Blog #2 Social Networking

I feel the most significant technology discussed in this course is the innovation of social networking sites (SNS). Social networking sites allow for computer-mediated social interaction. According to class lecture on Thursday March 8, 2012, a social networking site must allow users to do three things: construct a public/semipublic profile within the bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom one can share a connection, and the site must have the ability to view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within a system. Also, according to class lecture on Thursday March 8, 2012, people today spend more time on social networking sites that any other internet website. The most popular of social networking sites today are Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace. Although Myspace has lost much of its momentum in the United States, the site is still very popular in other parts of the world, as it was the first SNS to allow customization of one’s profile. Facebook was the first site to allow a “news feed,” while Twitter helped to revolutionize microblogging. Before social networking blogs on the internet were too long and boring, so today the idea of the 120 character limit update is embraced widely. Social networking sites allow users to share their beliefs, ideas, photos and even world news in a matter of seconds, or the amount of time it takes to post an update. Social networking has assisted in creating a “global village.” Society is no longer bound to the perimeters of their own country or culture, rather we can now share information with anyone. Global or local news is easily expressed through social networking sites, and as a result most use social networking a news platform. A great example of the effects of social networking sites have on society is the 2008 presidential election. The Obama campaign capalized on the use of social media and often used SNS to gain volunteers. Another example is the 2006 immigration marches. The issues of immigration were spread through sharing opinions and news stories on different social media platforms. Thousands of immigration marches were organized through Facebook and Myspace (Gil de Zúñiga, 2012, p. 319). Social networking sites have irrevocably changed the way we communicate as a society, and they will continue to shape future computer-mediated communication.

Gil de Zúñiga, H. (2012), Social Media Use for News and Individuals' Social Capital, Civic Engagement and Political Participation. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17: 319–336. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2012.01574.x

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The Theory of the Long Tail

The Theory of the Long Tail, in my opinion, is a theory that very accurately describes our economy and culture’s shift from mass media to a more specialize media market. According to the textbook, our economy is shifting away from a small number of hits at the head of a market, to a much bigger number of hits in the “tail” of the market. In other words, the focus is not on one large mass media audience, but on numerous smaller markets. According to the lecture on Thursday January 26, 2012, what is considered a hit show today would be labeled a flop 20 years ago. The reason being, television shows today are targeting specific niche markets, not just one large mass media market. The hundreds of television channels or the millions of songs on iTunes, allow distribution to focus on many niche audiences. Conclusively, the advances in our technologies are allowing consumers to have access to an array of niche content, thus expanding the long tail.

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