Final Blog Post/Presentation | My Relationship With Technology : How Online Technologies Changed Mass Communication

Mass communication is exactly what the words mean-communication to the masses. Mass communication has evolved from a more crude capability to the online format of today. Oral histories were one of the first forms of mass communications. Beginning in prehistoric times, writings were how people communicated. Communicating heritage, lore, and traditions were necessary to a society. Then printing technologies led to the development of the printing press which evolved into newspaper publications, radio, and then television. In more recent times, media has been communicated either through print (newspapers, magazines, etc) or through television, ads, and radio. When the internet was developed, new technologies were developed that allowed online communication like email. This need to know and need to share attitude led to the development of technologies that could deliver communication and information to the masses in an efficient and global way. 

Most young adults use some form of technology every single day. It is pervasive in our lives and consumes a tremendous amount of our time. Laptops, iPads, and cell phones are nothing more than travel size computers. Access to information and resources is just a click away. Growing up, my dad was always a huge Apple fan so he was always quick to have the newest gadget. Although exposed to all these technology products,  I was a little delayed and even restricted in having access to online technologies like social media apps until I was almost out of high school. I was not allowed to have Facebook or Instagram until after I was already driving and then once allowed, I had to become 'friends' with my parents, teachers, and coaches on all platforms. (My mom's way of making everyone accountable I guess). I grew up with what I believe was healthy limits. I was not allowed to have certain apps at all and had Facebook a long time before I was allowed to add Instagram. Some online technologies like blogs were popular long before I was even born. In high school, I took a writing course where we wrote using an online blog much like this platform.

Blogs are, "regularly updated website or webpage and can either be used for personal use or to fulfill a business need." (Hubspot, 2020) It allows users the ability to post content quickly. Whether that involves voicing an opinion or publishing information, the potential to reach a global audience is easy. Blogging allows you to post and create the content you want to consume and communicate. Today businesses use blogs to market to their audiences. Including a blog on a company website helps create a personal connection with customers. Commenting on posts is expected and welcomed because it has the potential to drive traffic and sales. 

Today there are blogs about a great number of topics. There are food blogs, lifestyle, travel, personal, business, news, and more. Everyone is a writer and everyone can participate in mass communication with a hit of the 'publish' button. Blogging allows us to connect with others we may have not otherwise. Access to other ideas and and endless amount of information is a real advantage. Blogging has helped promote our freedom of speech. Because people can publish anything they want, blogs allow such freedoms on a large platform where people can openly express themselves. Blogging has allowed society to stay better connected. Whether that is posting vacation photos, or family events, blogs connect people across the globe. It allows a sharing of ideas and culture that may not otherwise be easy to do. 

Blogging has opened up an entire industry where people can make a good income from posting blogs. Becoming a 'blogger' is a legitimate career path where income potential can be enormous. Bloggers make money by writing for companies, promoting products/services or from selling advertisements. Bloggers today help to build online communities, they share knowledge, and help build an online websites visibility. Blogging has the potential to reach a large audience. Blogging was the precursor to social media applications like Facebook and Twitter.

Following the blog came the introduction to social media technology. Facebook launched in 1994 by Harvard students Mark Zuckerberg. According to a recent poll, "seven-in-ten U.S. adults (69%) say they ever use Facebook." As the chart shows, no other platform outside of YouTube comes close to the number of adults using the platform. (Pew, 2021) 

Users on Facebook

With so many people using Facebook, it is not surprising the platform has certainly changed how we communicate and changed the worlds communications. The platform allows us to connect globally while sharing our ideas in a quick and efficient manner. Families in different parts of the country or world can be totally engaged in each others lives on a daily basis. No longer are the days when telephones are needed to communicate.

This form of communication provides most of us a sense of community where we share our personal lives with others. It is also a place where we gather news and information. Connecting with others can be very personal and the platform enables users to form groups so connecting with those who share similar interests or causes is easy to do. Engagement on this platform acts as a silent communicator. When we post a photo or upload a video, it is human nature to anticipate the response we may get from others. Will they like our post or comment or share an emoji with us? 

Facebook was the very first social media app I was allowed to have. I enjoyed posting photos (under strict mom guidelines) and would get so excited when my 'friend' count would increase. As ridiculous as that seems now, it mattered and I definitely took note. Questions of why someone unfriended me or how was my friend count compared to others? That was the unhealthy part of using such technologies and as we all know, those 'friends' aren't all friends. I can't imagine being a young teenager today given all the social media technologies available. 

After the creation of Facebook, another social media platform was established. Twitter was founded by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, and others as a microblogging site. A Pew Research study done in 2020 showed that 23% (one-in-five) of U.S. adults were active on the platform. Users on this platform can learn about what is going on with the biggest news events today. Twitter allows users to follow and engage with celebrities and political figures. Because the content is limited to a lower character count, the platform is quick and easy to skim. The famous hashtag (#) was born in 2009 when Twitter formally adopted the hashtag. The creation and use of the hashtag added to how we communicate by creating hyperlinks to additional information. Want to promote a cause? Just use the # symbol and attach the name of your cause for the most up to date news and information. 

Companies use Twitter to promote their business and to connect with their audiences. Used as a marketing tool, Twitter can help a business grow their follower base. The platform allows for 'likes' or 'retweets' of posts. This type of engagement and re-sharing of information helps to put that information in front of a larger audience. Because information on Twitter is done in a more conversational format, the networking possibilities are endless. Building a brand, connecting with customers, and getting your message to the masses has been made easier and more efficient because of this platform. 

Earlier this year a poll was produced by Pew Research that examined trends in tweeting? I found this report surprising because over a three month examination period, it was determined that one quarter of Twitter users are producing the vast majority of all tweets. Of all the adult users on the platform only "the top 25% users by tweet volume produce 97% of all tweets." (Pew, 2022) I have to ask myself what are the ramifications of this? Are a select few controlling what information is consuming our Twitter feeds and if so, what relationship does this have to mass communication? Does the minority comprise the majority of what information is communicated? All questions we should consider when jumping on the bandwagon of the various social media platforms. 

When I created my Twitter account I didn't even have a need for the account but opened it because my friends had one. Today, I feel like there are so many technologies available and we feel inclined to have them even if we don't use them. I am certainly guilty of this. I have apps that I never use but feel this almost psychological pull that I can't get rid of the app because what if? What if I need it or someone needs to contact me using the app? Is this unhealthy? Yes! These technologies hold power over us, they make us 'fit in', they make us feel included, current, and connected. That human need for connection is very powerful. Whether that is in-person connections or online connections, the psychology is the same.

Blogging, Facebook, and Twitter have all brought many advantages to our daily communications. With faster access, instantaneous reach across the globe, and potential exposure and reach to millions of people who we would not otherwise have connections with have made our lives richer. Online technologies have simultaneously changed how we communicate and even the language we use to do so.

Communication is now shorter (due to character counts), is more targeted, and filled with symbols (👍😍💜🙏😡🎄) like the thumbs up, heart, or smiley face that convey certain emotions. Today our written language consists of such symbols. Lazy? Perhaps but they make communicating quick and easy. When platforms like blogging, Facebook, and Twitter are used with integrity and for the good, they offer a voice to the voiceless, a sharing of ideas and cultures, connections with past friends, and a way to maintain the relationships we value most. We can promote our new business ventures, make announcements, voice our political support/opposition, join a cause, advertise, market, find a significant other, explore travel options, shop for goods/services, form groups, and document our lives by a simple click. Today, the world of mass communication is more efficient but with this efficiency comes real life problems. 

There is a price for that efficiency. The price comes with privacy issues, cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, only receiving half the story, content control, it is addictive, effects on mental wellness, effects on literacy skills, isolation, and the list goes on. Life as we know it is unimaginable without mass communication. There is no shortage of ways for us to communicate today and do so in an instant. These mass communication resources have changed how we think, how we interact, and even the written language we use today. We should not underestimate the power that new technologies have over us and should use these resources in an informed way.  

Like most young adults, the bulk of my online presence is on Instagram and Tik Tok. I think I probably spend too much of my valuable and very limited free time on these technologies but probably still less than most students my age. As a competitive rower the last eight years, I don't have a lot of free time. Being on the water four hours every day doesn't provide a huge amount of time for me to be online and for that I am thankful.

As seen in the infographic below, the evolution of mass communication has undergone significant change. People have long had a desire and need to stay connected and mass communication has allowed that. Today, online platforms like blogging, Facebook, and Twitter are allowing those connections in a far more efficient and grandiose way. With the ability to reach millions of people, the power to communicate information, ideas, and news are endless.

INFOGRAPHIC OUTLINING MASS COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT HISTORY

History of Mass Communication

Group 3 | Disinformation Presentation

In this weeks group presentations, group one's topic was Awareness. The presentation I enjoyed the most was about disinformation. This particular topic resonates with me because I believe it is a pervasive problem. Disinformation is described as, "false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth." (Merriam-Webster 2022) I believe disinformation is a threat to democracy. 

The presentation discussed how disinformation is misleading and filled with biased information. This problem exists in part because of social media and it's quick and efficient access to spread misleading information or outright lies. 

Disinformation is spread in a variety of ways. The presenter discussed a few of those formats. One such format was through propaganda. I learned that propaganda (the attempt to persuade an audience toward a specific idea) was popular during World War II. Listen to any politician and you will often hear them present the opposing parties views in a negative way. This is commonplace today and although we recognize it, it still sends a strong message that is often believable; especially when it is your own party participating in the cause.

Another form of disinformation is done through name calling. This concept is used by the propagandist. This strategy is effective in the spread of misleading information because a person can be linked to a negative idea. Examples would be if someone called you 'racist' or 'fascist.' This causes resentment in the larger audience and fulfills the original agenda set by the propagandist.

Glittering generalities is used to spread untruths. Using words or phrases that stand out to the audience can be an effective strategy. This works sort of reverse where bad ideas are presented as good. Words can mean different things to different people. When you look at words like, 'justice', 'hero', 'democracy', those words can mean very different things to every person. The goal of this strategy is to influence the audience to be in favor of the idea. There is nothing factual about it and instead relies on vagaries or emotions. 

Transfer is a technique is used when we associate ourselves or a group to be an integral part of a larger cause. The association of one to another is a very powerful tool that is often used to spread disinformation. 

When someones name is offered up and we see that person as a knowledgeable or as a distinguished expert, that testimonial can be used in a negative way. This is often seen when celebrities endorse or reject an idea, product, political leader, etc. This is very powerful because it relies on the prestige of the celebrity and takes away all critical thinking or need to look at the facts. Turn on the news any night of the week and you will see this playing out. 

The Plain Folk strategy attempts to solidify all of us into one boat. Any time someone starts a sentence with, 'Most Americans...,' you should beware. The presenter spoke about how this is used extensively by politicians when they claim they are the exact same as us. Every political campaign uses this strategy to create the idea that there is a relationship, therefore we should side/believe with them. 

The last concept discussed was Bandwagon. This is a common propaganda technique that the propagandist uses to try to rush us into thinking as they do or else we may miss out. This certainly makes me think of a shady salesman and is used in advertising. You have definitely seen it before. The 'Act Now' statements make us want to rush out and act immediately and act without thinking. We are pushed into acting because other people are doing it and so should you. 

The world we live in today is filled with practices that employ all these techniques. This is exactly why the spread of disinformation occurs. Entire campaigns consist of strategizing and employing these exact propaganda techniques in order to win us over. This type of information is misleading and relies on appealing to our human emotions. It is a form of manipulation that can be used for harm and the news media is but one source that has perfected it.

 

EOTO: MSM | Mainstream Media

Today we live in a world that is saturated with numerous ways to reach people. MSN or mainstream media is the major source of communication and describes large mass news sources found in print, TV, radio, but also news on the internet, podcasts, film, satellite radio, and social media. These media outlets are owned by a small number of conglomerates like Disney, At&T, CBS, Comcast, Newscorp, and Viacom. The delivery of the news was once contained to either print, television, or radio but today the internets sophisticated technology allows for multiple news outlets, each with their own agenda, audience, confirmation bias, and slant. A recent report stated that, "the idea is that when six corporations, whose primary motivations are to ultimately profit as much as possible, are in charge of what we consume, the narratives do not challenge the status quo in the ways that could inspire large-scale change." (Pathfinder, 2022) Like most things in life, there are both good and bad implications to mainstream media. 

Mainstream media comes with many positive benefits. Mainstream media outlets help to keep us connected. Before such conveniences, knowing what happened in the other part of the world was impossible. For example, today we can find out about major weather events taking place thousands of miles away. This type of connectivity is very convenient and certainly makes our transmission of knowledge and information instant. MSM is also good for business. Marketing and advertising has helped to make business easier for communicating with customers. MSM is also beneficial in educating us about other cultures. The internet allows for instant discovery of new places all around the world. Mainstream media also provides a voice for those who can teach and inform who otherwise may not have such an opportunity.

Mainstream media influences every single person on the planet and every society that has access to it. If you look at television alone, you will find the wealthiest and poorest among us all have televisions. Programming is aimed at all ages, backgrounds, and socioeconomic status. The negatives of mainstream media do exist and one of the biggest problems is that great influence exists for those in power. Celebrities, large corporations and those in positions of leadership control what media is transmitted to us. No surprise that MSM can also be used to spread hate and disinformation. What greater resource to spread lies and promote propaganda than through mainstream media. I believe one of the biggest problems is that with all the mainstream media outlets, we are being bombarded with round the clock access. When our focus is on non stop media then we are no longer engaging in personal connections. The next time you are at dinner, stop and look around at how many people are on their phones. Mainstream media is right at your fingertips and this instant access allows for instant influence-whether good or bad. Television alone reaches millions of people. With younger adults being the target audience for television programming, marketing products and ideas can be very powerful. 

Trust in our news sources is at an all time low. In a research study conducted by Pew Research, "Fewer than half of U.S. adults (45%) say the public has at least a “fair amount” of confidence in journalists, including a mere 6% who think Americans trust the media “a great deal.” A slim majority says the public has either “not too much” confidence (43%) or no confidence at all (11%) in the news media." (Pew, 2020) The study went on to indicate that overall Americans feel more negative about the news media's role in society. 

The amount of media available and the mass consumption rates of people in the United States has grown exponentially but trust in the media has been on a gradual decline since the 1970's. In a Gallup survey done during the pandemic year of 2020, distrust in mass media was extremely high with three key findings:

1. 9% in US trust mass media "a great deal" and 31% "a fair amount"
2. 27% have "not very much" trust and 33% "none at all"
3. The percentage with no trust at all is a record high, up five points since 2019.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/321116/americans-remain-distrustful-mass-media.aspx

Mainstream media can affect different segments of the population differently. When looking at male versus female segments, women are disproportionately represented. Women are less likely to be seen in mainstream media. Women are less likely to be featured as experts in news stories, less likely to be a reporter and under represented as serious characters in children's film. These truths create harmful stereotypes. 

Age is yet another factor to consider. Children spend an enormous amount of time in front of the television and it has the ability to either help (as in educational opportunities) or harm (as in being exposed to content that is not age appropriate). Teenagers are also affected both positively and negatively. The positive aspects are improved reading skills and motor skills but the negative aspects are risk of increased obesity (from non-activity), being exposed to violence on TV, or depressive episodes due to anxiety over things like exaggerated body image or targeted narratives that only tells half truths.

When looking at those of wealth versus those without, mainstream media may affect these two segments differently. Those with wealth would naturally have more access to additional media outlets like film, newspapers, magazines, or satellite radio than those who may not be able to financially afford resources like satellite radio. Access to these types of mainstream media allows those with greater incomes, greater resources for information. This disparity to access has a negative affect on those in the lower income levels because their information and access is limited.  

When examining how mainstream mass media may affect those who are gay or straight, various outlets serve in the role to inform, advocate, and transform public opinion. In a recent article titled, LGBTQ Politics in Media and Culture, it was noted that media sources like newspapers, network and cable television, were the primary outlets that informed the mass public whereas the entertainment media like television and film help to "cultivate our culture's shared values and ideas, which infuse into the public's political beliefs and attitudes." (Oxford, 2020)

My own mainstream media access is tremendous. Living in a time and in a world where connecting globally is a real possibility, there is no shortage of input from such sources. I think I probably have all forms of access. Mainstream media affects our daily life, the choices we make, the political views we hold, how we vote, what our mental health is like, or how we feel about ourselves. There are other issues for my generation that should be considered. Time management is often lost because of the access we all have to mass media. Checking our phones or online news several times a day takes away from our productivity at school and work and not to mention our lack of relationship building. The spread of untruths largely stems from sources in the mass media through disinformation and misinformation. My generation is especially susceptible to it because our belief systems are still maturing.

Because of such influences, both positive and negative, it is crucial for my generation to thoroughly investigate all information and not take the easy route of believing everything we hear/see. For me, I believe it is all about taking responsibility and accountability and to stop being sheep. Parents taking responsibility for how many hours their children are in front of screens, voters are responsible for holding their elected accountable, and citizens are responsible for holding mainstream media outlets accountable for the stories they report and for what narrative they choose to uphold.