Social Media Discussion Answers
Please read the current event summaries below and post answer to the discussion question on this discussion board. THERE ARE 7 SHORT ANSWERS IN TOTAL. 1. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/02/03/business/01reuters-china-health-facebook.html Social Media has become the quickest way for information to travel in our current generation, with people reporting things almost instantaneously. A big topic of discussion recently has been the Coronavirus, which is a rapidly spreading fatal disease that originated in China. In an article posted on The New York Times, we see how Social Media can cause issues regarding the spread of misinformation. The article I found details Facebook removing misinformation about the coronavirus disease, as it violates its ban on misinformation leading to physical harm. The company is removing posts with false information or even conspiracy theories which have been flagged by global health organizations. This also sets a standard for Social Media now and poses the question will other large sites such as twitter and YouTube also impose this policy. This as a whole rehashes on a statement everyone has heard at some point or another, dont believe everything you see on Social Media. On one hand, the spread of proper information could help to keep people informed and possible save lives, while on the other hand, misinformation could cause bias, false rumors, as well as people possibly endangering themselves. Questions: Should the managers of Social Media sites have the ability to remove posts based off misinformation? How might they determine what is misinformation? Do you see any risks with removing information? 2. Social Media is Changing How We View Real Life, by Sharika Majeti, is a very interesting read. In this article, she discusses how social media has affected her life and how it is effecting society as a whole. Sharika deleted social media over a year because it was ruining her mental health. Everything with her real life she started comparing with influencers on social media. On these social media platforms, she was comparing her life and her looks too what others have. Everyone on social media is living a picture-perfect lifestyle and it is creating a culture of only caring for other people and it makes you stop caring about yourself. She goes on to question why everyone is trying to live a certain lifestyle? It is giving people a false expectation on how to live and it lets people set themselves up for failure. An unrealistic view of how life should be, is really the other great point she makes. Is adventuring and being in great shape more about the pictures you can post on social media or the experience and self-love? Sharika makes great points in this article because she states that for some reason everyone is trying to convince others that they are living a certain life-style. Living in the moment is the one thing that I have seen over the past few years that has definitely changed and she hits on it in this article. It means more to post and tell everyone that you are in the moment, more than you actually being in the moment. The last thing that she talked about going off of this was the depression she faced because her life did not live up to what others post. It is very sad that she struggled from depression for a while because she did not feel like her life was good enough compared to others. This was definitely an interesting read and it makes you think. Questions: Is social media changing the way that we live? If so, in what way? Does social media subconsciously change the way we think about people? How? Think about the article in terms of Christakis Theory about contagion. In light of his theory do you see any potential positive or negative consequences of communicating with friends on Social Media? 3. Paid Social Media Influencers Dip Toes in U.S. 2020 Election by Reuters is an interesting article. In this article, they discuss how politicians are using social media influencers as promoters for their Presidential campaigns. Social media influencers often do paid sponsorships with brands and companies and their followers trust their opinions as opposed to if celebrities do paid sponsorships. This is because the influencers will connect more with their audience by the type of content they produce. An example they used in this article was that they trust the mommy blogger whos active in their local community. Reuters spoke with influencer, Alycia Crosniak, who is a food and travel blogger where she said she received a message from Michael Blombergs presidential campaign inviting her to earn $150 to make content in support of him. She usually creates content sponsored content for restaurants or hotel brands. Targeting social media influencers to promote presidential campaigns would be a smart idea given that they do reach a lot of people. However, targeting influencers who usually promote food and travel have a reputation of exactly that, food and travel. Their channels/social media pages have followers who are looking for that content. I would think that it could create controversy if she were to post something out of the ordinary like that. I believe that campaigns should be targeting social media influencers who are all about politics or if anything they should be connecting with influencers to promote everyone to vote in the election. The U.S. Federal Election Commission’s rules do not explicitly address social media influences, but any content must include a disclaimer to inform who paid for the content. Do you think that Presidential campaigns should be allowed to target social media influencers to promote their campaign? Why or why not? Question: Would you continue to follow influencers if they began posting content about political campaigns trying to influence your decision of who to vote for or do you think they would lose that connection with followers? 4. Please click on the link below to read an article about how Social Media is being used to track the spread of the Cornoavirus. https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/481687-how-health-experts-are-using-social-media-to Questions: Should health officials mine social media sites for identify potential cases of the spread of the virus? If they find a suspected case of the virus through social media how should they intervene ethically? Do they have the right to quarantine someone based on a social media post? Think about the social network analysis techniques we discussed in class. When the virus was first detected in a few individuals in Washington DC, how could social network analysis have been used to predict and contain the spread of the virus? 5. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/europe/italy-coronavirus-beniamino-pagliaro-intl/index.html ‘We are not alone’: Life under coronavirus lockdown in Italy With all of the recent cases of the Coronavirus popping up all over Europe, Italy has been especially harmed by its effects. With a reported 9000 cases resulting in 630 deaths, the Italian government has put the entire country on lockdown. The streets of some of the more popular cities such as Rome and Milan are nearly empty. Upon announcement of the lockdown, all of the local markets and stores became crowded as people began to panic and prepare for the worst. People have begun to work from home since they are unable to leave their homes due to the quarantine. Since Italy’s citizens are afraid to leave their homes, friends and families have resorted to communicating via social media. Questions: If you were forced to only speak with your family and friends on social media do you believe that would strengthen or weaken your relationship 6. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/world/coronavirus-stay-positive-online-scli-intl-wellness/index.html My current event is an article, “Feeling overwhelmed? Top tips for staying positive online during the coronavirus crisis”, published on March 19th by Sara Spary. This article explains the importance of taking control of your relationship with the internet. “Even at the best of times, the way we use the Internet and social media can add stress to our lives and leave us feeling overwhelmed. During a global pandemic, this risk is even greater”. I have noticed myself while going on Facebook and seeing most of the posts being negative articles. Seeing an entire news feed of upsetting material makes people even more anxious than they already are during this time. “Usually, negative news goes faster, further, and deeper on social networks — so we are much more exposed to negative news than positive news.” It is essential to watch the news to stay updated with what is going on around you, but don’t let it consume your entire mindset every minute of the day. This article gives tips to reset your relationship with the internet, and how to control where and when you consume news. By doing so, you can dedicate the news to a certain number of times a day and choose what reliable source you want to hear the news from. With so many people quarantined in their homes with their computers, avoiding the news while staying connected to loved ones online may sound impossible. This article helps you take control of your social media urges, and mentions practical things everyone can do to make their online experience during these challenging times a more positive one. During this time the internet can actually help us feel connected and give us a sense of community. Video chatting and facetiming is a powerful way to connect with loved ones during times of isolation. “Practicing mindfulness — for example, by seeking out calming music online that can ground us, and exercising — even when indoors — can also help us to have a positive experience online.” Questions: The article mentions negative news goes faster, further, and deeper on social networks why do you think that is? Also, what are some things you are doing to make yourself feel less overwhelmed during these challenging times? 7. Please click on the link below to read an article about the new App that uses our cell phone data to see if we came in contact with anyone who tested positive for the corona virus. https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/10/21216715/apple-google-coronavirus-covid-19-contact-tracing-app-details-use Questions: What are the pros and cons of this App? Do you see any risks? Would you “opt in” to have your data accessible?
