Tag: social

Social Media and Society

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Us Now (Gormley, 2009) in this week’s flip lecture paints social media as inspiration to what is described by one of its experts as the “unbundling and reconstituting of what is a government.” The idea the film focuses upon is that a part of human nature is the urge to socialise

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and connect; key concepts in the development not only of society, but social media. Sites such as Mumsnet, Couchsurfing and thepeoplespeak emulate a ‘community spirit’  that was once available freely to human beings before we became attached to technology. The idea is for people who share similar characteristics and needs to be given a forum to speak to one another and share answers. Mumsnet in particular, allows mums from all over the world to communicate with one another on matters related to maternity and childcare, some leaning towards trust on fellow mothers more than their general practitioners. Not only is the site accessible and mostly quick in response, one would have access to a variety of people who have experienced or have knowledge of their predicament.

Couchsurfing, unlike Mumsnet, draws on Week Two’s Understanding Social Media‘s proposal that media networks on the Internet are grounded in the real world. Although there might be doubt with the form’s authenticity, the author claims no reduction despite the virtual distance between its users. Couchsurfing’s purpose of drawing travellers and potential ‘couch hosts’ leads one to seeing a devaluation of privacy, but builds a stronger relationship based on trust. This idea of having social media draw people together for at least a night of ‘couch surfing’ or ultimately, sleeping at a stranger’s house, brings a tangible economy between them by relying on people’s natural collaborative nature.

We are Legion

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This week’s flip lecture on activist organisation Anonymous illustrates the power of the Internet in creating communities of similar interest, as well as inspiring participation in events through various social media. It is made clear in this documentary that a congregation of individuals with a similar purpose can conceive greater action than a single hacker. In this case, the hijacking of virtual reality world Habbo Hotel by userswith ‘black men in suits’ avatars, conveyed ultimate frustration and eventual deterioration of the particular phenomenon.

The Internet is a tool in providing people the opportunity for expressiveness through the promise of anonymity. Often, a common enemy or a common goal is conceived to attract people who take action, as seen in the conflict between Anonymous and Scientology. Though the fragility of privacy on the Internet undoubtedly dictates an invasion of identity. One’s ‘internet identity’ is easily tracked to their ‘real identity’ and can be used as a form of weapon against sects like Scientology. Besides ‘trolls’ who performs vulgar acts of annoyance for their personal entertainment, all hackers are considered political for their use of garnered information is based on opinion.

It is interesting to hear that in today’s modern world, taking down a site is considered a ‘legitimate form of protest’ in Germany.

Generation Like

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This week’s ‘flip lecture’ features 45-minute documentary Generation Like; a piece on the synthesis of social media to the lives of modern young adults. It is clear prior to viewing the film that social media acts mostly as a competition of likes/friends/followers, in an attempt to emulate fame through instant gratification. Although the idea of empowering kids through self-expression and the ability to communicate with

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their idols (via Twitter), there are things that corporations such as Facebook and Twitter are not so open about.

The idea of “taking teen culture and selling it back” comes from two elements, that is, the endorsement of commercial products and thetracking of user activity. Successful social media practitioners such as YouTube’s Tyler Oakley unknowingly promote brands that receive their approval, in his case, his obsession with the boy band One Direction. Secondly, these corporations are aware of their users’ activity through the use of unknown algorithms that track preferences and supply more options for prolonged interaction. This knowledge is then taken to shape the brand according to the consumers’ desires.

As a social media producer, it is clear that to study the target audience is important in creating a successful campaign. Utilising the strategy of other social media practitioners, one must cater towards the demands of the consumers, by eliciting curiosity and exhausting visibility.

With that, there are some details that are necessary in the success of the Symphony Cacophonia (working title). Firstly, as per discussed during the tutorial, the event will need to be held somewhere within obvious reach of the public, most likely on a weekday. The State Library and Federation Square are amongst the venues that were mentioned during our meeting. Although the musical aspect will be initiated by actual musicians, the public must feel unwary of approach, through clear signage and spatial allowance that encourages participation. As of now, the group must look into council permits and any laws that may affect the event, to ensure that its success will be without a doubt.