How do you think social media will change in the future? What other trends will you add to the mix? Are there any specific technologies that you think will gain popularity or emerge?

I truly believe that as time advances, so will the changes in technology. It is very difficult to pinpoint exactly what new and innovative creations will become part of the cycle because the advancements thus far have already been truly unbelievable. Being able to talk face to face through a phone no matter where you are of even uploading pictures and sharing them with family and friends over a website, the ideas are only getting more creative and I think at this rate things are moving now, social media will hold an even bigger role than it does today. This generation is constantly technology starved and this starvation will only continue to grow. For these unsatisfied hunger prices, there are people rapidly working each day to meet the demands. Social media is a large market and billions of dollars can be made with “one” great idea. The changes for social media in the future will only continue to expand successfully if the demands of target groups are understood and always taken to another level. I believe Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are all very big trends momentarily and hold extremely strong positions in the social media market. As many have witnessed Facebook is always updating which means that it is keeping up with the latest technologies. If all social media is capable of doing this then these trends have a much greater chance of having a permanent position rather then being a technological fad. With the unfortunate passing of Steve Jobs, Apple Inc lost one of its most creative innovators but I don’t think it will lose its spark any time soon at all. Apple will emerge with greater technology than the average joe could ever dream of. Just look at the iTouch, iPhone and iPad and all the apps included. Many markets have attempted to compete against Apple with similar products but Apple is always one step ahead. When it comes down to popularity and the emergence of new technologies, Apple has my vote. No one comes close. Feel free to argue but I am a loyal member of the Apple team and in the deck of cards that social media, Apple is the ace.

Do you think that social media has the potential to bring about real social change?

Social media has the potential to bring about read social change because it encourages the younger generation to fight for it. Most young adults recieve their news through Twitter updates or even Facebook
news feeds which are re-posted and spread by friends, making it more intriguing to read. Even though cellular devices can now have a constant connection with all that is happening. Social change somewhat has a dependency on social media to help reach its target. For example, many protesters such as the "Occupy" protesters, use the  blackberry app, "blackberry messenger" or the new iPhone app "Imessage" to say in contact with one another and spread the word about where and when the organizations are going to meet. These apps help create peaceful and well organized protests for the youths, who are trying to fight for a difference and a change. Social media has changes a lot, it does not just serve a purpose of talking to one another, and is not just there for our entertainment purposes, it is being used for a lot of reason, especially now a days big business are using it for a mere purpose of another way just to advertise their goods and services. Social media has a definite potential to bring about read social change.

Social media has allowed everyday citizens to become authors, editors, and publishers of news and information. Do you believe that social media has increased the quality of news and information or decreased it?

There is no argument to the fact that social media is universal and can be accessed by virtually anyone in a technologically advanced country or city. News travels within seconds and is passed down from one social networking site to another within a matter of minutes. A news story can already be on twitter or Facebook before it even reaches radio and TV broadcasting stations. Although the speed may be very convenient, the authenticity of the actual information itself can be questionable. Because anyone can post whatever they like, the facts become misconstrued, almost like a virtual game of broken telephone, it becomes different each time. The varying information then becomes publicly accessed, leaving questions of what is true and what is false. It’s very difficult to pinpoint if social media increases or decreases the quality of news when you look at it from opposing angles.  Social media increases the quality of news due to its high rate of speedy public access but it can decrease it with the level of twisted facts. This can happen due to the all freedom that comes with social networking postings. For entertainment purposes, some may add more “details” to a story or in many cases, bias can play a huge role. Depending on the story being told, because everyday citizens are the ones posting, personal feelings and opinions can mix with the news/information which can cause the reader(s) to become offended which can then, in turn, spark another post and so on. At the end of the day social media is supposed to be a beneficiary tool for the public, if you want to see people battling over politics and news stories that’s the place to be, but if you just want strictly facts, its better to stick to the news stations, it’s less messy.

What is your perception of social media, do you think it is a fad or the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

Social media has become the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution.  It has expanded and improved since yesterday and will continue to expand and improve even tomorrow. Social media is growing rapidly and has become part of our lives, whether we have consented or not. It is hard to avoid such powerful organizations when we become face to face with them at every corner we turn. Not only can we stay connected with our social media networks at home but now we can take them with us on the bus, at work or even on a simple walk, all with one click on our cell phones. Yes, social media has expanded to cell phone applications, now the anxiety of waiting to come home and checking our facebook notifications or twitter updates can be satisfied anywhere and anytime. It is amazing though, how much social media can affect our lives. Through facebook we rekindle with old friends or distant family members. We can comment on our friend’s pictures from the party last week and send a quick reminder on our co-worker’s “wall” about a shift we need them to take this weekend. It has all become so convenient.  No more having to wait to physically see a person or even call them on the phone. Nope, all it takes is a few typed words and a send button to make our lives that much easier. Although social media has benefited us in so many ways and has admittedly made many things so convenient in our “busy” lives, every good thing has an ugly side. Just as water can be so calm and beautiful and allows us to rid ourselves of the blistering heat on hot summer days, it can turn dangerous within a blink of an eye. From soothing splashes of water arise rapid waves, teaching us to be careful and that too much of a good thing, well, isn’t necessarily a good thing. Social media breaches privacy on so many levels for example, archiving all our information and pictures. People we haven’t even met know where we live, where we work and where we go to school. Who really sits there and reads the privacy agreements when signing up or making an account for these sites? Don’t we all just skim past it until we get to the “I Agree” checkbox? As many people have experienced, social media sites also stem hatred and fighting. Behind a computer screen people send each other threatening messages, which is a form of harassment. But these things are never reported because it has become a norm and happens to often to be taken care of. Social media is a whole other world with different rules. Social media sites have helped us in many ways but there is so much that we don’t question. Is it because we don’t care? Or is it because we just don’t know? Are we ignorant to the unappealing facts? Do we only want to see the good and pretend the bad does not exist? Whatever the case may be, social media is unstoppable. It will expand and grow to new lengths every day.  As the general public, we are the targets. So we should embrace these sites because of their benefits, but never forget our rights to safety and privacy.

First Blog Post

Hey everyone whats good :)
First week of school was great, met some interesting people already, have a feeling my final year at Durham College will be a great one.