Social Media Vs. Human Nature

Today I discovered a website related to Twitter that I find absolutely amazing!

It's called What the trend, and its purpose is to list the most popular tweets, showing people's favorite subject on Twitter.

The week in review caught my attention, it's a page that provides a top 20 of Twitter's trends of the week.

I noticed that there are three kinds of tweets:

Those about the news

The week in review actually gives an overview of the news.

It shows that people talk about April's Fool, Easter, Earth Hour, but also Ricky Martin coming out of the closet! The subjects of the tweets are topical, which once again proves that Twitter became a full-fledged news platform.

Those about virtual activities

Many trends are about new ways to entertain that are specific to social media.

For example, the number one is sharing music through the network, and the third is to list other people to follow. This category of tweets is interesting because it shows that social media can lead to new activities.

Those about people's feelings

Sometimes, the tweets are nothing but the reflection of human's behavior. And that's the funniest kind of tweet! There are things I didn't even realize people talked about on Twitter. Not only whatthetrend.com reveals popular tweets, it also reveals human nature! Indeed, twitterers share the mood they're in. The number 9 trend of the week is "Don't you hate when" and number 11 "I love". People also use Twitter as a way to share their own vision by saying things others should stop doing, or claiming one thing is nolonger cool.

I think this website is an incredible tool for a sociological approach of social media, it tells a lot about the behaviors of the users. Being aware of its existence helps me to accomplish my mission as a blogger: reflecting about the impact of social media on society.

This made me ask myself a question that I can't seem to answer since I don't have any hindsight:

Do social media change us by creating a virtual version of ourselves or are they just a reflection of who we truly are?

And by who we are I mean cranky human beings!

We might know the answer in a few years, but since I don't like to wait, can you take a guess?

Are You An Influent Twitterer?

I feel that Twitter is a more professional social network than Facebook. The people I follow and those who follow me are not necessarily my friends on Facebook and in life. I use Twitter to get in touch with co-workers or even professors, but not to really say what's on my mind.

Thanks to a website called We Follow, I started to follow people with a lot of influence in the social media field like Pete Cashmore from Mashable or TechCrunch. Wefollow.com provides the list of people who have the biggest number of followers in different categories (celebrities, news, social media...). It's really helpful for me because these twitterers constantly talk about things that I need to know as a Communications major.

You can add yourself to Wefollow.com if you want to measure your influence on Twitter. But if you're anything like me, you'd rather directly go twinfluence.com where you don't need to fill out anything just to realize that you don't have any influence!

Social media are more than just the platforms themselves. You have to dig a little to see the whole universe around and how you can take advantage of it. That's what I'm going to do! I really feel I should use Twitter to promote my blog. My influence might be really small for the moment, at least I know it! With all these tools in my hands, I should be able to make it bigger!

So I might as well start right now:

Follow me on Twitter at Live_from_Liv

My First (Chaotic) Experience On Chatroulette

Today I tried something new and feel the need to tell the world about it, or at least telling you, dear readers!

Lately, a lot of my friends were talking about a new website called Chatroulette. I even noticed people on my Facebook page referring to it on their status and I must admit I felt like an outcast not knowing what it was. So I figured it was up to me to learn more about this new trend that is making so much noise, or at least virtual noise.

The concept of Chatroulette is simple but quite interesting. It's a a website that pairs random strangers around the world for webcam-based conversations. So basically, the point of Chatroulette is to start an online chat (video, audio, text) with another visitor. At anytime, you can stop the conversation and start another one with a new person, hence the word roulette.

All you need to do to experience Chatroulette is to accept the webcam invitation that pops out once you're on the website, and click on "new game" to see your new correspondent and start a conversation. I was so sceptical about total strangers being able to see me that I kept clicking on "next" to wait for a face that I could trust. Unfortunately, that moment never happened, it actually kept getting worst. All the visitors were men and let's just say that one of them wasn't all about chatting.

Anyway, if you never tried Chatroulette, I recommend you to do it with a friend so it's less intimidating and actually funny. Although my personal experience was chaotic, I still think it is an interesting social concept. Even if it is not considered as a social media, Chatroulette tends to redefine the notion of network. This website defends the idea that the Internet becomes a global network and that borders between users are pushed further and further.

It is interesting to see that several celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher have been spotted on Chatroulette. Though nothing can confirm it was really him, it wouldn't be surprising considering that the young actor was one of the first star using Twitter.

Chatroulette was created last year by a 17 year-old russian. The website is recent and time will show if celebrities or maybe businesses have any interest in it. Companies may start using it to launch virtual events and create a buzz, who knows? Some artists like Faith No More have already started to experience Chatroulette by broadcasting their concert on it.

The concept is still under construction and should have more regulation, but it could change the rules of social media as we know them.

Is Internet A Fundamental Right?

Yesterday Google put an end to the censorship of its own search engine in China by sending all the users back to a new version of the platform based in Hong Kong.

The reason why Google did so is because the Internet in China is actually more like a huge Intranet. Chinese people's access to the web represents a really limited offer. The giant of search engine couldn't be legal in the country without obeying the communist government's law, which include withholding information.

Chinese rules don't apply to Hong Kong which benefits a special status. Google is then getting round the repressive regime by launching a new version of its website from there. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean Chinese people will be able to have a wider access to the Internet. The government has installed a system forbidding the search of certain words. The only difference is that Google is no longer involved in it.

Although it won't stop censorship in China, I think the company made an honourable decision. Providing a censored version of Google will be like standing for the a government that is preventing people from informing themselves. Beyond the fact that this is a violation of a fundamental right, it would be completely antinomic for Google to be associated to such facts.

Speaking of universal right, a BBC World service study recently revealed that almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right. I think it's not by chance that dictatorships have always wanted to retrain information. The less people know, the easier it is to fool them. Information is power. That is why social media are dangerous for dictatorship, it gives people a voice they never had. This is exactly what happened during the rebellion in Iran last year, Twitter and Youtube were the only platforms where people could testify.

Though it is not always used the right way, Internet is definitely a inelinable right to me.

What's your opinion on that?

Is TV Obsolete?

Today, the French regional elections did more than just putting President Sarkozy's party aside, it also discredited television as the number one media for major political events.

The Internet was the first media to reveal the estimates of French people's votes, two hours before the official results. Journalists played a major role in this leak of information by posting the first results on Twitter. Since I wasn't able to follow the elections on television, I must say that I was not against the idea of being aware of what was happening.

But what I didn't know is that what happend online was totally illegal. The French law on the publication of elections' results is pretty clear, and the journalists took a considerable risk. That's why they erased their tweets within the next minute, just so the followers have the time to take over the information. The Internet is moving so fast that it's becoming out of control, almost like a place where rules don't apply.

When the actual official results came on TV two hours later, people were tweeting and commenting the shows, pointing out how late television is. This exemple shows that people can no longer wait for information. Not that the Internet got us used to immediacy, we can't go back. That's why I think we are facing the time when television has become obsolete.

So when people will start to ask you where you were when television died, you will probably answer Twitter!

How The Internet Changed My Life

One of the reasons why I care about this blog is because I realized how much the Internet changes my life. Knowing how to use the web and social media represents a precious opportunity, and I want to share my experience with you.

Whatever your passion is, you can find it online. The web enables me to quench my musical thirst. There's a website called Onlygroove I used to visit a lot for its reviews and articles. You've probably never heard of it unless you're French and love urban music.

One day, I was reading a very interesting article but I noticed a few mistakes. I felt like writing to the staff just to let them know, so I clicked on the contact rubric to get an e-mail address. But something else caught my attention:

"The members of the editorial staff of Onlygroove are volunteer writers, specialized in a field they chose to share in order to help, inform or to make the "groove culture" evolve. New passionate and experienced writers are welcome, don't hesitate to send us your application or exemples of articles."

And that's the story of how I became a writer for Onlygroove! I had always dreamed about making my own contribution to music, but I just didn't know how. Now, I get to share what I love the most, and it wouldn't have been this easy if I had applied for a magazine, a radio station or a TV channel. This opportunity means the world to me, and it's a great experience that will open many doors in the future.

Thanks to social media, my articles have a wider audience than the readers of Onlygroove. As soon as a new article that I wrote is online, I share a link on Facebook and all my network of friends, family or co-workers is able to read it, like it, and comment it. Now people know about my activity and come to me to talk about music and ask my opinion. I also use Twitter to keep in touch with the people I work with. I had the chance to interview R'n'B singer Jeremih and he asked me to tweet him once the interview is online. We stayed in contact and he promised to reach out to Onlygroove next time he'll be in Paris. How amazing is this?

Now you tell me...How did the Internet and Social Media changed YOUR life?

The Internet and Social Media Take Over The News

Pew Research Center reveals how the Internet and social media change the American news landscape in a survey called "Understanding the Participatory News Consumers".

According to the study, the Internet is now the third most popular news platform behind local television and national television news.

I can't say that I'm surprised by this result because I can personally relate to it. The Internet has changed a lot in the way we reach news, or should I say the way they reach to us? The first information I get when I wake up is not on TV, radio or newspapers anymore, but on my home page. As crazy as it may sound, checking my Facebook profile is the last thing I do before I go to bed and the first thing I do in the morning. Like many students, I don't own a TV, but I couldn't live without the Internet anymore. It became my first source of information. For example, I learned about the historical passing of the health care bill via Twitter.

Truth is, we no longer depend on the traditional media to know what's going on. You can be in bed and still be aware of the latest news. We don't wait until we get outside to read the news because we don't have to. Technology now allows a permanent flow of information.

But it doesn't mean that traditional media are dead, they are just evolving as they face the digital area. The study also reveals that six in ten Americans get news from a combination of online and offline sources on a typical day.

Despite my obivous addiction to the Internet and social media, I think this statement is reassuring. Even the Internet is the first media on everything, I feel the need to read the newspaper, listen to a radio interview or watch a documentary on television whenever I want to learn more about one particular subject. I will buy The Times, or The Economist for historical events because I think print media have more prestige. Plus I fell it's important to have something to remember majors news.

One of the survey's conclusions is that modern news are portable, personalized and participatory.

The Internet, social media and smartphones gave the power to the audience who can not only access to information easiy but also contribute to the news by creating content. That's exactly what I'm doing right now. Somehow, and on a lower scale, I'm making news by writing on this blog.

What about you?

Did you notice any difference in the way you consume news ever since you started to use the Internet and social media?

Welcome to 6 Degrees!

Welcome to my new blog about social media!
Before getting started, I would like you to know more about this exciting project and make you want to be a part of it!

Who Am I?
A child of the social networks generation, studying communications and media at City College of New York.

What is 6 Degrees?
A blog about the impact of social media on society.
6 Degrees refers to the Six Degrees of Seperation theory on which the concept of social media is based.

Why does this blog matter?
Because social media are changing the way we interact with each other, the way we consider relationships, the way we make business and money, and the way we consume the news.

My goal is to be a part of this evolution instead of just putting up with it.

How will this blog work?

By sharing my experience, being myself a member of this great family called social media.

By staying aware of the new trends that are happening now and everywhere on the web. And most importantly, by learning from all of you.

Whether we like it or not, social media are the future.

And this time the future is on the tips of our fingers!

I hope you will enjoy your visit on 6 Degrees...