Twitter - the good, the bad and the ugly.

Twitter is a form of social media that moves fast.  I love it and hate it at the same time.  Twitter is one form of Social Media that I don't quite get.  Is it my age?  My lack of time ?  Or just not being quite ready for the fast pace at which it travels.  Whilst I see it's value I am not sure I will ever be an everyday user.  Sharing information in 140 characters or less has meant people are to the point, direct, efficient in their use of words or symbols and also allows readers or users to rapidly scan information.  Depending on how many others you follow determines who quickly your feed moves and how much information flows each minute. This image sums up just some of the different types of users on twitter.

One of the definite benefits of Twitter is it allows you to be a part of a virtual community.  

A 'virtual community' is a group of people who may or may not meet each other face to face, and who exchange word or ideas through the mediation of computer bulletin boards and networks.  Like any other community, it is also a collection of people who adhere here to a certain (loose) social contract, and who share certain (eclectic) interests. (Rheingold, 1994).  You decide who you follow and whose news or feeds provide relevant information.  If you decide you no longer find someone's information relevant it is within your control to unfollow them instantly.  

You can choose to follow those who inspire you, entertain you, inform you or who you hope may one day be a real life friend.  

Twitter amongst other forms of social media makes the world a smaller place.  Are you interested in a certain topic?  Want to find to out others think about a TV show?  All you need to do is search using the hashtag of your choice and you will be able to join in the conversation of your virtual community.  

(A hashtag is when users assign a word or phrase prefixed with the symbol # to make information easier to find on social media).  Although be careful.  Many a celebrity and company have been caught out using inappropriate hashtags or had their hashtags taken over by the virtual community to become something completely different to what they intended. (Nesterenko, 2013)

As shown very well by Group B this week Twitter is one of the best ways for celebrities to show their popularity, stay in touch with fans and have control over how they are represented.  They also use it very well for advertising. When advertisers can get access to millions of consumers with just one tweet from a celebrity they would be crazy not to utilise it.  

The immediacy of Twitter makes it an extremely powerful tool for sharing news.  In a crisis users are able to get feedback about things as they happen and stay in touch with those they would never have otherwise been able to communicate details of events or how they have unfolded.  During the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy of early 2013 Boston police officials were able to get messages out using Twitter instantly and also track tweets from the day using hashtags relating to the event.  (Bright Planet 2013).  They used it to request video or photos from the event and also for witness identification and geolcation.

Twitter is a form of Social media that in my opinion is not going away.  It currently has around 230 million users and is only just entering the market in some countries. (Mogg, 2013)

Growth in the future is certain.

References

Bright Planet  Boston Marathon Tragedy: The use of Twitter in a Crisis by Law Enforcement and Public Service Agencies.  Accessed December 8, 2013. (ONLINE)

Mogg, T, 2013 , Twitter wants to work on phones that don't have data access at all. Digital Trends.  Accessed December 8, 2013. (ONLINE)

Nesterenko, H 2013, Enhancing your Twitter Strategy: 5 Hashtag Mistakes to Learn From Social Media Today. (Accessed December 8, 2013.) (ONLINE)

Rheingold, H 2008, Virtual Worlds Research -Past Present and Future. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research.

Mobile devices - What do you carry in your pocket???

This week some students presented a thorough analysis of our use of mobile devices.  It certainly led to some contemplation by me as to how, why and the way I use my mobile devices. 
One of the biggest phobias in the world today is Nomophobia- the fear of being without your mobile.  66% percent of those surveyed cited this as a real phobia recently in the UK. (Wrenn 2012;News.com.au 2013).

I carry around two devices- my iPhone and my blackberry (work phone).  The iPhone is for entertainment and connecting via apps and social media.  The blackberry is purely for work emails and used only when necessary to save on personal phone costs.

Carrying these devices makes me feel connected to the world and also efficient organized.  I travel by public transport over an hour each day and can therefore get many tasks done during that time that otherwise would be wasted. 

 Although I carry my phone with me at most times I am part of an earlier generation where instant response to text, phone calls and social media connection is not as prevalent.  My friends do not expect sms replies from me instantly and almost expect a 4-12 hour delay!!  I feel this puts me in a different category to the being switched on 24/7.   

The use of mobile devices especially phones comes down to good manners.  You can always choose not to answer your boss’s calls at dinner, check emails in bed with a spouse or have you phone turned on during a child’s school concert.    These social niceties should still exist and are part of living in social world. 

After watching the you tube clip 'I Forgot my phone' that the students included in the presentation I will be much more conscious of my behavior when socializing in real life!! I am certainly guilty of many of these situations.  

When watching the clip on ‘Right this minute’ that the group linked to their presentation it rattled me a little to think that the way we interact with the world is so heavily influenced by social media especially sharing websites.  Making decisions based upon the  -Yes I will do this activity so then I can instagram it or post it on Facebook.  Maybe I should be going on holiday as everybody else seems to be in an exotic location around the world??  I know I am guilty of it occasionally and it is something that concerns me for future generations especially.

I could live without my phone for a week but certainly would not want to.  As per the group’s research I definitely related to how I would feel without it more so than the practical implications – which would be many as well.  I need it to be accessible to work, and also for my children’s school to contact me while on the road.   The feeling that I cannot be contacted in an emergency does freak me out a little.    However saying that I have been known to ‘accidentally’ leave my phone at home so that I can go about my (personal) business unimpeded and without anyone knowing where I am every minute of the day.

Something else that was raised was the theory of cyborgs?  Now this one certainly had me questioning whether we are or not.  But as the group presentation mention being a cyborg means while we rely on the technology of a mobile device and almost always have one in or hands it is not absolutely necessary for our existence. 

The future of mobile devices is an interesting question to contemplate.  Some of the creations shown on the clip Futuristic mobile phones explore mobiles that double as health devices, translucent screens and high tech sports devices.  But who would of thought of how far we have come.  I am of the age where my first mobile was probably 4kgs and would struggle to fit any carry bag let alone my back pocket!! Things are changing and developing at a rapid pace and the amount of applications available to test, try and experiment with is almost mind-blowing.  I can’t wait to see what the future brings.

I wanted to include this little pic too.  Can you tell I have two young kids!!!!

References

News.com.au 2013, Nomophobia, the fear of not having a mobile phone, hits record numbers,  News.com.au, viewed 22 November 2013, <http://www.news.com.au/technology/nomophobia-the-fear-of-not-having-a-mobile-phone-hits-record-numbers/story-e6frfro0-1226655033189>.

Films For Action, 2013, I forgot my phone, Films For Action, viewed 23 November 2013, <http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/i_forgot_my_phone/>.

Right This Minute 2013, Fascinating look at the consequences of social media’, Right This Minute, viewed 15 Nov 2013, <http://www.rightthisminute.com/video/fascinating-look-consequences-social-media>

Instablogs 2010 Futuristic Mobile Phones, 17 January 2010, viewed 16 November 2013 <http://youtu.be/vlszo8U20ak>

Well here we go.  My first blog post of many to follow.  Let's hope it actually is beneficial to all those we get a chance to read.  I am currently studying the subject of Social media.  I thought I knew a fair bit about it however since starting my journey into the class there is still much to discover.
First first official post will be on Mobile devices.  Does anyone not have one these day?  I don't think so!!  Until next time….