Short Reflection Essay

Love this photo! Shows the public then and now!

I am not an avid blogger, but I have blogged for some classes in the past. However, I do keep up with blogs whether it’s fashion or a friends, I find it enjoyable and interesting to read. I believe that an individual is able to write freely in a blog; it is not like a research paper or an essay, it is more about connecting with your audience and building that relationship and comfort with them. Blogs are personal and I believe the person in charge of the blog should know their readers, what they like and how to always keep their attention.

As I was doing my blog, I noticed that the visuals and media are just as important as the text itself. If I didn’t incorporate videos or images, then the blog itself would be boring and would seem like an essay. I enjoyed using this blog as a way to stem off of Cairncross’ ideas and reflect on my own. I can see why blogging has become more popular in today’s society. Although some blogs are free, many people are buying blogs and are making money off of them. Some individuals make blogging a part time job. One must have the time, enjoy writing and have the passion to write about a specific topic in order to make one. Being able to use a blog for my mini project two made me look at another dynamic of media and another area I can explore. It is always good to familiarize yourself with different media outlets especially since I want to work in the entertainment industry.

            I would like to conclude with an interesting video containing facts and statistics that many of you may not be aware of. Social Media is revolutionary! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! Hope you all enjoyed it :)

The Fate Of Location

      Businesses and their decisions will no longer have to rely on location as a key component. Smaller business will be able to compete at the same level of bigger businesses. Social media has played a huge role with the upbringing of small businesses. I have specifically noticed small boutiques are using Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to not only reach out to their demographic, but also spread their business to consumers who didn’t even know about them. They are constantly posting new merchandise, their locations, store details and special sales/clearances. The public is able to respond, put items on hold, interact with employees, ask questions and even purchase items online. This strategy not only markets new products, but also boosts sales and creates a closer connection with consumers. Small businesses have boomed with the help of social media. Some companies even offer a percentage off of your purchase if you follow their page. In this situation, both the producer and the consumer are gaining incentives. The producer (small business) gains popularity and ultimately more sales. If one person follows and hears about the sale, then they may tell a friend who may tell another and so on. Every time someone creates a like or expression, more data is being generated and shared. The consumer also benefits because they are keeping up with the latest items that the store is displaying as well as receiving a discount. Location is not a problem because through social media, businesses are able to connect with buyers and are able to ship their items to the appropriate destination. Businesses benefit greatly from the use of social media, if not better than through regular marketing. As Forbes magazine once stated, “Social has become the new ‘production line’ for business... Social businesses that embrace this phenomenon are able to build expertise by making knowledge more accessible; fuel innovation by crowd sourcing ideas; improve productivity with better collaboration; and expand customer sales, loyalty and advocacy by providing exceptional digital experiences.” I could not have worded that any better myself!

        The entertainment industry has various dynamics with smaller corporations. It takes small businesses a lot longer to make there way into bigger entertainment industries. YouTube, a site that hosts user-generated videos, was quickly becoming a phenomenon in the entertainment industry. When it first came out, it started off slow and transformed into a successful business, which was later bought out by Google. However, not all small entertainment businesses have success stories. It is more difficult in the entertainment industry for smaller corporations to compete with larger ones. When it comes to businesses, I believe that social media is more effective than media such as television; however, it also heavily depends on the demographics. It is crazy how technological innovations have the power to change the physical and social world.

Word Count: 469

Hebner, S. (2014, January 27). Forbes. Retrieved from Three Ways Social Networking Leads

To Better Business: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ibm/2014/01/27/three-ways-

social-networking-leads-to-better-business/

Increased Mobility

            Cairncross states in her book, “every form of communication will be available for mobile or remote use.” She proceeds to explain that even though fixed connections such as cable offer better speed and capability, wireless will exponentially increase from large regions to relatively small areas. Now a days, one cannot go anywhere without their cellular device. I for one am definitely guilty of always being on my phone and being heavily reliant on it. Whether I am in the car or at a place, I carry a charger wherever I go. It is the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I check at night. I got my first phone when I was in middle school and now my little cousin who is seven years old has an iPhone. There are many advantages and disadvantages that come with the increase of mobility.

            With the help of satellite transmission to carry one signal to another, wireless communication is accessible and applicable. Social Media and entertainment play a huge role in increased mobility. For one, electronic companies and application innovators are constantly coming out with new applications on their cellular devices. Our phones come with monthly updates that we must download or our phones wont work properly. The mobile device has become an obsession and unfortunately many of us are very reliant on them. Having social media sites in the palm of our hands anywhere anytime is not only convenient, but it is easier to stay connected to friends and families. Our phones now come out with applications and software’s that have built in video chat. No matter how big or small, we are able to connect and communicate with anyone with a device that fits in our palms.

            Aside from social media, entertainment such as video, music, print, online gaming etc have all been able to be viewable, downloadable and applicable on a mobile device. Watching videos no longer has to be on a computer. Music no longer has to be listened on the computer, much less even be downloaded there. We are now able to buy books and store them on our mobile devices. We are even able to have someone read us the novel out loud while we are driving. We are able to upload photos, videos and audio to our entertainment sites with the click of a button. Cairncross states that over a period of time, telephones and computers will begin to blur. I can definitely see this happening in the future, as it is slowly happening now. Of course, increasing mobility decreases face-to-face communication, but that is with every new innovation created. Whether it is audio, video or text, a mobile device is now accessing every form of communication.

Word Count: 456

The Future of Internet Privacy

Do the people we share our data with, have our interests in mind? Couldn’t let this video go by! I know its 56 minutes long, but it is very insightful and one I found very interesting! If you have the time, take a look at it :)

A Loss of Privacy: User Beware

Have you ever heard of the phrase “if it's on the Internet, it isn't private?” Thanks to the Internet and its offspring social media, one can find out anything about anybody. Cairncross believed that privacy would become lost with the arising ‘electronic village.’ To no surprise, she was right. If we put our social networking sites as private, is our information really secure? Unfortunately, whether its private or public, none of our information is safe if we post it online. Some actions can ruin your reputation or put your safety and privacy at risk.

            Social media has transformed and remodeled every aspect of our lives, including our personal and professional identities. What you post online today can influence your career tomorrow. When one is applying for a job, companies will search you on Google and through social media. They will primarily check you on Facebook and if you don’t have it, they wonder why. Companies do not expect you to be buttoned up twenty four seven, but they expect a good image and a presentable individual representing their company. Twitter is now even being looked at. Employers look at the way you talk, what you share and your photos. Anything can make them not want to consider you as a potential employee. Tracking companies and Homeland Security are able to follow everything we do online. Our phone conversations are being tapped into for key words and even video games like World or Warcraft and Second Life have the government in search for suspicious activity and potential criminals.

New technologies can bring a new flow and present us with different problems. Take for instance, one of the latest innovations, the iPhone by apple. IPhone’s now have a feature where you can unlock your device by reading your fingerprint. Our fingerprints are now accessible by hackers, something that was extremely difficult to retrieve before. Also, there is a feature on our iPhone’s where we can be located at any time. One can upload a photo and without that person knowing, our location goes along with it. Facebook can also sync a persons personal information to your phone like their address, what school they go to, their phone number, interests, birth date, etc. Applications also take the publics privacy away. Just because an application is free, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look at the security settings.

Just recently, Florida State sent out an email about the ‘Heartbleed,’ a bug that has made major websites vulnerable to theft by hackers. The public is not able to tell if their data has been accessed, but what we do know is that this bug has been in existence for about two years. Anything from banking information, healthcare data, social security information, and so on can be identified through this bug. In other words, anything online isn’t safe. Although it may be annoying to develop a significant online presence and always be aware of what your posting, it can pay off in the end. We live in a world where we are all connected and once our information is put out there, you cannot get it back. The loss of privacy is no longer a paranoid fear; it is a realistic fear.

Below I have attached, a short video featuring Jonathan Stickland where he investigates the future of online privacy. 

Word Count: 560

The Death of Distance

“Distance will no longer determine the cost of communicating electronically,” states Frances Cairncross. The cost of sending a message across the world is effectively zero. Social media is exponentially increasing the boundaries of spatial borders. Individuals are able to communicate over social networking sites at any moment as long as they have access to the Internet. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Skype and even applications on our cell phones have significantly made it easier for individuals all over the country, despite the distance, to communicate with one another at no cost.

Distance is no longer an issue.  Facebook is a social networking site that is used specifically to connect with friends and family. Now a days, we don’t need to meet up with others face to face to know how their day went. Facebook has now been upgraded to even allow video chat. Skype was also specifically made to interact with others specifically those from around the world. One is able to webcam and chat with another person at no cost. Applications such as Instagram and WhatsApp are both completely different, but created for the same purpose. On Instagram, individuals are able to share their life with the use of pictures. One is also able to communicate and exchange personal messages as well as pictures. Also, with WhatsApp, individuals can communicate with more than one person at a time and in the same chat. All local exchange carriers can use it as well as different phones such as the iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia.

My mother has nine brothers and sisters who live in different countries. She would always purchase calling cards and have to schedule a time when both were able to talk. Now, she has an iPhone where she is able to Facetime with them as well as Skype, instant message and continuously text with WhatsApp at no charge. She even created an Instagram and Facebook to stay connected with her family members and high school friends. Companies are able to communicate with their employees easily and efficiently. Social media is often blamed for the negative things that happen in relationships, but it doesn’t always have to be negative. Without these social networking sites, one may not even find their future partner or connect with significant others.

            However, I do see how social media can become a problem. It is becoming less and less social and interpersonal. Social media is seen more about promoting ourselves than actually communicating with others. From kids to elders, social media is being adopted at all ages. We live in a generation that is dependent on new advanced technological innovations thus decreasing face-to-face communication. Individuals are able to talk to one another over the Internet, text messaging and sometimes we don’t need to know what is going on in a persons life because we can just look at their social networking site. New communication technologies is modifying and revolutionizing the world we have previously known. Since companies are constantly making advanced technology, it is difficult to keep track of all the different ways to keep in touch. Advanced technology is altering our conceptions of communications at a global level.

Introduction - Genres and Trends

            Who would have known that throughout the sixties, seventies or even eighties generation, technology would be of such major importance in everyday life? Technology is one of the principal driving forces of the future; it is transforming our lives and shaping our future at rates unprecedented in history. We first started out with the telegraph, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and now internet. With such appliances, the media influence has not only grown exponentially, but its to the point where teens and adults cannot live without their tools.

            Straubhaar, LaRose and Davenport describe many types of web content genres such as blogs, online games, search engines, portals, social media and entertainment that we view on a daily basis. Frances Cairncoss shares with us in “Trendspotters Guide to New Communications” an array of trends in technology that can be found in Eric Bucys book titled “Living in The Information Age.”

1. The Death of Distance

2. The Fate of Location

3. The Irrelevance of Size

4. Improved Connections

5. More Customized Content

6. A Deluge of Information

7. Increased Value of Brand

8. Increased Value in Niches

9. Communities of Practice

10. Near Frictionless Markets

11. Increased Mobility

12. More Global Reach, More Local Provision

13. The Loose Knit Corporation

14. More Minnows, More Giants

15. Manufacturers as Service Providers

16. The Inversion of Home and Office

17. The Proliferation of Ideas

18. A New Trust

19. People as the Ultimate Scarce Resource

20. The Shift From Government Policing to Self-policing

21. Loss of Privacy

22. Redistribution of Wages

23. Less Need For Immigration and Emigration

24. A Market for Citizens

25. Rebirth of Cities

26. The Rise of English

27. Communities of Culture

28. Improved Writing and Reading Skills

29. Rebalance of Political Power

30. Global Peace

In future blogs, I will demonstrate how two major genres, entertainment and social media, play a role with Carncross’ trends. Stay tuned to see which three trends I chose to elaborate on out of the thirty!

Cairncross, Frances (2005). Living In The Information Age. By Erik P. Bucy. (2nd ed.). Print. 

Word Count: 350