Do I know what social media...are?
First of all…plural?!
The string of words I had to explain social media completely shattered after reading Social media: Defining, developing, and divining. Do I know what social media are? The definition of social media, though, continues to evolve as we gain a deeper understanding of this living, breathing thing. I had not thought of our interactions on social media as “opportunistic” as the authors explain, as it seems that everything is happening all at once on different platforms. Opportunistic is a fitting word when there are occurrences where the internet acts as an archive, yet posts are “continuously accessible” (p. 51). We can sometimes access a post from years ago and interact, re-post, screenshot, etc., and even challenge/reignite value.
Danah Boyd discusses social media in It's Complicated, reflecting on the more emotional way it can be a respite for people like teens, marginalized people, and others who can connect to like-minded individuals. Those who have been pushed out of physical spaces for a plethora of reasons. It is commonplace now to develop meaningful relationships through social media websites and applications. This isn’t just limited to teens, of course. Without the same physical spaces afforded to previous pre-social media generations. Miles of distance is closed just by accessing the internet. Through social media, we are experiencing this everything-all-at-once phenomenon. More than bonding with friends, we carve out spaces on these platforms, as we would our own homes.
First of all…plural?!
The string of words I had to explain social media completely shattered after reading Social media: Defining, developing, and divining. Do I know what social media are? The definition of social media, though, continues to evolve as we gain a deeper understanding of this living, breathing thing. I had not thought of our interactions on social media as “opportunistic” as the authors explain, as it seems that everything is happening all at once on different platforms. Opportunistic is a fitting word when there are occurrences where the internet acts as an archive, yet posts are “continuously accessible” (p. 51). We can sometimes access a post from years ago and interact, re-post, screenshot, etc., and even challenge/reignite value.
Danah Boyd discusses social media in It's Complicated, reflecting on the more emotional way it can be a respite for people like teens, marginalized people, and others who can connect to like-minded individuals. Those who have been pushed out of physical spaces for a plethora of reasons. It is commonplace now to develop meaningful relationships through social media websites and applications. This isn’t just limited to teens, of course. Without the same physical spaces afforded to previous pre-social media generations. Miles of distance is closed just by accessing the internet. Through social media, we are experiencing this everything-all-at-once phenomenon. More than bonding with friends, we carve out spaces on these platforms, as we would our own homes.
My mind is also blown by the sheer definitions and mediums under the umbrella term of social media. Now as I interact with people online in various settings, I'll be considering "how is this social media?" or when I'm doing something online solo but it could somehow be classified as "social media" am I being inadvertently social?
ReplyDeleteI love and hate the complicated way social media and the internet keeps us all connected, though. My mom, who is not on Facebook, has argued that I should be on it to keep connections with out-of-state family members alive. However, if we cannot keep in touch in real time, why should I keep in touch superficially in an asynchronous way through social media? On the flipside, I enjoy connecting with others on sites like Goodreads & TikTok, because I do not have many friends IRL who share my tastes in books.