Blog Post #8- Diffusion of Innovation

 

The evolution of the platform Facebook will continue to amaze me, as it is now the most used social media platform with 2.3 billion users. Facebook started off with four college guys with an idea for an app. The app started off as a rating app of the attractiveness of peers at their college. This app was a start to a great new beginning for these men, yet after two days their university shut down their app due to violations of student conduct. Their app was a major success and within the two days of it being up it spread like wildfire. These users are the early adopters as they were the first to be interested and download the platform. They continued on with the app and registered Facebook.com in February of 2004. This website was a space where college students could upload pictures and status updates, something many have never seen before. The early majority continued to grow as college students within ivy league universities began to flood onto the site. As the platform continued to grow by the end of 2004 there were over 100 million users. This platform was still exclusive only to those in college and not to anyone else outside of that bracket. Two years later in 2006 the platform was released to all above the age of 13, making it easily accessible to many. These are the late adopters, as they have not experienced and or been able to join the platform. Being established for over  years they generated a foundation that they could up and run with. This could be seen as a downside as the platform was not accessible to all that wanted to join. Yet this allowed Facebook to grow first and gain credibility. Technology can always be seen as a negative within individuals day to day life. Yet Facebook can be seen as a platform that can keep family and friends connected and updated though a click of a button. Many use the platform purely for keeping up with the lives of their friends and family, yet some use it for entertainment. Along with the fact that Facebook has become a megahub for advertising and marketing. Screen time is important to keep at a minimum yet for some this could be their only way of contacting and or keeping updated with some family. Many individuals make the choice to stay off of social media, as that is their personal choice. I understand the want to stay off social media platforms as they can become toxic and consume daily lives. The issue of identity theft is also something that people may steer clear of social media for. Yet if you are safe and have a good intention when downloading the platform self control could be established. Facebook is an amazing way to stay connected with family and friends within the palm of your hands, especially in times like now. In a global pandemic you may not be able to see all your friends and or family regularly, this platform allows those who cannot connect to connect. In my opinion the negatives of the platform would outway the positives. Having a hub of communication with your loved ones is something not many platforms have been able to do before Facebook. Staying connected and informed is easy and can be safe if you are careful with who you are friends with on the platform. I would compare Facebook to a reunion of your close family and friends but virtually. Scrolling through one's profile could show you the highlight reels of their past 5 years, something you would normally have to meet up and or have a conversation about. The diffusion of innovation throughout this platform was short yet booming. From a few hundred users at the beginning of 2004 to 2020 with over 2.3 billion users Facebook will only continue to grow and expand further.  

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Blog Post #7- Technology #2 (Twitter)

One of the technologies presented on was the platform Twitter. The modern day social media platform is a staple in many individuals' daily lives. This platform is one of many gen Z’s frequent and is a hub for not only entertainment but news. The app has had to evolve to get where it is today. Twitter was invented in 2006 and started off as a platform for podcast makers to interact with other podcast creators. The app was originally named “twitter” before it changed to the current name Twitter. By 2012 there were over 100 million users of the platform that were posting and checking Twitter daily. Twitter is an essential and a part of many modern day individuals' daily routine. Twitter is the main source of news for some, as they check twitter in the morning instead of turning on the morning news. The platform keeps people informed on daily activities and or news going on in real time. Sometimes Twitter is the first place news is spread, even before major news sources. The fast and easy ability to send a tweet is both a positive and negative thing. Within the matter of seconds anyone can tweet anything at any time. This is where fake news can become an issue and or biased news. People that follow one specific source can fully believe anything they post even if it is not a fact. Although this is a negative to the platform there are many positives that come to light. The accessibility to stay informed if following reliable sources is one of the main benefits of the platform. There are also communities within Twitter that interact about certain niche topics. It gives people a place where they feel like they belong and can speak freely. Twitter can give people a voice they may not have normally. Giving people the ability to speak their mind and see if others agree and or appreciate their thoughts can make someone's day. Along with the funny content that the platform provides there are so many things that make Twitter so many individuals the most used platform. Twitter has come a long way since it started as a podcast creator platform and it will continue to grow with time. 

 

Blog Post #6- Technology (Facebook)

  Facebook was founded in 2004 by  Harvard students Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. The platform hit 1 billion users in 2012 and Facebook became the largest social media platform  in the world. Facebook originally was created as a site for college students to rate the attractiveness of their peers. Yet after two short days the app was shut down due to code violations of student policy. This issue did not stop Zuckerburg as he persevered. Due to the great response of the platform, it lead Zuckerberg to register facebook.com in February of 2004. The platform allowed people to post status updates about their lives and photos. This was only exclusive to college students as it as made by students for students. By taking the status update approach and not the hot or not method the app began to spread rapidly. The platform  sparked at Harvard and spread to all the other ivy leagues, by June 2004 Facebook had over 250,000 users across college communities. And by the end of 2004 Facebook had over a million users. 

In 2006 the platform opened to others not in college over the age of 13. Just two years later in 2008 Facebook surpast MySpace and became the most visited social media site. Facebook is used to aid in political campaigns, making the word spread faster about particular candidates through advertisements. The platform is a free networking site that enables you to connect with friends all over the world with a click of a button. Facebook is free to the public yet generates revenue from advertisements daily. Facebook is the most used platform daily in the US with a 170 million users. This platform is amazing for social media marketing and is a major platform to do so.Facebook then went on to buy Instagram, Whatsapp and Oculus. Overall, from start to beginning Facebook has been a force to be reckoned with. This mega platform has expanded within itself and on to other platforms. Zuckerburg has created a media empire and will just continue to grow with time. 

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Blog Post #5: Eight Values of Free Expression

     The Eight Values of Free Expression are crucial when it comes to our first amendment rights being an American Citizen. I don't see one value meaning more than another as all of our rights and expressions as citizens should be taken seriously and with pride. The marketplace of ideas creates a structure and an outline for what we see as the basis of the countries values. All eight values speak out and are meaningful to all citizens yet they all intertwine together, making what it is to be an American. 

If freedom of speech was not in place individuals would not be individuals. No one would be able to speak their mind and or their truth. America would be seen as a very different place if we did not have the freedoms we have in place. The American Dream would not be sought after, change would not be made and voices would no longer be heard. “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” within our countries national anthem underlines what people come to America for. Seeking a better life, opportunity and the right to speak their mind freely without consequence. 

Within the article Market Place of Ideas it speaks upon the “marketplace of ideas refers to the belief that the test of the truth or acceptance of ideas depends on their competition with one another an not on the opinion of a censor, whether or not one provided by the government or by some other authority” (Marketplace of Ideas). This reiterates freedom of speech and being able to speak your truth. The marketplace of ideas allows individuals to speak their truth and prove them to be correct. Allowing others to express themselves in belief allows for new ideas and perspectives to be brought to the table. This is beneficial to all as all of the marketplace ideas align with freedom of speech and everything it entails. 

Being able to create your own identity and path is one of the many benefits of being a citizen of the United States. This specifically aligns with the value of self-fulfillment. The promotion of tolerance is also affected by the marketplace of ides as it helps individuals see hate speech and speak out against it. Being able to respond and defend the side you choose to speak upon. This idea can also be shown within governmental power, if citizens do not speak upon where they think the government is lacking and or needs improvement upon nothing would ever get changed. Progression would not be made and laws, acts and bills would not be changed. It protects dissents and allows us as citizens to disagree with the government and speak out against it. Being able to use our voices and call out the government for what we believe they are doing wrong promoting change and growth. Overall the power that we have as citizens is something not many people in this world get to experience. Exercising your First Amendment and speaking freely is one way you as a citizen can not only better our nation yet promote change and growth.