Blog Archives
Social Media and Summoning Emergency Services
It has been reported recently that a student who died in a blaze which ripped through a Brazilian nightclub recently that killed in excess of 200 people posted a message on Facebook pleading for help. This would not be the first instance that someone has resorted to social media to call for help.
It is well known that it can take hours to write a good news article or blog post, 30 minutes to write a breaking news article, and even 5 minutes to write a couple lines to break the story, however, with status updates, it takes a matter of seconds, therefore social media and in particular Twitter can break a story in a matter of seconds. Ever wondered why the media follow you as soon as you follow them on Twitter? Generally you will find that in a small backroom within media HQ, a social media manager will be monitoring everyone’s tweets to try and capture that elusive scoop.
We can all remember when within minutes of US Airways flight 1549 ditching in New York’s Hudson river, cyberspace was buzzing with the news. Within seconds, Emails, Twitter messages, mobile phone photos and hazy videos about the crash flitted across cyberspace.
Flight 1549 on The Hudson
We really have entered a paradigm shift as identified by Rene Ritchie in his 2009 blog post, where he asked the question, “Have we entered a paradigm shift?” Ritchie stated, “…it happened with telegraph, with radio, with television, with satellite… is it happening again with the iPhone and Twitter?” (Ritchie 2009)
Several years since Ritchie’s observation I would say we have entered a paradigm shift and now we must ask, are we now in a mindset where we update statuses via Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms before we make a conscious decision to call emergency services via 000 (Australia) 911 (USA) or 999 (UK)?
Exit Building Before Tweeting
The Dark Side Of Facebook & College Admissions
Profile shown on Thefacebook in 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Who would have thought back in 2005 when Facebook was first released that in 2011 a survey of 359 college admissions officers from leading Colleges in the United States would reveal that 24% of them would review an applicants social media activity? A recent post by Allen Grove highlights how a persons Facebook profile may sabotage ones chances of getting into college. The posting titled, ‘Facebook, Google and College Admissions Don’t Let Social Networking and Your Online Image Sabotage Your Chances’ is a timely reminder for all to sit down with their college bound children and discuss how tidying up their social networks may in fact just enhance the possibility of being accepted into College.
However, once your children are granted access to social media accounts and platforms it is imperative that all communication channels are open where dialogue is encouraged between the child and parent alike to reinforce positive social media activity.
Positive social media activity can identify how responsible the owner of the account is and how they interact with society in general. Posts relating to charitable activities, volunteer work and ‘feel good’ moments all can work in a positive way to self promote the social media account holder as a person that should be considered for a college position or employment.
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/a/Facebook.htm
How Dangerous Can Third-Party Access To Facebook Be?
Image via CrunchBase
A recent article in the New York Times by Nick Bilton, ‘Girls Around Me: An App Takes Creepy to a New Level’ raises some important questions of whether a person granting access to third-party Apps to their Facebook, Twitter, Four Square etc are really aware what in fact they are granting access too.
We have all experienced it, you see an App on Facebook where usually you are invited by a friend to join and before you know it you have clicked on it and up pops a notice about access to your Facebook account.
Do You Really Read What Access Is Being Sought?
Once you have read Nick Bilton’s article below, ask yourself these questions.
- Are we desensitized to understanding the ramifications for granting access to third-party Apps?
- Do we trust the App just because our friends have sent it to us?
- Do our children really understand what access to their Facebook account may show?
Whilst the App has since been removed it is a timely reminder to understand what you are granting access to when you opt in for such Apps via social media.
Most importantly share this information with your children and maybe suggest they check with you before they grant third-part Apps access.
Sharing Beyond Belief
Bradley W. Deacon
