Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Small Change


Gladwell, M.(2010, October 4). Small Changes;Why the Revolution will not be
Tweeted. The NewYorker, pg 42

In Gladwell's writing, "Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted," he talks about a protest by students in North Carolina back in 1960. After four African American students performed a sit in they were happening more throughout the south as far as Texas. These acts were performed long before facebook or twitter was invented. Gladwell is pointing out that our way of communication is changing because they did not all gather and discuss this protest on social networks. They got together in person and then protested. On top of that the author is showing that our way protesting has changed to where we can now do it online. We can post anything and the social networks changes the way people can protest a certain way of speaking to their concern. I support that statement because according to Gladwell, "The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism." He gives plenty of examples like, how Iran would not have confidence to stand up for freedom or democracy.
Gladwell has a big point of how twitter and facebook is to build around weak ties. You have 'followers' or 'friends' on these social networks to help you stay in touch. That's how it is social media is changing our society.

Tim's Post "Police Using Social Media"


In Tim's post, "Police Using Social Media," he has a video included and it lets viewers know that cops are even involved in social media. Tim says in his blog that, "The police are able to search for these people their trying to catch through social media websites and are even able to follow them through twitter if the person tweets." His statement basically summarizes the whole post, but I think that is a great idea. The man in the video says it really works and they have caught a guy in 30 minutes. The social networking websites that the cops use are like internet police reports filled with description and pictures. On these websites citizens can even help the cops if they know of anything or just be aware of these people. Tim really covered the main idea and he let's everyone know that, in a convenient way, cops use social media just like everyone else.

Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Terror


ReferencesWeimann, G. (2010). Terror on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Brown Journal Of World Affairs, 16(2), 45-54.

The article is letting readers know that social media networking such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are used as communication services for terrorists. They use the social network to chat amongts each other to plot attacks and other tactics. Each one can be used like Facebook to monitor military personnel and Youtube to spread news that can be on videos. From this article you can tell that popular social networking can be used by terrorists for bad. They can retrieve information about the government, people, places and use all of that to plot on another social network. They can gather almost anything with the internet up and running. Once something is up on the internet it can be seen by the public and can be used against us just like how terrorists use social media.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Inmates and Facebook


Thompson, D. (2011, November 21). Inmates Harass Victims via Facebook - Technology & Science - Security - msnbc.com. Msnbc.com - Breaking News, Science and Tech News, World News, US News, Local News- Msnbc.com. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45391607/ns/technology_and_science-security/

In the article, by Thompson, he informs that inmates have been smuggling smart phones to access facebook. With facebook the prisoners send out threats, messages, and retrieve information about whoever. This problem has actually increased. Correctional facilities located in California have confiscated 12,658 phones just in the past 10 months of this year! There are serious consequences for those who sneak phones into prisons. Inmates caught can lose up to 180 days of early release, but there is no added time to there sentence. California legislators approved a law giving anyone else who smuggles phones into the jail for anyone can receive up to 6 months in jail. There have been murders, threats, and strikes because of inmates on facebook. The article let's us know for sure that the social media can be used in many ways. It's an open resource for anyone to use including inmates. Facebook is so big that cyber bullying could be done to even a higher degree. This article just shows how big social media is being dangerous and hurting people.

The Relationship with Facebook and Students


Kalpidou, M., Costin, D., & Morris, J. (2011). The Relationship Between Facebook and the Well-Being of Undergraduate College Students. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 14(4), 183-189. doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0061

In an article written by Costin Kalpidou, it tells the study of how facebook can reflect on ones self esteem and attitude in college. This study was to find if facebook can give a postive result with social adjustment. It was also used to see if it would give a negative result like lowering self esteem and emotions. The informative writing was to show the effects of facebook, a social network, can bring. Costin is trying to show that the use of social media can bring good and bad effects because in the results of the study, facebook was shown to gave low self esteem to underclass men, but showed postive social adjustments to upperclassmen. The results were to be thought of postive later in life. When most people think facebook is bad like cyber bullying, there are some benefits. A lot of people use facebook and in the writing it disproves that users all around the world are not effected much by self esteem and attitude. It can actually all help in the long run.

The Effects of Twitter on College Student Engagement and Grades


Junco, R. R., Heiberger, G. G., & Loken, E. E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(2), 119-132. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00387.x

This article by Junco, tells us that college students using twitter can effect their grades. In the reading it also tells about a semester long study to find out if using twitter, a type of social networking, hurts the engagement and grades of college students. 125 students participated in the survey. Their was an experimental group who used twitter for types of academic discussions. Then their was a control group. It turned out that the experimental group, the group of students who used twitter in this experiment, had higher grade point averages for the semester study and a great increase in engagement than those who were in the control group. The writer claims with this study that twitter and other social media networkings can actually help students to engage in their learning. With all of what Junco writes, he disproves the thought of what most people tink. He writes he lets readers know that social networking is big and can effect students in a bad way, but it may actually be good for students.

9 of 10 Teens Witness Cyber Bullying.


Kang, C. (2011, November 8). Nine of 10 teenagers have witnessed bullying on social networks, study finds. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/nine-of-10-teenagers-have-witnessed-bullying-on-social-networks-study-finds/2011/11/08/gIQAPqUq3M_story.html


In this article from the Washington Post, it tells that 9/10 teenagers has witnessed bullying on social media such as facebook. That is a high number. This article is informing to all that an aweful amount of teens tend to cyber bully. In the article it says, "Of the teens who said they witnessed cruelty online, 21 percent said they joined in on the harassment." Amanda Lenhart, a co-author of a report, "Teens, Kindness and Cruelty," is mention and states that bad behavior and bullying from children have been around, but this type of bullying is different. The article goes on and experts say, cyber bullying is different because they are cruel comments amongst peers. When one bullys online it gives them that feel of an 'alternate ego' because it's easier said online than how you would rather speak face to face with one another. There are some restrictions on facebook like users being able to report comments and photos disliked by them, but that can't stop all of the bullying. Other sites can even sign in anonymously which is a problem that really can't be solved. This article informs about the many teens that witness and involve in cyber bullying on the social media. I feel that this way of social networking can is changing us because so many people can just get online and say hurtful things to anyone. It can be anonymous and not everyone would say the things they would in person than they would online. That is how it changes people and they way they interact with one another.