My Social Media Experiment

I consider myself a pretty private person and very resistant to change.  At the beginning of the semester, I had not uploaded a picture to Facebook in three years, did not use a smartphone, and did not know the first thing about Twitter except for the fact that Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian had a lot of followers.  I was doing everything I could to stay away from using apps, “checking-in” and putting my life out there for the world to see.  Then came this course.

I signed up because I thought it would provide me with a better understanding of how these social media tools work and why they have developed such a following.  I thought to myself, “Hey, this class is perfect.  I’ll learn about how other people blog and how other people tweet, and leave at the end of the semester with a basic knowledge of these tools if I ever need to use them.”  Boy, was I in for a surprise.

After walking into the first class, Professor Kane made it very clear that each of us would be diving head first into social media.  “If you have an issue with having your blog public or want to protect your tweets, then this class may not be for you.”  This made me feel pretty uneasy and question whether this was something I wanted to do.  I had two options: 1) Sign-up for a different elective, one that does not require me to make such a public display of my thoughts and opinions, or 2) Face my fears and start my journey through social media, a topic I have been so fascinated about from afar.  I figured with this being the last class I will ever take at BC (after 4 years of undergraduate and 3 years of graduate coursework), I had to face my fears before being able to confidently say to my friends and family, “I did it!  I’m done!”  Three months later, I am so happy I did.

The experience has been more rewarding than I ever imagined.  Although scary at first, keeping up with my own blog and tweeting became enjoyable and something I look forward to.  Having the opportunity to read my classmates’ blogs was a real treat, too.  I got to learn about their interests and opinions outside of the classroom setting, something no other course to-date has enabled me to do.  Having a mix of undergrads and grads in the class was a great idea and in my eyes, a huge reason for its success, as well.  As a graduate student, the undergrads provided a sense of reality for where things currently stand with social media and where it is likely headed in the next few years.

Along with contributions from my fellow classmates and professor, I was very impressed with the guest speakers that came to visit and share their experiences in the field of social media.  These speakers were truly best in class and had a breadth of knowledge to share.  As the current innovators in their field, their enthusiasm for the benefits and future of social media was utterly contagious.  I left those classes feeling so in-tune with what was going to be the “next big thing,” leading my friends and family to ask, “Who are you?”

Well three months later, I am still me, still resistant to change and uneasy about publicizing my life to the world.  But I have developed a newfound respect and appreciation for social media, something I am really excited about.  I now love Twitter and have even convinced five of my friends to join.  I enjoy blogging and hope to continue posting when the course is over.  But most importantly, I have moved from just viewing social media content, to actually creating it, something I am very proud of.  All in all, my biggest takeaways from this experience are:

1)   Don’t be scared of social media.

–       You can engage with it at all different levels and for many different purposes.  Find the level of use that is comfortable for you.  Just, don’t be left out!

2)   Snack time makes big kids happy too. 😉

3)   And finally for those business owners out there still questioning whether or not to go social, there is only one thing I would say:

“If you don’t have a seat at the table, you are probably on the menu.”

Photography Gone Social

During the holidays, most of us get to spend a lot of time with family and friends, and a lot of that time includes catching up.  One common phrase I hear when home for the holidays is, “Why don’t I see any pictures of you anymore?” or, “Why are we even taking these?  It is not like we are going to see them anyway.” Instead of getting mad, my answer is: get online.  Kind of like the ultimatum Professor Kane presented to his mother, “Join Facebook if you want to see pictures of your grandchildren,” I am hoping that this season, I can convince my extended family to have no choice but to succumb to the online, digital reality of picture sharing.

Most people have moved away from developing pictures for a variety of reasons. Let’s take Facebook, for example.  In just a few easy steps, everyone from your high school friends to an aunt in Chicago can see pictures from your latest vacation.  It is incredibly convenient.  As long as you have your privacy settings adjusted to your liking, Facebook allows you to share photos with intended viewers only.  Due to sites like Facebook, instead of worrying about whether someone in the picture we just took was blinking, now our biggest worry is the tag-obsessed friend who snaps pictures every chance she gets and immediately uploads them.  I am sure we have all felt that feeling of panic upon receiving notification that our beloved picture queen has tagged yet another 17 unflattering photos of us.

But why else should everyone migrate to sharing photos online:

1) It saves time:

–       Online uploading gives you the ability to share pictures instantly (especially when posting straight from your mobile phone)

• Keeps picture sharing current and relevant
• Eliminates the waiting period of people asking for the pictures you took

2) It saves money:

–       No longer are you forced to pay for developing every picture you take, just to see how one or two came out

–       By posting pictures online, you completely eliminate the need for printing and mailing photos just for someone to see them.  If they have a personal favorite, they can order copies on their own.

3) Creates a more flexible viewing experience:

–       Most online sites and mobile apps allow you to view pictures in a variety of ways including thumbnail view, slideshow view or zooming in/out for more detail

4) Easy editing and ordering capabilities:

–       Along with uploading and sharing photos, many photo sharing sites, like Shutterfly, allow you to create, edit and design beautiful albums right on their site, creating a one-stop shop for all of your photography needs

–       Enables ordering 24 hours a day and in most cases, free shipping.  No more waiting until a store opens to place a picture printing order.

5) Social benefits

–       By sharing photos online, you have a forum for viewers to leave feedback

• Many photo-sharing apps track the view count of uploaded pictures, similar to Twitter, so you can monitor the popularity of a specific picture
• People also have the ability to comment or “like” a photo, enabling freeflowing conversation and taking full advantage of social media

I think that by far, it is one of the best industry shifts we have seen in media.  It is just unfortunate that some people have yet to jump on the bandwagon.

With that said, though, developing some pictures for grandma’s fridge would not hurt either, especially once you see the smile it puts on her face.  In order to satisfy my grandmother’s urge for pictures, I have been pretty successful in wrapping up some sort of photo-inspired gift for her every year including a family calendar, framed picture or even a photograph of her grandchildren put onto a mousepad.  While right now, the mousepad is only used to improve her solitaire and Mahjong skills, my hope is that pretty soon, she will be a whiz at Shutterfly too. 😉

What about you?  Do you experience the same nagging from your family when it comes to pictures?  Have you gotten them to start using photo-sharing sites/apps?  If so, which ones?

Twitter: The Best News Source Today?

Although primarily viewed as a social networking site, Twitter is continuing to climb the ranks and prove itself as a viable source of news.  Some of the biggest news stories of the past few years have broken on Twitter, leaving traditional media outlets wondering how to compete with the site:

1)   Osama Bin Laden’s Death: In the time between the White House announcing a late-night press conference, and President Obama telling the world Osama bin Laden had been killed, Twitter users had already broken the news of his death.

2)   The Hudson River Plane Crash: When US Airways flight 1549 unexpectedly landed in the Hudson River in New York City in January 2009, Twitter users were among the first to break the news and post photographs.  Janis Krums tweeted a picture of passengers on the wings of the floating Airbus passenger jet: “There’s a plane in the Hudson. I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy.”

3)   The Earthquake in China: One hour before any mention in mainstream media, China’s devastating earthquake of May 2008 was trending on Twitter.

4)   The East Coast Earthquake: Tweets began pouring in from D.C. nearly 30 seconds before the quake was felt in New York City and well before any reports about the quake emerged from the media.

5)   Michael Jackson’s Death:  News of the King of Pop’s death in June 2009 was released by TMZ, but first went viral via Twitter.  TMZ managed to outpace the mainstream media, all of whom were camped outside the hospital waiting for official confirmation.  How did it do it?  By not waiting for official confirmation and instead, relying on unnamed sources and on-the-spot rumors through Twitter.

More recently, just last night, the news announcement of Wilson Ramo’s safe rescue from kidnappers was made through Twitter.  The Washington Nationals catcher was kidnapped by armed men outside his parents’ house in Valencia, Venezuela on Wednesday.  After candlelight vigils and tons of speculation about his whereabouts, Information Minister Andres Izarra reported the safe rescue of the MLB player via Twitter last night, saying Ramos was “found alive by security forces in the mountainous zone” of Venezuela.

 

These incidents clearly exemplify how Twitter and other social media sites essentially allow anyone with a smartphone to break news.  With that said, though, getting your news from Twitter may not always be a good thing.  Just as valid news stories spread quickly on Twitter, so do crazy rumors, like the death of Tiger Woods:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/247978/20111111/tiger-woods-dead-twitter-facebook-hoax.htm

Likewise, sharing news on Twitter enables embarrassing mistakes to go viral in just minutes.  Take Ashton Kutcher’s recent tweet about the firing of Penn State coach Joe Paterno:

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/ashton-kutcher-posts-stupid-twitter-photo-hours-vow-stop-tweeting-joe-paterno-scandal-article-1.976194?localLinksEnabled=false

Some Twitter users take advantage of their audience to publicize meaningless news stories, too, making spectacles out of everyday occurrences.  Take this poor college couple in Boston whose break-up at a Burger King was publicized by an onlooker:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/11/couples-break-up-at-burger-king-becomes-twitter-spectacle/

Stories such as these can downplay the site as a quality news source, especially for people already skeptic of Twitter.

As Twitter continues to be used to communicate a wide array of news stories, both true and false, the information on the site must be used with caution.  As with any news, trusting your source of information is key.  There will always be Twitter users that post more credible information than others.

As we have seen through the many examples, whether publicizing fact or fiction, one advantage the site does have going forward, is its timeliness.  Say what you want to say but no other news outlet can compete with the speed of information posted on Twitter.

So, what do you think?  Do you think rumors and meaningless news stories on Twitter downplay the credibility of the site as a valid news source?  Do you think Twitter could eventually be seen primarily as a news source and secondly as a social media site?

Sources: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/08/us-twitter-factbox-idUSTRE76700F20110708; http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/10-news-stories-that-broke-on-twitter-first-719532

Why Aren’t We Rating Our Doctors?

Consumers of today have become accustomed to having a forum where they can provide feedback to the businesses they visit (ex: Yelp, tripadvisor, etc.).  Whether visiting a new restaurant or buying a new electronic device, it is common to go online after the fact and rate the product.  In doing so, you provide information to many potential customers who depend on your review to make their future purchase decisions.  With the increased popularity of online ratings sites and social media discussion boards, consumers have more information at their fingertips than ever before to help make everyday purchase decisions.  The higher the price or importance of the item, the more research and care is put in.  The problem is, information on the most important service we consume does not seem to be out there.

Although not traditionally viewed as a business, medical and health establishments are service providers that we pay to assist in our health and well-being.  Ranking high in importance, when deciding which doctor to visit or which specialist to see, it would help to have a wealth of information at your fingertips to help you decide on which is best for you.  Unfortunately though, this is rarely the case.  Most of the time, a doctor will recommend a specialist to you, and all you can do is trust that they are referring you to the doctor with the best quality of care possible.  Even if it is a local doctor that friends and family may have visited, most people still feel uncomfortable seeking opinions of others, as most medical issues are private, and the fact that people may not want to share their personal health problems with you.

This just does not seem right.  We have tons of information out there to make measly everyday purchase decisions, like which coffee to buy based on whose coffee was voted best by most Americans in a blind taste test, yet we can’t find information on a doctor who is about to perform our knee surgery.  This issue has been brought to my attention multiple times, but most recently, through a friend of mine who was recently in a car accident.

Last weekend, while parked in an empty lot and reaching her hand to open the passenger side door of her boyfriend’s car, a student driver rammed into the side of the car, hitting her in the legs and throwing her to the ground.  She was taken by ambulance to the hospital in extreme pain and with limited sensation below the waist.  After having multiple x-rays done, the doctor told her that none of her bones actually broke during impact but that that she would continue to have a great deal of swelling and bruising over the next week.  After the doctor left the room, the nurse came in with a set of crutches and said “Okay, you’re all set.  You’ll just have to see an orthropedic surgeon this week.”  My friend, in pain and confused asked, “To use crutches, you have to have one leg that is in working condition, right?”  The nurse answered,  “Yes.”  “Well, both my legs were just hit by a car and I still cannot feel them, nevermind move them on my own, let alone walk,” my friend replied.  “Well, unless you can get out of here on crutches, we’ll have to admit you and keep you here,” the doctor chimed in.  He explained to her that her choice was cut and dry- either she somehow finds the inner strength to wobble her way out of the hospital or she had to stay with them overnight.  Her boyfriend picked her up, placed her in her mother’s car and took her home, never to return to that hospital again.

This was only the beginning of the lack of sympathy and service she was given over the last week and only one example of many I know of where less than quality medical care has been provided to patients.  Unlike with service providers in other industries though, situations like these usually go unreported.  Everyone moves on and the doctors get paid regardless of the quality of service.  Even though someone may wish to let others know about their experience in order to prevent anything similar from happening again, most people just feel like it there is no easy way to do so.

Unlike every other type of feedback and rating you post online, posting information about doctors and medical professionals is difficult and in some cases, impossible.  The problem is that there is no central site where everyone goes to provide feedback on doctors, specifically.  Simply put- the rating system for medical professionals is fragmented.  If you try and search for a site to rate your doctor, what you’ll find are 10-20 sites claiming that they are the go-to site for information and ratings on doctors in your area.  After personally surfing through a bunch of these sites, I could not find one with evidence of a substantial following.  I decided to go ahead and try posting some ratings about my last doctors’ visits to see what I found.  Here are some key takeaways:

1)   Firstly, your doctor may not even be listed to choose from to provide a rating

2)   If you do find the doctor you would like to rate, on average, they only had 2-3 reviews posted, each with limited and very general information

3)   When completing a review, the questions they ask you to rate the doctor on may not cover the topics you would like to address (ex: ask about wait time, politeness of staff versus knowledgeable about condition, quality of care)

4)   Multiple disclaimers: RateMDs.com states that when posting a review, your IP address is being tracked and that “libelous or very short comments may be deleted.”  Also, before you click, submit, it states, “You are legally responsible for what you write here.”  With all of these warnings, who is really going to be honest about the care they received?

5)   Lastly, if your post is actually accepted and posted, you’re still not left feeling confident that anyone would even visit this site to read your story.  (I, personally, do not know anyone who has said they look at these ratings)

For any site focusing on customer reviews, the more people posting and the more total posts, the higher the quality of the ratings become.  Encouraging people to come back and continue posting is a must to make a ratings website a success.  This is the exact opposite of what I experienced.  After writing my customer feedback and submitting it, the site did not even post it.  Instead, I was told that my rating was under review.  Who knows if it will ever even get approved or posted.  Also, the site should be open for medical professionals to reach out to unhappy patients, just as other businesses reach out to their disgruntled customers.  (Considering the nature of the industry, reaching out to customers in this case would involve more of an offline, individual approach.)  Regardless, with the technology out there and the number of people with information to share, it just amazes me that we have not seen a better, more efficient platform come to the forefront.  Social media has helped the communication and feedback loops of so many other organizations.  Why not the one that actually affects our physical well-being?

All in all, I am not saying that we should necessarily be tweeting back and forth with our physicians, as this raises obvious privacy concerns.  However, there should be a forum to provide personalized feedback to health professionals and public information as to how their treatment is rated, just as we do with any other business or organization as customers.  If you have had any luck posting good or bad reviews on one of these sites about your doctor, please do share.

Facebook Official

I remember how big of a deal it was within my social circle when I started officially dating my boyfriend during my junior year of college.  I had broken the news to my close friends on a one-on-one basis, but it was only when it became “Facebook Official” that I got the, “Wow, you guys are really serious!”  It is ridiculous to think about, but making a relationship public on Facebook is just as big as posting it in your hometown newspaper these days- now everyone knows.  More importantly though, it is becoming the only way recognized to actually legitimize it! “Well, it is Facebook official?” people often ask.

As more and more generations continue to join Facebook, what I thought was just a “college thing” has ended up infiltrating relationships in society as a whole.  Now, I see people my parents’ age updating their relationship statuses on Facebook, finding it the easiest and overall best way to communicate the news with their friends.

There are many relationships that have been able to flourish primarily because of the social networking site.  I attended a wedding this weekend for two friends whose relationship is essentially owed to Facebook.  In fact, the maid of honor actually said in her speech, “I would personally like to thank Mark Zuckerberg for bringing Ashley and Alex together.”

Instead of discussing during a phone call or catching up over coffee, Facebook is the means people use to find the most accurate relationship information of their friends and family.  Are you interested in knowing whether someone has recently “been taken off the market” or is newly single?  You know where to go to find out.

The effect of Facebook on relationships and communication became of particular interest to me after Professor Kane told us that 1 in every 5 divorces in the U.S. cites Facebook as a cause.  This just really baffled my mind.  I thought to myself, “Really?”  Well, after Googling the statistics a little further, I found that not only was this true but also that out of any online divorce evidence used in court, Facebook is the leader by far with 66% citing it as the primary source.*  So obviously, there can be adverse effects of giving people the framework to connect and communicate easily with friends from the past , potentially including an ex.  Like with anything else, I think the key to success is setting guidelines and using the technology for what it is intended for- to make (appropriate) connections.

There has actually been a book published to address this shift in relationship dynamics, titled, “Facebook and Your Marriage.”  The book discusses how couples can not only survive, but thrive on the world’s largest social networking site, discussing issues such as:

• Have you received a Friend Request from a former boyfriend or girlfriend?
• Is your spouse chatting with “someone” on Facebook?
• Does the topic of Facebook trigger arguments between you and your mate?
• Do some of your spouse’s Facebook Friends make you uncomfortable?
• Is the amount of time you or your mate spend on Facebook creating tension?

It tells us a lot about how the biggest social network has truly transformed our culture and the way we communicate in our relationships.  As we have discussed many times in class, it is not at all about the technology anymore.  Communicating through Facebook is just “what we do” and what it looks like we will be doing for many more years to come.

*http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-blamed-for-1-in-5-divorces-in-the-us/359

They’re Watching You…

How often, when we update our status on Facebook or comment on a friend’s post, do we think about the fact that what we say is being tracked?  On Twitter, we use hashtags for this purpose, but what happens if we don’t?  Is someone still tracking what we say?

This question began to enter my mind as the number of marketers beginning to follow me on Twitter continues to rise.  “How do they even find me?” I wonder.  I just joined Twitter and have not “hashtagged” anything except #MI621 since I have been a member.  Well, much to my surprise, after some research, I found that everything, yes, everything I post is being tracked.

Fizziology is a company that monitors social media buzz from what they call “the Big Three of Social Media:” Twitter, Facebook and blogs, to determine how much attention the public is giving to a particular topic and whether the comments are positive, negative or neutral.  They then use that information to predict an outcome for a particular client.  For example, a movie studio might ask, what movie will be the biggest release of next Spring and how much will it bring in?  By using real-time information and highly-trained human analysts to filter through the online buzz, Fizziology is able to make predictions at 95% accuracy.  In doing so, they are spotting trends, threats and opportunities in online conversation.  As you can imagine, for a business, this insight is extremely valuable.  The information gathered on spikes and valleys of conversation on a certain topic can be used to coincide with a brand’s marketing and PR calendar, for example, allowing companies to make more informed decisions and better advertising investments overall.

Businesses are not the only organizations that see potential in this type of data, though.  The Federal Reserve Bank of New York recently announced a new proposal centered around monitoring social media’s influence on public opinion.  The recently introduced “Request for Proposal for a Sentiment Analysis and Social Media Monitoring Solution” looks to analyze online conversations by the public on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, and other media outlets like the Wall Street Journal and CNN in order to tap into the public’s perception of the Fed’s activities and the role it plays in supporting the U.S. economy.   The process will use a method of filtering the online conversations as “positive, negative or neutral.”  Sound familiar?

Although controversial, the Fed’s new proposal, along with the onset of companies like Fizziology, show us that social media has become the most effective way to gauge the public’s opinion and reaction on just about anything.  My question, as always, is “Well, where is this going?”  After last week’s class discussion on location-based services, I think I know the answer.  If companies are already tracking our thoughts and opinions as we post them online, it is only a matter of time before they add location to all aspects of their analysis (if they have not done so already).  Put simply, pretty soon any organization willing to pay will know what you said and where you were when you said it.  Scary.

Social Media & Multitasking: Is There A Limit?

When was the last time you sat down to watch TV and actually paid full attention to what you were watching?  No texting, checking email, Facebooking etc.?  It sounds a little foreign these days to give your undivided attention to just one type of media.  Most of us have become accustomed to what we like to refer to as, “multi-tasking” when it comes to our media.  “Oh, I’m just getting some things done,” is a common phrase I hear when catching up with friends.  Can you really be writing emails and honestly say you are focusing on our phone conversation?

A recent study found that 47% of people now check their email while watching TV, 34% post on Facebook and 28% text or call their friends.  Only 12% of respondents simply watch the show.  I sometimes wonder what it must be like for my parents and grandparents to witness the way enhancements in media have infiltrated every aspect of life for our generation.  I have repeatedly been told stories of my mother’s upbringing, when the whole family would gather around the TV in excitement for the one show that would come on that night.  Not only would their eyes be glued to the screen, they would all be dancing and singing along to the music – truly in the moment.

This is a rarity in our days.  At this point, it has been proven that checking email, Facebook, and Twitter accounts too regularly can hurt someone’s ability to concentrate and negatively impacts memory.  Then why do we continue to do it?  It seems like we are in a never-ending race to be connected and up-to-date with the most current information.  Well, if that’s the case, when are we actually caught up?

In the world we live in, if you aren’t connected to social media multiple times per day, you are simply left behind.  As I recently opened my first Twitter account and created my own blog, these questions have come into the forefront.  Along with most people my age, I am already managing multiple email accounts, a Facebook account, a LinkedIn page, as well as countless incoming text messages and phone calls 24 hours a day.  Media overload must exist.  But what is a viable solution?  As times goes on, it is just becoming more and more challenging to find out.

 

Sources:

http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/fall-tv/fall-tv-survey-most-anticipated-shows-more-221938966.html

http://www.webpronews.com/social-media-multitasking-attention-span-2011-04

Facebook: The Future of Online Hiring?

As we enter into this new digital age of Web 2.0, more than ever it has become common practice for employers to use social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to screen potential employees.  According to mindflash.com, 45% of employers now regularly search these sites for data on job applicants. (See details below)

With that said, Facebook has now made a call to job seekers to do the same.  In a Nightline segment titled, “Facebook: The Future of Online Hiring?” the popular networking site positions itself as the new place to find a job.

It just might be the place to score big.  The fact is, 60% of employers looking to fill a position end up hiring someone they know.  Where are most of the people you know?  The answer is: on Facebook.  Before social media, if you were looking for a job, you might start asking around to people you know in the hopes that they knew of someone who was hiring.  In the new digital age, you can inform all of your friends at the same time.  It is as simple as making a status update or creating a post.  Your friends can then go tell their friends, letting the network, in essence, do the work.

If you are willing to invest a little, you can also create a Facebook ad to help market yourself or your own business.  By using hashtags and keywords, similar to Twitter, a link to your resume will be sent to people with similar contacts and interests that may be able to put in a good word for you.  Also, with over 9 million companies having Facebook pages on the web, job seekers now have a format to directly communicate with companies to express their interest.

Moral of the story: The next time you feel like you are wasting your time socializing on the web, just think to yourself, “this could just be the key to my next career move.”

Source: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/04/new-infographic-shows-how-companies-target-unemployed_n_918816.html)

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my blog!