Thing 12 - Social media sites

So much sharing going on! While the lack of editors seem to democratize content, it also is quite a detriment. Some of the most inane things are near the top of the list of things people want to share. I’m also a bit appalled at the language. The article I read from Reddit was a diatribe on inventors who stole the inventions they are famous for. We face an uphill battle trying to teach kids to support their opinions when such items are commonly dispersed. I know the internet allows all kinds of people to put in their two cents, but these social media sites seem to spread opinions quickly and easily, like viruses.

It definitely makes for eclectic reading! I chose to scan the list of stories from the last 24 hours on Newsvine and read about an 11-year-old that died because her parents believed God would heal her. They didn’t realize she had diabetes. Another article predicted the fallout Microsoft would experience dropping Windows XP. Still another commented on the cover of Vogue and people’s reaction to it. I thought Newsvine’s color-coded barometer of most voted on and most commented on articles kind of clever. Mixx just sorted articles into categories right away so a reader could read in an area of interest.

I think these sites would be a productivity detractor. I kind of got sucked in and followed link after link as interesting titles caught my eye. I can see, though, how it would be helpful to be aware of what is considered “popular” reading since people would be talking about it and wanting to find out background information. It also could alert you to coming issues.

It was extremely easy to share an article. News sites can only win as people read articles and then end up exploring other content on the site. I was glad I didn’t have to create an account to just share an article. I suppose what happens is that once my comment is posted, I will follow the discussion that could follow on Newsvine and then want to eventually become a member. I have emailed articles to targeted people in the past, which in some ways I think it more useful to me. It starts a conversation on the topic, but with people you know and with whom you share a vested interest. The whole democratic public sharing of ideas the social media sites are promoting is good in a way, but I don't see it being for me.