Social Media Voices

One of the things social media has given students specifically is a voice within their university. Many student bodies have developed hashtags in order to catch the attention of faculty and administration. Whether it involves living conditions, school closings or just general information, social media, especially Twitter, allows students to communicate with each other and the faculty and administration to push for changes.

One example of this is a few years ago here at Ohio Northern University the school sent out an email to the student body giving tips on how to stay warm in the winter. The forecast was for -30 degree wind chill so the University thought it would be appropriate to help the students stay warm. There was also a frostbite warning if you were outside more than 10 minutes. The University came up with #PolarBearUp to try and inspire students and be "hip". Needless to say the students were not amused. They immediately took to Twitter and Facebook and used the hashtag to explain that a -30 degree windchill was unacceptable walking conditions. Many students had a 15-20 minute walk to class and the 10 minute frostbite warning concerned them. Memes were created as the students gained more momentum. Many sarcastic jokes were made as the students attempted to get their frustration and concern across to the faculty and administration. After four hours the students were still taking Twitter by storm. Eventually the University did decide to cancel classes for the next day and the students rejoiced.

Another example of students using Twitter and social media to communicate with faculty is Howard University. The students were concerned about conditions and the tuition they were paying. They created #TakeBackHU to express their concern to the administration. Alumni also put in their opinions saying that they experienced many of the same issues. The president finally responded that he was going to work to fix many of the problems. Hopefully he follows through on his word.

Civilian Journalists

Real-Time Marketing and PR Chapter 6

With social media playing such a big role in modern news the ability for civilians to share news has become a really big part of how we get our news. Many times a journalist or reporter will get information from Twitter or Facebook in order to do their news story. Places where mainstream media aren't allowed are accessible by the general populace who then post pictures, videos and stories on social media to get the word out about various things that are happening in the world.

Tumblr is a prime example of a community that takes getting news into their own hands. If you want something important or controversial spread quickly then just put it into the hands of a few Tumblr users and watch it explode. The biggest problem that I've found with Tumblr is deciding what is true, what is false and what has been exaggerated to make a point. Tumblr is a very passionate and outspoken community. There are, however, individuals who want to put out false information or make something fairly insignificant seem bigger so they elaborate or create stories. Checking facts is always a good idea when civilians, or even mainstream media, post a story. 

Here are some resources and descriptions of anxiety that helped me when I first figured out that I had anxiety. They helped confirm for me that I actually did have anxiety and helped me determine that what I was feeling was legitimate and needed to be addressed. These are also good resources for those who know someone with anxiety to try and understand better what the person is going through. I will add more as I find them. Feel free to comment with any that you find.

10 Signs You May Have Anxiety

15 Things Anyone Who Loves A Woman With Anxiety Should Know

A Letter to Those Affected By My Anxiety

Sharing Speed

I'm in charge of the Facebook account for my sorority, Kappa Phi. It amazes me how quickly people can see the information but also how quickly it dies. I can post something and within several hours it can hit it's peak of traffic and then maybe get only a couple views. There isn't a huge audience so it's traffic peaks a few hours after I make a post and then quickly tapers off.

Even with a much larger organization I would assume it would have a similar outcome. A peak in traffic during the first day or two and then traffic would taper off. This really shows the importance of being on top of social media and making sure that you post regularly and stay on top of the posts you make. Not responding within that window can cause traffic to taper off and crucial potential members or customers can miss whatever information you present.

Being in charge of a Facebook page requires me to remain organized, be cognizant of when I post, how it's presented and make sure I keep track of any comments I may need to respond to on a daily basis. I also like to keep track of when people may be posting about the organization or on the Facebook wall so that I can respond as needed.

Social Media Rising

Real Time Marketing & PR Chapter 1-2

What struck me about these chapters was the immediacy of what happened. Within days of Dave Carroll posting his first video both Calton Cases and Taylor Guitars had responded in appropriate ways. When talking to my grandmother about it over the weekend, it was interesting as I tried to explain what social media and news had evolved into. My grandmother grew up in a time where news traveled slowly so the concept of real-time was very different for her. 

I explained that my generation was very much about instant information. We don't like to wait around for our information. If something happens we want to know the information in real time. Because of this news tends to become old news within hours. 

If a company doesn't respond to something that is posted on social media it can be devastating for the company or organization. It can cause customers or potential customers to not receive answers to questions or it can prevent problems from being solved. This can turn customers away or prevent new customers from choosing that company.