Social media platform
With the current developments in scientific innovations and inventions, there are new ways of communicating, interacting and passing information. Social networks have been used by companies, individuals and in some place the government to share and pass information.
The main reason that has lead to the growth in social media networks is the cost associated and their effectiveness. When something has been posted over the social media, it can easily spread to the intended people. According to Dasf, in modern computerized world, people seem to be more connected to their electronic gadgets that they interact face to face.
I have an account with Facebook; this is the account that I use to communicate with my friend, pass information to the world and meet new friends. Regularly, I update my account with what I feel should be discussed or I should get views of different people; sometimes it may be a joke and others some serious stuffs.
Dasf is of the opinion that new relationships and friendships are developing and growing into new heights through social networks. When I am updating the site and commenting on other peoples posts, I am balancing my online life and offline life; it is worth noting that the site can be “addictive,” thus I have to ensure that I have budgeted my time wisely that it does not spend my working and reading time (Danah, “White Flight in Networked Public”).
Facebook comments and updates can be accessed to a number of people; the site offers some linkage from one person to another; however to maintain my privacy and shape my public image, I ensure that I post things that are ethically and morally acceptable.
They are things that might be happening in the social networks but the way I put the matter in the form of language and tone of the posting is to ensure that I give my opinion and it portrays my high values and respect to other peoples opinions’.
On the other hand, my social network site has offered security platform adjustments. A link that allows me to limit the number of people who can see my profile; for example, I have ensured that only my friends have an access to my private information. I also vet my friends before upgrading them to the level of friends who can see my profile.
Dana Boyd is of the opinion that despite the invention of social networks across space, time and geographical areas, then, “Privacy Is Not Dead,” people can still initiate policies that facilitate privacy and limit the access of private information.
The approach that Facebook has taken is one that caters for the needs of all people in the community as well as companies are using the site to advertise their products and promote their works through the sites.
However, the community that I interact with are the young people who include my classmates, friends both domestics and those living in the Diaspora, and I am a member of some social groups formed within the social network.
The people and the kind of posts that are present in my site can be referred to as college-centered nature; this are mostly on the current situation in the world and what is happening in the college environment. In the words of Dasf, social sites assist people to share updates and information; this is the main role played by my Facebook page.
According to Dana Boyd ‘Tastes and aesthetics are not universal but deeply linked to identity and values”, this means that as people interact, they exchange their believes, values, cultures and viewpoints. When this happens, they are likely to create different reaction and help in shaping the users believes.
The behavior and character of human beings is shaped by the materials they are exposed to; if they get exposed to materials that is not favorable, then they are likely to develop a deviant behavior. The post over Facebook shapes the users behavior, attitude, and perception.
For example, when the site is used to advertise for commodities, then buyers are more likely to be persuaded especially when they see other people comment positively about how the product has changed their lives. On the other hand, if the comments are negatives, a user of the product is more likely to be convinced that the commodity is not good thus stop using the products.
Among the young, some posts that can initiate some positive values as well as negative ones; for example, a post that shows people rejoicing as they praise God and confession by person on how another person has seen miracles when they follow teaching of God.
A youth who has seen life to be hopeless is likely to respond positively to such a post and assist in shaping his attitude and perception in life. On the other hand, there may be a post that seems to promote premarital sex; such posts can persuade a morally upright youth to involve in such practices (Danah, “Making Sense of Privacy and Publicity”).
Circulation vs. Distribution
In communication and technology, circulation means the flow of intended information or enriched information from the intended source of the information and then after the flow, the information gets back to the source of information to be enriched or as a feedback. The process is continuous and follows the all processes of effective communication.
Distribution on the other hand, means how circulated information gets to the larger community; the large communities are the people who are consume the information after it has been upgraded and considered fit for public consumption.
The main difference between circulation and distribution is the number of people involved and the stage at which they get the information. In the case of circulation, the information gets to specific people who are expected to vet the quality of the information and give feedback on areas that it needs to be improved and whether the information is fit for public consumption.
On the other hand, distribution goes to the larger community, they are expected to consumer the information as it has been given and only offer feedback by response they give to the communication.
For an effective communication, there must be effective methods of circulation and distribution; the effective of the methods determine the degree of success of a certain communication. Both circulation and communication are two-way systems; in circulation, a limited number of people consume the information and gets back to the source for improvement of the information before it gets to the public. In distribution, the response of the target members of the public is the feedback that completes the two-way system.
Works Cited
Danah, Boyd. Making Sense of Privacy and Publicity. South by Southwest, March 13 2010. Web.
White Flight in Networked Publics? How Race and Class Shaped American Teen Engagement with MySpace and Facebook. Digital Race Anthology, 2009. Web.