Written Analysis 5

Written Analysis 5

Due Date March 26, 2016

           I chose social media and the effects it has on relationships as my popular culture analysis for this course. I feel the theory that best fit my topic is regarding rituals.  The use of social media plays such an important role in many of our lives. It is used to network with family and friends, receive information on local and world news; it’s used as a marketing tool for businesses and so much more.

The most interesting I found was the amount of time that people do spend on social media. The average person has five social media accounts and spends an average of 1 hour and 40 minutes per day on social media. That is almost 2 hours a day solely engaged in social media. Before social media was around, a person would maybe spend 20 minutes reading the paper to get their daily dose of information. The effect it can have on a relationship can be good and bad. Of course, if too much time is spent on social media and not completing tasks that need to be done, or spending time with family and friends, that can have a negative effect. A positive could be if you can network and keep in touch with family and friends but not dedicate too much time to it. If you are a business owner and use social media as a form of advertising and marketing, you may spend more than the average, and it could be beneficial to your relationship if it is a means to support your family.

I will be sure to be more cautious of the time I spend on social media. The information is limitless, and it's easy to get sucked into the "black hole" and lose the concept of time that has been spent. Time is something that we cannot get back. It's important to invest that time living your life and spending it with people who are present and not so much time in the virtual world.

References: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/11610959/Is-your-daily-social-media-usage-higher-than-average.html

Written Analysis 4: Formulas

Written Analysis 4: Formulas 

Due Date March 20, 2016

            

          The topic I selected regards social media and the effects it has on relationships; both positive and negative. The romance formula applies to this topic quite well. Romantic relationships used to be something that would begin from actually meeting someone and getting to know that person. The relationship would progress naturally from that point. Today, there are so many other ways the romance formula applies. Social media has opened the door for relationships to begin before ever meeting the other person.

            

           Years ago before social media existed and really before technology was as it is now, romance was often viewed in books, movies, and plays. The idea of falling in love, the excitement and dramatics involved has always been interesting to follow. Now people can follow love stories online. For example, Instagram allows users to use a hashtag (#) and then a phrase to categorize pictures of everyday events as well as life events. People will use the same hashtag phrase as a way to depict a relationship from the dating phase, engagement phase and to the wedding and honeymoon. This allows their followers to follow their love story from the very beginning. Social media has changed the romance formula of today compared to the earlier times. I would say in this case; this would be a positive effect that social media has. It not only allows the users to capture these moments but allows for friends and families to follow their story as well.  

            

         The insight I have gained is that although the way the formula is depicted changes over the years, the message and what it consists of seems to remain the same. The building blocks of romance are still very much similar to what they were of the past. People are still looking for that excitement and the love story with the happy ending. 

Written Analysis 3: Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity

Written Analysis 3: Heroes and The Cult of the Celebrity 

Due Date March 13, 2016

            

            Social media is not only a tool used for networking, but it is also used for news and following important events around the world. Another large part of social media is being able to follow celebrities and take a peek into their lives. The Cult of the Celebrity theory would apply to this topic. Before social media, everything that was shown was approved by producers, managers, etc. and displayed on the television or movie screen. Now, celebrities have their social media accounts that they manage and use to correspond with their fans. They will post pictures of their daily lives, homes, children, and vacations. They utilize the tools just as the everyday person would do. 

            Today, so many celebrities use social media as a marketing tool for themselves, but also to connect with their fans on a personal basis. They also use it to connect with other celebrities. Recently there has been a Twitter war with Kanye West and other celebs. Kanye is known for being over the top, and aggressive and social media has offered him an outlet to voice his opinions for all to hear! His wife Kim Kardashian is also prevalent on social media. Tabloids have stated there are possible marriage issues due to Kanye's behavior on social media. The ability to have an outlet to speak to the world at your fingertips can be a good thing, but also a dangerous thing. In this case, it seems it may be a dangerous situation for their relationship. 

Instagram is commonly used by celebs to post personal pictures of themselves and their families. I will admit, it can be intriguing to look into their everyday lives and see how they are similar to most of us. I do feel that it causes people who see what they do or have, to lose a sense of perception or reality. They see that their favorite celeb has the latest designer purse, car or fabulous home, so they think why can I have that? The result may lead to poor financial decisions trying to maintain a lifestyle that is not realistic. This could inevitably cause relationship issues, as financial strain is one of the most common reasons for relationship problems.

 The insight gained from The Cult of the Celebrity is to realize that although this may look like their everyday personal lives, many things online are fabricated, just as on television and in the movies. It's important not to lose yourself, your life and your relationships concerned with what everyone else, including celebrities, are doing on social media.

Written Analysis 2: Rituals and Stereotypes

Written Analysis 2: Rituals and Stereotypes

Due Date March 6, 2016

             

             Social media is such an important part of popular culture presently. The effects it has on relationships can be both positive and negative. As mentioned before, it is used for not only personal networking but also networking and sales and marketing for business’, charities, etc. There really is no limit as to what social media can be used for. Being so popular and apart of many people’s everyday lives, checking social media has almost become a daily ritual for most. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin are just a few of the most popular sites that are used.

Social media has become such a vital part of people's everyday routines, that the checking of these sites could be considered a ritual. When people wake up, no longer do they get coffee and their morning paper. Many sit down with their coffee and their phones, tablets or computers to log into Facebook, Instagram, etc. This is where they cannot only read the local news as well as world news, but also connect with their friends and family. Having all of the information in once place is very efficient. How it relates to affecting relationships is that the constant updating of this information and accessibility, it's not uncommon for large of amounts of time to be spent on these sites and away from family and friends that are present in one's life. The amount of time spent can have a negative impact on relationships. It’s important to balance the time spent and also how the sites are used.

There are stereotypes associated with many of the different social media sites and the people who choose to use those sites or applications. Facebook is stereotyped as the “older” generation, whereas Instagram is stereotyped as the younger generation. People may assume that one who spends a lot of time active on social media sites, do not have a real life, or have too much time on their hands. There are often people use these sites and view information, but do not participate in a conversation, so they don't seem as though they are active. Older generations tend to stereotype these sites as a waste of time; however, many of the younger generations rely on these sites and applications daily.

An important insight that is gained in regards to the ritual checking and accessing of social media and how it does affect relationships is the time spent accessing the information. As helpful as it is for information, it can also be compared to a "black hole." It's easy to get on one of these sites and lose track of time and what is going on around you. It's also easy to pay attention to what is going on in everyone else's lives while missing what is going on in your life. This is an example of how it can have a negative impact on relationships.  Insight relating to stereotyping may be that just because a person is active on social media, does not necessarily mean that they are neglecting other important parts of their lives.

Written Analysis 1: Popular Belief, Myth and Icon

Due Date February 28, 2016

            I have chosen social media and the effects it has on relationships. The reason I have chosen this topic is that social media over the last ten years has played such a significant role in the interaction of people and networking. It has made what would have been extremely difficult communication, extremely easy and basically at your fingertips.

A theory that applies to this topic is popular belief. It is popular belief that social media is inevitably a positive thing. In fact, it can be a very positive thing. It allows people to communicate in ways that would have been impossible to do so just 10-15 years ago. Families have been reunited with long lost children, parents, or other family members. High school loves have rekindled relationships that would have been impossible before. It has allowed people from all over the world to connect in ways that would never have been imagined.  It would seem the idea of networking would be an overall positive experience.

The purpose of social media is to network with people and to connect. Ironically, in doing so, it has also caused a disconnect in people and relationships. The ability to connect and share information with others has caused a false sense of intimacy. Meaning, relationships that are built or conducted over social media may seem realer than what they are, and can lead to issues in the relationships that actually exist in ones everyday life. It has lead to people spending an absorbent amount of time living a “virtual” life, opposed to real life and missing out on very important moments that can’t be recreated.

Applying the theory of popular belief to this topic provides insight to how people allow social media to affect their lives. Automatically assuming that social media is a positive thing based on popular belief; however, that is not always the case. With most anything there are both positive and negatives. The positives are being able to communicate with long lost friends and family. Networking with employers for future career opportunities and even promoting a business if you have one. On the negative side, it can lead to valuable time being spent on social media comparing oneself to the lives of others, having conversations with people that are not appropriate based on certain circumstances and an overall distorted sense of reality.