Social Networks, Debating Communities and Networks 11

May 17, 2020

By Kenneth Ma Abstract As the information technology has improved a lot in these recent years, access to internet become easier to people nowadays than before. Social media sites and applications such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are significantly gaining attention of the public. In the introduction, we will give a brief background information about the social network platforms and define the important concepts about social networks. We will present our argument through the thesis, which is the increase of number of social networks, including social platforms such as Instagram has changed the way of people connect and establish relationships in the internet society. Providing support evidence with some academic research related to the Social network showing how people get connected using social network sites and applications. The difference of the way people connected and create relationship. The counter arguments will focus on the disadvantages of using social networks to establish relationship and get connect with other people by exploring the contrast perspectives and problems raised by social networks. Introduction Social media use has been a widespread phenomenon in the society. With the development of smartphones, smartphone users have rapidly increase year after year. People can easily get access to the social media platform using their own smartphones instead of using the computer at home. Social media apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram have been launched for people to download on the smartphone. In 2020, around 76% of smartphone users are recorded in advanced economies such as America, Russia, and Japan etc. (Pew Research Center 2019). Research indicates that 81% of people in Australia owns a smartphone. And around 67% of people in advanced economies use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (Pew Research Center 2019). Facebook is the most popular social networking site in the world containing 2449 million of active users recorded in 2020 (J. Clement 2020) and around 1 billion of monthly active users are using the popular photo-sharing app Instagram. These social network platforms have changed the practices and behavior in the process of social development and establishing relationship. The people in the world are more interconnected than in the past. Because of this, there could be a perception that the relationship between people are getting better than before as people are easily get connected due to the development of Internet. But is it true? In this paper, we will discuss about the advantages using social network to establish relationship by looking into Facebook and Instagram as an example. We will also investigate the difference between making new friends or meeting new people in the real world and in the virtual world in terms of identity difference, performance behavior and social interactions. Counter arguments that will explore on the disadvantages and potential problems of using social network such as privacy problems, cyber-bullying, identity deception and degeneracy of social skills in real world. Identity difference People have different identity in the real world and in the virtual world. With the improvement of internet, […]

May 15, 2020

Many early Web 2.0 scholars held high hopes for Instagram. Unlike the rigid perceptions of gender reinforced through traditional media, social network sites (SNS) were heralded as a space where harmful gender norms could be challenged, dismantled, and eradicated. However, cultural and institutional filters embedded within Instagram communities are having quite the opposite effect, instead reinforcing and reproducing existing hegemonic gender stereotypes, inhibiting the formation of group and individual identities that fall outside of existing gender norms, mirroring offline inequalities, and slowing the progress of fourth wave feminism.

May 14, 2020

Conference Paper Topic: Web 2.0 and Social Networks have altered the way in which people, particularly adolescents, communicate with each other, as well as the way in which they interact with brands as consumers. The emergence of Web 2.0 and social networking has seen a change in the way humans, particularly adolescents, communicate (Riesmeyer, Hauswald, & Mergen, 2019). Whether it be with each other, to a mass audience, or to a commercial brand, adolescents are have become more media literate than ever before (Celebi, Selcuk & Peker, 2018) and the dependence on Web 2.0 and social networking that has evolved is changing adolescent relationships in a variety of ways. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the ways in which adolescents are maintaining their interpersonal relationships with the help of social networking, and whether or not this is having a positive or negative impact on their social life and skills. I will also discuss the rise of the social media “influencer” and how adolescent communication is affected by this. Finally, I will discuss the ways in which social networking has allowed young adults to communicate directly with large scale commercial brands in a way that has never been seen before, and how this is affecting the brand and the consumer. Celebi et al., (2018) argue that social media and social networking is being used as a tool by adolescents to both strengthen existing relationships or establish new relationships. Celeb et al., (2018) discuss that social media can serve as an application to assist in strengthening real life interpersonal relationships, as well as establish new relationships by “transforming physical distance into virtual closeness” (Celebi et al., 20180). “Online” relationships are a phenomenon that has come to light with the introduction of Web 2.0 and Social Networks/Social Media. Celebi, et al., (2018) suggested that “wireless communication technology removes time and space limits, allowing people to communicate both voiced and visual whenever and wherever they wish”. Large portions of adolescents are turning to social media to interact with peers, with Nesi, Choukas-Bradley & Prinstein (2018) citing that over almost 90% of teens utilise Social Networking in at least one application, and more than 90% of young adults are spending time online, using Web 2.0 daily. With teens and young adults spending such large portions of their day utilising Social Networking applications – an average of 9 hours a day (Nesi et al, 2018) – it is becoming apparent that the ways in which they maintain and receive their personal relationships is being altered by the internet and social networking (Baym, Zhang, Kunkel, & Ledbetter, 2007). Studies have shown that the elements of communication within an inter-personal relationship can affect the strength and closeness of said relationship (Baym et al., 2007). Cues such as asynchronicity, interpersonal cues (Nesi et al., 2018), as well as seeking favours or advice can create an index to calculate the intensity of a relationship which can be referred to as ‘relational strength’ (Baym et al., 2007). Various communication methods reflect […]

May 13, 2020

Introduction It is impossible to deny that communication and collaboration have become major aspects of our everyday internet experience. The online video game industry has thoroughly embraced the concepts of cooperative gaming in order to provide players with a sense of community. Video games have long been seen as a solo endeavor – as a way to escape reality and leave social interaction at the door. However, this paper aims to dispel the notion that video games are separate to real-world interactions and that the online gaming industry has created a platform that allows for alternative ways to communicate, collaborate and interact with like-minded individuals. Therefore, this paper will argue that the popularity of competitive online multiplayer games has promoted informal social interaction through the use of established communities, and communication at all levels of competition within the genre of first-person shooters. I’ll begin by describing the experience of Online Gaming through the lens of the First-Person Shooter genre, before examining the role communication and cooperation plays in building communities and forming friendships within the online gaming realm. Furthermore, an analysis of the various online platforms surrounding one of the most popular first-person shooter titles; Counter Strike: Global Offensive, will be presented in order to establish the sense of community created by these platforms. Additionally, I will investigate the impact the Electronic Sports (or Esports) industry has had on the communities of Counter-Strike by promoting a higher level of engagement, communication and collaboration for players across the globe. Finally, I will provide an overview of the points discussed, as well as conclude with the overall thoughts of this argument. Digital Gameplay: Understanding the Realm of First-Person Shooters Video games have existed for decades Before analyzing the way, competitive online multiplayer games have promoted a sense of community, it is important to understand the success these video games have had these past decades. Of course, it is important to remember that the term “online games” doesn’t solely refer to the First-Person Shooter (FPS) genre, it describes everything from Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) to Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games and even Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games. However, for the sake of brevity, this paper will focus primarily on the “first-person shooter” genre of games as the gaming community as a whole encompasses various niche topics and genres and it would be near impossible to describe the communities that have been developed in each sphere. First-Person shooters – or just “shooters” as they are colloquially known – are fast-paced action games that are usually played in teams, ranging anywhere from four to sixteen players, depending on the title. For many players, FPS titles offer an escape from reality. Games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Player Unknowns: Battlegrounds and Overwatch transport the player in to a fictional world of explosions and gunfire. These types of games have often been falsely criticized for embracing violence which leads to a desensitization amongst players (Hake, 2017). Despite the virtual violence and bloody pixels, gamers are […]

May 11, 2020

Communities are a vital part of society. From the people to small businesses brings growth and innovation to the local community, they need to be innovated with how they continue to grow in today’s society. With technology always changing and adapting to what people want. A part of technology changing on the daily basis is social media. Social media platforms adapt and change all the time like a small business. A platform that small businesses have gravitated towards is Instagram. Instagram was developed and released in October 2010 and since then has become an essential for everyday life. For small businesses around the world, Instagram has become the ultimate marketing tool for them. With many features including the professional account mode and stories mode that Instagram includes with their app, small businesses now have a new advantage with completing against big businesses. As there are many tools available with Instagram, it’s essential that small businesses use them to continue to complete with big businesses. So throughout the entire paper, I am going to discuss why Instagram has become and still has been the perfect marketing tool for small businesses and how each tool has become a valuable and essential asset for the business. In today’s society, small businesses have become an essential in local communities. As everyone wants to support their local businesses, small businesses need to continuously produce new and creative content to build their brand for growth. So using a platform like Instagram has become an essential marketing tool that allows businesses (mainly small businesses) exposure to grow an entire new audience. In a paper written by Wassan Alkhowaiter, he speaks of the power of Instagram and its power as a marketing tool. An interesting quote as he deliberates on the topic is “Instagram was basically designed for mobile phones, and since smart phones help to connect people to social media on the move, it makes it easier for a business to reach its customers wherever they are” (Alkhowaiter, 2016, p. 61). When analysing this very accurate and honest fact, that Instagram is for smart phones and especially on the go. Most users on Instagram use it to share moments, milestones and special occasions. However for small businesses, it’s to promote their brand and what they’re all about. For example, a small clothing brand would use Instagram to showcase the clothing rather it is woman’s wear, men’s wear or even kids wear. As this business continues to use this inexpensive tool at their advantage for free, they’re saving money in marketing and adverting which is usually two of their highest expenses. A tool that small businesses use that is also an expense that goes with promoting is using Instagram Influencers. Influencer is a social media marketer who helps targets the audience that the particular business wants to attract. It’s a networking tool that all businesses use to grow their audience and brand. As an Influencer has thousands of followers, their popularity can help promote the business products for […]

May 11, 2020

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to show how businesses in the fashion industry are utilising Facebook groups to create and sustain community. Facebook groups are a capability available through Facebook that enables users to connect with others that aren’t necessarily included as part of their immediate Facebook friend list. The argument stance that this paper presents is that businesses in the fashion industry are benefiting from using Facebook groups despite the limitations of personal connection through the web. The reasons for this position include the fact that businesses and influencers are creating Facebook groups that are connected to their businesses to attract and keep customers. These statements are backed up with evidence from real life Facebook groups that are thriving such as the Spell and The Gypsy Collective Facebook group called Spell Sisters, the Let Me Try Before You Buy Facebook group by Natalie Angel and the Curvy AU Facebook group by Curvy Sam. #facebookgroups #web2.0 #fashionindustry #socialmediamarketing #socialmedia INTRODUCTION Facebook groups associated with businesses in the fashion industry have been rapidly appearing over the last few years and are becoming increasingly popular as businesses are really seeing value in them. Web 2.0 revolutionised the internet as we know it through “rich user experience, user participation and dynamic content” (Best, 2006, p. 2-4), which is particularly evident through the way the fashion industry has adapted their advertising and marketing to suit the newly advanced digital world. Before Web 2.0 existed, businesses in the fashion industry relied on word of mouth, their shop front, newspapers, magazines, billboards, flyers and runway shows. However, now thanks to Web 2.0 capabilities businesses in the fashion industry are now able to cleverly advertise and connect to their community through tools such as Facebook groups. Crick (2016) notes that “understanding how [Web 2.0] influences, reproduces and changes our culture begins with accepting the role of media technologies” (p. 1), which proves that it is important to delve deeper into why and how businesses in the fashion industry utilise Facebook groups for further communication and collaboration. This conference paper will cover the intention of businesses and influencers in the fashion industry who are utilising Facebook groups to create value which produces recurring customers, create personal connection, further audience reach for brands through influencer marketing and sustain community which thus drives sales. Despite the limitations of personal connection through the web, businesses and influencers in the fashion industry are successfully creating and sustaining communities due to the Web 2.0 capabilities of Facebook groups. CREATING VALUE AND RECURRING CUSTOMERS Businesses in the fashion industry, like Spell and The Gypsy Collective, have embraced the community capabilities of Web 2.0 by creating their own Facebook groups which creates value and recurring customers. Byron Bay fashion label, Spell and The Gypsy Collective, launched their Facebook group ‘Spell Sisters’ in September 2018. The private Facebook group has over eight and a half thousand members which anyone can join just by answering a few simple administration questions. Forman, Kern and Gil-Egui (2012) […]

May 11, 2020

Abstract This conference paper discusses the different dynamics between social media and communities. As the web 2.0 emerged, it challenged conventional barriers like physical and affective distance. To illustrate my point, I focused on dance and performance professionals that use Facebook for promotion and to build their online communities. As dance teachers in New South Wales are mostly freelance or self-employed, they count on Facebook’s Groups features such as reviews and comments as an affordable way to promote their business. Apart from the economic perspective, Facebook is also capable of strengthening support and cooperation between followers of a dance practitioner’s profile. Impression management is equally crucial to sustain a perception of trustworthiness and prestige within the dance industry. It is interesting that just as in real life groups, online communities are also impacted by hierarchy, status and dominant discourses. Despite that the dance professional in a social media group may never physically meet all their members, Facebook still provides ways for identity verification and instant exposure. Indeed, Facebook Group’s instruments to self-promotion integrate the business with the social side of a dance business, allowing members to build rapport and representation, with a good prospect of further positive developments. Introduction Arts organizations, particularly the ones within the dance industry, are embracing technologies as never seen before. Dance companies and professionals around the world have been utilizing cutting edge tools to streamline customer’s needs; from text messages and mobile phones to the virtual reality and instant connectivity of web 2.0. Avoiding those technologies would greatly undermine the survival of any business, more so, within the dance industry. Consequently, while witnessing the global transition to web 2.0, scholars theorize that the past rigid and homogenous society would become a ‘global community of communication’ (Delanty, 2018; Hampton & Wellman, 2018). This tremendous change in society has its origin in the Internet which is basically a network of computational devices connected via common protocols (Hunsinger, 2013). Just as in the real world, online communities are composed of users bonded by specific topics of interest which are meaningful to them; surprisingly, that is what current social media sites like Facebook are all about. In the arts, social media is particularly beneficial as a mediator of interactions not only at a social but at economic levels by the use of marketing mechanisms. For the almost fifty thousand artists in Australia, having a Facebook profile is a must no matter the size or geographical location of a business (Throsby and Petetskaya 2017). For the purpose of this conference paper, I will focus on the aspects that make social media unique while discussing that although all social media platforms are used by dance and performance professionals for promotion, the affordances provided by Facebook allow them to build and strengthen professional networks and communities. Social media becoming a marketing tool Since more than 70% of Dance and performance professionals in New South Wales are self-employed or freelance, they are relying more on social media for marketing purposes (Throsby and Petetskaya […]

May 10, 2020

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe how the LGBT community have embraced social networking and how for all the benefits that the community have gained, they still continue to challenge heterosexual norms. The introduction of Web 2.0 and the spread of social networking has enabled the LGBT community to flourish in a space that they have taken full advantage of. Dating apps such as Grindr have enabled the already strong community bonds within the LGBT community to be strengthened, with users cross linking the dating apps to other communication methods such as Facebook. The LGBT community do not have to conform to the standards set by heterosexual society and as always continue to run their own path. Introduction Historically “Prior to the 1970s, homosexuality was classified as a mental illness in the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) which is widely utilised for mental health classification” (Dentato,2017). The prohibition of homosexuality in the U.S military since the “publication of the Articles of War of 1916” (Reinke & Smith, 2011) gives an indication of the type of oppression and challenges that have been historically faced by the LGBT community. It has taken over 100 years since this publication for the “2010 Congressional vote to repeal one of the military’s most controversial policies, the exclusion of open gay and lesbian persons from military service” (Reinke & Smith, 2011), this marks one of the biggest milestones in the quest for unity and equality. Since this vote the legalisation of marriage in most developed societies has also advanced the normalisation efforts, but there still exists a difference in how the LGBT community feels and acts. Since the introduction of Web 2.0 and the social interaction technologies and potential that this has opened up, the LGBT community has been on the forefront of technology use. Social platforms such as Grindr have allowed for the creation of a whole new community and provide a place where like-minded individuals can meet, chat and interact. Dating applications allow users to stay safe in their own homes and interact with like-minded individuals without having to o to a bar and guessing who may or may not be interested in them. Even though the LGBT community now have access to all the benefits of marriage equality, their use of social media platforms such as Grindr allow queer communities to form bonds that challenge heteronormative understandings/ideas of intimacy, dating and community. The advent of dating apps such as Grindr have allowed the LGBT community to strengthen their already strong sense of community The advent of dating apps such as Grindr have allowed the LGBT community to strengthen their already strong sense of community. This sense of community is displayed through the fact that connections made through Grindr spill onto other platforms such as Facebook messenger, this helps to signify that meaningful connections can be and are made through Grindr (Pingel et al, 2013). The fact of the matter is that most Gay men at some […]

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