Are we journalists?

Many people think they should not create a blog because they don´t want to share personal information and let others read their writing. However, by having an account on any of the numerous social networks that exist today, you are most likely engaging in micro-blogging. Although micro-blogging differs from blogging in that it is a much more condensed version of a blog, it is along the same lines.

Micro-blogging is seen as a huge advantage in terms of marketing in today´s society. Twitter and Tumblr were the first two platforms to truly introduce micro-blogging and get people started. It is common that people post status updates or links for things that they like or things that interest them. This is unknowingly the basis for a blog. For example, many of the things I post on Facebook other than my own personal pictures would probably fall under the categories of food, fashion, or random things I find interesting that I stumble upon. Those are the topics in which I have centered my blog around, without even realizing that fact.

Journalism has become much more prevalent among social media because of the growth of social networks. Now, people view their social networking accounts at least once a day which is where articles from journals are being posted and shared. People come across articles just through scrolling through their news feed. This has brought a lot more attention to certain journals because not many people specifically view the site for “The New York Times” for example, on a daily basis.

Social media today has given journalism much more publicity than it had about 10 years ago. In today’s society, if major news occurs, people will find out instantly just through checking social media. People post status updates or share links to articles as soon as they hear about major world events. This social media realm allows us individuals to be journalists on our own in a way because we are sharing news with the public and with our friends at the click of a button. Journalism’s main source is through social media because social media users are the ones to spread the word and it can be done in the quickest way possible.

From users of social media collecting information, summarizing it, and distributing that information to others, they are a journalist. It may not be a profession of theirs but that is, in short, the job of a journalist although it is probably on a much smaller scale as a social media user. In this generation we have gained so much more access to communicating with a large group of people through media and it will probably become even easier to do so as new technology is created. I can’t even imagine what else could be created in terms of social media but I’m sure in the next few years there will be a new social network that makes it even easier for us “journalists” to distribute information to the public.

What’s your status?

In today’s society, social media websites have become our main source of information. It is completely common nowadays that people find out about major events and information through social media. Along with that, we have very high ambient awareness when it comes to knowing every little detail about someone’s life. All of the people we are connected with on social media whether it is through friendship, family, or work are able to gain a lot of information about us just through our online profiles. By posting what you may think is a simple, pointless status update or sharing a link you find interesting on Facebook, you are alerting however many people you are “friends”. Next thing you know, people will be reaching out to you based on what your status said or commenting their response to that link you shared.

Facebook status updates reveal more about you than you would think. Apparently, people that are constantly posting status updates about their boyfriend or girlfriend are commonly thought to have low self-esteem. Not only does this divulge that information, but also clearly displays for people your role in that romantic relationship, depending on the things you post about your partner. The obvious giveaway from status updates, or even the “relationship status” section on your profile, is it shows people whether you are in a relationship, recently getting out of one, or single.

Ambient awareness is a term that is used basically to refer to the almost unconscious knowledge that people engaged in social media have about their “friends”. Obviously, most people are not actually friends with all of their facebook friends or instagram followers and so on. However, all of these “friends” see what is going on in your life and learn information about you just from scrolling through their newsfeed. It is very common today that we know several personal details about someone’s life that we may not have even met in person, just through seeing them on social media. 

The TV show Catfish is a great example of how social media has evolved. The idea that people start relationships from only talking online and seeing each other’s social media profile yet never meeting in person is the basis of the show. But, the twist is that most of these people are providing false information about themselves online as a way to escape issues they truly have with themselves. Although this isn’t quite ambient awareness it is a good example of how much information (whether it’s true or false) people can get from someone’s social media presence.

There are numerous different social networks that people have profiles on. All of which have users engaged in ambient awareness. People go on Facebook and scroll through their newsfeed. Say they come across a friend from middle school they haven’t seen in years posted pictures from Africa. This “friend” wrote the location in Africa where she was and documented all the cool things she did on her travels. That alone is a great source of UGC because people may use that as a guide for their trip to Africa. Also, now you are completely aware of what a friend from middle school, who you haven’t spoken to in years, has been up to lately. It’s amazing how only about 10-12 years ago none of this existed. Social media has truly made a huge difference in the world we live in today.