Invincible and Wajeed

It is always a surprise coming to class and seeing what we are doing for that day. Last week we were pleased to find two guest speakers, Invincible and Wajeed. Two very talented artists with what seemed to be a long resume. Both are in the rapping industry but chose to not go with record labels and to basically take the “under ground” route. Invincible even turned down the chance to do a song with Madonna, which I cannot imagine but major props to her for turning that down because it was not the path she wanted to follow. I was very impressed by the way Wajeed and especially Invincible presented them. They were both very sure of them selves which made them interesting to watch because they knew what they were talking about. I thought it was great that we got to hear about how social networking has helped them promote their music. It gives us in the class another perspective of what we have been learning for the last couple months. Invincible also shared with us the struggles that she had while trying to promote one of her songs to mtv U because of the “content”. The content that they were referring to is a serious subject with most people and it needs to be addressed which she does beautifully in her song “Ropes.” When the song finally did get on mtv U it was amazing how her fans stuck by her to help her do it.

Source Blog

Source One: Journal

This journal entry has a total of six themes that applies to media and its advertisings effects on people. I will be choosing the there theme that online social networking sites are full of personal branding and adolescent exaggeration: advertising is sometimes just deceitful. This journal explains, “online social network users expect their friends to exaggerate a little.” With the behavior being viewed through a screen instead of face-to-face something posted can be taken out of context. Teenagers try hard to “project the right image.” Not only are online social network users questionable about certain messages but also they seem to be especially uncertain about advertisements since they are in their “personal space.” No one likes to be deceived and if a certain company does trick him or her then that consumer will most likely hold a grudge against them for a while. Anyone can influence a person’s idea through this type of medium. People using social networks do not view the sites as a mass medium so they want to be able to control everything that has to do with their page. Since social networks are about being personable advertisers track these users to be ads on their site that supposedly relate to the user.

Kelly, Louise and Kerr, Gayle F. and Drennan, Judy (2009) 'Try hard' : Attitudes to advertising in online social networks. In: Proceedings of the Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference 2009, 30 November - 2 December 2009, Melbourne, Victoria.

Source Two: Scholar Thesis

My second source is a scholars thesis titled: Running Head: Advertising in Online Social Networks, A Comprehensive Approach. This thesis “examines characteristics of online social networking sites and their implications on advertising.” It is explained that if advertising does not follow the trend of social networks then consumers will eventually ignore advertisements. Ultimately we are the reason why they expose ads to us through social networks. Advertising companies have done research to figure out why we are attracted to social networks. They figured that the best way to advertise to us is to do it the way we want them to without us knowing that is how we want to view them. “Making ads smarter, lighter, and overall funnier will keep people’s attention and garner the desired feedback, but targeting is also essential.” This is exactly what they do. Companies learn how to understand us as a consumer so they know what the best product is to advertise us and how to do it.  Since everything there is to know about us is on social networking sites, it is easy for them. We love being entertained; so that is their main goal. If there is no “fun factor” then chances are we will not be interested in the product.

Stockman, Sylvia, "Advertising in Online Social Networks: A Comprehensive Overview" (2010). Honors Scholar Theses. Paper 168. http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/168

Eight Other Sources:

1) Blossom, John. Content Nation: Surviving and Thriving as Social Media Changes Our

Work, Our Lives, and Our Future. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Technology Pub.,

2009. Print.

2) Grimes, Tom, James A. Anderson, and Lori A. Bergen. Media Violence and

Aggression: Science and Ideology. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2008.

Print.

3) Jansen, Bernard J., Kate Sobel, and Geoff Cook. "Gen X and Y’s Attitudes on Using

Social Media Platforms for Opinion Sharing." (2010). Print.

4) Ray, Munni, and Kana R. Jat. "Effect of Electronic Media on Children." Perspective

(2010): 561-68. Print.

5) Rubinstein, Eli A., and Jane D. Brown. He Media, Social Science,

and Social Policy for Children. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Pub.,

1985. Print.

6) Strasburger, Victor C., and Amy B. Jordan. "Health Effects of Media on Children and

Adolescents -- Strasburger Et Al. 125 (4): 756 -- Pediatrics." Pediatrics |

Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 1 Mar. 2010. Web. 09

Mar. 2011.

<http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/125/4/756>.

7) Subrahmanyam, Kaveri, and David Smahel. Digital Youth: the Role of Media in

Development. New York: Springer, 2011. Print.

8) Tuten, Tracy L. Advertising 2.0: Social Media Marketing in a Web 2.0 World.

Westport, CT: Praeger, 2008. Print.

Pew Internet

The article I chose from Pew Internet is about Americans using social networks and twitters for political campaigns. In the article it is stated that “22% of online adults used Twitter or social networking sites such as facebook or MySpace in the months leading up to the November, 2010 elections to connect to the campaign or the election itself.” With the use of social networks being used started in 2008 for the presidential elections the use of them grew tremendously for the 2010 elections. A reason why politicians are now starting to use social networks more is because of how demographically diverse both facebook and twitter are becoming. “The main reason Americans follow political groups on social networking sites or Twitter is that doing so helps them feel more personally connected to the candidates or groups they follow.” This quote makes perfect sense. Us Americans have gotten so used to making and keeping relationships over the Internet that we feel very attached with people online. Internet usage has become a norm for us. So any politician that uses technology stands out to us since we are not used to politicians using social networks as an advertising method. A candidate with technology experience and outreach could seem more versatile. With six out of ten adults being online with communication, it makes it easy for them to access the political advertisements being shown. They find it as an easy way to receive information on the campaign and that candidate along with posting their opinions on their favorite politicians. This could make it much easier for people to get involved with the campaign. In 2010, only 21% of adults used social networking sites to stay involved with the election. However, by the look of how things are progressing the number will grow greatly over the next few years.


http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Politics-and-social-media.aspx

Catfish

After watching the movie Catfish it is very easy for me to see why a lot of the things that we see online are not real. I think that they really are recording the truth but I am sure they have to stage some of it to make the film easy to shoot. I do not see how Angela could not have mental health issues. Someone must be very lonely or hate their life for them to want to make up a whole family on facebook. Although, the person who fell for the fake profile should have noticed the “red flags” that were given such as: few friends, never being able to talk to Abby on the phone, etc. Having problems like the one seen in Catfish could potentially be dangerous depending on who the people involved are. If it was someone much younger, someone asking for money, or someone trying to take advantage in some other way, it could be dangerous. Even with the danger of it I do not see how facebook could prevent it. I believe that we put too much trust in to facebook and this can cause a lot of problems like the one in Catfish. We cannot trust what we see on facebook; especially if we do not know the person trying to add us. That is why every one should take extra precautions and not add people you do not know. I do not think that Angela much if any negative consequences. The only thing that she could have ruined was the way people saw her. But even besides that she now has her own website for her to sell her artwork and has received plenty of publicity for it. Her husband did not even seem to care about what she did. It almost shows that doing something like this is okay when it actually is not.