I should start with an introduction. My name is James; I'm 32,
married and have two beautiful daughters who are the nucleus of my entire
existence. I love guitars, sports and keeping fit. I have been in the same job
for nearly 10 years. A couple of years ago I was particularly frustrated with
work and the limited opportunities available which suited to my
skills. As I result I decided to take a giant leap and begin mature age study
in the hope of improving my job prospects. My study towards gaining a Bachelor
of Social Studies has led me to undertake a unit called 'Social Media' and I'm
writing this blog to discuss my thoughts and ideas on the unit's content.
Social media is
something I am fairly well versed in. I use Facebook and Twitter regularly, but
not obsessively. I love keeping up to date with friend’s activities and photos
and I enjoy the ability that Twitter gives me to customise news suited
specifically to my interests. It's fair to say that I'm a fan of social media
and I use it to help stay in touch with the world; however I'm not a prolific
poster of my own content.
As I delve further
into social media through my studies, I am beginning to think deeper about all
elements of social media, its usage and the impacts it has in today's real
world. Previously I merely viewed it as a source of quick
entertainment, perfect to kill five minutes at home or
to alleviate the boredom of long waits at the supermarket or the
doctor's office.
The week one
content gave me a strong understanding of just how vast a landscape social
media covers. Watching the video A Day in the Life of Social Media made my jaw drop, as
I learned statistics showing how far reaching social media's effects are.
My highlight in the video displays a statistic equating Facebook content to
McDonalds burgers, stating "if content were burgers Facebook would move
238 times the burgers McDonalds sells in a day".
Week two saw me
researching key theorists including Jean Baudrillard, Mark Dery and Howard
Rheingold and examining aspects of social media from their perspective. Viewing
social media through these lenses made me see bigger picture impacts it can
have both socially and culturally such as the social disconnect that social
media can inadvertently produce by contributing to a generation of
people who'd rather text or send Facebook messages as
a preferred means of communication.
Week three has led
me to where I am right at this point in time, blogging. This is my first blog
post ever and I must say, it’s been enjoyable reflecting on content from the
first couple of weeks. I look forward to contributing my posts in the coming
weeks.
Thanks for reading.
