Why is social media so relevant and a part of our lives? Well the basic concept of social media (socializing) has been around before the evolution of internet. In the past people would gather in physical places to conduct business and socialize. So with the improvement of technology, today the only thing different is that majority of those activities are done through the internet and as technology advances there is a chance where all of these activities will be conducted online. Since accessibility of internet is a concern of many people around the world, I do believe that as we make great leaps in advancement of technology, we will be able to reach everyone eventually.
This video shows some shifts from old to new ways
I would like the growth of advancement in technology to continue so we can build platforms online where we can find cooler ways of communicating online and it becomes more engaging for the users. For example Manovich in his reading describes on way internet has changed how we conduct daily operations, “If before a customer would get the information or buy the product by interacting with a company employee, now she has to spend her own time and energy navigating through numerous menus to accomplish the same result” (Manovich 44). I am very excited to see the types and forms of social media we will be using in the future. In this article it states two new features that can become huge for different social media platforms. But one thing I wish to see change is where companies will look at us users as more than numbers. As stated in chapter 4 reading, “prioritize easily quantifiable measures (e.g., numbers of views, numbers of followers, numbers of fans) over more qualitative measures of audience engagement and participation” (Jenkins 176). This quote states what is important for marketer but I believe that both quantitative and qualitative data is important for the next step in digital communications. This will allow both sides to benefit from one another, companies can improve by listening and the users will feel important and feel more attached to the platform, generating more participation.
- Do you think us as “Lurkers” have any influence in changing how corporate companies view us?
- Do you think the popularity of social media can slow down?
This is something I wrote about in my post, that not only do we as lurkers have an influence in changing how corporate companies view us but we as general consumers. It is up to us to collectively produce change, but we mainly have to want it. In my opinion we are so comfortable and satisfied with the way things are that we choose to act blind towards what companies are doing to us. It is not until we grow seriously fed up will we actually produce change.
I don’t believe that peoples interest in social media will ever slow down because of how it has revolutionized everything we do. We use social media to market not only companies and our products but ourselves. I personally have used a wide variety of social media and digital communication platforms to publish articles and blogs allowing people to keep up with my travels. I have also personally marketed myself on Instagram through various posts.