A study done by ComScore shows that social media now reaches over 82% of the world's online population. Nearly 1 out of every 5 minutes spent online is used to engage on Facebook, tweet on Twitter, and connect on LinkedIn - along with other social media activities. Approximately 33% of United States mobile users access social media on mobile devices and a century's worth of video is uploaded to YouTube every 10 days. Colleges and universities are supposed to prepare students for the world. Business schools prepare for the workplace. But according to Forbes.com, 36% of the top 25 business schools do not have a single social media or social business focused class. Why is this? Simply because most business schools want proof that social media is here to stay in order to teach courses on it. However, the fact that 1.2 billion people use social media to engage with brands and themselves is the proof, and it hasn't been kept a secret.
I found this interesting, in my opinion, because I myself am a business major and there seems to be quite a few others in this communications class too, which is why I thought I would share. As far as I know of, WNE does not offer any social media classes for students in the College of Business, but now that I think about it I think it could be very beneficial. By the time we graduate and are looking for jobs of our own, social media could be even more popular, especially at the rate it is growing right now. Most employers nowadays at least advertise if not have their own social networking page. If we took courses in social media for business it could quite possibly make us more valuable and stick out more in the job market because 3 years from now employers will most likely be looking for students who are familiar with or have some background with social media (not that we don't already get enough Facebook and Twitter in our free time right now).
http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2012/04/25/guess-how-many-top-25-business-schools-dont-teach-social-mediabusiness/
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Should Teachers 'Friend' Students on Facebook?
According to USA Today, at least 40 school districts nationwide have approved social media policies and schools in NYC and Florida have disciplined teachers for Facebook activity. In a New York case, one teacher friended several female students and wrote comments such as "this is sexy" under their photos. In another case, a substitute teacher sent a message to a student saying that her boyfriend did not "deserve a beautiful girl like you." New York Chancellor Dennis Walcott plans to release social media guidelines this
month, saying recently that teachers "don't want to be put in a situation that
could either compromise them or be misinterpreted."
In my opinion, I do not think that teachers should be friends on Facebook with their current students because this could lead to some students being unfairly treated, whether it's better or worse, in the classroom setting or when it comes to grading. Also, if news of this got out to public officials, like in the New York cases, the teachers and possibly even the students could get themselves into some unintended trouble. In my high school and school district they had a rule that you could be friends with any of your old teachers on Facebook after you graduated. I do have to say that I myself am friends on Facebook with my 2nd grade teacher from way back when. She was also my favorite teacher so naturally I accepted the request, but this was just last year when I was a senior in high school and was clearly not one of her students anymore. The only other faculty member I am friends with on Facebook is my 7th grade teacher. I did find this a little weird since I had noticed that he had friended almost everyone in my high school, was posting on their walls, and had posted pictures of himself smoking a "hookah" a while back. However, he did not say anything to me and I had already graduated so I didn't think it was a big deal. I do have to say that even though I already graduated last year it still is a little weird to be friends with your old teachers on Facebook, unless they were your favorite teacher and you could trust them. After a little while I did get used to it, but teachers and students still have to be careful about what they post because you never know who is going to see it and in what context it will be read or viewed in.
Should Teacher's 'Friend' Students?
In my opinion, I do not think that teachers should be friends on Facebook with their current students because this could lead to some students being unfairly treated, whether it's better or worse, in the classroom setting or when it comes to grading. Also, if news of this got out to public officials, like in the New York cases, the teachers and possibly even the students could get themselves into some unintended trouble. In my high school and school district they had a rule that you could be friends with any of your old teachers on Facebook after you graduated. I do have to say that I myself am friends on Facebook with my 2nd grade teacher from way back when. She was also my favorite teacher so naturally I accepted the request, but this was just last year when I was a senior in high school and was clearly not one of her students anymore. The only other faculty member I am friends with on Facebook is my 7th grade teacher. I did find this a little weird since I had noticed that he had friended almost everyone in my high school, was posting on their walls, and had posted pictures of himself smoking a "hookah" a while back. However, he did not say anything to me and I had already graduated so I didn't think it was a big deal. I do have to say that even though I already graduated last year it still is a little weird to be friends with your old teachers on Facebook, unless they were your favorite teacher and you could trust them. After a little while I did get used to it, but teachers and students still have to be careful about what they post because you never know who is going to see it and in what context it will be read or viewed in.
Should Teacher's 'Friend' Students?
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Marines Seek DOD's Guidance on Social Media Use
According to MassLive.com, in Camp Pendleton, California a Marine Corps sergeant recently critisized Barack Obama on Facebook by posting anti-Obama comments and images, including allegedly putting the president's face on a "Jackass" movie poster. Since this incident, Marine Corps officials are seeking additional guidance from the Pentagon regarding service members' use of social media. However, the Pentagon's policy is unclear about the use of social media. After a daylong hearing with the Marine Corps administration board, they decided that the sergeant would be given an "other-than-honorable" discharge. This means that that he will lose his benefits and not be allowed on any military base.
.. I've said it before and I'll say it again: you must be careful about what you post on social networking sites because you never know who is going to see it. In my opinion, people are supposed to be able to say whatever they want, which is why we call America "the land of the free", right? But there are some hidden guidelines to this. I, personally, do not care what political affiliation you belong to. You are entitled to your opinion and a vote in the presidential election, if you so choose. The marine did exactly this and clearly expressed his opinion, however, Obama is technically his "boss". Whether you like him and his political views or not, you are not supposed to say anything negative about your boss online. However, we all know that people do not listen and it still happens, whether you work in an office building or in the marines. I think that since the sergeant is a grown man he should have known what he was posting and the consequences that could follow it. Maybe he did know what he was doing and just simply did not care and wanted to express his opinion anyways .. who knows? The point is that whether your boss is the President of the United States or not, you should not be saying anything negative about them on social media websites because you never know who is going to see it.
Marines Seek DOD's Guidance on Social Media Use
.. I've said it before and I'll say it again: you must be careful about what you post on social networking sites because you never know who is going to see it. In my opinion, people are supposed to be able to say whatever they want, which is why we call America "the land of the free", right? But there are some hidden guidelines to this. I, personally, do not care what political affiliation you belong to. You are entitled to your opinion and a vote in the presidential election, if you so choose. The marine did exactly this and clearly expressed his opinion, however, Obama is technically his "boss". Whether you like him and his political views or not, you are not supposed to say anything negative about your boss online. However, we all know that people do not listen and it still happens, whether you work in an office building or in the marines. I think that since the sergeant is a grown man he should have known what he was posting and the consequences that could follow it. Maybe he did know what he was doing and just simply did not care and wanted to express his opinion anyways .. who knows? The point is that whether your boss is the President of the United States or not, you should not be saying anything negative about them on social media websites because you never know who is going to see it.
Marines Seek DOD's Guidance on Social Media Use
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Alec Baldwin Goes Twitter-Ballistic for Fiancee
According to 22News.com, Alec Baldwin is very protective of his 28 year old fiancee, who is also a yoga instructor. Apparently, reporters from a New York newspaper "crashed" the yoga class just to take pictures of Hilaria Thomas. Alec Baldwin did not like this at all and proceeded to tweet on Monday: "Shame on the no-talent trash from the Daily News for invading the privacy of 75 people in a yoga class to take a picture of someone". He also posted the names of the reporters and one picture and even cursed them out.
In my opinion, social media is a great way to gets news like this out to everyone and persuade them to take your side about an issue, but like it's been said many times: you have to be careful about what you say, because in the end it could be misinterpreted or can get you in a lot of trouble. I think Alec Baldwin should have been more mature about the way he handled himself on Twitter.
Alec Baldwin Goes Twitter-Ballistic for Fiancee
In my opinion, social media is a great way to gets news like this out to everyone and persuade them to take your side about an issue, but like it's been said many times: you have to be careful about what you say, because in the end it could be misinterpreted or can get you in a lot of trouble. I think Alec Baldwin should have been more mature about the way he handled himself on Twitter.
Alec Baldwin Goes Twitter-Ballistic for Fiancee
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
NSW Schools May Lift Social Networking Ban
I know in most high schools, including my own, the internet on the computers blocked all social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter and the computers were strictly for school projects. However, schools in New South Wales, Australia may get a lift on this ban.
Their internet filtering contract is due to expire, so the schools have been asked to complete a survey about lifting the ban. The way that the officials look at it is that they know that students are accessing the sites on their mobile phones anyways, so why not provide safe usage of the websites on the computers?
Being a former high-school student, I would agree to lifting the ban on the social networking sites, but I also know that people would abuse the priviledge and not do their work in school or be very distracted by it, much like how it is on their phones during class. So, in a way I think lifting the ban would be nice, but probably not a good idea.
NSW Schools May Lift Social Networking Ban
Their internet filtering contract is due to expire, so the schools have been asked to complete a survey about lifting the ban. The way that the officials look at it is that they know that students are accessing the sites on their mobile phones anyways, so why not provide safe usage of the websites on the computers?
Being a former high-school student, I would agree to lifting the ban on the social networking sites, but I also know that people would abuse the priviledge and not do their work in school or be very distracted by it, much like how it is on their phones during class. So, in a way I think lifting the ban would be nice, but probably not a good idea.
NSW Schools May Lift Social Networking Ban
Friday, March 16, 2012
New Study Shows That Social Media Can Hurt Relationships
Most of us would probably find this a no-brainer, but there is a new study that shows that while social media can help connect us, it can also cause some relationships to grow apart. Psychologists are saying that when social lives and social media intertwine it can create jealousy.
This new study ranks the ways that stress can be caused. The biggest reason is sharing too much information on your profile page and coming in second is tagging an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend in a picture. In the past, it was a whole lot easier for couples to keep secrets from one another, but now we all must get used to the idea of less privacy.
In my opinion, I think that this study is kind of pointless because we should all know this by now anyways. This just shows us that we all need to be careful about what we are posting online because we never know who will see it and what kind of trouble it will get you into with your friends or significant other.
Study: Social Media Can Hurt Relationships
This new study ranks the ways that stress can be caused. The biggest reason is sharing too much information on your profile page and coming in second is tagging an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend in a picture. In the past, it was a whole lot easier for couples to keep secrets from one another, but now we all must get used to the idea of less privacy.
In my opinion, I think that this study is kind of pointless because we should all know this by now anyways. This just shows us that we all need to be careful about what we are posting online because we never know who will see it and what kind of trouble it will get you into with your friends or significant other.
Study: Social Media Can Hurt Relationships
Thursday, March 8, 2012
5 Social Media Campaigns for International Women's Day
I don't know how many people have actually heard of International Women's Day before, but I personally have not, and I am a girl. That being said, it was very interesting for me to find out that there is such a day. It takes place annually on March 8 and focuses on empowering women around the globe. It has become a massive day of social media activism, with campaigns showing up all over the internet. However, according to Mashable.com, there are 5 campaigns that are really dynamic and stick out the most:
#1: “Bollocks to Poverty” 1950s Facebook Makeover
Bullocks to Poverty is an organization that created a Facebook app that shows what your Facebook Timeline would look like if you were living in the 1950s.
#2: Rock the Lips
Rock the Lips is a campaign that is trying to make red lips the universal symbol of women's empowerment. They hope that 1 million women will wear red lipstick and take pictures of themselves to share on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram using the hashtag #RockTheLips. They had even hoped that Google would get on board and make their picture with the 2 O's in Google red lips. They didn't adopt it, but they did make their own International Women's Day picture.
#3: Oxfam America’s eCards and Awards
Oxfam America has created ecards with messages about ridding the world of gender inequality. They hope that women will send them to other women as a means of empowerment.
#4: International Rescue Committee’s Wake Up
The International Rescue Committee is using social media to spread stories of women in crisis.
#5: WeAreEQUALS Facebook App
The Equaliser Facebook App represents an agreement of 2 friends to equality, presumably between the different genders.
I think that these are all really great ways to get the message out there about International Women's Day to those who have never heard of it, like me. Social media can be very useful in this situation because it connects people around the world to a common cause that people might not be able to find out about otherwise.
5 Social Media Campaigns Rocking International Women's Day
#1: “Bollocks to Poverty” 1950s Facebook Makeover
Bullocks to Poverty is an organization that created a Facebook app that shows what your Facebook Timeline would look like if you were living in the 1950s.
#2: Rock the Lips
Rock the Lips is a campaign that is trying to make red lips the universal symbol of women's empowerment. They hope that 1 million women will wear red lipstick and take pictures of themselves to share on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram using the hashtag #RockTheLips. They had even hoped that Google would get on board and make their picture with the 2 O's in Google red lips. They didn't adopt it, but they did make their own International Women's Day picture.
#3: Oxfam America’s eCards and Awards
Oxfam America has created ecards with messages about ridding the world of gender inequality. They hope that women will send them to other women as a means of empowerment.
#4: International Rescue Committee’s Wake Up
The International Rescue Committee is using social media to spread stories of women in crisis.
#5: WeAreEQUALS Facebook App
The Equaliser Facebook App represents an agreement of 2 friends to equality, presumably between the different genders.
I think that these are all really great ways to get the message out there about International Women's Day to those who have never heard of it, like me. Social media can be very useful in this situation because it connects people around the world to a common cause that people might not be able to find out about otherwise.
5 Social Media Campaigns Rocking International Women's Day
Monday, March 5, 2012
Teachers Embrace Social Media in Class
As many of us know or may have noticed, there is social media all around us, especially at college campuses. According to USA Today, "Students using Facebook or text messaging during a lecture tend to do worse when quizzed later". This seems like a no-brainer to most of us, but I still see many people that continue to use social media during class anyways. However, a 2010 study shows that faculty who build Twitter into their classwork may be helping students learn better and a survey of nearly 2,000 faculty said that they feel "YouTube is a very valuable classroom aid".
Harrison University of Science & Technology in Pennsylvania blocked access to several social media sites to see what the response would be. 25% of students reported having better concentration in class, but most other students would go off campus in between classes to get internet. Some professors even encourage students to Tweet during class about the lecture topics and what they are learning in class that day. They then check their phones to make sure that the Tweets are appropriate.
Moral of the story? Social media is all around us and it is here to stay. Educators just have to learn to embrace it and use it to their advantage. That being said, I do not think they should encourage the use of social media during their class, but they know students are going to do it anyways so why not have a little fun with it. In my opinion, I think students are more alert in class anyways when professors incorporate social media or YouTube videos into their lectures. This just might be the key for professors to really connect with their students.
Teachers Embrace Social Media in Class
Harrison University of Science & Technology in Pennsylvania blocked access to several social media sites to see what the response would be. 25% of students reported having better concentration in class, but most other students would go off campus in between classes to get internet. Some professors even encourage students to Tweet during class about the lecture topics and what they are learning in class that day. They then check their phones to make sure that the Tweets are appropriate.
Moral of the story? Social media is all around us and it is here to stay. Educators just have to learn to embrace it and use it to their advantage. That being said, I do not think they should encourage the use of social media during their class, but they know students are going to do it anyways so why not have a little fun with it. In my opinion, I think students are more alert in class anyways when professors incorporate social media or YouTube videos into their lectures. This just might be the key for professors to really connect with their students.
Teachers Embrace Social Media in Class
Friday, February 24, 2012
Study Shows That Women Are Smarter Than Men About Social Media
According to Forbes.com "when it comes to managing their social media profiles, women, on average, behave more like mature, responsible adults while men act like impulsive adolescents". A new study from Pew Internet & American Life Project polled 2,277 adults for the report, that was titled "Privacy Management on Social Media Sites". When they broke down the results by gender, an interesting pattern appeared. Women are behaving more cautiously than men, and men are feeling the negative consequences of it. The main difference was in the privacy settings. Two-thirds of female users allow only their friends to view their MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook pages, while less than half of all male users do so. 26% of men choose the most public setting for their profiles versus 14% of women. Also, nearly twice as many men than women (15% vs. 8%) regretted something that they had previously posted.
So this causes me to wonder, why are women so much more careful than men? In my own opinion, I do not think that guys go on Facebook or other social media sites as often as girls do. Most, but not all, girls seem to update their status at lease once a day, if not more, while guys seem to only update it every once in a while. Maybe this is why males, according to the survey, are less careful with their privacy settings and what they post than females because they are not on those sites nearly as often as girls are so they do not keep track of their own profiles. All I have to say is that regardless of your gender, you should definitely be keeping track of who can view your pages and what you are posting anyways, or else it could lead to regret or negative consequences.
So this causes me to wonder, why are women so much more careful than men? In my own opinion, I do not think that guys go on Facebook or other social media sites as often as girls do. Most, but not all, girls seem to update their status at lease once a day, if not more, while guys seem to only update it every once in a while. Maybe this is why males, according to the survey, are less careful with their privacy settings and what they post than females because they are not on those sites nearly as often as girls are so they do not keep track of their own profiles. All I have to say is that regardless of your gender, you should definitely be keeping track of who can view your pages and what you are posting anyways, or else it could lead to regret or negative consequences.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Facebook Users are Unhappy with the New "Timeline" Profile
As most of you may already know, Facebook has launched the new "timeline" profile a while ago. Many people have made the switch over to these new features already, but some are waiting until it becomes mandatory, which is within the next few weeks. The users who have switched over however are unpleased and unimpressed with the new layout that pretty much organizes their photos, videos, and status updates in chronological order. There are also many other features which include the ability to look up past information by year, cover photos, and life events. Many users don't like it specifically because pictures and posts from long ago can now easily show up on their profile, making friends think that they are recent. This can all be changed however by simply editing the settings and what can be viewed by friends on your timeline.
Personally, I am one of the people who are waiting until the last minute and it is mandatory to switch to "timeline". I have seen many of my friends with this new layout and I do not like it one bit. It is very confusing when I try looking on their wall and scrolling through their posts. They are set up in a zig-zag diagonal sort of way and I cannot tell what was posted when. I like the current set-up because it is easy to understand and everyone already knows how to use it. However, one of the things I am sort of excited about is this new cover photo idea. I do have to give Facebook props on this one because how many times have we all wanted to change our profile picture, but couldn't decide between 2 different photos? Or wanted a certain picture as your default, but it was too wide or horizontal? At least with this new feature we will be able to have 2 different pictures if we can't decide and since it is horizontally based it will finally display it in a way that is easily visible, and quite surprisingly very clear. But besides this, I really don't think that this new "timeline" is anything to be excited for and I am dreading the day when I log in to Facebook and it will already be converted for me. I just don't understand: Why is Facebook trying to fix something that isn't broken?
Facebook's 'Timeline' Unpopular with Users
Personally, I am one of the people who are waiting until the last minute and it is mandatory to switch to "timeline". I have seen many of my friends with this new layout and I do not like it one bit. It is very confusing when I try looking on their wall and scrolling through their posts. They are set up in a zig-zag diagonal sort of way and I cannot tell what was posted when. I like the current set-up because it is easy to understand and everyone already knows how to use it. However, one of the things I am sort of excited about is this new cover photo idea. I do have to give Facebook props on this one because how many times have we all wanted to change our profile picture, but couldn't decide between 2 different photos? Or wanted a certain picture as your default, but it was too wide or horizontal? At least with this new feature we will be able to have 2 different pictures if we can't decide and since it is horizontally based it will finally display it in a way that is easily visible, and quite surprisingly very clear. But besides this, I really don't think that this new "timeline" is anything to be excited for and I am dreading the day when I log in to Facebook and it will already be converted for me. I just don't understand: Why is Facebook trying to fix something that isn't broken?
Facebook's 'Timeline' Unpopular with Users
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