Week two

This week in the Psychology of Social Media we read the Prologue and first two chapters of the book “Everything is Miscellaneous,” by David Weinberger. This book seems to be very interesting so far; I especially enjoyed the Prologue because it describes why the store Staples is set up the way that it is, and how little tricks that are based on research and psychology can be utilized to make the shopping experience easier and more convenient for customers. The challenges of space were also discussed, and how there is only so much room for certain things in the store. It simply would not be possible to have every item in the exact place where it might be needed for a customer. However, it is explained that because on the web we do not have to limit space in the same way, this challenge is not something that online shopping has to deal with in the same way.

            In preparation for class this week we also watched an interview with Katie Couric. Katie Couric is a journalist that has attempted to use all realms of social media in order to get her story heard. She explained the challenges that she is faced with finding reliable sources while using social media, and also the difficulties of things be misrepresented online. Katie also suggested that to be a leader in information these days you must embrace social media. This caused me to ask the question “is it necessary to become highly involved in social media to be a leader in other areas as well?” I think the answer to this question is yes. Although, there are many examples of people who are able to gain support and influence others while not involving themselves in social media, it is interesting to think of how much more support they could gain and influence they could have if they utilized social media. Another interesting topic that was brought up during the Katie Couric interview was one suggesting that everyone has a “digital shadow.” The idea of having a digital shadow is very daunting, especially because in our social media society everything moves so quickly. Once an irrational comment goes up on the web, within a few seconds several people may have seen it, all while you are still trying to decide if you should delete it or not.

            There are so many wonderful benefits of social media however, such as the fact that we are able to connect with individuals all over the world. I am grateful for social media and the opportunity it gives me to stay involved in the lives of my friends and family on the mainland. Although phone calls and letters may be just as beneficial, or even more so, the fact remains that we only have so much time during the day. It is much easier for me to quickly scroll down my homepage on Facebook and quickly glance at the activities and pictures of my friends and family than it is to call them up individually or write a million letters.