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Tumblr Blog #3 Ethics and Social Media

Diandre Parker

Holly Susi

COMM-1400-600

03-20-2022

Question Prompts:

The current state of social media ethics: what trends are happening in the industry? What are two current cases related to social media ethics? Outline the current code of ethics for social media by a professional organization you would be interesting in joining as part of their social media staff.

Brands/professionals with strong social media ethical codes: what brands are utilizing proper social media ethical practices? Are there any professionals that you feel practice strong ethical behavior on social media? Support your choice with evidence. What are some takeaways you can bring forth in your own practices?

Key concepts and issues: what main concepts do you are necessary to adhere to for your own personal conduct online?

What to do and what not to do: what main concepts do you feel strongly against and want to make sure you avoid on social media?

Bullet point 5-10 core concepts that you will follow as a practicing social media professional. Include citations that you used for sources/supports for this.

Student Response:

Among the steadily increasing number of organizations who are taking to social media to market and strengthen their brands, there are growing trends related to ethical practices across these platforms. Some of these practices include a company’s requirement to disclose what a service provides and does in relation to the consumer through their terms of service. Another example is the growing call for inclusivity and diversity in organizations and promotional campaigns. Using Disney’s standards as a reference the forum focuses on among many things it values is safety, diversity, and respect for the individual. Although Disney is no exception and occasionally is marred in controversy it is one of the strongest corporate entities in the world for a reason and its ethical standards is a prime example of a professional organization that utilizes social media to promote its product that I personally would not mind working with.

If I had to name a particular brand that I believe is properly utilizing ethics in their use of social media would be Microsoft. Which is a large multilayered organization with many subsidiaries and studios, some that also have social media presence and campaigns to promote content to their multiple audiences. And anyone can see how the company publicly attempts to engage with its community on platforms like Twitter or Instagram. But it is a firm opinion of mine that when conducting oneself online it is important to always remain understanding and patient where needed. There are many cases of misconduct or miscommunication online which have affected some lives to a detrimental extent, therefore it is vital to recognize exactly what is happening and what you say on social media as what you say on one channel can impact others. And if there is one practice on social media that I personally disagree with as well as avoid would be the propagation of misinformation.

Some concepts I would follow as I attempt to develop myself professionally in the field of social media would be:

Diversity and inclusion are necessary and vitally important.

There is always something new for you to learn.

Patience as well as professionalism when presenting yourself and communicating is key.

Honesty and integrity are the best policies at the end of the day.

Be respectful to anyone you interact with, even if you do not necessarily agree with them.

Sources:

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/Standards-of-Business-Conduct-Ethical-Standards.pdf

https://twitter.com/Microsoft?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.instagram.com/microsoft/?hl=en

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Tumblr Blog #2 The Empowerment Factory

Diandre Parker

Holly Suzi

COMM-1400-600

02-09-2022

Social media for many non-profit organizations is growing as a smart and efficient tool for these organizations to increase their revenue as well as advertising the message they are trying to promote. Although it seems not every one of these organizations is fully utilizing this technology to its fullest extent and therefore possibly missing out on multiple benefits that come with some notoriety on social platforms. Using a local NPO from Rhode Island as an example I’m going to examine and analyze The Empowerment Factory. Particularly how the organization utilizes its social media platform as a business to promote their message. I will also share my opinion on how their metrics appear, how I think they could improve some of these numbers and observe a few of the different platforms they use.

Looking at the platforms utilized by The Empowerment Factory we can already see one way the organization falls short of its full capabilities. With only 3 social media accounts across the platforms of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Although there is nothing wrong with using these platforms solely for personal use and each of them is good for marketing as well as advertising. For an organization centered around connecting with a youth demographic to inspire education the business should attempt to utilize more platforms that may resonate with a younger audience. Such as TikTok, which is vastly popular with youths and teenagers for example, which may allow the organization to better connect with its target market.

Taking a quick look at the business's vanity metrics I do think there is significant room for improvement. With the following between accounts varying in the low numbers ranging from 540 followers on Twitter to 2’283 followers on Facebook with a generally low amount of engagement per post. That’s not to say the current community is undesirable per say as the responses are mostly positive. However, it appears that not much of the organization's focus is attributed to social media platforms which may make it difficult for the business to expand beyond its current market. And possibly due to infrequent posts or low-quality content the current state of the organization appears that growth may at some point stagnate if these platforms are not utilized to their full potential.

If The Empowerment Factory were to contribute more resources to the content and development of their social media campaign, I believe the organization could obtain a powerful source of promotional advertising. The business already has appeared to receive little positive feedback on their posts but if the quality of this content were to increase. It could encourage or attract more engagement and followers which in turn could lead to more awareness of the brand. Allowing more people to respond and share further reinforcing the reputation of the organization which would also provide more data so one could attain a larger analysis of the businesses' more advanced metrics as their following increases per platform. So, that they can gain further understanding of the community's behavior across social media and which channels are more ideal for the organization to use to connect best with its audiences. As I said at the start of this social media is a growing as a smart and efficient tool for non-profit organizations, to not fully utilize the tools it provides is arguably inefficient.

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COMM-1400-600 Blog Assignment

Diandre Parker

Holly Susi

COMM-1400-600

1-20-2022

Assignment Questions:

How would YOU define social media (it's fine if you do not agree with the textbook)?

How would you characterize yourself as a social media user?

What do you consider to be your strengths in your understanding of social media? What are your challenges?

What is it that YOU want to get out of this class and beyond (related to social media)?

Blog Response:

The tremendous impact and influence of social media in modern society is undeniable. Over the life span of some of the titans in the industry, many business and cultural norms have been changed in fundamental ways. Completely reshaping the way companies and cultures interact with each other allowing individuals to communicate from anywhere that they have an internet connection. There are many reasons the current large names in the social media industry are as big as they are, ranging from marketing to refining their current platform to name a few. And it is obvious that these companies will continue to grow larger, expanding to reach more untouched markets. This is expected as any business in pursuit of profit and growth is a contributor to social media's current prominence, but this also concerns me. What if a company such as Facebook grew large enough to ignore ethical situations or governmental bodies using their platform for disruption? These are some of the reasons I respect and partially fear social media; But if I had to define it in my own word, I would call it a two-way street that could go either way.

To be completely honest, I use social media for almost anything but talking to people. Although there are a few family members I communicate with most of my focus on these kinds of platforms are looking at the news or watching an interesting video. Although I could always go for a productive discussion it's hard to discern who or what should be taken seriously. I will admit that I’m no social butterfly, it’s never really been one of my interests as I've found it usually far more fascinating view how others interact. And that’s why the only word I could think of to characterize my social media use is a silent observer.

Of the multiple platforms on the internet to choose from; the ones I mainly use in my personal time are Reddit, Twitter, and occasionally YouTube. Of course, these choices are not for everyone, I just find that these specific ones typically give me the things I look for content wise. But one thing I’d call a strength is my policy when browsing any controversial material to maintain neutral until I have a better understanding and knowledge of a given situation. However, one of my challenges can be seen in the last paragraph and I usually struggle with the more social aspects of these platforms. Although I have a few strengths and struggles on social media I think it's important to acknowledge both as it could help one grow as a person.

There are a few things I'm hoping to get out of this course over the semester. One of which is a more factual and comprehensive understanding of this industry, its growing potential, as well as its influence. But another major takeaway I'm looking forward to learning how to more competently and effectively communicate with others on a given platform. Because I know that learning more about social media can only enhance my knowledge and skills moving forward. And ideally some day in the future these skills will help me adapt as well as build my professional career.