Social networking both broadens and restricts the means to communicate, like a snake eating its own tail. Does social networking transform the online landscape into something new or is it the very change itself that we seek?
The wikipedia page defines a fad, as "any form of behavior that develops among a large population, followed with enthusiasm for a period as novel in some way and then the behavior normally fades quickly once the perception of novelty is gone" (as cited in Kornblum, 2007).
Everything today seems to not only change often, but more quickly - which implies that a so-called fad like cabbage-patch dolls might today represent the overnight celebrity-dom and fall of a small-town church leader, hell-bent on burning the Koran as a form of protest. From decades, to years, weeks and days. Is Andy Warhol's fifteen minutes of fame, as enjoyed by You-tubers who cry about leaving Britney Spears alone a 21st Century version of a fad?
Creating and publishing information, in greater volume across a wider potential audience as social networking clearly features, were previously unavailable options under former media channel. The divide between the haves and have-nots remains despite boasts of democratization - what rubbish. Equality for all to access and publish views escapes the vast majority of humans too poor to afford computers or internet cafe access-time on the web. Social networking faces opposition by the continued use of traditional radio in countries like India because the vast majority of inhabitants cannot afford the medium, let alone learn how to use it (World Mission Far Corners, 2010). In this way the two-way conversation only takes place between a small majority of technology-enabled elitists who Forrester describes very well in his laddered, digital caste system of have's and have-nots at the bottom rung. But the ladder seems shoved so hard underground that another rung might not appear to the casual observer - those who simply do not care despite having full access or opportunity to read or write online. I had to read about Splashy-pants the humb-back whale and the Moment-in-time project on good old-fashioned printed paper. Universal McCann's survey of 17 thousand on a planet of over 6 billion seems about as representative of anything Industrial Revolution-like as what Star-Trek fans will do to sway global warming.
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| Artist Andy Warhol |
More important are the lessons all media teaches us, however it changes on the surface. Just because something is on TV, does that make it true or merely powerful? TV sways audiences so much that advertisers spend millions every year for a single 30-second commercial during the Superbowl. The Encyclopedia Britannica's online Web 1.0 format, differs from theWikkipedia Web 2.0 model by inviting contributions from readers in a fun, productive two-way communication. But recent scandals over untrue postings underscored the danger of the freedom to publish "because you can" and more and more plaforms now find themselves under more and more restrictions or review. For the final word on the matter - click here.
References
Crisite, J. (2010). Introduction to social media (web page). Retrieved from https://connect.mycampus.ca/webct/urw/lc4130011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct
Federman, M. (2004, July 23). What is the Meaning of the Medium is the Message? Retrieved Sept 26, 2010, from http://individual.utoronto.ca/markfederman/article_mediumisthemessage.htm
Wikipedia, (n.d.). Retreived Sept. 26th, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fad
World Missions Far Corners. (2010), Live broadcast (Listened to Sept. 21. 2010) WDCX 99.5
