It's All About the Community - Reflection 2

Advertising has changed tremendously throughout my lifetime.  It seems as though companies continue to push the envelope and no topic is off limits; embarrassing or not.  Recently, I was watching TV with my 9 year-old stepson when a commercial for Viagra came on, and he turned to me and asked, “What’s Viagra?”  Needless to say, I was at a loss for words and embarrassed at the question.  I simply explained that it was a grownup thing, but I’m sure he later Googled it to find out what it was!

Because of the lack of discretion by most advertisers, it was interesting to me to read in Groundswell that Proctor & Gamble didn’t want to market their feminine products to young teens through the use of mainstream mediums.  Just because you send the advertising message to the consumer, it doesn’t mean it is always received, especially if it’s embarrassing to talk about.  Groundswell discusses Proctor & Gamble’s awareness of the resistance to discussing feminine products, and the different approach they decided to take as a result.  They chose to focus on girls’ problems, versus marketing to them, by developing the website beinggirl.com. 

www.beinggirl.com

The site provided a place for young girls to talk to each other and get answers to embarrassing questions that they may not want to ask their parents, and do so anonymously.  You can decide to join or simply observe.  Authors Li and Bernoff state that, “Nearly half of girls ages twelve to fifteen are community-loving Joiners.”



The Social Technographics Profile of young girls, ages 12 - 18



P&G knew that they needed to create a site that would be a community.  It had to not focus solely on feminine products, but many other topics that girls were interested in like boys, relationships, music, shaving, etc.  The point was to create a safe, online community for teenage girls and to get them talking.  Through their website, they provided the opportunity for discussions around their products that people would most likely not have face-to-face.  By doing this, P&G could subtly advertise, reach their audience, and participate in conversations with customers where they would not have been able to otherwise.

Proctor & Gamble’s approach to creating an online community is just one of many examples of the marketing uses through social media.  This approach may not be for everyone, but it certainly worked for P&G.  They brought the teens to them; they provided the forum, and let them do the talking.  They also allowed for anonymity.  We have been discussing in class the fact that our online identities give us the liberty to be someone else or in this case, maybe ask an embarrassing question.

Feeling a part of a community is important to most people.  When we are with others like us, we feel accepted and not alone.  Companies can use this to their advantage by creating an online community related to what they are trying to sell.  There is always the risk of negative talk, but the advantages seem to outweigh the risk.  I could have used some of these online communities growing up, what about you?

Where did all that grammar go? - W5O

Remember the days of Schoolhouse Rock? It was a series of animated musical short films that aired on Saturday mornings aimed at educating kids.  They covered topics such as grammar, science, economics and history.  There were films like “Conjunction Junction, What’s Your Function”, “Interjections!”, and “Grammar Pronouns”.  But, what happened to all those English lessons we had?  Do they apply in the world of social media?

As we recently discussed in class, the way we communicate has continued to change over time, and with it so has the English language.  Through our use of social media and technology, as well as our need for immediacy, we have shortened our sentences and created many new words.  Some recent additions to the Oxford Dictionary are tweetups, hashtag, tag cloud, and unfriend. 

While the English language has always evolved, the speed at which things are changing is incredible.  In the article, “The Impact of Social Media on the English Language”, the author states, “New variations on words and acronyms are posted via Twitter and other microblogs, on popular blogs, through text messaging and more. Prior to these social technologies, when print, television and radio was the only mass communication medium, such evolution of words and how they are used took a long time. Not anymore.”  As Giles stated, it is not only words that are changing; we now have acronyms like brb, lol, ttyl, that are replacing entire sentences.  We can also communicate how we are feeling through symbols inserted into messages.  Most phones also come equipped with common quick insert texts like, on my way, thanks, and goodnight so that we don't even have to type the sentence.

So have all these changes ruined the English language?  Some academics believe that social media is the death of the English language, but I believe it is just another form of communicating.  I think the problem exists when online English is used to replace offline English.  You must know when it is appropriate to use which form otherwise, you will create confusion, and a possible breakdown in communication may occur.  Also, you must know your audience!  Not everyone is up-to-date on the latest acronyms or uses of this "new" language.

The other problem associated with "online English" is the increased risk of misunderstanding.  When you can not see or hear the person, you may misinterpret their meaning.  We communicate through facial expressions and body language which is lost in the tech talk.

With all the changes that have occurred, and with more technology to come, I wonder what the English language will look like in 15 years?  Will teachers use these new words or acronyms in their curriculum?  It will be interesting to see the long-term affects of social media on the English language. 

Sources:  http://www.google.com/; http://www.mediabadger.com/

The Social Media Movement - W4R

The Rules are Changing

The power of social media continues to grow.  Consumers frequently blog about their likes and dislikes of products, therefore, it is imperative that companies realize the power that social media holds.  They are better to use the technology to their advantage and embrace it.  The control of information has shifted from the manufacturer to the consumer so companies need to participate or else they may be hurt by the change.

In chapter 1 of Groundswelling, the authors discuss the importance of companies joining the social media movement.  I found it interesting that GM’s vice chairman of product development, Bob Lutz, recognized early on that he could use social media as a way to reach the masses and get their honest feedback on the GM products.  He knew that the information would be invaluable to improving things at the company.  I also admired the fact that he was in his seventies and was open to learning and using new technology.  It reinforced for me the fact that social media sites and blogs are user friendly, and anyone can do it.

As the books states, Lutz’s blogging did not solve all of GM’s problems.  We know that GM has continued to have financial challenges, however, blogging allowed an open dialogue for people that the company could use for their own benefit.  They could learn what they were doing wrong, what was working, and how they were perceived by consumers.

I visited one of the sites that Lutz started, fastlane.gmblogs.com, and noticed that it is filled with lots of social media mediums.  The site has videos, blogs, flickr, twitter, delicious and facebook links.  GM has definitely embraced the social media revolution.  There is an excessive amount of information available to anyone interested in learning about GM and their products.

GM is just one company using social media marketing to their advantage.  It is an inexpensive way to get the word out.  There is, however, the risk of negative feedback, but there is also an opportunity to respond much more quickly. 

Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

Groundswelling provides data to support the participation in social media sites in the U.S. and throughout the world.  It leaves little question about the importance of this medium to people everywhere.  I think authors Li and Bernoff do a good job at explaining the many aspects of social media as it exists in society today.  Groundswelling is easy-to-read and comprehend.  They give real-life examples which allow readers to relate the concepts that they have just read.  I’m looking forward to reading more!

Social Media and Bullying - W3O

Bullying through Social Media 

I think most of us can say that we have either been bullied or know someone who has been bullied at some point throughout our school years. Although it has always existed, the accessibility of social media sites, and the speed at which information can be spread, has changed the landscape of bullying. A student can no longer leave school and be away from the harassment; they can not transfer to another school, or hide in the confines of their own home because social media is everywhere. If their aggressor decides to remain anonymous or use a different online profile, they may not know the source of the rumors or be able to retaliate. Anyone can post anything about someone whether it is true or not.

Phoebe Prince

Recently, there have been many stories in the news discussing the role that social media might play in teen suicides, but it was the January 14, 2010 death of 15 year-old Phoebe Prince, from South Hadley, Massachusetts, that brought international attention to the problem.

In the article by Peter Kotz on truecrimereport.com, he states that, "This wasn't just any case of high school girls behaving badly toward one another. Phoebe apparently faced an onslaught of bullying via texts, Facebook messages, and in person at the school." Even after her death, the girls made unkind remarks on the Facebook page that was created in her memory.

All nine students involved in the harassment of Phoebe Prince were charged with several crimes, but unfortunately, it has not deterred bullies. Sadly, Phoebe's suicide has been followed by several others like 13 year-old Seth Walsh from Tehachapi, California, Asher Brown, 13, of Cypress, Texas, 15 year-old Billy Lucas from Greensberg, Indiana, 18 year-old Tyler Clementi, a student at Rutgers University, and most recently 14 year-old Kameron Jacobsen of Orange, New York.

According to iSafe, a non-profit internet safety education organization:

• 42% of kids have been bullied while online
• 35% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages
• 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online
• 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online
• 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them

Source: iSafe.com

What is being done to help prevent bullying?

As a result of these tragedies and the ongoing problems that parents and schools are facing with bullying, several steps have been taken. Schools have begun educating parents and students on this epidemic. Parents are encouraged to ensure their children are using social media sites responsibly. Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres have begun talking about bullying on their shows to bring further awareness to the problem. Also, many states have passed anti-bullying laws. As of October 2010, 45 out of 50 states have legislation in place against bullying.

To help combat the issue of cyber bullying the social media sites themselves have taken action. For example, “Facebook, along with Safety Web, have designed an application called “Find Help,” which helps in detecting any abuse of peers occurring on the site. Not only can cyber bullying be reported, but so can depression, suicide, drug abuse, hate, runaways, LBGT problems and more. There are also more organizations that are helping including the National Center for Missing Exploited Children's CyberTipline.”

While there has been a lot of criticism in the use of social media and bullying, it is this same medium that is now being used to speak out against these crimes. It is allowing people to share their stories and provide support to those in need.

Sources:
http://www.truecrimereport.com/2010/01/phoebe_prince_15_commits_suici.php

http://www.isafe.org/channels/?ch=ai

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/family/article/no-bullying-on-facebook/