For this blog post, you will take on the role of a blogger writing for an online publication (akin to Medium). You have been asked to provide the perspective of a college student (even if you are a non-traditional or returning one) on the contemporary state of social media. The editor has asked you provide a critical reflection on a particular social media service/platform and how you choose what you will and will not share via that platform. Look back at the Andrew Watts piece from Unit 1 or its followup for an example of how someone in your position has done something like this, but you should pick a single service and do a deeper analysis, being sure to incorporate some critical frameworks offered by other readings we have done.
Some aspects of your chosen social media platform that you might reflect upon:
– Is this a platform that you have used for a long time, just started using, or only recently learned about?
– Are you a regular or sporadic user? For what reason(s)?
– How “public” is your use of the platform? Has that changed over time?
– Are there behaviors that the platform seems to encourage you to do? Do you follow those prompts?
– Has this platform replaced another platform (or multiple other platforms)?
– How do you curate your presence?
– Is your usage more synchronous or asynchronous?
– Do you atttempt to control your audience? Is that control absolute?
– Have you ever considered leaving the platform? Have you left?
These are just suggestions to give you some starting points. Feel free to include reflection on other specfic dimensions of the platform that you find interesting.
Once you have prepared it, publish your blog post. It should be 500-750 words in length. Clicking on the above title of this blog will give you access to the posting/publishing page. You need not use formal APA citations in your blog, but if you feel the need to make direct reference to other commentary on the platform, you shoudl provide a link.
As always, if you have questions about how to do this, please feel free to contact Prof. Gurney.
Reminder: As with all work to be submitted on Blackboard, it is advisable to draft it and save it in a more stable platform, such as a Word document, as a Blackboard crash could cause you to lose your work if you are only typing directly into the submission field.
