Technology and Social Media Impact

Technology and Information

• Earliest forms of paper included clay tablets, papyrus, parchment, and wood tiles
• Gutenberg's invention of type molds in the 1440s enabled mass production
• The printing press was crucial for knowledge democratization

Influence of Technology

• Alters how news is gathered, with the AP Wire's focus on the inverted pyramid style
• Changes the concept of news from "what the authorities say" to "newsworthiness"
• Emphasizes timeliness, leading to breaking news
• Influences news distribution and enables citizen journalism

What is Social Media

• Defined by Boyd and Ellison (2008) as web-based platforms where users can:
  • Create public or semi-public profiles
  • Articulate connections with other users
  • View and navigate their connections and those of others

Characteristics of Communication

• Communication is a process
• Communication is relational
• Communication is symbolic

Social Media and Culture

• Social media is a defining part of contemporary culture
• Enables communication between people
• Culture is a collective way of life, including beliefs, values, and symbols passed down through communication and imitation

Social Media, Culture, and Identity

• Provide identity cues that describe who we are
• Influenced by native advertising

Social Media Theories

• Important theories explaining social media's impact include:
  • Computer-mediated communication (CMC)
  • Word of mouth (WOM)
  • Social coordination
  • Mass self-communication
  • Diffusion of Innovations
  • The Long Tail

Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)

• Media Richness Model (Daft & Lengel, 1984)
• Hyperpersonal Communication (Walther 1996)

Word of Mouth (WOM)

• Powerful in information sharing and online marketing
• Utilized in viral marketing
• Key examples include:
  • Edwards, Edwards, Bakke, and Shaver (2010)

Social Coordination

• Facilitates relation maintenance and activity organization
• Emphasizes:
  • Hypercoordination
  • Microcoordination
  • Connected presence

Mass Self-Communication

• Enhances individual control over information dissemination
• Examples include self-promotion through platforms like keyhole.co

The Long Tail

• Addresses the distribution of niche products and content
• Anderson (2004)

The Self, Perception, and Communication

• Focuses on self-concept and self-esteem

Self-Concept and Self-Esteem

• Self-concept includes stable perceptions about oneself, encompassing:
  • Uniqueness
  • Similarities and differences to others
  • Self-view
• Self-esteem reflects an individual's evaluation of their worth
• Influences communication and how others perceive us

Biology, Personality, and the Self

• Personality encompasses characteristic thinking and belief patterns
• Approximately 40% of personality is inherited
• Personality traits can be enhanced through learning and practice

External Influences on Self-Concept

• Reflected Appraisal: how our image is shaped by others' perceptions of us
• Significant Others: their appraisals have particular weight
• Social Evaluation: Comparing ourselves to others, emphasizing the role of social media

The Relationship Between Self-Concept and Behavior

• Self-concept and communication style influence behavior and perception of events
• Example: Nervousness with authority figures can lead to stammering and blushing, while confident individuals speak calmly and fluently, resulting in different responses from others

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

• Expectation of an outcome increases the likelihood of that outcome due to corresponding behavior
• Shapes self-concept and behaviors

The Perception Process

• Involves three steps:
  • Selection: Selecting what information to attend to
  • Organization: Organizing data to make sense of it
  • Interpretation: Assigning meaning to the information

Influences On Perception

• Physiological influences
• Cultural and social influences
• Gender and sex roles
• Occupational roles

Narratives, Perception, and Communication

• Narratives form personal stories about ourselves
• Attribution: Associating meaning with behavior
• Emphasizes:
  • Snap judgments
  • Stereotyping
  • Self-serving bias
  • Emphasis on negative impressions
  • The influence of obvious information
  • Clinging to first impressions
  • Assumption of similarity to others
  • Fundamental attribution error

Empathy and Sympathy

• Empathy: Taking on another's perspective
• Dimensions of Empathy:
  • Perspective taking
  • Emotional feeling
  • Genuine concern
• Sympathy: Feeling compassion for another's situation

Perception Checking

• Method for verifying the accuracy of interpretations
• Three Steps:
  • Describing observed behavior
  • Offering at least two interpretations
  • Seeking clarification

Explore the evolution of communication from the earliest forms of paper to modern social media platforms. Understand how technology has transformed news dissemination and the concept of communication. This quiz highlights the societal implications of these changes and the role of citizen journalism.