Sunday, January 22, 2012

Dear Stephanie Rosenbloom


Dear Ms. Rosenbloom,

After reading your article, "For the Plugged-in, Too Many Choices" my thoughts on social media websites shifted. I was always the type of person to want to be apart of the newest social media and to test it out. Your reported on Ms. Lawrence who said she evaluated her use of social media sites but asking herself if it would enhance her life in anyway. That statement alone changed my mind about these sites. I have a accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in, and Google +. I can tell you I barely use Linked-in or Google + and I have barely been on either since i created my account. I use twitter on a regular basis as well as Facebook. After reading your article I realized its pointless to make these account with social media sites that I barely even use. It doesn't make sense to only make the accounts just to "be apart" of something new. I also recently joined foursquare to try it and see what it was all about and to be honest I don't even get the point of it. FIrst of all I don't want people knowing exactly where I am and I don't think there's a point on making myself become a "mayor" of a place on a website. 

On the other hand, I like how you included three different people who use social media in different ways. It is really interesting to see how certain people use social media to fit into their lives. Being a college student, I grew up with social media throughout high school and into college. It is like second nature to be using these sites, but seeing how I can incorporate using social media in my life to enhance and help me in the future is very beneficial. Another author, Sally Wyatt, wrote "Non-users Also Matter". In her reading she stated "...voluntary rejection of technology raises the question of whether non-use of technology always and necessarily involved inequality and deprivation. In other words, is the policy assumption that all non-users of a particular technology wish to become users appropriate." At first I kind of agreed with this statement. However, after reading your article I realized that just because a person rejects a specific technology doesn't mean they are deprived or that they secretly wish they could be a user. Your article made me become more open minded about social media. I was making account just to simply say, "Oh, Google +, yes I have one of those." But in reality, I don't even use that site, and that is perfectly fine. Ms. Lawrence admitted she barely uses any of her sites anymore and its not because she is deprived, it is because she simply doesn't eel the need to or that it will enhance her life in anyway. 

Overall, I think that I truly learned something about myself because of reading your article. I don't need to make new social media accounts just to fit in or just because I can say I have one. I should evaluate what account I have and whatever new ones come my way and see if they can benefit me in any way. After writing this letter I am going to go over all my social media accounts and consider even deleting the ones that I do not use. I look at social media in a different way, and in the future I am going to consider how I can get the most out of using new social media sites without letting them take over my life. Thank you for showing me the positive side of social media!

Best,
Deanna Dimino


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