The Effects of Hyper Networking on Millennials Diffuses Negative Outlook on Social Media

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Young adults are growing up in a digital age and use social media as their primary tool of communication between friends and family. In the graph shown above, young adults between the ages of 18-29 are the primary users of almost all social media giants apart from LinkedIn. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram allow people to present themselves a certain way they want to be seen and establish a connection with someone. Work related cites like LinkedIn.com can be used for work-related context and others like Tumblr is a blogging site used to connect other based on shared interests such as music, politics or people you know. Research suggests that social networking websites use may increase adolescents’ self-esteem and well being if the tone of the feedback provided by viewers of their profiles is positive, but decrease self-esteem when the feedback is negative.

Social Media's Health Effects on Young Adults

I deleted my Facebook account after the 11th grade because I found myself constantly comparing myself to other girls and wondering why I wasn’t as happy as they were (or seemed to be). Not realizing that every time I logged on I would be bombarded by my friend's every move from with their latest trip to the beach or their relationship status. This causes people to subconsciously compare ourselves to friends, which plays with our emotions and it is why some people have created the term "social media depression".

Experts are unsure whether using social media websites causes depression or if people with depressive behaviors are more attracted to the digital world. Health professionals do know that children are more sensitive to media influences. Although depression affects both sexes, women are more commonly diagnosed with the condition confirm health officials at the National Institute of Mental Health With reality stars promoted on every media outlet it's easy to see why people are constantly comparing themselves to these celebrities and wondering why they aren't as successful as them. Two German universities conducted a study together and researchers discovered that one in three people surveyed felt lonely or angry after spending time on social media websites like Facebook. The users often felt inadequate when comparing themselves to friends. If the user does some further investigating however, they can soon realize that most people post only pictures that creates an ideal representation of themselves. Also taking a mental break from the internet is the healthiest way to prevent extreme hyper-networking issues from occurring. Physical exercise is proven to increase endorphins and blood flow to the brain which can improve a person's mental and physical health.

Is There a Negative Outlook on Social Media? 

                                                                                        The common stigma attached to social media is it's lack of face-to-face connection, cyber-bullying, decreased productivity and privacy. I interviewed Dr. Kent Norman about the negative stigma attached to social media and he provided his professional opinion on the matter. As mentioned earlier if more time is focused on creating a false image for an unknown audience there will not be an authentic relationship. By spending more time on building meaningful relationships in the real world it will be easier for the user to distinguish them between casual online relationships.

Hyper networking and its exponential growth

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Hyper networking is defined as spending more than 3 hours of per school day on social networking sites. Young adults, also known as the Facebook Generation or "digital natives" are the first to identify so closely to communicative technology. The highest increase in screen time exposure has been on cell phone sine the digital native community. In 2011, more than three-quarters of teens and young adults own cellphones compared to 45% back in 2004 according the Pew Internet and American Life Project study. Studies show that millennials text, check Facebook, play games and listen to music an average of 60 times a day. The graph above indicates that teens between the ages of 13-18 and 19-25 spend their time the most on Facebook and Tumblr but 13-18-year-olds spend more time substantial on snapchat than those a in their college years.

Social Media Can Help Introverts Branch Out



When asked about introverted young adults who socialize behind the safety of a screen and whether they are at risk of separating themselves farther from society, Dr. Jessica Vitak, assistant professor at University of Maryland's Ischool, stated that people who have a harder time communication in class or in a group of people actually benefit more from online interactions that face-to-face ones.

Anonymity might prevent cyber-bullying

Teenagers are now susceptible to the practice of cyber-bullying where perpetrators terrorize individuals in a public online sphere. Because of immediacy provided by social media it can act as a cyber-bully's prime weapon. If anonymity was limited this would cease to occur so frequently however forcing the instigator to reveal their true identity.

Integrating Facebook's format could help improve classroom participation 
While students use social networking to get in touch with peers, studies found that college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period received lower grades. The brain has a tough time focusing on more than one task at a time. For example, if you are doing work as you watch YouTube videos you're hindering the work quality and accuracy, subduing your overall productivity. With the integration of technology and course apps that can utilize the interactivity of social media Professor Vitak agreed this could provide a solution by integrating the enticing features social media websites has to offer within a classroom. 

Jour289i Quiz 11 Interview with Whitney5

University of Maryland Student's Ideal Vacation Spot

I interviewed Connor Tendall on Tuesday about where he would like to go for the holidays.

Study Shows Women Have Surpassed Men In The Ownership of Technological Devices

In the business of technology it's important to known if a certain demographic, such as women, will react positively to the use of technological devices like tablets, mobile phones and computers in their daily lives and what they are using those devices for.   

The Always on Women - Advertising Age survey conducted by Beth Snyder Bulik was released in 2011 with the efforts to uncover exactly what women use technological devices for and what kinds of devices they use to perform numerous tasks. "I feel ridiculous sometimes with my laptop, phone and six tabs open on the internet and listening to music. When you're hanging out with people and everyone's doing that, it does look funny when you step out of it," said Aimee MacDonald, a Millennial who admits she uses technology a lot, maybe even too much. Throughout the study, it's shown that women use their laptops and mobile phones more frequently than men. However, men use a tablet more often since they use it more like a traditional computer. 

What Makes Women More Engaged in Technology than Men?

The study suggests that women are better communicators and as a result talk more (28%) than men (14%) every month. Women spend more time on fewer sites during a single sitting and use social features on their mobile devices more when compared with men. Regardless of age and social groupings women also share commonalities when engaging in technology. Women use their phones most often making phone calls (96%) and texting (74%). They also use the picture and video feature more than men with 38% of women naming this feature of a mobile phone as most important compared to only 27% of men who did. 

What Devices Are Women Using, And What Are They Doing With Them? 

In the business of technology it's important to known if a certain demographic, such as women, will react positively to the use of technological devices such as tablets, mobile phones and computers in their daily lives and what they are using those devices for. In the first slide of the Powerpoint presentation an info graphic chart can be viewed where the different devices that women are using and what activities they engage in while using them can be seen. The oldest generation (Boomers) compensated their lack of cell phone usage (14%) for checking emails for a higher rate of laptop and desktop computer devices usage. Compared to Generation X and the Millennials the Boomers used their laptops (87%) and desktop (95%) to check their emails. Gen X used their laptop 97% of the time and their desktop 95% of the time. Lastly the Millennials used laptops 93% of the time and used their desktop the least with 90%.

What Women Use Their Mobile Phones For

JWT's survey found a high rate of emailing, social networking and personal organization but the graph below shows a low rate of shopping for women at only 11% and paying bills at an all ranked low usage of 8%. This suggests that women have concerns with security when in comes to mobile commerce and trusting companies with their financial information. 

   

Student's definition of interactivity

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Visualization Team - "Big data"

An infographic was produced by Capgemini Consulting and MIT Sloan Management about why organizations are struggling to embrace digital transformation. This "big data" visualization  consists of the key elements required to create an effect graphic. It has contiguity with it's display of text and illustration neighboring each other, enhancing the data for the reader to easily comprehend its meaning. The info graphic tells the story about how organizations that acknowledge the need for digital technology, their company will gain a competitive advantage. The percentages are bold and brightly colored, which helps the most important information stand out to the reader and addresses their working memory.

Students' Current Communication Technology Preference