Tag Archives: Sharing

Social Media Environments

@KatieGullans

In the Palm Beach Clark County District in summer of 2009, they announced a new program that increased emphasis on standardized tests. Parents were upset by the changes. Then a substitute teacher/parent named Lisa Goldman started a Facebook page that would go against the standardized testing, emphasizing that  “testing is not teaching.” The people of the community joined together to share their ideas on what actions they should take. They ended up with more than 6000 members to fight against this(Zandt 164).

This is a good example of how social media environments can group together to share similar views on a situation  and try to make a change. This brought people to join together because they strongly disagreed with the new system of standardized testing and they could all build a trust with each other.

People can build trust and empathy with each other by sharing stories. Someone may share an experience they had and another person may find meaning in that because they’ve had a similar experience. This process can be done with or without the internet, but with it, there is a possibility for even more connections.  If one can’t seek out a group in real life, then there are many to find and join online. If people can have someone to understand how they feel and relate to, then they wouldn’t feel alone. If I didn’t understand the homework and someone said they didn’t get it either, I’d feel better because at least I wouldn’t be the only one. If the whole class didn’t understand it, they would have something in common. And this idea can build up with more people online.

Blog 11

@starlingpreston

 

According to Zandt “storytelling has been the most powerful building block for social change,” and “social networking gives us unprecedented power to share our stories” (1). Social media environments, such as the web, allow users to mobilize and seek change. One such example is “progressive activists,” (Zandt 5). Progressive activists used web technologies to inform others about unpopular stories that were not covered in regular media. So, the activists mobilized and founded “the first Independent Media Center,” which covers such unpopular stories, (Zandt 5).

Another example of how social media creates mobilization and change is through blogging. Blogging allows a variety of people to connect through common interests, creating a network of friendships. Linking sites and videos to blogs allows people to share their interests with others who may be thousands of miles away. These interests and ideas that are being shared could create a movement or mobilization concerning a certain shared opinion or topic.

As discussed by Zandt, there are certain aspects that establish a person’s social capital; which is how participation and sharing is measured in the “gift economy,” (31). These aspects, according to Tara Hunt, make someone valuable, which contributes to “the social media ecosystem,” (Zandt 31). Connections, reputation, and influence are some of the aspects that boost someone’s social capital, which makes sharing easier. One example given by Zandt is when someone thanks another person for responding to their blog, which makes people feel appreciated and more likely to share the blog. Not only did this boost reputation, but it also facilitated sharing through social media (33).