Searching the Social Web

In chapter 19 of Engage, Brain Solis describes some search engines for social media. Most of these tools were new to me since I always turn to Google first. Here are a tools that I thought were worth highlighting.

Search Engines:

Like I said I typically use Google to do all of my searches. But Solis discussed another search engine called Collecta. “Collecta is the first true real-time search engine that monitors not just Twitter but the update streams of new sites, popular blogs, and social media sites” (Solis, 235). To me it seems like a Yahoo pipe for the entire internet through one search.

Microblogs:

“FriendFeed is a microblog that aggregates content from multiple networks into one easy-to-follow collective system” (Solis, 236). From what I ready, FriendFeed is similar to TweetDeck, except owned by Facebook. The microblog makes it easier to share, follow, comment and like you and your friends activity on a variety of social media sites. So if you don’t want to have multiple tabs open on a web browser, this microblog is for you.

Facebook Depression

In Bloomberg Businessweek, I came across an article that depicted the positive and negative effects of social media on children. As with adults, children are able to connect easily with friends and family through social media. But a report from Pediatrics stated “that more than half of adolescents log on to a social media Web site at least once a day, and nearly one-quarter of teens say they log on to their favorite social media sites 10 or more times each day”. Of course, this leads to all sorts of potential problems such as cyber-bulling, but the article illustrated a term that I wasn’t aware of: Facebook Depression.

Facebook Depression exhibits all the same signs; lack of sleep, change in eating habbits, ect. But this type of depression is caused though social media tools.  For example, a child could be at risk if their friends do not write on their wall, which can cause them to feel socially isolated. While this may be true, Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe told CSPAN, “Facebook is really a magnifier. You're not going to catch something on Facebook, but Facebook tends to amplify any of our insecurities or anything we're feeling good about." She said that "it appears that it's the kids who are already heading toward true clinical depression that have the Facebook depression situation. It's not the normal kid who's going to have clinical depression occur because of Facebook”.  

James Franco Predicts End of Social Media

If you have every logged onto a social media site (such as Facebook or Twitter) you probably have noticed their popularity with young celebrities. These stars cannot seem to get enough of social media…until now. Our favorite 127 Hours actor, James Franco, has declared that the “phase of social media is over” upon deleting his own Twitter account.

“Social media is over. Still up there. Going down. You heard it here first.”

Let’s look at his reasoning.

1.)    1. He claims that we waste too much time on social media sites.

This is understandable; because we have all done it. We have all gotten sucked into these sites for hours without even knowing that time has passed until we realize that its 3 a.m. and we signed in at noon.

2.)    2. He has gotten some poor (let’s face it ­–negative) responses to how he used his Twitter account.

“My thought was, 'This is my Twitter. I can do whatever I want.” Sorry, but it doesn’t work that way. Sure, using Twitter to promote himself hosting the Academy Awards was a good idea. However, since then, he had been posting pictures that aren’t appropriate from an Oscar nominated actor, but rather from a Lindsay Lohan or Charlie Sheen type of celebrity. Due to his higher credentials, production companies will not want the face of their new film to post obscene images on the internet. This could result in the consumer not purchasing movie tickets—a nightmare to any producer.

Do I think that social media is “going down.” Not a chance. People like connecting with one another and social media is a constantly transforming medium that allows us to connect with ease. Sorry to the actors out there who have had a bad experience with social media, but it’s not going anywhere. It should be used with caution if you are in the public eye, unless you don’t care about your career.

Oscars Embrace Social Media Tools

This evening, the Oscars air on ABC but this year, there will be a new addition in the mix. The awards show has adapted to the social media needs of its younger audience. For instance, this year, ABC has created a “Back Stage Pass” application that allows users to view images of behind the scenes moments from their Iphones, Ipods, and Ipads.

But that’s not the only social media adaption that the Academy Awards are taking this year. Google has created a Trends tool to help people find searching for trends about anything related to the Oscars. Also, Twitter also created a #Oscars tag for everyone, from fans to nominees to use to help share their Oscars experience.

Why do you think these changes have been made? Could it be to create a community around the event that also allows viewers to participate in it, or is it to help draw in the attention and viewing from the younger demographic?

* Nadia Ibanez. “Oscars uses social media to keep audience in the know”. Business Review.com. Feb. 26, 2011.

POST Method

In Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff’s book, Groundswell, they identify one of the biggest problems with companies engaging in social media is that these companies go into social media for the wrong reasons.  For example, the authors described one company wanting to know how to use social media just because their competitor has an on-line presence. This reasoning isn’t recommended by the Groundswell team because a company needs to have a plan over what they want and need from being on-line. According to the author’s, companies should use their “POST” method. This method consists of:

·         People: How will your customers engage with the technology?

·         Objectives: What are the main goals?

·         Strategy: how do you want your relationships with your customers change?

·         Technology: What applications should you build?

What I found interesting about the POST method is that many companies created a presence on-line without considering what they want from the social media sites. An example of a company creating a site without considering the customers is the original M&M Twitter account. This page, from what I could tell, was created because it was “the thing to do”.  This is because the site wasn’t based on building a relationship with their customers, which social media is allows companies to do; but instead used it to broadcast company information.  Since, then companies, including M&M, have learned how to build relationships with their customers. Let’s hope that when the next new on-line phenomenon happens that companies will know to use it in order to help build relationships.

*Li, Charlene, and Josh Bernoff. Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Boston, MA: Harvard Business, 2008. Print.

Can Social Media lead the next Social Revolution?

One of the largest criticisms against Twitter (and Facebook statuses too) is that it is mostly random and pointless ramble from its users. And yes, that’s true; some people just post the first thing that comes to their mind. However, through proper searches and the use of hashtags, these sites can be very helpful in the sharing and receiving of news.

Maxwell Gladwell, writer for The New Yorker, and author of “Why the revolution will not be tweeted,” has great insight into the role of social media with social changes. These mediums do not have the power to start the next revolution, however they have the power to organize and inform its participants. For instance, the use of hashtages can make it easier for people to organize for protests because everyone will search for the same tag.

Although social media does not have the power to start the next social revolution, it can help bring them together and can fuel a social movement. This is because social media gives us the ability to find and connect with others who have our same views and interests around the world. Which makes me wonder, as the internet and social media evolve, will its role in social movements increase or decrease? Is it possible that one day a revolution will be started by social media?