Chapter 10: The Internet and Social Media

Facebook depression

depression that develops from overuse of social networking sites

disinformation

designed to achieve a political goal

truth decay

diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life

Encryption

electronic coding or masking of information on the Web that can be deciphered only by a recipient with the decrypting key

fair use

instances in which copyrighted material may be used without permission or payment

extended real-life hypothesis

the idea that we use social media to communicate our actual identities

Dataveillance

the massive electronic collection and distillation of consumer data

domain names

unique names which identify Internet sites and businesses

Facebook envy

users envying others' happiness as represented on social networking sites

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

uses electronic tags and labels to identify objects wirelessly over short distances

IoT

(Internet of Things) refers to a network of physical objects of things that are embedded with electronics, sensors, software, and network creativity. These physical objects can exchange data with each other

The Social Media Connection

• If Facebook was a country, its 2.9 billion users would make it the largest in the world. • Facebook is the most used social media site worldwide. • Twitter users globally send a total of 500+ million Tweets (messages) a day.

synchronous vs. asynchronous

*Another difference between face-to-face and computer mediated communication is that FtF is synchronous (people interact immediately, in real time, and can simultaneously send and receive messages) while CMC is asynchronous (there is a delay of some length, regardless of how short, between sending and receiving). * While synchronous communication carries the benefit of speed, asynchronous allows messages to be better controlled, altered, or reconsidered.

Characteristics of the Internet

• Interactive • Democratic • Resourceful • Intrapersonal • Women are the dominant gender online • Over 5 billion users worldwide • The younger the person, the greater the likelihood they have Internet access • Global Village - The Internet has allowed us to be increasingly more involved in each other's lives.

Misinformation

Untrue or wrong information

Privacy infringements:

Using personal consumer data for commercial purposes, using facial software to identify people, automatic "opt-in" controls, using "cookies" to track consumer behaviors, sharing user information with third parties like the government, encouraging users to indiscriminately share personal data.

Social Cues and CMC

*Social information processing theory (Lea and Spears, 1992) argues that social cues do indeed exist. CMC often contains emoticons, text symbols, emojis, or pictographs, used to express emotions. Choice of technology, too, provides context. E-mail carries more gravity than text messaging. A text message suggests more intimacy than a Tweet or SNS posting. And because silence and chronemics are forms of nonverbal communication, both contribute significantly to CMC meaning making.

SNS and Identity

*Social media use use is primarily motivated by two basic social needs: (1) the need to belong, and (2) the need for self-presentation. The need to belong refers to the intrinsic drive to affiliate with others and gain social acceptance, and the need for self-presentation to the continuous process of impression management. (Nadkarni and Hofmann) *Because social network sites foster a sense of belonging, their use can increase self-esteem and therefore feelings of acceptability. But the flip side is obvious. *People reveal themselves and interact with others online in a way they wouldn't necessarily do face-to-face. While users seemingly and willingly announce personal information about themselves, they are selective in the information they provide.

Depression

*The American Academy of Pediatrics says that research has uncovered Facebook depression, "depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression. *A team of researchers electronically monitored in real-time the Internet usage of 216 college undergraduates, 30 percent of whom showed signs of depression. They found that the depressed students were the most intense Web users.

Good or Bad?

While communication technology may be neutral—neither good nor bad—it is not benign—it matters; it changes the way we communicate. Just like mass communication, CMC alters the way we deal with others and allows us information and insight we wouldn't necessarily obtain in its absence. The impressive nature of the Internet, for example, is overwhelming, but how we use this technology is what determines it value to our world.

WANs

Wide Area Networks

cookies

an identifying code added to a computer's hard drive by a visited website

click stream

another form of dataveillance is the electronic tracking of the choices we make when we are online

The Internet and Interpersonal Communication

*The study mentioned earlier found that SNS users are more likely to socially interact face-to-face and report more social capital compared to nonusers. (Brandtzaeg) *Still, face-to-face interaction allows for social cues (tone, facial expressions, etc.), which are absent from CMC. The lack of context and social cues is the basis for cues-filtered-out theory.

idealized virtual identity hypothesis

argues that social media users tend to show idealized characteristics that do not reflect who they really are

world wide web

is a means of accessing information on the interent

Some BIG Internet Issues

• Is it a truly democratic medium? • Opt in / Opt out • Privacy • Commercialization of the Internet • Digital Ethics • Copyright Infringement • Inappropriate, dangerous, or questionable content • Access & the Digital Divide • Globalization • Addiction, Anxiety, Depression, Suicidal ideation • Net Neutrality

Addiction

*While the average American spends over 6 hours each day online, those who suffer from Internet addiction spend 40-80 hours per week with the Internet. *Many countries treat Internet addiction as a genuine psychiatric problem and the American Psychiatric Association has added to its authoritative list of recognized mental illnesses. *Research indicates excessive computer use is rewiring our brains and causing a condition known as Internet Addiction Disorder.

Distraction

*Young people live in a state of perpetual, endless distraction, and for many parents and educators, it's a source of real concern because: -They are unable to focus on important information and educational tasks for long periods of time. -They deny their brains "down time." -They exhibit impatience and distraction in the real world. *On the upside, young people process information faster and are better multitaskers as a result of their digital engagement.

Finstas

less-curated Instagram accounts

browsers

software programs loaded on personal computers and used to download and view Web files

The Dark Side of Communication Technologies

Addiction, Depression, Distraction

The Promise and Perils of New Communication Technologies

Communication technology is a double-edged sword: it has both favorable and unfavorable consequences. There is no inherent good or bad in our new personal communication technologies—the Internet, smartphones and tablets, and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. It becomes a question of how we use it. Internet and social media, specifically, have created a simultaneous utopia and dystopia.

CMC, Identity, and Relationships

Half of the country's 13- to 17-year-old social media users, true digital natives, find actual human interaction their favorite way to communicate with friends; half of those because it's more fun, and a third because it makes understanding easier.

fake news

Inaccurate or false information that is published

ISPs

Internet Service Providers

social networking sites

SNS *websites that function as online communities of users

opt-out

System in which users must explicitly decide not to participate.

opt-in

System in which users must explicitly decide to participate.

Idealized virtual identity hypothesis

The tendency for creators of social network site profiles to display idealized characteristics that do not reflect their actual personalities.

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

There are a number of micro issues and cultural concerns surrounding CMC. To name a few: *loneliness * addiction * social isolation *cyberbullying *sexting distraction *invasion of privacy * brain / cognitive reprogramming

URL

Uniform Resource Locator

Extended real-life hypothesis

predicts that people use SNSs to communicate their real personality. This offers a different perspective from idealized virtual identity.

technology gap

the widening disparity between communication technology haves and have-nots

A connected world

Digital Natives- People born during or after the 1960's and have never lived in a world without the Internet. 5 billion people worldwide are connected to the Internet . 90% of North Americans use the Internet. More people on earth have cell phones than toilets . 77% of U.S. adults have smartphones. 80% of Americans shop online

Network Neutrality

is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. It is this net neutrality that has allowed many companies like Google and YouTube, to launch, grow, and innovate. Fundamentally, net neutrality is about equal access to the Internet. Broadband carriers should not be permitted to use their market power to discriminate against competing applications or content. Just as telephone companies are not permitted to tell consumers who they can call or what they can say, broadband carriers should not be allowed to use their market power to control activity online. Today, the neutrality of the Internet is at stake as broadband carriers continue to seek Congress's approval to allow them to determine what content gets to you first and fastest. Simply put, this would fundamentally alter the openness of the Internet. (Google)

dual-factor model of social media use

says that this activity is motivated by two basic social needs. need to belong, need for self-presentation

search engines

software that allows users to navigate the Net simply by entering a search word and pointing and clicking at the resulting on-screen menus

spyware

software that enables a user to obtain covert information about another's computer activities by transmitting data covertly from their hard drive.

digital divide

the lack of technological access among people of color, people who are poor or disabled, and those in rural communities

Media Richness Theory

views communication media as falling along a continuum of lean to rich based on their contribution to the quality of meaning making. FtF is traditionally considered the superior or richer form of communication based on four factors: *Presence of instant feedback *Use of multiple cues *Use of natural language * A personal focus

Internet vs. Other Media

• Feedback is mostly indirect with other media, but not necessarily with the Internet where feedback can be immediate .• Audience members are "users and producers" of the Internet • Like other media, Internet experiences the same trends (hypercommercialism, fragmentation, consolidation, globalization, etc.) • Not as much regulation as with other media • Can place users in total isolation

Other related statistics

• Most popular search engine globally is Google with 90% of searches worldwide and 92.5 visits monthly .• 77% of all Americans own at least one smartphone. • Today, 80% of all Americans belong to at least one SNS (social network site). • Some of the most popular SNSs include: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat • Globally, SNS users average 2 hours and 25 minutes per day on these sites