Gaby Colletta's CSMT Post #2 Digiculture
This post is in response to Ceci's "Social Media and Me" http://csmt11.posterous.com/ceci-diaz-social-media-and-me
In the realm of social media, the tension between intimacy and the lack thereof is one that interests me. I liked that Ceci brought to focus the many ways in which social media actually enhances not only our face-to-face conversations but our entire sphere of discourse. Social media has evolved from something greater than a communication tool to a cyber and physical culture. Maybe certain aspects are fads – I know my livejournal is dead – but somehow this “fad” is entwined in our culture. The cultural imprint is not just a memory of that phase in social media. It’s also the growth of a new language. People want to know the latest #buzz #trendingtopic about a #charliesheen #fail. We see how social media impacts the development of our language.
Twitter itself has become a cultural mouthpiece for current events meets entertainment. I stumbled upon this #infographic that exhibited “the top 5 tweets per second events” starting with Beyonce at the VMAs, closely followed by the VA earthquake. Thought this would be interesting to share:
http://www.adverblog.com/2011/09/26/the-battle-of-twitter-vs-time-infographic/
Social media seems to infuse itself not only in entertainment culture but also corporate culture. On my first day of class I mentioned that an employer actually asked me for my Twitter handle. “I’m going to follow you…see if there is anything interesting you come up with.” Twitter as a test. Twitter as a resume. Twitter as a job posting. I can honestly say that in the effort to recruit for a fall intern, my colleagues and I actually posted job listings in tweets. Not to mention the newfound revenue in tweeting. From a technology providing social capital to monetary capital, it is hard to deny the impact.
Coming back to relationships. I wanted to emphasize this idea of building stronger relationships as a result of fostering a digital culture. Social media nurtures this culture and facilitates its growth in dynamic and nuanced ways. I am still in awe of the fact that designers are created phone apps with augmented reality features. I wonder how such apps might affect or perhaps heighten personal relationships? Just a seed for thought.
On a side note, I wanted to share this blurb on KLM. Thought it was appropriate given the class discussion on airline conversation.
http://www.adverblog.com/2011/09/21/klm-live-reply-140-characters-140-klm-employees/