Social Networking Parodies

Tweet Me...Facebook Me....Arrest Me?

Intro

Social networking has become one of the primary source of communication for people in our society today. In our class discussions on MySpace or My____, we learned that on social networking sites you can virtually become anyone that you wanted to be. With the power of Google Images, you do not even need your own picture. Even though the website clearly states what it's purpose is, the realities of society still misconstrue the fine lines of personal identity, privacy, and safety.

After reading the article SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES: ARE MYSPACE AND FACEBOOK THE FINGERPRINT OF THE 21st CENTURY? by Edward M. Marsico, I was very pleased at how for once, social networking was being praised for something good in the community. There are plenty of crimes committed everyday and many of them go unsolved. We continually move into a more technology centered generation everyday, and by "centered", I mean everything is available online. So it only makes sense for law enforcement officials to move toward  this information medium also. I learned that police officers routinely use social networking sites to investigate crimes. It is no secret that there are idiots in the world who willingly post their devious actions on the Internet.

Sexual Predators

The most common crime involving the Internet and social networking is child pornography and sexual predators. One show that brought about a great amount of awareness was To Catch a Predator, which helped to catch culprits red- handed and prosecute them. In many court cases such as People vs. Clevenstine, the defendants claimed the evidence provided was not properly authenticated. Which basically means that they were trying to say they were not the ones who sent the messages. But, officers are much smarter because they secure the hard drives of both the victims and the defedants to show that the messages are in fact real and from the specified user. Also besides watching the activites of these people, law enforcement actually engages in it too. Sometimes, they create profiles posing as minors and trap sexual predators. This brings about the question as tois the Fourth Amendment is being tampered with, "whether people have a reasonable expectation of privacy". I say do whatever it takes to keep these sick individuals away from our youth.







Impact on the Young Society

We are young and indeed have new ideas on what is fun and cool. Technology and how easy it is to access is having a bitter sweet impact on our society. As fun as it is to tweet and facebook your friends about your everyday life, it is never okay to bully someone, humiliate someone by posting violent material, or post sexualy explicit items. I think the main problem is we are thinking of what is NOW and not what the future consequences will be. I am 100% sure no one who is prosecuted over internet crimes thought they would be in jail over it. I think if we advocate more on "thinking before we type", we could save the future generations from strict policies and embarassment.

THE VIRTUAL REVOLUTION

AFTER WATCHING BBC'S VIRTUAL REVOLUTION, IT REALLY MAKES YOU REALIZE THAT SOCIETY IS MAKING ANOTHER TRANSITION AND BECOMING ENTIRELY TOO DEPENDENT ON THE WEB. THE FIRST POINT MADE IN THIS DOCUMENTARY WAS HOW WE WILLINGLY GIVE INFORMATION TO THESE FREE SOCIAL NETWORKING WEBSITES. FOR EXAMPLE, ON FACEBOOK, WE TELL OUR HOMETOWN, CURRENT CITY, JOB, SCHOOL, FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO WE ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH AND IF ITS COMPLICATED. IN ADDITION TO ALL THOSE PERSONAL ITEMS, WE SHARE OUR THOUGHTS AND LOCATIONS. ANYBODY CAN GO LOG ON TO FACEBOOK AND VIEW YOUR PAGE AND SIMPLY WRITE THIS INFO. BUT IF A COMPLETE STRANGER WERE TO ASK US ONLY FEW OF THESE QUESTIONS, WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY BECOME SKEPTICAL. WHY IS THIS? BECAUSE THIS GENERATION OF SOCIAL NETWORKING HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE THINK. THINGS WE CONSIDERED TO BE SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE ARE NOW THE NORM. IN EPISODE THREE, DOUGLAS RUSHKOFF (AUTHOR OF LIFE INC) HAS A THEORY THAT THE PRODUCT ONLINE IS NOT THE CONTENT, BUT RATHER "YOU" ARE THE PRODUCT. I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH HIM. THERE IS ALWAYS A COST OUT THERE FOR SOMETHING THAT IS FREE, WHETHER IT AFFECTS US DIRECTLY OF INDIRECTLY. MANY WEBSITES EXCHANGE THEIR USER INFO WITH COMPANIES LOOKING TO ADVERTISE TO A TARGET AUDIENCE. WHAT YOU PUT OUT ON THE INTERNET THAT SUPPOSEDLY DEFINES WHO YOU ARE IS MARKETED. SO REALLY EVERYTHING THAT WE THINK IS FREE FROM THE SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCHES WE DO ARE JUST AN ILLUSION. IN THE SECOND PART, I FOUND THE "SHIFT FROM REALITY TO VIRTUAL" INTERESTING. CHARLIE LEADBETTER( AUTHOR OF WE-THINK) HAS A THEORY THAT THE VIRTUAL REVOLUTION IS A UPPER AND MIDDLE AGE PANIC. HE BELIEVES THEY ARE JUST CONCERNED WITH THE FUTURE OF THE CHILDREN. I AGREE WITH HIM, PEOPLE WHO WERE BORN INTO THE AGE BEFORE THE INTERNET WAS CREATED ARE NOT USED TO THESE CHANGES AND ARE ACTING AS IF ANYBODY WOULD IF THE WORLD IS BECOMING TECHNOLOGICAL.  

 MY_____.

MYSPACE, NOW KNOWN AS MY___, IS A SOCIAL AND ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKING SITE POWERED BY THE USERS. IT WAS FOUNDED IN 2003 BY CHRIS DEWOLFE AND OWEN VAN NATTA. IT'S PURPOSE IS TO LINK FANS TO VARIOUS ARTISTS AND ALSO AN OUTREACH FOR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS TO SHARE THEIR MUSIC. THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHE N MYSPACE WAS REALLY COOL AND IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYONE HAD A PAGE. I DO HAVE A MYSPACE PAGE BUT I DO NOT USE AT ALL ANYMORE. WHEN I DID USE MYSPACE, MY PROFILE WAS TOTALLY PIMPED OUT. IN SOME ASPECTS MYSPACE WAS WAY MORE FUN THAN FACEBOOK BECAUSE YOU GOT TO PERSONALIZE IT AND MAKE IT REFLECT YOUR PERSONALITY. WHEN I TOURED THE WEBSITE, I SAW THAT A LOT OF THINGS HAD CHANGED. TO ME, IT LOOKS BETTER. I LEARNED THAT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO COMPETE WITH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, IT SIMPLY IS TARGETING A NEW AUDIENCE.

The Power of YouTube

What is YouTube?

YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos for free. I think it is very useful in a technology advanced generation like this because without it, we would not know half the stars we do today such as Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, or Ted Williams aka The Golden Voice. Mostly people use it for entertainment purposes but lately it's audience target has become more widespread. Companies are now advertising everything on YouTube from video clip ads o huge ads on the side of the screen that are hard to avoid. It gives the user full power ad control over what is sent out into the social media world and I love that.

Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list. It said: "Providing a safe home for piano-playing cats, celeb goof-ups, and overzealous lip-synchers since 2005."

Daily Impact On Our Lives 

  YouTube made it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to post a video so that a worldwide audience could watch within a few minutes.It has truly become a global community.For me, I use YouTube as an entertainment tool when I am extremely bored. But still throughout the week, you always hear about a new internet sensation such as Alabama's very own Antoine Dodson who was simply being interviewed on the news about a serious situation but his reaction was viewed as a joke. He turned his personality into a trademark and is now cashing in on that. Now you cannot go a day without hearing about the infamous "Bed Intruder Song".

Depending on what type of mood I am in, I may spend hours and hours looking for music videos or comedy clips and if it is worth sharing with my friends, then I post it to my Facebook page. You never know who is going to watch it and it may even lighten up their mood as it did yours. Or, it may be a great conversation starter.

Establishing An Identity on YouTube

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have  provided a way for people to explore, experiment, and develop their identities thanks to its unlimited reach across the globe. Many people would say that this has changed their lives because of benefits such as gaining confidence, becoming more outgoing in social situations, identifying as part of a community, gaining motivation and opportunities, improved skills, and even finding a true identity, public video blogging on YouTube has clearly had a positive effect on its users.

If I recognize a person from a popular YouTube video or channel that I watch frequently then I when I see them in public, it feels like I already know them. It is actually kind of wierd because just they may act a certain way for the camera but in real life they can be totally different.

I do not have a YouTube channel at the moment but I do plan on having one with my best friend. If regulur people can get famous and cash in on being a personality then so can we. Afterall, YouTube does say "Broadcast Yourself".

The Future of Television

Within four short years, YouTube has found a large participating public, attracted an astounding level of financial investment, and been the subject of mythmaking and hyperbolic celebration. The book, The YouTube Reader, questions YouTube as being the "next- generation television". In my opinion, I believe it holds no threat to television whatsoever. Rather than compete, it offers more of feedback into what we actually watch on television. You can watch more older, archived shows on the internet, but it will never have the same effect or experience as watching it the traditional way.

Video Memorials

As I read in The YouTube Reader, making video memorials to the deceased has become an increasing trend. Web memorials encourage self expression and an outreach for supporters. As long as the tribute stays subtle and does not cross the line of sharing too much of your private life then I think it is perfectly fine.