Blog #2: Impacts of Social Media
According to Voorveld, social media are broadly defined
as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and
technological foundations of Web 2.0, and allow the creation and exchange of
user-generated content. Moreover, the textbook “Communication Technology,” stated
that there are three criteria that a website must meet to be considered a
social networking site. It must allow users to (1) construct a public or
semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other
users with whom they share a connection, (3) view and traverse their list of
connections and those made by others within the system.
Social media is the integration of technology and social interaction. The most popular
social media platforms in 2019 include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
Snapchat. These platforms have allowed us to share ideas, thoughts, and
information through the building of virtual networks and communities.
Social media has
drastically affected the way people communicate. Because of thousands of active
users, people can now connect with people all over the world with their mobile
devices instead of in-person. In addition, people now have the gateway to find
communities of similar interest and seek information and news through the
platforms. According to a study done by Leung and Lee, the Internet has become
an important resource for information and entertainment, but little is known
about the ways in which individuals use this technology for social support. Scholars defined social support as ‘‘interpersonal transactions
involving effect, affirmation, aid, encouragement, and validation of their
feelings’’ (Leung and Lee).
With all the impacts that social media has made in people’s
social lives, some say that it has decreased human’s ability to interact in
person, son say that it has enhanced human’s communication and creativity
skills. What do you think?
Works Cited
Leung, L., & Lee, P. S.
(2014, April 13). Multiple determinants of life quality: The roles of Internet activities, use of new media, social
support, and leisure activities. Retrieved
June 19, 2019, from https://www-sciencedirect- com.libweb.lib.utsa.edu/search/advanced?docId=10.1016/j.tele.2004.04.003.
Voorveld, H. (2019, April 9).
Rand Communication in Social Media: A Research Agenda. Retrieved June 19, 2019, from https://www-tandfonline com.libweb.lib.utsa.edu/doi/full/10.1080/00913367.2019.1588808.
doi:10.1080/00913367.2019.1588808
In my opinion, I definitely think social media has impacted human’s ability to interact in person than online just for the reason that we kind of portray an image online that we don’t think will be accepted in the real world. For example, Catfish the TV show definitely highlights this issue, people think that they will be rejected by the person they are interacting romantically online with and they do everything possible to avoid face to face interaction and only want to communicate through a fake social media profile. Great post! –Clarissa Villanueva
ReplyDeleteI feel that social media has decreased the human’s ability to interact in person. We hide behind screens to protect our identities, feelings, and intentions. Many people now feel more comfortable direct messaging each other, instead of meeting for a cup of coffee. With a decreased human’s ability to interact, there is a fear that one day majority of people will prefer to talk to screens rather than people. Interesting Question! –Vedika Khanna
ReplyDeleteGreat topic of discussion! I chose the same topic because i find it so interesting. I believe that social media has not affected our face to face interaction. I believe that social media has actually helped our face to face communication because social media has given a better understanding of who our friends are and given us a more in depth look into their daily life and allowed us to connect on a more personal level.
ReplyDeleteJuan David Garcia
The effects of the Internet and social media on human behavior is a topic that I find very interesting and it’s something I think should be researched more. Social media is a double-edged sword in a lot of ways. I do think that social media has made it more difficult for people to communicate in person, but at the same time it allows people to share their ideas and point of views with others around the globe.
ReplyDelete- Michael Strahan