Facebook, Snapchat... and SPRING BREAK!

This week in class we've been talking about Facebook and Snapchat, so your blog should focus on one of those two platforms. But that's all the direction you get! How you proceed and what angle you take is up to you.

Courtesy of Giphy

If you're having trouble thinking of something, here are some sample topics:

• Your personal experience with Facebook or Snapchat (when you got on, how you used it initially, how you now use it)...
• Maybe you've never used Facebook or Snapchat - why not?
• Surprising information learned from Van Dijck this week

... the possibilities are endless! Be creative and thoughtful! Include a photo or gif in your post to make it more attractive. Posts are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Don't forget - and have a happy spring break!

Twitter and Creativity

For a long time (and arguably still today), no one really knew what Twitter was for or how to use it. Is it a social networking site? Is it a utility? Is it an information network? Is it sort of all three? Sometimes it seems to depend on your perception of the platform and how you use it.

The other topic we're covering this week is Content Monsters. You've been blogging for a few weeks now. Creating content (constantly) is HARD. And you have to be plugged in to be able to curate anything. Yet, a lot of people say that they either want "to do" social media for a career or figure that it will be a part of their job description anyway, so we better figure out how to get good at creating and curating.

So for your blog this week, you can go in a variety of directions: 
Ponder: What is Twitter for? What can we do with the platform? How does it hold power to shape our realities? Or does it? We say we go to Twitter for our news. What does this say about how informed we are about our surrounding world.

Photo Courtesy of Max Pixel

Find a recent article concerning Twitter in the news. Link your article to your blog post.  (A simple Google search under the 'news' tab on Google using the search terms 'news articles about Twitter' can lead you to articles, for example). Does what this story reports on match up with your perception of what Twitter is for? Why or why not?

For example, the article I linked above talks about New Jersey's Twitter account and how it has begun to (re?)shape people's perceptions about the Garden State. The account is sassy and matter-of-fact, a "savage" and bold move for an official account for the state's government. If I hold the notion that Twitter is about making connections with people (that is, I use it to be a more informed and social citizen), this article might support my perception of the platform as a place where I can adopt a specific style and attract a following because of it.

Photo Courtesy of New York Times via @NJGov

Another option for this week is to think about what it means to be creative. What is the creative process? In class on Wednesday, we talked about how being creative on demand is difficult and creating content for a social media account isn't as easy as it seems. Reflect on any of these things in your blogs post this week.

Gif courtesy of Giphy

Don't forget: Blog posts are due by 5PM on Friday.

Gif courtesy of GIPHY Studios

Make sure you break up your text with a gif or picture. As we have read and continue to read in our tips by K+F, long blocks of text make posts more difficult to read!

Disinhibition, Optimization, and Constructs - Oh my!

This week we discussed some of the "harder" concepts so far in this class, especially in VanDijck Chapter 2. We've begun thinking more about how we present ourselves in spaces online both personally and professionally, and we've begun to understand some of the economic impacts of some of our favorite platforms "going public."

You may have some thoughts based on our two days of class discussion this week or based on your logs for the New Media project. If so, tell me what you think about that. But if you're struggling with what to blog about this week since our content is a bit more abstract, here are some ideas:

We've focused a good bit on representing yourself professionally in an online space. What would you call your top 10 tips for presenting a professional image online, especially as college students? (Think Letterman's top 10 style!) Include at least one photo along with your Top 10 List.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Sometimes we say and do things online that we would never say or do "in real life." Reflect on a time that you noticed the online disinhibition effect totally happening in one of your online encounters. Do you feel like it was toxic, benign, or a mixture of both? If you had to do it over again, what would you do?

This is Stan from the Old Disney show, Dog with a Blog. Because, you know, online no one knows that you're a dog. Unless you tell them and have your own blog called Dog with a Blog.

As always, blogs are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday!

Blog Post #2: Impression Management

The theme of this week is Impression Management. You'll note that in class we've been focusing on the many selves we have to maintain in our daily lives, and social media can further exacerbate the need to keep up with multiple identities.

Impression management is literally about putting our best face out there for audiences to see as they encounter us in social media spaces. We will talk about truth, performance of self, and how it relates to impression management.

Some questions to ponder as you think about your blogs and your themes as they relate to this week's topic:

• How many selves do you feel like you project on your social media profiles? 
• What is/where is truth and why do we choose certain features to promote in online settings?  
• What do you think some of the ethical considerations should be as we decide which face to present to people online? 
• What do you think are some of the pitfalls/dark sides to impression management? 

Even if your blog is geared to something very specific, impression management still matters. Why is understanding impression management in this digital age so important?

Courtesy of Mastering the Dynamics of Communication Technology Blog

Include at least one photo in your post! Posts are due by Friday, February 7 at 5:00 p.m.