms of communication, home entertainment and has had a major influence on my thoughts and education. It has specifically helped students like me be able to adjust and learn by being able to effectively take classes online as well as all of the tools provided for our advantage. When it comes to the future of work, I can definitely see how much efficient and productive it has been for many companies. Not only is there a huge audience which allows for better communication, you see millions of voices and opinions being shared. There is also questioning about losing industry jobs because of how much this is taking over. "While any advancement in technology leads to increased efficiency, productivity, safety and convenience, it also raises questions about its impact on skills, jobs, wages and nature of work itself."(Sarin, P. 2020) When I first heard of the Metaverse, I was very confused as to what the point of it was. As technologies are significantly emerging, there will constantly new methods of connecting us together in ways we may not understand. I like how the main focus is just on ways people can explore new things and interact in different ways. I think the concept of virtual reality has already shown proven data of ways to improve and develop skills and I can see how investing in this could go a long way especially for the future of work. This can help creators and developers learn and create new skills in a very responsible way and that seems to be their main goal when going about this new strategy.

Sarin, P., Kar, A. K., Kewat, K., & Ilavarasan, P. V. (2020). Factors affecting future of work: Insights from social media analytics. Procedia Computer Science, 167, 1880-1888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2020.03.207

Assignment 3

 The App I chose to track was TikTok. Although I may use other social media apps more often, this one tends to be my favorite. On 2/11, I Spent 3 hours which was the highest of all 4 days. On this day, I spent some time on the app during the noon hours which I usually don't tend to do. I usually use this app in the evening during the hours of 5-8pm. On 2/12, I spent 2 hours and 21 minutes. I spend 45 mins from 3-4 o clock, 42 mins from 5-7pm and 54 mins at 10pm. The next two days I engaged with the app less. On 2/13. I spent a total of 27 mins. I sometimes will browse at random times and them immediately close the day due to my mood. On 2/14, I spent exactly an hour with 36 mins from 5-6pm and 22 mins from 3-4pm. My daily average is 43 minutes and I agree with this data. I don't spend majority of my day on socials and when I do, I usually get browse till I feel satisfied. When I use TikTok, the main things I browse are cooking and dancing videos as well as small talk that I usually can relate to. I do notice that I don't ever seem to interact with any videos or comment. I think my mindset when using socials with huge platforms are that my opinions will not get noticed so I don't see a point in taking the time to comment although I spend a majority of my time looking through the comments. The comments are actually what i spend a lot of time reading because it's interesting to know other peoples comments and how they can specifically relate to the video. It has become a habit and sometimes I am more interested in the comments rather than the video itself. My favorite feature with this app is the likes are saved so I know if I like a video, I can go back to it if need to. This is really handy and I also find myself just scrolling through past videos that Ive liked in the past and completely forgot about. 

Social Media Metrics: LJ3

 

Lipschultz, L. J. (2020) Social Media Communication (3rd ed.)

Metrics and Analysis: LJ2

  After reading We Are Data, I was really able to grasp and understand how invasive the internet can be and how algorithmic processing is used. Although I am aware of the surveillance and data the government has access to, I usually seem to ignore it over time. When making a phone call, its made clear when you're being recorded on your phone so it's nothing unusual but when you understand how much data is really being stored can be a little gut wrecking. There really is no true privacy and no one likes to feel like they are being monitored throughout their daily life. Everything we post and search is monitored and used in a form of data and all of this data is being interpreted in their own ways rather than who we are. This article states " online you is not who you think you are." (Cheney, J. 2019)  This is scary to think about because we want to be able to control our own identities which we should have the right to but don't. For example, Google may refer me to a 30 year old man when in reality I am a 22 year old woman. This is a really odd concept to think about because the interpretation is based on what you search when the internet is a broad website for people to browse whatever they want. I think the negative part about this is just you being altered to what they want to believe about you. Cheney says, " Your search results and advertisements will be subsequently gendered and aged." (Cheney, J. 2019) This goes to show how much power the media has over you and this can actually affect your life in the long run. Knowing this makes me feel like I have no privacy but at the end of the day, I want to use the platform to my advantage without worrying what others will think because thats inevitable, but I will definitely be more aware from now on. Professional networking is really crucial and you want to be in a good standing always so I wouldn't share anything that can jeopardize your future in that aspect.

Cheney-Lippold, J. (2019). Introduction. In We are data algorithms and the making of our Digital Selves (pp. 5–6). essay, New York University Press.

Hands-On Assignment 2

Social networking is a an online platform that allows us to connect with others around the world or build our own network. This is a tool that can be used by everyone because everyone has access to the same platforms so I think its best to take advantage. I also believe the idea of connecting and meeting others so simply is a very powerful thing and without media, there would be no virtual form of connection. The websites I use are Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Majority of these apps I use for entertainment and browsing but these platforms make it easy and addicting to use. They are programmed to connect you to people around you and who you might share similarities with. LinkedIn is a professional networking form that I mainly use for employment services. Although there are other employment websites, I enjoy this one the most because it allows me to show my skills and milestones for future employers and you can find great opportunities with major companies. It's also one of the most trusted websites for employers since the platform is so popular. I do not use it as much throughout the year as I mainly use when seeking employment but its definitely my go to app that I trust the most. Another favorite social networking of mine that I use regularly is WhatsApp. This app allows you to connect with others outside of your country and the features are completely free to use. This platform can be life changing to some one who regularly pays to contact a friend or family member outside the country. I have family in Colombia that I am able to reach out to and I genuinely believe this is one of the most useful apps created. I believe social media does affect your own-being as well as friendships. It can promote very negative feeling and thoughts if your worried about what others think and I have personally felt pressure when using some of these apps in regard to what my families and peers will think and that is something that is always in the back of my head when I am going to share something. I also feel joy making connections with friends and being able to connect with a large amount of people without having to be too direct or outgoing as you would in person.

How I Perceive Social Media: LJ1.

  Social media can become very addicting to many and can personally affect someone in both positive and negative ways. I think it's very important to recognize your own intentions with social media and make sure to create boundaries as needed. I believe social media platforms are great ways to connect with others and allow others to get to know you. I would also recommend using these platforms as an advantage to understand and learn about things happening around you. When I previously mentioned creating boundaries, I believe you should always be aware how your feeling and not allow social media to impact your mental health. When I first started to engage with social media, I did not take social media seriously and I expressed myself and thoughts carelessly. Now, I am more on edge and responsible with what I am posting and how it might affect others. Everything that you allow others to see or learn about yourself is constantly judged by your family, peers, and possibly working professional workers wanting to know about you, so it is very important to recognize how social media can really affect your present and future. I used to focus on platforms that consisted mainly of ways of communication such as Facebook and Snapchat. Now, I seem to engage with platforms that are more informative and expressive such as Twitter and Tik Tok. I wish I would have known how much social media can engage you and affect ones mental health. It is easy to constantly compare your life to others and I have learned that what you see is what others allow you to see. When it comes to self-image, posts such as selfies can be seen as competition and bring out a toxic side to social media. I do understand that a lot of people feel like they have a standard to uphold, especially when social media is your main source of income. From my perspective, I believe the best way to engage with your audience is to be the purest form of your self and post authentically. Always remember to be genuine and true to who you are.