Before - Now - Tomorrow

The purpose of this blog is to collectively create and maintain a blog to explore how web-based social media is changing society. My focus with this assignment was to discuss about how social media is used in a good way. Social media has its Pros and Cons uses of course, but if we look at the benefits which can be socializing, improving education, sharing content, and increasing self esteem. Social media allows one to express and share their thoughts and ideas. All walks of life from around the world with internet connection can participate on the various forms of social media. Depending on the various forms one can find it informative, it motivating, it inspirational. You can find about any topic you choose by a click of a button. In the last decade social media has rapidly developed in what it is today and one wonders what will it develop in the next decade.

Pros & Cons

                               Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SAYwQM7OaA 

Here is a link to one of my classmates videos used in their blog. The video talks about the Pros and Cons towards social media and how time management plays a factor. The shocking benefits regarding social media use are socializing, improving education, sharing content, and increasing self esteem. Now social media has its risk factors such as: cyber bullying, sexual abusing, fake profiling and advertising. All in which, I have not discussed in my posts because I wanted my blog to contain positive vibes but it is safer to be socially aware of the dangers then not being informed about them. You need to understand the possibilities when using any social media website. One of the biggest social networking problems is Cyber bullying. Cyber bullying and bullying are the same type of bullying but cyber bullying is taken in account on electronic devices. In Addition, sexual abuse with sexting is being said on the news of teens sending inappropriate photo's through smart phones or any other device. It is important to remember this is a child and that sexting is illegal and can end up in some serious consequences. As for fake profiles being made with unled information, so it is important to keep in mind you may not know if you are talking to who you might think you are talking to because this is social media. Lastly, it is important to limit what information you put out there on social media websites for advertising they can target general information you provided and invade privacy. Being aware of all the dangers social media has but also getting to enjoy all of the benefits that social media has to offer. 

Ancient

                       Link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/152066924892931869/ 

  

This photo makes me laugh and think how far we have advanced with technology and communication. I remember when I was in elementary school writing to my pin pals who where form the lower forty-eights. My pin pal letters I've wrote weren't really meaning full at the time they mostly consisted of facts and jokes. Now, I value letters I receive and if I write one out I put a lot of consideration towards the person I am writing to meaning I go more deeply into the conversation with he or she. As for emails they are still used today for multiply uses and are still a valuable way to communicate at a faster past than mailing letters back and forth. 

Watch What You Post On Facebook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THRZEDyHIfQ

Teens the age of 13 through 19 who use Facebook 39 percent of the teens regret post they have uploaded. Also, 28 percent of the teens wonder why they share certain post that they usually wouldn't share in person. Not to mention, 25 percent of false accounts were being created by teens for cyber bullying. Out of the 39, 28, and 25 percent of the teens the common lack of within the teen is not taking responsibility for their actions on social media. Every post leaves a digital foot print that remains long after the high school years.

Social Change

        
            LeTrent, S. (2012). Finding joy among the wreckage: Family photos return post- Sandy.

              Link: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/20/living/recovered-sandy-photos/ 

Social media sites empower individuals to make social change and do social good on a community level. In the CNN news article Finding joy among the wreckage: Family photos return post- Sandy by Sarah LeTrent, LeTrent talks about Jeannette Van Houten a victim of the Sandy hurricane finds a calling to return memories of happier times to the families who have lost them in the storm by reuniting residents with family photographs. Jeannette Van Houten started a Facebook page where she uploaded more than 2,000 photo's she found, hopeful the power of social media will allow the residents viewers' to identify whom the photo might belong to. "Pictures encapsulate our lives, our dreams, our essence of who we are," the author ends the article with this quote. The victims of the storm needed something to comfort them and to reassure them that everything was alright and with Jeannette Van Houten's kind heart of bringing smiles back on to families faces no words can describe the feeling. 

The Use Of Social Media In Schools

Lang, V. (2007). CREATING & CONNECTING//Research and Guidelines on Online Social — and Educational — Networking.

  Link: http://grunwald.com/pdfs/Grunwald_NSBA_Study_Kids_Social_Media.pdf 

In the National School Boards Association article Creating and Connecting Writing and Designed by Vockley Lang, The National School Boards Association states that considering the use of social media in schools for the staff and students to use towards higher education. There has been explosive growth in creative and authoring activities by students on social networking sites in recent years. Both schools and especially parents have strong expectations about the positive roles that social networking could play in students’ lives. Both schools and parents are interested in social networking as an educational tool. Both also demand an educational value and purpose as a requirement for social networking in school. Safety policies remain important, as does teaching students about online safety and responsible online expression — but students may learn these lessons better while they’re actually using social networking tools. Social media enhanced my school by community outreach, course assignment, distance learning, collaborative learning and communication with teachers. With spreading the word about different events the community can come and see helped get our community involved with the students and the spirit of the school. Students traveled a lot including myself through out the school year and having the internet connection to communicate with teachers regarding homework assignments was the way it was done.  

Social Networking Is Good For You

Jayson, S. (2009, September 28). 'Flocking' behavior lands on social networking sites. 'Flocking' Behavior Lands on Social Networking Sites. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-09-27-social-networking_N.htm

Link: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-09-27-social-networking_N.htm 

In the article Flocking Behavior Lands On Social Networking Sites by Sharon Jayson, Jayson indicates that social networking is good for you. Social support and social networking offer benefits such as: being a part of a larger social group, being able to gain memory retention and being able to recover to greater life satisfactions. I know for one that social media applications help me when I have a rough day. I would read something motivational in the morning so I would be happy for that day or come across something that made me laugh that became the highlight of my day.  You either change your behavior or you transmit information about the behavior to others, who change their behavior or life style. It’s the little things that count that can help increase a person's quality of life and reduce the risk of health problems. If that means coming across health information while you surf the web.

Role Of Social Media Law Enforcement

Donald, J. (2013). Primary. In Use of social media and smartphone applications for reporting suspicious and criminal activities to mass transit law enforcement agencies (p. 118). Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School.

Link: http://calhoun.nps.edu/bitstream/handle/10945/38918/13Dec_Donald_Jennifer.pdf?sequence=1

In Role of Social Media in Law Enforcement Significant and Growing by Jennifer S. Donald, Donald talks about the use of social media networks and mobile phone applications for reporting suspicious and criminal activities on mass transit. Social media is used daily where everyone has at least a smart phone and if not access to social media via computers now these days. Constantly there's people posting pictures, posting status updates and posting check-in locations on Facebook. This demonstrates that these tools are assisting in solving and preventing crimes allowing enough information for law enforcement to gather. Criminals have made it easy for law enforcement to take advantage of using social media networks to solve crime. From bragging online about their actions to posting. 

How To Use Social As An Advocacy Tool

Kidwai, S. (2011, September 1). How to use social media as an advocacy tool. Retrieved April 14, 2015, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ943158.pdf                        
                      Link: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ943158.pdf

In How To Use Social As An Advocacy Tool, Sabrina Kidwai and Catherine Imperatore talk about how social media is a way to communicate vast information around the world. There are a number of tools in the social media landscape that help public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy.  Kidwai and Imperatore state that the majority of politicians are using social media such as: blogs, twitter, YouTube and Facebook to communicate with the public. Also politicians are using social media to target the younger generation and by using Facebook and Twitter, this provides politicians an opportunity to introduce bills and publicize visits. While YouTube gives policymakers a chance to share video of speeches and make announcements. I believe that social media has advanced and is a fast way for people to stay up to date with current events. Just imagine what would come next with social media in the next few years. In addition, this article reveals how an individual can effectively use social media in his/her efforts to advocate for career and technical education, and provides helpful tools for social media management.