Google+

Google+ is the newest contender in the social media scene.  Debuting this past Tuesday, this platform, which is similar to Facebook, is open only to select users right now.  Google is promoting this new tool by saying that it will be more private and will streamline all of your other Google programs/products.  However, as this article points out, this platform will be harder for businesses to use.  Businesses will have to work harder to get a widespread message out, which could make this new platform problematic.  However, Google's products such as Gmail, AdSense, Blogger and Android have become wildly popular over the past few years, so don't count them out too quickly.

Can this new social media application be a real contender against Facebook?  Only time will tell, but take it from me (I've been invited to use this application), so far, I'm not jumping the Facebook ship anytime soon.

Facebook Fix

It seems that just about everyone is on Facebook these days.  But, in May, 6 million users defriended themselves from this social media giant.  There are several theories for this decrease in users on Facebook from seasonal variation to being burned out.  Check them out here & let me know which you think is the most plausible.

Twitterfied Journalism

Osama bin Laden is dead, and we have the body and proof.  Last night, it was announced around 10 p.m. that the President would be making an official announcement later that night.  However, before Mr. President ever made his announcement, journalistic efforts and twitter combined to leak the news.  In this increasingly digital age, stories are more frequently breaking over social media platforms.  However, credit must still be given to journalists for doing their work, and getting the news out.  They are still the ones behind the scenes doing all the work, it is just being disseminated over different platforms, and not just in the next day's paper or in an over the air broadcast.  These new platforms allow journalists to not only get the news out faster, but they also open up access to more information and sources that can be used to get the news in the first place.  If this had happened 20 years ago, people would have had to anxiously await Obama's broadcast in order to find out what was going on.  But, thanks to good journalism and the Internet, America pretty much knew what was going on instantaneously.

EDIT: A twitterer from Pakistan accidentally broke the news first.  This is just one more way in which social media are changing our world and journalism.

Digital Royalty

In case you live under a rock. there was a royal wedding today.  Prince William married Kate Middleton in a very formal, but elegant ceremony this morning.  Good news is, if you missed the wedding, chances are you can watch it again on television, online, etc.  Plus, there is all sorts of digital media coverage that you can peruse.  So, never fear, thanks to technology we will all be able to relive this royal wedding as many times as we want, and let everyone in the world know we're doing so at the same time.

Terry Jones At It Again

Terry Jones, who sparked the fury of the residents of many nations around the world earlier this year, is back in the news.  This time instead of just a message on Twitter claiming September 11 as International Burn a Quran Day, his church has actually burned a Quran.  The holy book was found "guilty" during a "trial" at his church.

I have no doubt that the fact Jones actually burned a Quran will spark more outcries of anger from Muslim countries, just as it did the first time when it was a mere threat on Facebook.  The problem with this story to begin with, is that it really is not news.  The only reason Jones and his 50 member church ever became news is due to a combination of new media technology and a reporter who decided to cover Jones' tweet.  In the scheme of things however, similar events have occured on a smaller and larger scale, but they were not covered, and they did not cause international backlash.

So, while new social media can be a great tool, it can also be dangerous when the information gets into the wrong hands.

Vatican Gone Social

It seems that the Vatican and the Pope have gone social, social media that is.  I'm glad they are finally jumping on the bandwagon.  Facebook, Twitter and other social media don't have to be creepy.  You don't have to post what you're doing every second of the day.  In fact, it's probably better and safer if you don't.  However, these tools can be used to communicate and build community.  Companies can use them as customer service outlets or for promos and giveaways.  Likewise, the Vatican can use it to spread the message to different audiences who may or may not generally watch the news or follow the Pope religiously (no pun intended), but will still like his fan page and see all of the updates.  Social media connects people, and there is no shame in being more connected in a globalized society.

Teched Out

With all of the technology out there today, learning has become easier, but also more complicated.  Schools and teachers are using social media as well as programs such as Skype to communicate with their students outside the classroom.  These tools can be useful when students miss school due to inclement weather, illness or other various reasons.  They can also be useful in an everyday sense.

I'm currently enrolled in a technology for teachers class.  We're talking about how communication tools can make learning more exciting and engaging for students.  Since students today are digital natives, they require different types of tasks to learn.  These students are more capable of multi-tasking and enjoy being on the computer, so teachers need to use these capabilities to their advantage.  There are all sorts of websites, games, applications, etc that teachers have access to, and should use.  However, just because the task is on the computer doesn't mean that it's appropriate or effective enough, teacher's must still think about if the task will really enhance the lesson they are teaching.  Not all tools will, and that's okay because not all traditional lesson plans or tasks will either.  Moderation and effective tasks are the key to educating America's future in a digital society.