While attempting to decide
exactly what to write about under the vast subject of Social Media, I became
distracted. I did as most people
do, and I turned on my television.
Luckily for me, my television slapped me back into reality because
within moments I watched this scene from the 2008 movie Yes Man:
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Do we really exist outside of our networking? What is a presence if it is not online?
Thinking back on my college experience, all forms of socialization happened through Facebook. While Facebook chatting with friends who were sometimes a mere dorm room away, the popular social networking site basically became my social calendar. It was over Facebook that I would get invited to parties. It was over Facebook that I would hear about club general interest meetings, on-campus events, or even social protests.
Do we really exist outside of our networking? What is a presence if it is not online?
Thinking back on my college experience, all forms of socialization happened through Facebook. While Facebook chatting with friends who were sometimes a mere dorm room away, the popular social networking site basically became my social calendar. It was over Facebook that I would get invited to parties. It was over Facebook that I would hear about club general interest meetings, on-campus events, or even social protests.
Which begs the question: How
did people find out about these things before the internet?
To answer this question, I
turned to the coolest college student of 1981…my mother.
Naturally, I asked her this
question over iChat.
“hmm, I have to remember back that far, lol. Parties, word of mouth, definitely. Other things, I think flyers. Maybe school newspaper”
Parties may still have word of mouth promotion. There may still be some flyers put up
in central locations on campus.
However, given that many upperclassmen at my college campus often do not
frequent dorms or the University Center, it is unlikely that a flyer would have
nearly as lasting of an impact as an event on Facebook.
So where do
college students who abstain from social networking stand? Where does anyone stand?
In this web 2.0
world, there is a place for everyone and everything. So why isn’t everyone and
everything online? Why isn’t
everyone networking?
Over the summer,
I “liked” Pier One Imports because they had a $10 coupon available for everyone
who “liked” them that day. Pier
One was a place I seldom thought about or considered shopping until then. However, since then, I think about them
everyday. How could I not? They’re on my news feed. Without Facebook, they would just be
another company that would never cross my mind.
Today, people
are turning to Facebook and Twitter not only for enhancement of friendship, but
also for consumer-related decisions.
Without social networking, a person or company won’t even be an option
in the Web 2.0 world
.
After all, as
Zooey Deschanel’s character in the clip above alludes, without social
networking one's mere existence is questionable to the point of negligible.
Such an interesting point! It is really true that if you don't "fb" you literally don't exisit. As a co-partner in a company that is based 95% on social media marketing, I know first hand how important it is to grab people's attention via the web, and specifically on Facebook. I only hope our company can be like Pier One was for you!!
ReplyDeleteFacebook has definitely changed my college career and it is not only in the social realm that it has had an influence; both for group projects, with co-workers, and my roommates I have found that facebook is sometimes the easiest way to get a message to everyone. Because many college students especially check facebook just as frequently (if not more) than the do their email you know people will see your message, and because of the way people always reply to the whole group you know that everyone can see the message.
DeleteI havent "liked" any stores on Facebook, but if I saw a deal like the one Pier One offered, I probably would. Some of the things that I have liked (bands or websites), are things that I might have forgotten about past the moment that I "liked" them on Facebook, but now I have frequent reminders about their existence, and I often click on them once they show up on my new feed because a link to a news story on the huffington post, for example, is probably more interesting than a picture what someone I went to high school with is eating for lunch that day. I used to be pretty reluctant to "like" things on Facebook because I mostly used it for keeping up with my friends, but now I like that it keeps me in the loop with news and band tours etc.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on that one! I "liked" a little place called Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI, last summer. It is part of the Wisconsin Historical Society and located in the former winter headquarters of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Its mission is to give audiences a real "circus" experience. I fell in love with this place and "liked" it at the request of Circus World's singing ringmaster. I had never done this before with any organization and have been surprised at how connected I continue to feel to it through the frequent posts I receive over its newsfeed about events, new historical circus wagon acquisitions, restorations of old wooden carousel horses, next year's programming, etc. I definitely feel part of the extended Circus World family because of this and have even become a modest donor. If I hadn't "liked" Circus World on Facebook, it would have become just another pleasant, but fading, memory from my vacation last summer.
DeleteHi, Maxie! I love your blog! It is so interesting to me to hear what a central role social media has played in your life and especially in your college experience. I can't imagine what it would be like to try to conceive of a world without social media, since I grew up in one, but it's obvious how crucial it has been to all facets of your life and I appreciate you sharing that with us. It really gives me a picture of what technology has meant to your world. I have to admit, however, that I have approached social media warily and only joined Facebook, so I could see pictures of my great-nieces and great-nephews. (Although I so wish this technology had existed when my nieces were small!) I didn't even want to join LinkedIn, because I felt that it made so much about me that had heretofore been private, public, but once I started job hunting, I realized that it was an invaluable tool. Even with all these advantages, however, my primary attitude toward social media still remains cautious.
ReplyDeleteI can see why you would feel cautious moving forward with social media. It's a scary thing! As someone who was on Aol Instant Messenger since I was ten, had webpages until I was 13, various teenage-geared blogs (easyjournal, blurty, xanga, and livejournal) from ages 13-16, Myspace ages 14-17, and of course, Facebook 16+. And a LastFM, LinkedIn and more Harry Potter-themed message boards you could ever imagine I know that there is a reason to be cautious. The internet is flooded with words that I wish I could take back. Luckily, 90% of those aforementioned accounts are so buried in the depths of the world wide web that I can't even find them. Still, though, my entire teenage angst existence is so thoroughly and so pointlessly outlined on the web. Now, when I see people posting all about their personal feelings on Facebook, I can't help but cringe in thinking about how immature it is. And how scary.
DeleteReading about how your mom reacted to your question, reminded me about something my supervisor said at work the other day. She said "Back in the 50s, when I was born, I lived close to my extended family. If my mom was busy, my aunt was always there to give us food. I think my children are really missing out on all this."
ReplyDeleteWell back then social connection meant meeting/interacting personally now its meeting/greeting and congratulating online!
It's very intriguing to imagine what it was like before, and where exactly it's heading for the future generation. It is true that we rely on Facebook so much, and we don't know what it's going to be like without social media, because most of our friends are on it. Perhaps that's one of the reason why, in spite of all the privacy issues and creepy moments Facebook has brought about, we are still using it.
ReplyDelete