The media is a designated communicator through which news,
information, and promotional messages are consistently dispersed. For
centuries, the media has been utilized to obtain and convey the latest knowledge
of important events and highlight prospective occurrences. It is no shock that
this tradition has lived on from many centuries ago to today in 2012. In fact,
with the furthering of technology and media networking the introduction and
progress of “social media” has been amplified and become a phenomenon. Twitter,
Facebook, and Tumblr have been reigning supreme in terms of delivering world
news, mainstream affairs, and communicating exclusive issues. Social media has
seemed to dominate and mold the minds of many, sometimes for the better and
sometimes for the worse. It can’t be denied that social media has brought about
significant improvement to society, but it also cannot be denied that some of
the information is misconstrued and occasionally brings about irrational,
violent, and severely aggressive behaviors (as seen in Egypt’s violent
revolution, which gained momentum from Facebook posts). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/11/egypt-facebook-revolution-wael-ghonim_n_822078.html
It also must be questioned why and how social media gains such interest in
topics that were irrelevant just a few hours ago. Factual topics gain hype
through social media, but nowadays, it is becoming apparent that questionable
resources are using the media as a publicity stint.
From
Japan’s Tsunami fiasco in 2011 to Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake, the social
media has awakened thousands of people of what is happening around the world
and has encouraged philanthropic and selfless behavior. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-02-01-haiti-monitor-social-media_N.htm
Numerous charity events, concerts, and donations were
sprouted from simply a Facebook status update or a twitter from a celebrity.
Even just last week, a video posted on Youtube about the reckless rebel leader
Joseph Kony (a rebel leader in Uganda, who exploits children for war and sex),
gained notoriety within hours and people flocked to purchase relief kits, make
donations, and spread the word about the horrific conditions that needed to be
changed in Uganda. Such courses of action were influenced by the watching of a
video, sharing of a link on Facebook, and numerous posts about the credibility
of the video on Tumblr. The video, which gained sympathy and concern from about
40 million viewers, also grew a lot of skeptism. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/the-controversy-over-kony-2012/2012/03/10/gIQAzc6M3R_blog.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop
Many young people have realized that the cause has been
paved to use social media as a platform, rather than highlight the current
situations present in Uganda. In fact, Uganda is facing a plethora of other
problems (such as shortage of health treatments, increased rape rates, and
depleting food supplies) that do not revolve around Kony (who is already being
hunted for and hiding). Not to mention, the actions of the non-profit charity
group (The Invisible Children) promoting the capture of Kony, has also
been questioned. Although the viral
video did promote activism, it did not present all the facts the public should
be aware of.
Social
media is also being used as a tool in Sudan to help people grow awareness and
help avert progressive bombing and potential famine. The isolated region in the
Nuba mountains would otherwise not be known to many of us today, if not for the
videos and photographs that highlight the conditions of the region. The media
has allowed for prospective donors, activists, and common people to intervene
in Sudan, in many ways more than one. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/opinion/sunday/kristof-battling-sudans-bombs-with-videos.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sudan&st=Search
Not only has social media been used to highlight corruption in Africa, but also
in India, China, etc.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/business/web-sites-shine-light-on-petty-bribery-worldwide.html?ref=socialmedia
On a lighter note, social media has also enabled various global regions to span
their connections and influence music, fashion, and pop culture to other areas
(i.e. Korean pop music emerging in the West).
Social
media has ultimately allowed people from all parts of the world, to share
information, make connections, and most importantly to try and relate to what
is happening. Often, however, many people tend to be swayed by their emotions
and current trends and fall into the trap of believing everything in the
media. Although, a great percentage of social media has been used to advocate
good, audiences must also be vigilant in recognizing the powers and misleading
effects of social media.
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