Social Media questions

Social Media Use is Soaring—Time to Reconsider Your 2013 Strategy

• What did you learn about the growing trends in the use of social media?

More people are using mobile phones and tablets to access networks. Social media is constantly developing, so technology changes to accommodate it.

• What takeaways do you see from the data?

Social media is the future. In the next few years, all discussions will take place on Twitter or Facebook because these social networks are so easily accessible and connect people from all over the world together.

Technology & Internet: 10 Social Media Tips Every Business Needs to Know

•  How do businesses use social media?

Businesses use social media to see how well employees represent their company and also to see what is being said about them on social networks.

•  Were you surprised by what “social media is NOT?”

Not at all. When you look more at how businesses use social media, it's common sense to know that social media is growing and helpful for businesses. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are not only for personal use anymore, businesses are using these sites to build themselves.

• Describe some of the things that “social media IS.”

Social media is a rapidly growing platform where anything and everything happens. It is the newest trend and it won't die out anytime soon.

• What are the takeaways for business from this article?

Social media is the new way that businesses are building themselves. They spread the word of their product through ads and those ads are shared or retweeted, giving the business a great ROI and helps word spread quicker and cheaper.

“Can Blogs Revolutionize Progressive Politics?”

1. Why do the Democratic leaders embrace blogging as a potential political communication considering the traditional media landscape in politics?

Blogging is a quick and direct form of communication between politicians and the public. This is a growing trend because politicians can actually hear what people have to say about their strategies and views, among other things.

2. Blogging encourages a participatory culture. In what way does the participatory culture in blogging expand digital media convergence?

It's free, so everyone is able to speak their mind through different outlets. Different opinions and ideas mesh together and form public opinions, related ideas, etc. through the use of blogging.

3. In the article, the author says: “The ability of the Internet to erase geographical distances can become a structural weakness in elections where district lines and eligibility are key.” How can blogging counter this weakness in the process of turning the netroots to grassroots?

Blogging allows politicians to spread and increase active voter participation. Voters can support their parties through blogging and other interaction.

4. The author spends the second half of the article discussing the lack of diversity in current blogosphere dominated by elite bloggers. Please use the concept of digital convergence to explain how blogs can become the real bearer of freedom, democracy, egalitarianism, and participation in the new media communication?

Only elite bloggers get attention, while average bloggers' thoughts aren't very publicized. In order to break out, digital convergence must be used to move past the elite class, with attention and awareness being spread through social networks, garnering attention for a lesser known blog, thus spreading opinions, ideas, and other information that can potentially be life-changing.

Chris Christie's Bridgegate Scandal

     The political issue I chose to discuss was Chris Christie's George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal. Massive traffic jams in Fort Lee, NJ began on September 9, 2013 and lasted for 5 days when 2 of 3 toll lanes were shut down. The popular belief is that this was created for political revenge by Christie for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich refusing to endorse Christie in the 2013 gubernatorial election.

      This scandal has led many to view Chris Christie as a vengeful bully. It affected many commuters and was even the indirect cause of some deaths, including a 91 year old who couldn't receive immediate attention due to delayed response; the closure of lanes led to ambulances being trapped in traffic jams. Overall, the scandal has tarnished Governor Christie's reputation and portrays him as a "dirty politician," causing him to lose not only the support of voters, but their respect as well.