Proposal

(image source: debkrier.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Opposites.jpg )

 

Social Media and Allowing Multiple Relationship Identifiers

Social media has revolutionized the way people communicate with each other. Not only has it provided a new way to communicate with a multitude of people quickly, but it also had allowed for a relatively permanent reflection of the past. This has caused people to form online connections with both people they know offline and people they have met online. However, many social media sites have few ways of distinguishing between types of relationships that a person may have or the current state of a relationship with another individual. Social media sites do not let you distinguish a relationship as a friendship, business connection, or school connection. Also, many social media sites allow others to see that there is some form of a connection between two individuals. Social media sites should provide options to allow users to distinguish their relationships with others so that users can differentiate between their professional and private.

Currently, many social media sites only allow for a select few ways of identifying your relationship with another user. Facebook for example lets you choose between friends, acquaintances, close friends, and an option for each of the groups that you are in. Facebook also lets you identify if a person is a family member, which is visible to others. Besides family members, these options are not shown to users viewing an account, meaning others just see them as your “friends.” The options for friends, close friends, and acquaintances only affect how many of those accounts’ posts a user see when looking at their main feed. From the perspective of a future employer, the options provided do not provide any information. For example, there is currently no way for an onlooker to be certain that two people are coworkers. Both people would have to provide information stating where they worked. After that, the use would have to look to find information on both accounts. Finally, you would only be able to tell if they worked at the same location, not even if they knew each from their jobs or some other way. By allowing users to customize how others can view the relationships that a user has with others, social media sites would allow users to more accurately describe their professional and private lives. By allowing a distinction between professional and private connections, all users would be able to more accurately build their online personas.

The remedy for this problem now is to use multiple accounts. However, managing multiple social media accounts from the same service, or even different services can be a hassle. A business owner from Georgia, Matthew Shirey, managed multiple social media accounts for his business. He eventually deleted his social media accounts when he stated, “he started feeling pressure to keep up with all the noise on every network” (Lytle). If he was able to have a single account that was able to be used for multiple purposes, he may not have felt overwhelmed by social media use. Shirey’s abandonment of social media would have likely made it more difficult to hire and interact with others at a professional level since he used social media as a social networking tool. Kristine Hovde, a website content manager at Smash Hit Displays puts it this way, “if you aren’t a member of a social networking site, there’s a good chance your competition already is” (Hovde). While not only hurting himself by withdrawing for social media, he helped his competition draw in customers. Social media is becoming more and more important as a way for not only individuals, but companies as well, to broadcast themselves to others. By not providing social media users the tools to let them express themselves online like they would in offline, it hurts users who withdraw from social media because the current method of differentiating between professional and private life is too labor intensive.

By allowing users to share with others the types of relationship they have with another, social media outlets would allow users to easily filter out messages that the user would post to more accurately make its way to the target audience. For instance, it would allow a user to easily send a personal message to only friends and family members while not letting acquaintances and coworkers from seeing that message. This would provide a more organic way of communication between users regardless of how many uses you have for a single social media account. After all, many users add coworkers as friends on Facebook. From a study done in 2012, “millennials become Facebook friends with an average of 16 of their coworkers” (Zimmerman). With the growth of social media over the past few years, it is likely this number has increased even more. It would also allow other users that are looking at an account of a prospective employer to get a better grasp of their personal interactions. As of May 2015, it was estimated that approximately 52% of companies looked at prospective employees’ social media accounts before they decided if they were going to hire them (Kumar). If they could distinguish between coworkers, friends, family, and acquaintances, it could help them determine which information would be more relevant in their decision about the individual. An employer would be able to easily distinguish a person’s professional and private lives to determine if they are either both or individually suitable for their company.

To solve this problem, users should be allowed to declare a type of connection when they add a person on social media sites if they choose to and later be able to alter that relationship without deleting it. Each person’s page that a user is friends with would be able to have an option to choose a relationship such as friend or coworker. However, unlike the current list, the option chosen would be available for other to see. For example, when adding a friend on Facebook, a user should be able to go to the other person’s account and either be allowed to choose from a more extensive list of types of relationships that you have with them or allow a custom type of relationship to be entered. This would help with the problem Dan Schawbel states; “Placing friends in certain groups on Facebook is difficult because the status of your connections evolves over time” (Schawbel). Connections would be able to change online to reflect online and offline relationships. By having this as an optional feature, users who do not want to state how they know another individual would not have to while simultaneously allowing users who are aware that others may be looking at their account from a professional standpoint to know more about them. If they chose to use it or not, users would at least have the ability to let them reflect their offline life onto their online life.

Some users may find this unnecessary or even confusing to implement a feature to allow for the ability to distinguish between different of relationships. They might say that having multiple social media accounts is not an inconvenience at all. However, Facebook already has a rule that states “You will not create more than one personal account” (“Statement of Rights and”). Alright, so maybe you cannot have multiple personal accounts on Facebook. That leaves two other options; you can manage multiple pages for distinct reasons or have accounts on different social media sites. However, while different pages would offer a way for messages from that group to be on a person’s wall, this would only work if all their interactions occurred in that group. After all, different social media sites are used for various reasons. For instance, if you see a connection between people on LinkedIn, a person might be led to assume that they have a professional relationship.  It  also might become more confusing if users do not agree on how that view each other. A person might see their coworkers as just that, coworkers, while their coworkers view them more as a friend rather than a coworker. This might confuse outsiders when look at the two accounts. Without the ability to clearly state how two people know each other, people will be unable to know the relationship between two people.

At the end of the day, connections on social media sites are mutually agreed upon. There are ways for a user to prevent others from activity on their account. However, social media is not being used by just friends trying to connect to each other anymore. Social media has become almost like a second world in which we are able to maintain current relationships and even build new ones. Businesses are using this information in making decisions that have an outcome with real world implications. With social media becoming more prevalent in offline life, it needs to be more reflective of it. Providing users with the ability to categorize their relationships with others would be a great step forward in this endeavor. As social media continues to advance and becomes an even larger part of both peoples’ personal and professional lives, it will be important that users are able to express themselves more clearly to not only their friends but strangers as well.

 

Works Cited

Hovde, Kristin. “Multiple Social Media Accounts Is a Must.” Business.com, Business, 22 Feb. 2017, www.business.com/articles/why-every-business-should-be-using-multiple-social-media-accounts/.

Kumar, S. “Employee Social Media Monitoring Is a Bad Idea.” Time, Time, 22 May 2015, time.com/3894276/social-media-monitoring-work/.

Lytle, Ryan. “When One Social Network Is Enough.” Mashable, Mashable, 26 May 2013, mashable.com/2013/05/26/social-network-enough/#n.N8BiD8HZqU.

Schawbel, Dan. “Is It a Bad Idea to Friend Co-Workers on Facebook? How About Your Boss?” Time, Time, 17 Jan. 2012, business.time.com/2012/01/17/is-it-a-bad-idea-to-friend-co-workers-on-facebook-how-about-your-boss/.

“Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.” Facebook, Facebook, 30 Jan. 2015, www.facebook.com/legal/terms.

Zimmerman, Kaytie. “Should Millennials Be Facebook Friends With Their Coworkers?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 16 Aug. 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/kaytiezimmerman/2016/08/16/should-millennials-be-facebook-friends-with-their-coworkers/#51de06a12f6d.

Op-ed

social media censorship is creating impending chaos

(image source: https://www.truthhawk.com/social-media-censorship-creating-impending-chaos/ )

 

Content versus Context: Removing Restrictions on Social Media

Social media is commonly used as a way for people to express their experiences and idea to the world. While some rules are necessary like any form of media, there are many restrictions placed on users that are unnecessary. Social media should remove some of its restrictions on content posted on their websites to allow for more freedom of expression. Rules are necessary to maintain some form of order on social media. However, there is a difference between making sure that social media is a place where everyone can share their ideas in a constructive way and limiting social media by allowing you to only share idea that appease others. While a website’s terms and conditions prevent a person from posting certain topics within reason on their sites, there are still far too many restrictions that prevent people from fully expressing themselves.

There are already methods available to prevent posts to be shown on your account. While you would not be able to block all posts about a topic you do not agree with, you would be able to block accounts that continuously post about it. For example, Twitter provides users with a simple step-by-step guide to not only block a specific post, but also a person’s account as well (“How to Block Accounts”). If you do not approve of a person’s posting habits, social media providers often make it simple for you to not see what that person has posted. The idea that one should cater to their unintended audiences is ludicrous. If a person has an opinion that you do not like, does it matter what they say? If they do not continuously attack you or make threats to you over social media, it should not matter what they share. While attacks and threats should not be ignored by social media providers, posts that you simply do not agree with be subject should not be reported.

With social norms constantly changing, whether a post is appropriate for social media will also change. In 2014, a woman named Heather Bays had her Instagram account banned for posting a picture of her breastfeeding her daughter (Jones). This ban persisted despite not violate any of Instagram’s rules. Instagram states “breastfeeding is natural and beautiful and we’re glad to know that it’s important for mothers to share their experiences” (“Does Instagram Allow Photos”). However, because others decide to actively punish posts that go against what they approve of, Bays’s account was banned. This ban was not reversed until the story became public and drew the attention of the news. With the permanence of social media posts, if Instagram decides it would like to revoke their view on breastfeeding, what would happen to accounts that had already had pictures that were compliant with the rules at the time? It would be fair to say that the accounts have pictures that are now in violation of the current rules. That would also make it “fair” to ban all those accounts; “fair” being completely illogical. Context is not static; it is able to change as new events happen and social norms change. These constant changes would make it nearly impossible for users to make sure all their posts are perceived correctly in their new context by reviewing all their previous posts and deciding if a post must be deleted or modified. What was not considered acceptable today may be encouraged tomorrow and what was encouraged today may be thought of as repugnant tomorrow.

It should not be social media’s job to determine how we should express ourselves. Sure, many people would want to keep themselves looking professional or at least not want some embarrassing photos of them out there. But does this mean that we should not have the ability to post it online. An individual named Ryan Stewman had this problem with his Facebook account. Stewman’s account was temporarily banned after he commented a post made by one his friends making a political joke (Stewman). If Stewman did not mind being associated with that joke or his response to the joke, why should he not be allowed to express himself in that way? Many social media users can determine for themselves if something they say would be received positively or negatively from their friends and families. If his post does not attack a person’s character or threaten another’s safety, his post should have account should not have been banned.

Social media is another medium for broadcasting your ideas to the world. Other mediums, such as television and radio, are already regulated. Social media is one of the last ways for us to express our ideas freely. Without doubt, there must be some rules about what is and is not acceptable behavior regarding social media use. That does not mean we have to have a strict list of what should be allowed on social media. Context of material is determined by the time it is perceived. Content should not have to accommodate the everchanging context when considering what is and is not allowed on social media.

 

Works Cited

“How to Block Accounts on Twitter.” Twitter. Twitter. help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/blocking-and-unblocking-accounts.

“Does Instagram Allow Photos of Mothers Breastfeeding?.” Instagram Help Center. Instagram. https://help.instagram.com/172319602942927?sr=1&sid=0iHMU0in9DGlb0TwJ.

Jones, Nate. “Meet the Breastfeeding Mom Who Took On Instagram and Won.” PEOPLE.com. People. 14 May 2014. people.com/babies/heather-bays-breastfeeding-mom-gets-instagram-account-back-after-ban/.

Stewman, Ryan. “Facebook Police: There’s No Such Thing as Free Speech on Social Media.” TheHuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post. 12 Nov. 2017. www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/facebook-police-theres-no-such-thing-as-free speech_us_5a045e95e4b055de8d096ae2.

 

Online Identity Reflection

Social media training in the EP

(image source: https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/facebook-still-top-choice-for-social-savvy-meps-report-shows/ )

Influencing Opinions with Your Online Life

Social media has become commonplace today within the United States. People are using it share everything about themselves, from posting significant milestones in one’s life to what they had for dinner. This has caused social media to become a wealth of personal information. This information is being used to build a person’s identity online which may not just be available to friends and family. It may be available to potential employers and even the public. While in some cases a look at someone’s online life may provide insight into that person’s behavior, it may not be an accurate representation of that person. This identity that is formed online may or may not accurately reflect the personal academic persona. In some respects, the similarities and differences in a person’s online and offline personas can be quite drastic. When reviewing my own online life and comparing it with my academic career, I found a dramatic difference in how I built my two personas.

Online identities can be very telling about a person in some cases such as the frequency of a person’s social media page updates. Does the page update every couple of hours or every couple of months? My page is one of the latter, having only sparse activity on my social media pages. I have a single video on my YouTube channel, a video for a Spanish project. My last post on Facebook was shared on October 2016 with occasional other activities happening between then and December 2017. There is not even a picture of myself posted on my Facebook profile. Even with these few activities, such as greeting others happy birthday or holiday greetings, there are only a few things can be seen from profiles that I am not friends with. These two sites are my only social media accounts. However, my online profile is professional. There are no embarrassing photos or video floating around my social media accounts or bigotry remarks associated with me. These two factors may play a role in how others will perceive my civic persona in the future.

The amount of activity from my online life is a stark difference from my academic persona, which is very active from both coursework and organizations I am a part of. My academic life consists of being not only a member of many academic clubs and organizations, holding officer positions in some of them. To sum up my academic profile quickly, it consists of consistently getting on getting well above passing grades, having a GPA of 3.640, and balancing club activity. It is very lively and time consuming. This differs greatly from my online life which is rarely updated.

Sparseness on a person’s social media accounts can play both positive and negative roles in affecting one’s perspective when evaluating my civic persona. By not having much posted online, there are few things that can be held against me. I do not have accounts on most social media sites. Of the remaining data, much of it consists of outdated information about liked movies, bands, and television shows. Lack of data can also contain a negative connotation with it as well. While this lack of information provides no negative examples, it also provides no positive examples either. It shows no personal achievements or information. The number of a person’s friends and their names can be seen but without other context such as group photos or conversation, the extent of the relationship could be unclear. A person could also conclude that I am not a dedicated person. The account was made, there were some updates to the page, but ultimately the page was not upkept.

While searching for me on social media, a person would find very little to go on about me.  By limiting the number of things posted and the content of posts, it allows for a more professional profile. This also means that if content is available, it is not difficult to find. There is no unnecessary clutter that needs to be searched through. This may be a good thing for prospective employers making inquiries to save them time. It could also mean that much of the information that they are looking for is not there. There are some arbitrary likes associated with my page, but these would only play a small part in how someone would form a perspective of a civic persona on a person. Daily social life would need to be accounted for to form a proper civic persona, but it cannot be the driving factor in the decision. It is likely that even active social media accounts would not contain everything to for a complete civic persona. The limited information found may be a good start to a person but not an entire record to go off. For a more detailed account of my online persona, a person would have to search not only on my online profile, but the profiles of other that are associated with me for potential posts that relate to me.

Using a person’s online persona may be a good start when seeking information to form an opinion on that person. While reflecting on my personal social media profiles, I find it hard to think that my offline life is related to my online persona. To form an accurate assessment of an individual, it is necessary to take time to get to know them personally. Both my online life and academic life are still uncompleted in respect to providing a full picture of who I am. I believe that my online persona does not accurately reflect my civic persona by not showing my personal strengths and flaws but rather interests I had in the past.

 

From code to sentences

A blog by Lee Van

I am a senior at Longwood University working towards a  computer science major with a minor in business administration. I am a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, the treasurer and secretary of Upsilon Pi Epsilon at Longwood, and will be the treasurer of the Longwood’s Association of Computing Machinery club for the Spring 2018 semester.

Starting a new coding project is always enjoyable. If you are starting from scratch, you have a blank canvas to design the project how you want to. On the other hand, picking up a project from where somebody else left off lets you ponder about how they got to that point and how your coding style can be integrated into theirs. Learning about different algorithms helps with thinking about the problems that can be faced when trying to implement a new feature in a project.

In my major, we occasionally talk about security exploits that are in the news and how they can effect us, the end users. Keeping a users data secured is a big job that companies have to deal with in order to keep our private data secured.

This blog is a repository of my works for Longwood University’s English 400 class.

Just another Longwood Blogs site