Essay On Social Affordances

New media is a less traditional version of media resulting from the digitization of almost everything. Compared to its predecessor, new media is instantaneous, interactive, and universally accessible. The largest aspect of new media is social media. It’s role in today’s media environment presents an interesting paradox. On one hand, social media is rather limiting. It is incredibly easy to tailor one’s online experience to their personal beliefs and perspective. At the same time, social media presents the opportunity to connect with the world at large. To say that new media allows for one but the not the other would be incorrect.

Although news media talks about how social media affects American entertainment, psychology, and culture, few sources have definitively addressed what “social networking” implies. Because there is so much cross-over between social networking and other forms of media, the line between what is and what is not social media is very blurred. However, without a true definition of social networking, it is impossible to discuss its place in the media, in the workplace and in everyday life. It is necessary to understand what social networking is and what it is not in order to determine its purpose in society. While many believe social networking is one broad branch of networking with one general goal, this is not the case. “Social networking” is, in fact, a broad phrase to describe thousands of different social media types, each with its own unique set of purposes.

The drastic enhancements of technology have lead this generation to what we know and what we are used to. Since the late 90’s social media has drastically changed and upgraded. In 1997 the first recognizable social media site, Six Degrees was created. It was for users to upload personal photos and communicate with strangers and friends via social media. As we entered the early 2000’s more sites began to appear. Some which are very popular and still used to this day such as Facebook and Twitter. There is a vast variety of social media sites but they all create and allow an environment for individuals to blog and communicate with friends or

Furthermore, some suggest that due to the interactivity possible with new technology researchers should eliminate the distinction between communities of place and virtual communities (Delanty, 2003). Yet, differences do exist between geographic and virtual communities for example using Putnam’s (2000) idea of reciprocity those who lurk, i.e read comments within a virtual community but never post are not part of the group. However, some researchers of virtual community consider those lurkers members of the group based on their knowledge and interest in the community (Blanchard & Markus, 2004). It is possible that technology has created unique social structures within online community that often differ based on engagement involvement (Saramäki et. al, 2014). This leads into the third type of community, which combines elements of place-based and virtual

“Social media allows people to connect with each other to create and share information. It is people-powered communication, an authentic dialogue motivated by a basic human desire to share information” (CIPD, Social Media and Employee Voice Report 2013). ‘Click’ and my message is on its way to my friend’s Facebook inbox hundred of miles away. The astonishing speed of how quick we can communicate in today’s societies, all thanks to social media. The invention of Facebook simplified everything we know about communication. We can connect to people whenever and wherever, sharing information has never been more convenient and exciting. In Shane Hipps’ Article, “ Is Facebook Killing Our Souls?,” he has no intention to impede technological advancements, instead he wants users to understand technologies with insights. According to my research, although Hipps ' points has some merits, I disagree with him because he overgeneralized the impacts that Facebook and other social media has on users’ behaviors and identities.

Edison Reasearch and The Arbitron Incorporation administered a survey in 2013 to provide statistics on behaviors and attitudes of people who access digital platforms. Their findings shed light on the use of social media networks and smartphones, which influence the quality of communication in society. This study found that six in ten Americans have a social profile on a SNS and that 71 million Americans show habitual use of social media. A thirty-eight percent increase in a five-year span of those who have a SNS, and a twenty-two percent increase of habitual users. The greatest growth rate is seen in people 55 and older, which is not surprising. People of this age group typically experience cultural lag, meaning it takes a bit more time

Watkins reasoned that social-networking site preference relates to preservation of social class and privilege. The way college students distinguish between social classes simply imitates the way they distinguish social-networking sites. It enables middle-class cultures to not only reinforce their position of privilege and taste, but also their social status, all through the use of specific social-networking sites. Watkins also suggests that the shift from Myspace to

Technology as a whole has changed the way we live our everyday lives in numerous ways. We now have the opportunity to do many things with a touch of a button, to name a few, starting our cars, tying our shoes, or accessing the world of social media. The single piece of technology that has impacted most of us today is the cellular phone, which leads us to the wonders of the Internet. In today’s society there is a plethora of troubles we face, what comforts most of us and makes our lives a little easier is the world of social media. Social media sites like Facebook, Snapchat, Tinder, Twitter, and countless other websites can help us feel connected with the world and/or our surroundings. To most people social media might

According to writer Martin Beck, “Nearly two-thirds of all Americans use social media” (2015). Social media networks are websites that are dedicated to communication, recreation, and sharing with others. Social media is a cultural phenomenon that is worldwide, including websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For instance, Facebook is essentially life displayed on a screen that can be seen by friends, family, and peers. A person can upload pictures, videos, write messages to each other, and reconnect with people. In his article, Beck writes that prior to the creation of Facebook only 7 percent of Americans used social media (2015). Over a ten year span, 27 different surveys, and 62, 000 interviewees, Beck discovered that 90 percent

Social media has often been referred to as a social institution capable of influencing worldwide audiences through the shaping of gender norms. Gender identity is no longer decided at birth, but whenever culture and social conditions dictate. “Social media, the end of gender.” (Blakeley, 2011) For decades, traditional media has been using demographics to understand and categorize its audience, namely age demographics. Different from traditional media, social media networks pay particular

Research into the use of SNSs has provided opportunities for social researchers to contrast the use of social media and psychological wellbeing using the global use and deficiency paradigms. As previously mentioned the global use paradigm suggests that people’s patterns of behaviour are the same in an online and offline setting. Whereas the deficiency paradigm suggests that individuals are making up for a lack of offline interpersonal relationships by using social media sources. There has been much research into individual’s personality traits and motives for using SNSs.

* What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks. This can result in connections between individuals that would not otherwise be made, but that is often not the goal, and these meetings are frequently between "latent ties" (Haythornthwaite, 2005) who share some offline connection. On many of the large SNSs, participants are not necessarily "networking" or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network. To emphasize this articulated social network as a critical organizing feature of these sites, we label them "social network sites."

Defining social media is a tricky task to do because of its constant change (Tess, 2013). Ober and Wildman have explained that social media involve a vast range of PC and mobile platforms which continue to develop constantly, launched and re-launched, abandoned also ignored daily in countries all over the world that consist of various forms of communication (Ober & Wildman, 2013). Although Facebook is “dominant’ face of social media (Tess, 2013) and twitter is one of the popular micro-blogging website (Tess, 2013), however in recent times, various social networking sites, blogs, wikis, multimedia platforms, virtual game

The use of SNSs (social network sites) can have both positive and negative effects on the individual; however, few studies identify the types of people who frequent these Internet sites

More people are currently ready to participate in the communities they are occupied with. They can structure different communities and meeting in the web, and in addition make quantities of distributions of learning and data. From one perspective, consumers look for the answers they need to know on the net, and then again, they give others their conclusions and give a few arrangements.