Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship

The journal article by Boyd and Ellison detail the rise of the social networking sites like Myspace, and Facebook.  They begin by defining what a social network is.  The term social networking site is given to a website that:

“allow individuals 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, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system”  - (Boyd, Ellison)

Timeline of Social Networking

History of Social Networking

1997- Sixdegrees.com

Was a site that allowed users to have a public profile, list and search their friends.  Interaction between pages was not possible which was a cause to its downfall. Although the site was popular and attracted millions of users, it could not create enough revenue so it was forced to shut down.

2002- The Rise and Fall of Friendster

Friendster was the first replica of the social network we see today.  This is mostly because of the implementation of the relationship to social networking.  With friendster, users could actually interact with their friends, search for friends, and post pictures and text to each others pages.  Many claim that Friendster’s demise was caused by Myspace basically stealing its format, and just tweaking it slightly.

2003-2005-  Myspace and Facebook

Myspace launched in 2003, and attracted many disgruntled Friendster users, and was able to initially thrive off of friendster’s base.  One of the key additions to social networking that can be credited to Myspace was the addition of music to user’s profiles.  Another possibility that Myspace created was the ability to have complete control over the layout of your profile, so that nearly every myspace page was not alike.  This individuality led to myspace exploding in popularity.  But like it did to friendster, Myspace was quickly replaced by a freshly developed, new social networking site, Facebook.

Facebook has become the premiere social networking site.  It even has a blockbuster movie about it named “The Social Network”.  Facebook launched in 2005, nearly two years after Myspace overtook Friendster’s reign at the top of all social networking sites.  Facebook was designed so that college kids could look up friends that attend their campus, and create lasting relationships with them.  With Facebook came the addition of “tagging”.  Tagging is important to social media now because it created new ways to include friends with sharing information and other forms of media.  Facebook has gone through many changes throughout the years, but still has a grasp on the internet-using community. It is also the first social networking site to successfully captivate the baby-boom generation (something that is seen as a positive and negative aspect to some users). Im sure Facebook will lose its steam one day, as new social networking sites like Twitter and Tumblr are going head to head for with Facebook for its spot at the top

Conclusion: Social Networking Sites

Social Networking Sites offer key services to living and communicating in the 21st Century.  Being able to connect, relate, and interact with your friends online has never been easier.  Not to mention that social networks are bringing media literacy to generations of older humans, which broadens our connect-ability to each other. These services are becoming more and more popular every day, proving that staying connected is the number one goal of this generation.  

Manuel Castells was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1942.  As a youth he endured the Franco-Dictatorship and often spoke out against it.  Being political paved the way for Maunuel to grasp sociology, the study of society. After leaving Spain for the University of Paris, Castells gained his doctorate in sociology at the age of 24. After gaining his doctorate he began a life’s work in the field of communication, and determining what its impact on society was. 

Castells specialized in the study of social movements and their importance to social change.  I feel much of Castells’ work is extremely relevant today.  His analysis of social movements creating social change can be seen throughout history and throughout the world today.  “The Arab Spring” the name given to this years social movements in the Middle East is a prime example of how the power and voice of the people, and their ability to assemble, is the determining factor to social change. 

Manuel Castells has been published over 16 times, covering a number of subjects, from social movements, to the positives and negatives of living in the information age. His knowledge in the field of sociology and communication is vast, and is one of the premiere scholars in the field today.

Manuel Castells in His Own Words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GBB7U5mv0w

References

Stalder, Felix. Manuel Castells and the Theory of the Network Society. Oxford, Polity Press (2006)

USC Webpage on Castells

http://annenberg.usc.edu/Faculty/Communication%20and%20Journalism/CastellsM.aspx

With technology everywhere today, it is nearly impossible to keep it out of the classroom.  This is especially true of the Apple iPad, which many school systems around the world are using to teach students of all ages.  The beauty of the iPad is that it makes educating entertaing, and most importantly, engaging to the user.  With these attributes, it is surprising that so many parents and educators have issues with the iPad in the classroom. 

For those who think the iPad is just used to blindly entertain the user, think again.  With millions of applications or “apps” the iPad can cater to a struggling student’s specific needs.  Whether it is a second grader struggling with division, or a college finance major having problems tracking the ups and downs of the stock market, the iPad can help.  It is an intricate tool that if used correctly, could be the priemere learning tool of the 21st Century.

Learning Possibilities at Your Fingertips

http://www.apple.com/education/apps/

References

Ellis, S. (2011). Teaching the future; How the Ipads are being used to engage learners with special needs. Screen Education, 63(Sep), 60-64 

PALSER, B. (2011). The Ins and Outs of iPad Apps. American Journalism Review, 33(1), 46-51. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Television has shown us some of the most important moments in entertainment.  The Super Bowl, “Who Shot J.R.”, the last episode of “Seifeld” and of course “Jersey Shore”.  Television is a beautiful invention, that combines two of the most important inventions of all time; the telegraph and photograph. With this monumental invention came a monumental responsibility to use it correctly.  Problems arise when ordinary Americans cannot understand the difference between what is entertainment and what is news. Unfortunately, the two are becoming more and more interconnected thanks to the television news cycle.

The problem with television news is that, well, its on television.  Television is something that requires no rational thinking.  Images fly by, and by the time you try to think about what you just saw, another image pops up giving you more to not think about.  This is true, too, with television news.  It gives you no time to sit and think about the serious and important issues being delt with today.  This has led to Americans not being able to hold a conversation about the issues, and has also led to stupidity among elected officials.  I mean seriously, have you seen Rick Perry in these debates?  It is all baby talk.  And unfortunately if Americans continue to get their watered-down information from cable news, the baby talk will be here to stay.

John Stewart on why the Cable News Media Sucks

http://www.observer.com/2010/media/jon-stewart-explains-his-problem-cable-news

California Governor Jerry Brown, (pictured above) has vetoed a proposed bill that would have forced police officers to recieve a search warrant from a judge before going through a an individual’s cell phone for incrimidating evidence.  Having been personally harassed by a police officer before, I am no stranger to conflicts like these.  According to the 5th Amendment to the constitution, a suspect of a crime has the right to not incriminate themselves. If communication in the form of a text message is incrimidating, than the individual should have the right to not hand over their cell phone in name of not incrimidating themselves.  This is why the right to remain silent is a key Miranda right.  But with a cell phone to do all the talking for you, how could one not incrimidate themself? 

Searching a phone without a warrant is an extreme example of invasion of personal privacy. It is like digging into an individuals secret thoughts and into their personal conversations.  By requiring a warrant,  it would require police to actually do their job, and convict fellons on hard evidence.  And most importantly it would prevent police from relying on their own judgement, which has been proven to be flawed time and time again.

More Info on the 5th Amendment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

There has been much talk recently about the increasing socialization of computer and video games.  The internet has given us the possibilitity of engaging in conversation while playing games and reaching common goals.  None of these games have been as popular as “Second Life” which is exactly what it sounds like.  Players create avatars, which for the most part depict how they look in real life, and play the game of life.  They buy, sell, build, and create families, and even have a currency.  There is something about this type of game that makes me uncomfortable. 

Living in the real world is something that can bring pleasure, but it also causes pain.  I feel that many of the people that dedicate a good portion of their day to “Second Life” feel that living in the real world is for the most part a painful experience.  The harsh reality is that the people who play these games prefer to socialize with their fingers typing on a keyboard than speaking in real life, where for the most part, they are socially akward.  I am not denouncing all Second Lifers as socially akward, but if they weren’t, they would much rather persue friendship, success, love and happiness in the real world.  I believe all Second Lifers should have to answer one question and one question only.

Which life is more important?

Time Magazine’s Recent Article on “Second Life”

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1651500,00.html