Living in the year 2016, we are able to communicate with friends, family, coworkers, through social media outlets, as well as express ourselves through pictures, videos, and blogs, that we create, or “repost” because it catches our interests. There are an immense amount of different social media websites created on a daily basis and I have been a active user of a few. In 2008 I joined Facebook and it has allowed me to keep in contact with so many friends, through uploading pictures, posting statuses, and reposting videos and articles that I find as I scroll down my newsfeed. It’s an interesting concept, that we don’t have to make an effort to keep in touch with someone at this time in our world because with a simple log in, we know what is going on in a ones life that we haven’t personally spoken to (minus maybe a few inboxed messages or commentary on pictures) in a number of years. She moved? “yeah i know, her status update told me.” A loss in the family? “Yeah, I saw he uploaded a picture of his grandma with the caption, “R.i.p. you will be missed.” She got a full time job? “That explains her three paragraph rant on how one can achieve if they believe.” Facebook is a way to “check in” to society and keep people updated on their everyday lives and comment on what other’s have been up to as well. Instagram is a social media app I have had on my I-phone for years, and simpler than Facebook, it’s a form of communicating with others through a series of images or videos on a personal Instagram page. Some of the perks of Instagram include the ability to keep friends updated on where you are, what you’re doing, and for some people, it’s an app where they can advertise a product, idea, or spread inspiration to other users. HumansOfNy is an Instagram blog that blew up, when a young man walked around NYC with a camera, took pictures of people and asked them to share a personal story or answer a personal question. Using Instagram, he was able to share these stories, inspire viewers, and build a platform that has now expanded to a multi-million dollar company, with his own merchandise, book, and website. Snapchat is a more personal app I believe, as the people you have on this social media platform are usually close friends and family, where you can share an embarrassing or risky video because in 24 hours it will be deleted forever from the app, unless you save it to your memories. However, as the popularity of Snapchat has expanded, so has the depth of the app itself, where you can now take quizzes, read articles about currents event, stay updated on lives of celebrities, and learn fun facts and tutorials. However, my favorite social media network is Tumblr because you can share pictures, memes, and quotes, that you find intriguing, and build a blog of your own, that shows your personality, or expresses your thoughts, without needing to show your identity. I’ve been using tumblr for years and it’s just a place I can go to, to explore various blogs and reblog some of my favorite images that express emotion, a thought process, or a profound quote or story. I think every social media network has it’s own unique way that bring together groups of people within society, and if one wants to build or create substance, they are able to use these networks as a tool to build their reputation, or spread personal ideas, positivity, and awareness.
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Snapchat
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Ella's Media blog 