Social Media: Traditional Views

Social media has not always been what it's known as today. News and information spread only as quickly as one person could tell another. Then radio came along. Then television, and even this crazy idea claimed by Al Gore as the Internet. So not only do these media help people learn about news and information, they help us connect with one another. The word "social" is social media is just as significant and the media part. In the article "Bringing Old School to New Media", a special emphasis is put on the relationships that we build with one another. More important than simply sending messages or sharing funny tidbits is the ability social media provides to stay involved in the lives of those we most care about.

For two years I served an LDS mission and met a lot of great people who happen to live in Indiana. Not exactly driving distance away from them. It is great for me to be able to stay connected with these good friends on the phone but even cooler to share pictures and document stories with them online through social networks like Facebook and Blogger. I am always grateful to look back on the experiences I have had on my mission and love sharing that experience with others online.

On the contrary, I do see a couple small disadvantages to the new wave of online interaction. Most of my sabbatical was recorded in a journal. I tried to write as frequently as possible without being too redundant or dry. I came home with two journals full of stories and experiences. To me there is something so personal and valuable about handwritten accounts. Just as receiving a written letter feels much more special than a brief email. The day and age at hand encourages more typing and less writing. Eventually writing will be as prevalent as VHS tapes.

Lastly, a message or not written through Facebook and email in no way compares to a nice phone call. Conversation is vital to a healthy friendship/relationship. My online personality differs from my real one, and I can guarantee most of my generation is the same way. This may come off as old fashioned, but kids today are losing basic social skills because they don't just use media for useful things, they are completely absorbed in it! Moderation in all things. This is my message for kids to talk to each other in person! This article backs me up on that http://socialmediatoday.com/eric-harr-resonate-social-media/317029/bringing-old-school-new-media

Some will notice that my previous mention of media omitted one important source: Newspapers. To revert back to the boom of media, newspapers were the primary informant long before even the radio. But who really reads newspapers anymore? After reading this article I was shocked. http://socialmediatoday.com/index.php?q=SMC/186359 It turns out people are still pretty interested in printed news. Could it be that they don't trust online content? Or maybe is that television seems to exaggerate and stretch the truth? I don't think we can really know why people, for now, are still faithful in reading the daily paper.

According to the article, 74 percent of American adults read the paper at least once a week. Further statistics show that wealthier, more educated persons tend to frequent the black and white pages than others. Interestingly enough, the newspapers of America have mostly provided digital content as well. What on Earth can that mean for readers, for business, for news? As one who loves applications, digital news makes a lot of sense to me. Reading on the go for free is the best of both worlds. It is no wonder though that newspapers are struggling to be as successful financially.

More than just providing paper machet material, newspapers can still cater to the traditional crowd of readers who like to tangible absorb the world's events first hand. As for me, I'll stick with my apps.