Online Civility, Trust, and Social Capital

 Hey Guys! I hope your week is going well! I wanted to talk about Social Capital, Trust, and Online Civility. These topics were pretty unfamiliar to me, but I found them super interesting! Lets look at some examples! 

First, let's talk about Social Capital! Social Capital is the relationships people build, giving them resources and opportunities that would have been invisible otherwise. Social capital was founded at the University of Boston. Some people say that it is important to invest in other people's success and, in return, we are rewarding ourselves. A lot of musical artists use social capital to climb the charts. Let's take a look at Taylor Swift. She started her career as a nobody in the music scene. As she began to rise in fame, she kept her connections close to her and kept building upon them. She got some offers to showcase her talent from big-time corporations like Disney, which evidently kickstarted her career. Now she is the biggest superstar in the world and has sold out over 149 stadiums! One thing that a lot of stars do not have are long-lasting friendships. Taylor Swift is still friends with the people back home and the friends she has made along the way throughout her career. This just shows how important and vital Social Capital can be! 

In the TedTalk we got to watch this week called Social Capital—The Critical Assets for Success | Sadhana Pasricha, she said something that caught my attention. She said that there are three types of capitals, Financial, Human, and Social. The most important capital in her eyes is Social. This is the only capital you have complete control over, and most people don't take advantage of this. She talks about how important social capital can be and how it can really hurt you in the long run. If we take a look at someone like Drake, he has a huge following, but he's burned almost all of the bridges in the rap scene, making him sort of an outcast. If he had focused more on social capital and forming trust with other people rather than focusing on financial capital, then maybe he would have more respect in the scene. 

We all participate in the online world whether we like it or not. Especially how our view on the world is constantly changing and the internet is a big factor in this. When you go outside, how many phones do you see? I would say on an average school day, it's over 100. The internet can be a wonderful place full of knowledge, answers, and content. But we are all aware of another side of the internet. People love to abuse the power they have, creating false identities and trolling/cyberbullying are all a base part of the internet. Online Civility seems like its gone out the window over the past couple of years. People tend to feel too safe behind a screen, and they will say whatever is on their mind, whether it's harmless or uncalled for. It's important to remember that everything is saved online, so its essential to be cautious when using the internet. Being nice in person and online is super important when building a career for yourself, and its good to have this knowledge! 

 

User generated content

 Hi guys, I hope your week went well! I hope you liked my last post it was a lot of fun to create. Today I wanted to talk to you about user-generated content. We are learning about this in class, and I'm finding it very interesting. 

From the article What is User-Generated Content  by Tricia Christensen, the definition of User-generated content (UGC) is "material on websites, and occasionally other media sources, that is produced by the users of the website." Apps like TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and even this blog you're reading right now are all user-based platforms. 

 TikTok is a great example of user-generated content. On TikTok, one of the goals is to create a following; the more content you put out, the more interactions you have on your page, making you a "Content Creator." You can find a content creator for anything you can imagine, from farming content to building cars content; there is always something to watch. TikTok can be a dangerous platform; all of its content is short and fast-paced, making it easy for someone to "doom Scroll." Doomscrolling is when someone is on a platform for a long time and watching the content. Tiktok can also be personalized to what you like to watch or what you have favored. This platform takes all your liked and favorited videos and creates a customized page for you.  

Let's take a look at these two profiles. Both of these profiles I follow on TikTok. What drew them to me was the aesthetic they both have and the fact that I have similar interests in the content they post. The one above is a girl who has created her own business through TikTok. She has a penpal mailing club, where she sends out cute stickers and fun little craft ideas to her following. In her Bio, she says that she is a crafty girl; this is a good marketing strategy because people who are similar to her will follow this account because they have something in common. 

Now, if we look at the profile below, she is also a content creator but a little different. She makes videos about her outfits and what she does throughout her day. Her page is more of vlog-style content rather than trying to sell us something. Both of these are great examples of content creators and how the platform can be used. 

TikTok is a unique platform full of content for everyone. The question is when does it gets to be too much. 

 If we take a look at another platform like Instagram, it's a whole different ballpark. This app is used to post videos and photos. This app has helped so many creators find their platform in the early 2000s.  Instagram is a very fun app to use, in my opinion. It's a way to tell your friends what you've been up to in a fun way. It also allows you to follow your favorite celebrities and content creators. Although this app can be great, there is a very toxic and dark side. Instagram can create a false representation of someone's life. What I mean by this is people create the ideal world in their eyes using Instagram, whether they are posting about a trip, bar, or with friends. I also think it's a very toxic place for people to pull inspiration from, especially women. We are constantly seeing the "ideal body types," and we compare ourselves to each other, creating a horrible mindset. But then there's the side of Instagram that is wonderful, finding like-minded content, and allows people to have a voice on the app to talk about the world or anything on their mind.

Both of these apps are excellent examples of user-generated content. Social media has gained immense popularity among our generation (Gen Z). I am worried about the potential evolution of social media in the future and how much technology will change. Will it all be user-generated content, or will it be fully controlled by the website? 

Hello!

 Hiya! 

This is my first post on this blog! I'm super excited to get this blog up and running. I love the world of fashion, music and TV. My plan is to post my thoughts on trends and my favorites of the week! Feel free to comment your own favorites. :) I can't wait to read everybody else's blogs! I also have my favorite song right now at the top of my page! Give it a listen and let me know what you think.