Post by danc5311 on Oct 29, 2014 14:50:22 GMT -5
I have never been a big user of social media. Before this class I have only had a twitter account briefly and I even had to reactivate my facebook page in order to join the group. Instagram was completely foreign to me as I had never even touched it. It was quite a challenge to remember to post on social media every single day. Social media is just not an everyday part of my daily routine.
The thing I learned the most from this class was honestly how to use social media such as Twitter and Instagram. Of course, I was aware of these social media websites and knew the concepts of each but did not know how to actually operate them. I went from a basically non-existent presence on the web to a guy with his Instagram connecting friends through Facebook.
As an advertising major it is probably a good thing to be a little more aware of how social media actually works in practice (although I already knew what they all did and the purposes that they served) but I can not wait to delete my accounts. I really have no need for them. I do not enjoy using social media websites even in the slightest. While I understand the appeal I am certain that it is not for me. Social media can do many wonderful things for great organizations but on an individualistic level I do not want to be a part of it anymore. I will continue to stay aware of social media trends for advertising sake but that does not mean I have to participate personally. Social media has a tendency to simultaneously build confidence yet also increase loneliness and the feeling of isolation. It is the ultimate irony of modern times. Social media is such a powerful thing that connects us to other people but upon staring at the computer screen long enough completely alone it can actually do the opposite. It takes us away from people. We may be able to connect with old friends and see what everyone is up to but how many times do you see people sitting across from each other and instead staring at social media on their phone? You become virtually connected yet in reality totally alone.
Do not get me wrong I believe social media has done very well for non-profit organizations that deserve the support but it is the individual that suffers. Young people brought up in the age of social media are struggling with natural human interaction. It is no longer a world of handshakes and eye contact but one of alerts and status updates. Who is to completely say which is better? All I know is that shortly after this class I will be deleting all social media that I currently have.
The thing I learned the most from this class was honestly how to use social media such as Twitter and Instagram. Of course, I was aware of these social media websites and knew the concepts of each but did not know how to actually operate them. I went from a basically non-existent presence on the web to a guy with his Instagram connecting friends through Facebook.
As an advertising major it is probably a good thing to be a little more aware of how social media actually works in practice (although I already knew what they all did and the purposes that they served) but I can not wait to delete my accounts. I really have no need for them. I do not enjoy using social media websites even in the slightest. While I understand the appeal I am certain that it is not for me. Social media can do many wonderful things for great organizations but on an individualistic level I do not want to be a part of it anymore. I will continue to stay aware of social media trends for advertising sake but that does not mean I have to participate personally. Social media has a tendency to simultaneously build confidence yet also increase loneliness and the feeling of isolation. It is the ultimate irony of modern times. Social media is such a powerful thing that connects us to other people but upon staring at the computer screen long enough completely alone it can actually do the opposite. It takes us away from people. We may be able to connect with old friends and see what everyone is up to but how many times do you see people sitting across from each other and instead staring at social media on their phone? You become virtually connected yet in reality totally alone.
Do not get me wrong I believe social media has done very well for non-profit organizations that deserve the support but it is the individual that suffers. Young people brought up in the age of social media are struggling with natural human interaction. It is no longer a world of handshakes and eye contact but one of alerts and status updates. Who is to completely say which is better? All I know is that shortly after this class I will be deleting all social media that I currently have.