Rumor Has it, Twitter is Getting a Makeover

Everybody knows Twitter as the trending social media network that buzzes with posts, pictures and daily news. Almost everyone and anyone has an account especially the younger generation and celebrities.

Rumor has it that Twitter is coming out with a new homepage soon. This will appeal to the non-users of Twitter, like lawyers. I noticed this problem when I went to an internship interview at a law firm and found out they aren't using Twitter as a means of networking. The problem is that Twitter appeals to a younger market of people. Crazy thing is that less than 15% of lawyers use Twitter.

In order to appeal to a more mature audience, this social networking site is going to have a whole new design. The goal is to make members feel more part of the community and be more open to conversation and marketing on the site.

Here is a sneak peak of the new look.

As you can see the look is more professional and more appealing to business to join. I feel that this new design will bring in an older audience and expand the number and type of users. This would solve the skepticism that people, like lawyers, have about creating a Twitter.

I am also a fan of the new organization. Twitter can be all over the place, but with this new design people can search for tweets and users with an easier way to navigate.

I have no doubt that this is the right move for Twitter and this move with lead to an increase in users.

Social Media and Social Activism

There has been a lot of social media based activism, such as Kony 2012. What is a better way in today's day and age to promote a social change than using social media. I personally have never participated in activism on my social media accounts, but I have witnessed other people doing so.

I have seen anything from "Save the Whales" to "Support Gay/Straight Alliance" on social media. The best way to get these trending is to retweet, share, like and post about the change you are trying to make. It is very effective to use networks like Twitter and Facebook because there is no faster way to get the word out to millions of people.

I think social media is helping to "politicize" and "mobilize" this generation of college students in that they can fight for what they want and influence people right from their phones. People have power right at their fingertips. This generation is technologically advanced and we have been given so many opportunities to benefit from this. If we have something to say, we open up Twitter and make a post. If I wanted to get people to vote for someone for instance, I would post on Facebook and have people share it.

Social media is the new way of communicating a message and putting up a fight for what we believe in. If there's something you feel strongly about changing, get online and spread the word!

Inside the Online Hair and Beauty Community

There are so many communities online where people with similar interests communicate with each other. These communities can be in the form of Facebook groups, web sites, Pinterest, forums, etc. I conducted an ethnography of the community of hair and beauty.

Hair and beauty has been an interest of mine since I was young, especially working in a salon and spa since I was 16. I was excited to emerge myself in the community and contribute to the discussions. I was most looking forward to sharing the knowledge I have acquired over the years working in the industry. It was a great feeling knowing I may have helped someone with a problem they were seeking answers for or even gave what someone thought was good advice. This made me realize how connected and open these communities are with each other and how beneficial they are.

I had a great experience researching this community. I joined the forums on HairBoutique and MakeupAlley. I registered with the community as "MGgirl" and participated in many discussions like what my favorite hair products are and how to maintain curls. Having learned about the lines we sell at the salon, I was able to give some good information on the different types of products I thought the women may be looking for.

One thing I absolutely loved about the forums were how appreciative everyone was for the comments. If you answered a question or gave feedback many people wrote back saying thank you and how much it helped. With beauty and hair comes a lot of trust and kindness. People are very sensitive sometimes when it comes to how they look so it was great to see how many supportive people I came across.

I found a great blog called The Beauty Department. This blog was co-created by reality TV star and fashion designer Lauren Conrad. It is really an interactive website because it links to their Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. The website also provides great tips and tutorials. The creators of the tutorials make it known that they are open to receiving and responding to any questions.

After my experience and observing from the inside of an online community I would suggest for anyone to become a part of a community. Not only do you get to converse with people about common interests, but you can also learn information you didn't know and teach someone else something they didn't know. It's all about the exchange of knowledge and being able to benefit and help each other. If you are passionate about something take a look online and these sources to your benefit!

Is Technology the Cause of Bullying?

Does this blog give me a greater power to bully someone? If I post on Twitter or Facebook, am I more willing to write cruel things about people I go to school with?

The answers to these questions are yes and no. Sure it would be a lot easier for me to spread rumors and lies to hundreds of people within a matter of minutes. But the solution to this problem isn't to get rid of social media and the problem isn't technology.

In Danah Boyd's book, It's Complicated, she talks about how parents and adults assume technology is the problem for teens being bullied. A lot of times parents don't see the real truth behind what they assume to be cruel posts.

I remember one day in high school when one of the guys posted a video on Facebook that was compiled of many videos of a girl who was the target of jokes. The video became popular really fast and soon had its own group on Facebook. The school found out about the video and took it down immediately, punishing the guy who posted it. Yes the video was down, but I remember continuing to see him make jokes in school.

I agree with Boyd because even though the use of Facebook caused a huge uproar, but the bullying would have occurred with or without it. I believe that social media can't be blamed because there is so much good that comes from it and instead I feel we need to focus on solving the problems and going straight to the bullies.