Task 1 essay

Introduction

Maybe if we think about what we use most in daily life, it might be online media. We always bring our Mobile phone, and constantly get some information and consume something. We can call all things such as photos, videos, music, writings distributed over the internet, as online media, however, the biggest characteristic of online media is ‘interactive’, not a one-way. Based on this foundation, social media appeared. Even though it’s very difficult to define this term, one article clarified social media states

‘Social Media is a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content.’

Like this state, social media is platform we used based on online media characteristic. And between a lot of social media, I will look at the ‘social networking sites’ which is stated

‘Social networking sites are applications that enable users to connect by creating personal information profiles, inviting friends and colleagues to have access to those profiles, and sending e-mails and constant messages between each other. These personal profiles can include any type of information’

Evidence

Few weeks ago, for 6 days, I wrote about ‘my online media use’ to know what I do through the online media. Generally, many students use online media a lot, but it is so familiar, and become like a habit that we can’t recognize what we exactly use, get, and the reason why we use it. The online media I usually use was Facebook. I also use google, gmail, youtube, messenger ‘kakaotalk’, and Naver which is the biggest portal site in Korea occupied 87%, but the usage of Facebook was overwhelming. While doing this activity, I realized that I participate in Facebook as reader, or observer. I rarely did publish something, and mainly see the things other people published in the Facebook. Originally, the reason why I couldn’t quit the Facebook even though I knew I spent so much time in it, was that it’s the main means I get information from the world. In this perspective, I could organize what I consume, which content I get from the Facebook which is divided into 2 parts.

Evaluation

First, we constantly accept other people’s identity. For example, After I came to Australia since February, I didn’t post a lot, and posted one profile photo and one writing which is contained my thinking in exchange student life and. The reason why I changed my photo is to inform that I’m doing good and happy in here. Also, before I posted my writing, many friends asked to me why there was no news, however, after posting, many people might know and understand about my recent life. Few people contacted me talking about the writing. This writing was my way announcing my life, and people might be recognized the content of writing as me. Like this, it means while I doing Facebook, I make my image, and constantly analyze other people they construct consciously a social identity which they present to their counterpart. Also, looking at that post is considered as same as answering people’s contact who are related to Facebook friends getting their information instead of individual text. Journal written by Alexander and Michael supported this opinion asserting

‘In SNS the profile people construct is this staging of oneself – for a particular audience, for a particular task to be achieved. Thus, in our context identity management means managing the availability of identity information’

‘The awareness of the activities (and/or the current status and changes of the latter) of the contacts in the personal network is supported by functionalities, too. These functionalities enable indirect communication via awareness. Examples for functions enabling network awareness in SNS are: News Feeds, “Birthdays”-box’.

Based on this characteristic, people who want to make their own content started to make their own page, and upload the content. It would be a chance to personal creator that making card news, writing, video, photo shoot, and getting the response of the audience immediately. All content made I saw made with someone’s effort in the SNS was all process establishing their identity. Company also accompanied in here. They uploaded information, advertising, funny photos, events to establish the brand identity. In other way, they sometimes request collaboration of their brand with personal content which is guaranteed some subscribers. Actually, these days, the way how use the SNS of company is one of the most important thing in marketing. A Journal, Business Horizons, proved this with examples.

‘To pro-mote the movie ‘‘Fred Claus,’’ a 2007 Christmas comedy film, Warner Brothers created a Facebook profile via which visitors could watch trailers, down-load graphics, and play games. Likewise, the Adidas custom soccer community on MySpace allows visi-tors to associate themselves with one of two brands of elite soccer cleats produced by the German sports apparel manufacturer, and to access product re-views and information on professional soccer play-ers who play using ‘‘their’’ shoes.’

Second, we can learn a lot of information from SNS. For last 6 days, I read a lot of important news such as political issues, weather, TV program through the internet newspaper page of Facebook. For example, I saw the news about discussion between president candidates. Actually, I realized the main platform I get the information is SNS. I use portal site to hear the news, of course, but I get that from SNS first because I usually get enter to Facebook when I use the phone. And after that, if I want to know more, I entered the web site, or google, and search it. Also, I can apprehend the opinion of majority through the function such as like, share, comments. People give ‘likes’ when they like the content, even in the comments as well. So, if I want to see other people’s opinion, I can judge watching the comments which is got other people’s likes more. In case of the candidate discussion, I could see the other people’s thinking about that discussion, and who is supported by majority.

In fact, there are a lot of meaningless information as well. Because most of them, internet newspaper companies, are made for establishing Facebook. Internet newspaper companies earn money according to their article view which is connected to the advertisement, and Facebook is one of the most effective means to increase their traffic because except the subscribers, through the likes and share, posting can be spread more. Thus, while they report the important news, they also covered inconducive contents.

Moreover, there is also a lot of fake account which is made for advertisement profit. They upload funny things people may interested in, but also upload harmful contents using provocative comment to get many likes and shares. Because they posted the content with advertising image, or comments. Recently, one problem became an issue. It’s this case that some account posted fun things, and after people gave likes, and shared a lot, they turned a content into advertisement. It makes all the people should have seen the advertisement. Usually, we see the content from people, or page we followed. But even if you don’t follow anyone you don’t know, you should see other contents if your Facebook friends like, share, and leave a comment on the posting. It means the content I see in the Facebook is mixed with my choice and my friend’s choice. Sometimes, even though we don’t want to see, we should see it.

Conclusion

Above paragraph, I arranged what I consume in the SNS. First, I consume other people’s information which means their identity, contents all included company advertisement. And I got a lot of information and funny things I’m interested in contained meaningless, harmful things I don’t want to see. We consume and recognize so many things than we thought.

As more people use online media, the usage of social media will increase. Though even now, what I know is almost from the content I saw in social media. But still meaningful content is lack, and all companies focus on platform they can use effectively. Later, we will do more things through the social media adding to identity, information that I mentioned above. At this point of time, we need to recognize and set our purpose again why we use the social media. And we should know how we will manage and distinguish the good information that will be helpful to us in coming flood of information which is already started to not waste our time in meaningless things.

Reference

Andreas M. Kaplan, and Michael Haenlein. ”Users of the World, Unite! The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media”, Business Horizons 53.1 2010. p. 59-68 Web.

Alexander Richter, Michael Koch, “Functions of Social Networking Services”, the 8th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, p. 87-98 Web.

Analysis 3 : Reflecting on the reflection

In evidence part, i described the process that i wrote about my online media use. I usually participated in Social media as a reader, observer, rather than publisher. But arranging these things, i could realize how these social media affects to me.

In evaluation part, based on writings of 6 days, I divided the functions of Social media into 3 parts. Personal account, social influence, and information. These things would be base elements i’ll use in my final essay. But after wrote this, i researched about this topic and read some readings and articles. So i will develop the things i wrote down in evaluation.

part 1

• Personal identity. we contact and exchange our recent life, which is information, through the Facebook, or Instagram. Uploading the post means sharing my life. We don’t need to contact individually.
• It can create personal identity. For example, if i usually post the writing, people recognize me as a writer, or the person who usually writes. If i upload images only in traveling, people will think me as a traveler. The content i make become identity of me. Using this, many people who want to make their content, made their page, and tried to upload their content constantly. It also made a identity of them the term called ‘facebook star’ appeared. Also, many people are given the effective means they could reveal their ability.
• Company also used Facebook as a means of establish their identity. They provided funny videos, writings, events to communicate with customers, and also used it as a marketing.
• Context Awareness. ‘It is the awareness of a common context with other people. This can be information about common contacts, about common interests, about the same university one has visited or the same company one has worked at. Context Awareness contributes a lot to creating common trust among the users, which is essential for a successful collaboration. Examples for functions enabling context awareness in SNS are: “How you’re connected to …” ‘

part2

• Information. We get enough information in social media. We use also a portal site, but SNS first, because we always enter social media like a habit.
• Comment, and Likes. This functions were added to the facebook as they upgraded their application. Through this, we can easily know other people’s topic, preferences, thinking, and so on.
• Internet newspaper company earn the money according to their article view. Thus, they uploaded so many articles included all meaningless content (because, they’re not limited compared to paper newspaper). So, we can see a lot of information which is enough in SNS. Also, it make us a reason why we should use SNS.
• There is a fake account which is made for advertisement profit. They want to get a lot of likes and comments, so upload fun things with advertisement comment or image.

What i chose as a topic is ‘What i consume in social media’. We usually don’t recognize how they work, interact, and affect to me.  Writing this one will be the chance arranging and understanding why i use, get, think from online media. I divided into 2 parts again. The first one is about the identity i accumulated in my head included my real friends, personal content, brand. Second one is about information we easily get from social media all contained good, and bad things. I will explain this one related to the problem caused by advertisement.

In the writing ‘my online media use Day 4’ I wrote that there are already a lot of information, but still the information which is really meaningful is lack. So if the content i make is good, people will find it. I will describe this things as a conclusion. Living in the recent time with developed technique, we should recognize what we see, and need to know how we control our information not to waste our time.

Tagging

Blog-checklist tag : https://soonieblog.wordpress.com/tag/blogchecklist/

When we search the ‘tag’ in dictionary, it says that it means ‘attach a label to’.  We usually see ‘tag’ in the Facebook or Instagram. If we touch the tag, we can see all the posting associated that keyword.

Like this, a tag is a keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an Internet bookmark, digital image, database record, or computer file). This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching.^[1] Tags are generally chosen informally and personally by the item’s creator or by its viewer, depending on the system, although they may also be chosen from a controlled vocabulary.^[2]

reference : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_(metadata)

Ethics

As almost people revealed to online media, and used it as a main communication means, ethics in online also is getting important. In the recent times, students who are young are used to consume video through Youtube, and mobile app instead of Television. According to this trend, people also educated students from when they are in elementary school.

However, general content we learned from the school is the basic things such as we should be polite in online as well, we should consume proper times in a day, and so on. We need to be educated the content which is changed according to the new online environment.

These are the information of examples i found in online. Examples of computer ethics include not using a computer to steal or to harm others, especially by avoiding the spread of computer viruses and shunning plagiarism of computer software. Computer ethics also involve avoiding unauthorized access to computer systems and preserving the confidentiality and privacy of data in computers. Computer ethics include avoiding online bullying or using computers to interfere with the work of others. It also entails implementing system policies, such as not sharing passwords and not trying to access unauthorized sites. According to Wikipedia, computer ethics mandates designers and content developers to consider the social implications of computer programs and online content. Purchase College notes that it is unethical to deceive machines or destroy computers. Additionally, computers should not be used to blackmail others or deny them from accessing services.

reference : https://www.reference.com/world-view/examples-computer-ethics-e0703fa782a5d22c

 

Audio

This is one of my favorite songs from sound cloud.

Analysis 2 : Evaluation

By doing this assignment, I could get various perspective and function of online media. Now, I’m going to divide meaning of online media, especially SNS, Facebook that I usually use, as three parts.

First, it’s one of the important means to inform personal recent life. These days, people do not say their daily life individually. People usually hear other people’s  approximate life through SNS post such as photos, writings which is uploaded, especially in important news like relationship, marriage, passing university. If people do not use SNS, or don’t upload post, the people wonder about her life and ask her to talk about her life. So, now SNS would be essential part to interact with other people.

Secondly, even though it’s a personal account, it contains social meanings. Because one of the biggest characteristic of SNS is the fact that SNS is a open space. In case of big happening nationally, or cross-nationally,  small opinion gathered can become big flow of phenomenon, and make it as a social issue. It means according to how SNS works, issue of society can be different. (Thus, it asked us to have better online attitude, because it can cause great impact to other people.)

Thirdly, it plays an role as a information announcement in various ways. To me, I hear the news not in portal or search engine, but in SNS, because there are already a lot of online newspaper company using SNS account, and they publish important news enough. Also, I can get a opinion of people through the comment, and understand the majority using the function ‘like’. Other content uploaded in SNS such as card news, videos about diverse part which is fit in personal preference, regardless of individual or group, they all can be information which is motivating, and inspiriting people. Even the advertisement started to customized. Therefore, advertisement would be one of the informations these days.

Analysis 1 : Evidence

During last 7 days, I recorded all my online media use and thinking I got from while using the SNS and online media. When i heard about this assignment for the first time, i thought it’s quite interesting. Because we usually don’t recognize what we see, feel, think in the SNS. It just flows even though we spend a lot of time with it.  Actually, i wrote 6 daily notes but i couldn’t write it one for one day. It delayed according to my schedule, or fatigue, so i should have caught up with the posting.

I always use limited online media which is i usually use, such as Facebook, Naver (Korea portal web site), sometimes Youtube. Moreover, i rarely upload my posting, only read and see. It means i don’t do behavior which is called ‘publishing’. So i thought if i wrote down what i use that day, it would be all the same one. Therefore, i decided to focus on one thing i realized on that day.

To review the blog entries, for 6 days, i described about the memorable content to me and the function of that content affects to me, or someone else. Like an article, personal posting, or big community. It was very fresh to me, because this would be a chance to me that could arrange daily use of online media and what i gain from SNS. Also, through this, i could examine the personal aspect, social function, affection of its posting, and so on. It will be discussed further in next posting.

 

 

DAY6 – My online media use

The way Facebook earning money is an advertisement which is not much different from other media companies. In the timeline, there is a ‘Sponsered’ posting. I should see that posting regardless of my will if i want to use Facebook.

I usually saw the advertisement of cosmetics, clothes, make up video and so on in Korea. Sometimes they seemed like individual post, so we didn’t notice that is an advertisement and read them all. Anyway, After I came to Australia, all the content of advertisement changed related to Melbourne.Because my location moved. But what i thought that Facebook is so smart is that they delivered the content to customized customer.

Today i saw a lot of sponsered post, and almost things were about traveling  or events about Melbourne and Sydney. I was interested in all that information. It means customized advertisement was useful information to me! For example, these days, i’m planning about my traveling. I’m going to go uluru dessert after the semester. And there was a uluru tour information which is perfectly fit in my condition.  Another example is that one post was about package seeing the stars in the sky of the Melbourne. But the thing is that agency was Korean. It means Facebook analyzed me and exposed the post to the right customer ‘Korean who are in Melbourne’ Actually, i really wanted to go there, so i’m going to book it.

The way online media earn money is almost advertisement, so we should see and spent them to use these online media for free. But these days, not just one-sided announcement form of advertisement, but only interactive customized form of advertisement we can see usually can be the new shape of information to us.

DAY5 – My online media use

On Saturday, I wrote a short essay about what i felt for a month after came here and posted on Facebook. Name was ‘We can’t live alone’ I wrote this essay just because i suddenly felt i should have written. But the reason why i uploaded this on a open space everyone can see like Facebook was two things. The first, for announce about my recent life. When i contacted to my friends who are in Korea, they wondered about my life in here. This essay can be an answer about it. It contained my life and thinking in here, and they can know how i live in Australia. Second, to declare my resolution. I can’t mention about all the content of my essay, but as a conclusion, I decided some thing. Posting my writing was a kind of mean to practice my decision. Because everyone (not everyone, but almost my friend) might be read my resolution, and remember. That behavior can cause my responsibility.

There is a similar case with me. My close friend uploaded his state ‘In a relationship’ Because he had a girlfriend yesterday! Even though he is my close friend, i know that issue through the Facebook.  These days, people inform these kind of thing through the open space. If i contact with him daily, i would know before the Facebook. But if i’m not a friend contact to him everyday, he can’t inform this fact he started date individually to every person. When he uploaded this state, almost of his friends might be know he got a girlfriend and can spread to another people who do not use Facebook. And moreover, i thought it can also be a responsibility about the relationship. If he thinks it’s a casual relationship he would not have posted this.

Consequently, as time went by, people started to inform their recent life through their SNS. Not a detail thing but a big announcement like traveling, marriage, study abroad, relationship. But the thing is, our behavior on SNS follows responsibilities.

DAY4 – My online media use

Yesterday I found the flight ticket come back to Korea. To do that, I should have fixed my itinerary. While I searched the attractions of Australia, I started to find working holiday, and internship of foreign country and so on. Because I wanted to come back here for working holiday, and if I do like that, I don’t need to travel all here.

I entered so many sites. Actually, there were a lot of information, But all the writings and information I can get from there were similar. I could only find a few useful sites. They arranged information I needed very well and it might be useful to another people as well. One of them has his video channel on Youtube. I choose one of them named ‘why he came to Canada working holiday’.

He already had lived in Australia for 2 years, and after that went to Canada using same visa. In that video, he just sat on the bed, and filmed only what he said. He explained why he decided to go Canada, and what he felt after the Australia working holiday. There’s no technique or special editing. But I watched until the end of the video, that was about my worry and it contained information I needed. In the video, he said he wanted to work in marketing, or video company. He was going to work in Korea few years after came back to Australia and go Canada before 30. But he couldn’t get a job because working holiday experience did not help him getting a job. The part he wanted to get a job was same as me, so after I watched the video I started to find the foreign internship. And that story will be helpful in the future as well.

Through this, what I realized is that even though there are a lot of information now, information which is really useful and people needed is still few, and people find and see if the content is meaningful regardless of technique.

DAY3 – My online media use

Three years ago, there was a big accident in Korea. The ferry called ‘Sewolho’ which towards to the Jeju island sunk into the ocean. There were a lot of people included over 200 high school students, and many people dead because of this accident. At that time, a lot of people mourned their death. But the questions about why the ship sunk, the system of rescue didn’t work properly are still remain and made lots of doubOn Thursday morning, recovery work of sewolho finally started. It took 1072 days. Many people posted picture or writings on Facebook, hoping the work would proceed smoothly. When sewolho appeared its shape, people were glad together.

Almost of my facebook friends are Korean. And they experienced the same emotion like sadness or despair. At that time, we could do nothing. The only thing we could do was just praying and hoping their safety. That’s why we did the same thing in our SNS now. It’s one of the expression of our desire.

The foreign people as well as shared emotion together. They also worried about for Korea together, and ‘#prayforkorea’ was spread. When terror happened in France, many people changed their profile as a France flag, and tagged ‘#prayforfrance’. Actually, nothing happens with the tag, but the point is that we shared same emotion and desire.

The thing I discovered in facebook on Thursday was that we expressed our feelings in open space based on the common emotion and the thought that other people will understand. It can’t be People applied everything and can be divided in country. However, regardless of the barrier, SNS functions the most important thing. ‘Sharing mind’

DAY2 – My online media use

Few weeks ago, president of my country, South Korea, impeached. Now, the seat of president is empty and Nation Assembly decided the date of election to elect new president.

On Wednesday, there was a discussion of several candidates in MBC broadcasting station. By the way, candidate moon with the highest support criticized MBC in situation of live broadcast.  MBC has been blamed by citizen for having biased view toward president during the impeachment period. He pointed out that problem.

This happening became issue. I saw this article on Facebook. In the comments, some people are suprised and said he said what someone should do. And complimented his brave because it seems like he criticized someone filled with people loving someone! Otherwise, some people blamed him that it is not a proper behavior. And one of the commenter mentioned about another candidate except him.

Another candidate, Ann, sat on the opposite side of candidate moon wrote a long article in night and uploaded it on the facebook. It was about blaming the candidate moon. But the comment of this reading was all same. Many people said this was the careless behavior and questioned why do that behavior that decrease the support by himself.

These are the memorable online use on Wednesday. I can conclude 3 characteristic through this.

1. I don’t enter the news site to see the political news. I saw all the article on Facebook. Because there are a lot of facebook newspapaer company, even major newspaper company also uploaded important articles on Facebook.  The case I entered the news site is only in situation I wonder more after see article on Facebook. I can know important news or imformation only with the Facebook.
2. Facebook can appear what people interest and make biased view. Facebook has a function push ‘Like’ button. That status of article shows how many people interest in that notice, and the status of comment shows how many people support and sympathize that opinion, or like that photo or video. In the article about candidate moon’s behavior, there were a lor of comments, and lots of people pushed ‘like’ button to comment which is advocate him rather than blame him. However, in the article candidate ann write, the comments have most ‘like’ button was about point out his behavior. This ‘Like’ button reflect opinion of majority. Even me, I didn’t read Ann’s article.But only with reading the comments of the wiriting, I easily judged people’s opinion, not my opinion, and decided images of candidate.
3. Facebook is composed of individual account. Ann just uploaded the his thinking in his facebook. But because that he is an official and facebook is open space, it’s not merely an individual writing. Some people even lost job because of the writing on SNS. The things uploaded on individual SNS, apparently show individual’s characteristic, thinking, sterotype. It’s definitely individual accout, but not an individual, because Facebook is open space everyone can see. It can be the basis for judging people.