Real Time in the News

"The official media does not cover what is really happening in Tunisia, so bloggers and online activists try to do this," - blogger Lina Ben Mhenni

While American youth blog and create Facebook posts about loving diet coke, attending shows, or how much in love they are with someone at the moment, there are youth across the world who live lives we would only see in the movies. There are youth whose lives are being torn apart by political and social turmoil within their countries. Though these circumstances appear to dictate the course of their lives, not all of these youth are allowing their troubles to get the best of them. Through the internet, and whatever other mediums they can get their hands on, they are united as a strong front to share with the world what is occurring in their lives. Sites, such as our beloved Facebook, has allowed people to connect worldwide and learn about what is truly going on in these countries, and take action against it. There is a surge of overwhelming support from people worldwide for sites such as a Fbook fan page for the Egyptian revolt. I found it interesting to realize that activism does not only occur in the streets, but on the world wide web as well. It has the advantages of allowing ANYONE to be involved and take action and spread their voice. Thankfully we can have everyone in the world hear our voice with the click of a button. The messages spread faster and ignite the world.

http://www.channel4.com/news/arab-revolt-social-media-and-the-peoples-revolution

Groundswell for Tootie’s Cuties

If the groundswell is the way to the customer’s heart, then I, and any business-person that would like to be successful, needs to get on the train. In light of our new class project, the planned learning project, learning about the strategies for tapping into the groundswell is a somewhat lifesaver for the company. The chapter opened with the question in a scenario, “Are you more interested in a community for listening to what your customers are saying or for influencing them?” This sole question forces the business-person to understand what their true focus and desires are for concerning their customers. The answer to this generates two very different business plans. These plans dictate the relationship you will have with your customers, and, in addition, how you will reach them. In correlation with my beanie business, Tootie’s Cuties, it is difficult to answer the opening question. I would like to make money and influence what my customers ought to think and buy, however, it is important to consider their thoughts and wishes. The business won’t survive without input and connection to one’s target audience: the customers. It is here that social media becomes the utmost important. Without the media, the business and the customer relationship would not survive.

Its Our Time

With it being Black History Month, I cannot help but look back and appreciate all that supporters of Civil Rights lived and died for. They lived for change. I remember the stories my father, mother, aunts, and uncles would tell me about living through civil rights and its immediate effects. One could not escape it, Black or White. I remember asking my aunt if she was involved in the Women’s Rights movements occurring at the same time as Civil Rights and she told me, “Taylor, I was Black before I was a woman.” I am so proud to be able to learn from a generation that inspired change and, in fact, not only changed the time they were living in, but history itself.

Lets fast-forward 45 years to today. We are the new generation that is responsible for the change. An article in the UN Chronicle, titled “Are "Twittering" Youth Agents of Positive Change?” urges youth to get involved in change for our generation. The article focuses on youth using their tools of social media to share information and encourage activism. Through this medium, youth from all over the world have the ability to be connected and generate a message.  

Social media is an effective tool of communication for the youth to take advantage of. Someone once told me, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Our generation may not battle an entire legal system, march to the Lincoln memorial, or protest through sit-ins, but we can do something. If Facebook, Twitter, and blogging is what we have, a message can still be spread. Change starts with us.

Twittering" Youth Agents of Positive Change?

Long Live Delicious!

As I log onto my blog post now I see a tab at the top saying, “Click here to make your linking easier! Link to Amazon to earn and save you money!” At first thought, who wouldn’t want their “linking” experience to be easier? Who wouldn’t want their life to be easier? We are living in a day and age that I have heard d called the “easy generation”. We live a fast-paced life, east fast food, drive fast cars, have higher speed internet, and do not like to wait for things. We want what we want, when we want it. I’m not sure that making life easier makes things necessarily better. The easier life we have now has caused people to go into debt, children to become fatter, and a monopoly of businesses to capitalize on the “needs” of our new lifestyle. However, back to the subject at hand, there are aspects of the “easy life” that are truly beneficial. Social media, though difficult to master at first, has made the process of linking easier. On Facebook, its easy to link to your family and friends, (and stalk their pictures endlessly), Twitter has made it easier for businesses and people to network and help one another, blogs have made it easier to get your thoughts out for everyone to hear. The article we read talked about how Delicious made bookmarking easier for everyone. I am a HUGE bookmark fan. Recently, my computer crashed, and took with it my 2 ½ years’ worth of bookmarks with it. I felt a part of my heart stop when I lost ALL of these findings. When Corinne told us that there was an online site that allowed you to access bookmarks from any computer, I wanted to leap for joy! The best part of the site was the fact that you could not only access your bookmarks, but also see who else bookmarked that, and their findings as well. It’s an online, never endings cycle of linking. I am not too happy that I came to hear about Delicious and the point of its downfall. In this fast-paced life we live in, social media is becoming one of the “easy-button” areas that I am enjoying. ¡Viva la Delicious!

Change the World

This week I started messing with my Google Reader, specifically trying to find articles on Social Media and Africa. I ran across an article that paralleled what I would like to focus on with my blog: using social media to promote social justice. There is truly a way to promote social justice on the internet, rather than simply networking with friends and commenting on photos. The net is such a powerful tool. I think that in this day and age, its amazing the amount of power that common people have in their hands with the net. We are those people. We have the power to transform our world, with the simple click of our mouse. The world has seen how quick news spreads via the net with the recent social media crisis occurring in Egypt right now. As a global community we have had the ability to be aware of an arising problem. With this said, I believe that it is very possible to let the world see the issues happening in places such as Uganda and Sudan. With the spirit of community and caring, we can transform this world. 

To see the article 

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-29/news/ct-met-civil-rights-summit-20110129_1_social-media-social-justice-facebook-page

 

What in the World is this Groundswell???

Groundswell. What in the world is groundswell? This concept, which is still somewhat foreign to the public as a whole, is a rapidly growing phenomenon. Groundswell is a technological trend for people to get what they need from one another. This theory is contrary to traditional forms of trade, such as institutions and corporations. Within the past 12 years of the technology “boom”, internet trade, communication, interaction, etc. has surged to almost a necessity in everyday life. In the future, the need for a physical business may come to an end. Due to these growing statistics, it is important that businesses become savvy to the ever changing world around them today. The text presents readers with information to understanding the relationship modern technologies have with each other, such as RSS, blogs, SNS, and so on.  Readers are also presented with testimonials of how, when social media was applied, interaction between consumer and institution became stronger.

This summer I will be studying in Tanzania, which is in East Africa, for 6 weeks. This blog is the beginning of my “social media” journey to connect with the world around me. Because I will be on the other side of the world, I will not be able to talk with my family and friends consistently. With that said, blogs, SNS, and whatnot will become my best friends during the trip. I am one part of the statistic of young people that could not resist the need to become participatory in the social media phenomenon.