The Role That Connectivity through Social Media Platform - Literature review Example

Essay Plan Question: The essay will answer the second question. Body: The contents of the body will include; A discussion on how sharing via social media is based on connection and connectivity in reference to Alesso and Smith. An exploration of what connectivity means in the context of Internet technology for humanitarian action in developing worlds and for government agencies developing social media platforms for citizens. Conclusion: The conclusion will synthesise and summarise the different argument presented in this paper Introduction Social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr among others are contemporary trends of communication that are shaping the face of communication in the 21st century. These emergent phenomena in communication technology have so far attracted a huge number of users globally. The nature of social networking is often characterised by the contents that are primarily generated by the public rather than a single individual or an organisation, and sharing connections with the public (Stuzman 2006). Social networking sites provide users with a more interactive experience than other communication mediums. It enables users to connect to large audiences of other users around the world without the limitations of time and space. Through these connection users are able to share their views and experiences. In essence, sharing via social media is built on connections and connectivity (Alesso & Smith 2008). This paper seeks discuss the notion that sharing of information via social media is based on connections and connectivity. Secondly, it will explore what connectivity means in the context of Internet technology for humanitarian action in developing worlds and for government agencies developing social media platforms for citizens. It will consider live blogging of online news and mobile context-aware applications and how they can be useful especially for people in the developing world and some of the emerging issues. Sharing via Social Media is built on connections and connectivity The evolution of connecting networks and sharing of information has taken place over several years. Basically, the invention of World Wide Web (WWW) plays a significant role in the revolution of information. It forms the basis upon which connection of data on global scope is made possible (Alesso & Smith 2008). The genesis of WWW can be traced back to 1991 when Burners-Lee introduced hypertext technology. Hypertext refers to a system of connectivity through which documents or texts are linked. Additionally, Berners-Lee engineered the introduction of HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) which allows connection of network documents; HyperText Markup Language (HTML) for formatting web documents and Universal Resource Locator (URL) systems to address objects on a network (Alesso & Smith2008). Therefore, sharing information such as texts, sounds and videos via social media is technically based on connections and connectivity. Alesso & Smith (2008) observe that conjunction of these enable the ‘incorporation of the multimedia information’ and allow the social media users to access the information through browsing the internet. In fact social media is often defined as a kind of service through which individual can create profiles within websites and build a list of other users whom they can connect with as well as view their connections and those made by other users. Additionally, according to Alesso & Smith (2008) the invention of File Transfer Protocol (FTP) by Burners-Lee allows connection of files to the internet, news articles and news groups. Importance of live online blogging of news for people in developing worlds Live online blogging of news has a number of significant effects to the lives of people living in the developing countries. Foremost, live online blogging of news and the mobile context applications has changed the nature of media consumption globally. Orbe (2008) defines media consumption as the quantity of media one is exposed to. Thurman and Walters (2013) argue that live blogging is contemporary digital technology which is alternating production, presentation, and consumption of news online. Based on the views of Pearce (2009), technology is becoming less expensive and easier to use. Additionally a report by Schuler (2009) on mobile technology indicates that more than half of the world’s population have a cell phone. This means that more people in the developing countries enjoy a lot of exposure to media through online blogging of news. Additionally, mobile aware applications have made it easier to access information through online blogging almost everywhere with the provision of internet. Secondly, live online blogging of news enables news to be delivered to large and diverse audience instantly (Pearce 2009). Due to this possibility a large number of people with internet access including those in the developing countries have a room to participate or take part in some live global debates that affect issues in their lives. For instance, a live debate on the causes and possible solutions to poverty would not only enable passage of significant information to the people in underdeveloped countries but also allow their participation in real time. According to Pearce (2009) media plays a vital role in creating a sense of reality to people. In this case media, especially live online blogging of news, bridges the knowledge gaps between global communities by enabling diverse people to share their views on the issues affecting their lives in the efforts of finding solutions. Furthermore Pearce (2001) argues that people media content can act as education tool that equips people with relevant knowledge and skills required to realise economic sustainability. In addition, live online blogging of news and mobile aware application enables intercultural communications. Therefore, it can be argued that live online blogging of news functions as an agent of cultural socialization (Orbe 2008). Furthermore, Orbe (2008) notes to that as a result of sharing views and opinions in online blogging, the diversity in the ideological maters of different races, gender, social classes and several forms of human diversity is exposed. In this way, live online blogging of news influences the way people perceive themselves, others and the society in general. Similarly, expression of different cultural views during live online blogging of news create opportunities for people from developing countries to learn emerging cultural trends that can impact positively in the growth of their personal, economic, and social development (Stutzman 2006). Role of connectivity to humanitarian actions in the developing worlds and government agencies that develop social media for citizens According to a report by Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) (2010) humanitarian actions refers to assistance or aid designated to save lives, eradicate suffering so as to uphold human dignity during or after natural disasters or crisis. Over the years, connectivity has played a significant role in facilitating humanitarian actions especially in the developing world. As more people in the developing world are getting connected through various social media platforms, the work of various international organisations and government agencies is improved particularly in relations to strategic crisis management. Chan (2010) categorizes crisis management into four distinctive phases namely crisis preparedness, crisis mitigation, crisis response and crisis recovery. World Disaster Report, WDR, (2013) states that connectivity through technology holds significant gravity in detecting humanitarian needs at appropriate time. For instance, through internet connections, humanitarian aid providers can detect any crises that require humanitarian actions as soon as they are posted on the internet. Subsequently, after crises detection human aid providers can respond by preparing the resources required and which match the needs of the affected people (WDR, 2013). Following this further, it is easy to observe that early detection of crises and quick responses prevents disasters from becoming too severe. Additionally, the ICT tools for humanitarian actions enhance and increase in transparency and accountability in handling humanitarian assistance. According to the World Disaster Report (WDR) (2013), connectivity sets the avenue for a more organised two-way communication system that enhances transparency. For instance, the public can send feedback to organisations on how a crisis is being handled through social media platforms or short message service (SMS) based systems The report further elaborates that connectivity enables humanitarian actions to be more flexible and people-centred. Therefore, through connectivity the affected communities can also be engaged in participating in providing the required humanitarian service and not only be the recipients of the aid. For example, communities are alerted of an impending crisis in appropriate time, they can prepare or take action in advance to minimise the impact of the crisis (Chan 2010). Connectivity plays significant role to the government agencies that develop social media platforms for citizens as well. Such agencies may include local governments or sometimes the central government itself (Purser 2012). Connectivity through social media allows government agencies to be more responsive to the needs of their citizens. Through connectivity such agencies are able to easily receive information from the general public and subsequently respond to their needs. Therefore, connectivity allows easy communication of information between the citizens to whom the services of social media provision are intended and the government organizations that provide such services. This helps such agencies to maintain contact with their targeted audience In this way such agencies can achieve a better understanding of the needs of the citizens of the citizens (Government of South Australia 2010). Secondly, connectivity through various social media platforms enables government agencies responsible for development of social media platforms to be more flexible in the delivery of their mandates to the citizens. Additionally, Chan (2010) observes that internet connectivity via social media allows government to adjust or direct communication quickly where necessary. This implies that connectivity allows such agencies monitor the nature of conversation and are capable of sieving those with retrogressive impacts. Additionally, such agencies are placed in a better position to identify the emerging trends within the social media realm and adjust or adapt to such changes in time (Government of South Australia 2010). Issues arising from live online blogging of news  There are significant numbers of issues that surround online blogging of news. Foremost, credibility is a major issue when it comes to online blogging of news. Whalen (2008) argues that there is increasing number of cases characterised by deceptive online practices and misrepresentation of information in many online news blogs. As a result, the credibility of information relayed through online news blogs is often put in question. Furthermore, a research conducted by Thurman and Walters (2008) shows that there are concerns over verification and accuracy of news articles presented by bloggers. The research further indicates that convectional news articles are often considered by readers as more opinion centered where as live blogs are considered as more factual. This trend was due to the fact that live bloggers provide statements from which readers can draw conclusion. However, some journalist believe that live blogging have lowered the standard of news verification before publication. This is due to the fact that live blogs occur in real time thus there is no time to evaluate the authenticity of articles presented Secondly, the evolution of digital media has created tension between parochial journalism and global journalism. Parochial journalism, according to Ward (2008), refers to the ideology that news should be produced with the intent of serving only the audience within the jurisdiction of one’s country. Ward (2008) notes that there is need to embrace universalism of journalism due to a number of reasons which include the fact that trend of news media is becoming global due to advancement in technology; to help citizens acknowledge global challenges such as poverty, political instability, environmental pollution and technological imbalances; to bridge understanding cultures since media cuts across religions and ethnic groups. However, the concept of globalisation of media is still confronted by confusion and has not been officially embraced. Ward (2008) observes that it is still not clear whether media leads to globalisation or it is a product of it. . Summary of resources The contents of this paper have been drawn from a wide variety of resources. It has taken into account different viewpoints from books, journals, and reliable web articles. For instance, the discussion on the concept of online blogging was drawn from ‘Live Blogging-Digital Journalism’s Pivotal platform’, a digital journalism journal published by Neil Thurman and Anna Walters. This academic article discusses emerging trends in news consumption such as live online blogging which provides an insight into the concept of globalization of news. Conclusion Generally, this paper has examined the role that connectivity through social media platform plays in humanitarian action in developing worlds and for government agencies developing social media platforms for citizens. The finding of the paper indicate that social media is a major determining factor in the change being witnessed in the current journalism and media consumption. Additionally, the paper has indicated that adoption of social through internet connectivity by humanitarian agencies is a very crucial strategy that aids the delivery of their services to the affected people especially in the developing countries. Similarly, government agencies responsible for formulating social platforms for citizens also benefit greatly from social media connectivity. Reference Alesso Peter & Smith Craig. Connections: Patterns of Discovery (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley &Sons, 2008). Chan Jason. Role of Social Media in Crisis Management, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.(2010) accessed September 19 2014 Global Humanitarian Assistance. Defining Humanitarian Assistance (2010)accessed September 19 2014 Government of South Australia. “Social Media Guidance for Agencies and Staff” (2010) accessed September 19 2014 Orbe Mark ‘Representations of Race in Reality TV: Watch and Discuss’, Critical Studies in Media Communication (2008); 345-352. accessed September 18, 2014 Perse Elizabeth. Media Effects and Society (Mahwan: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc Publishers, 2001). Pearce Karen. Uses, gratifications, and dependency; Encyclopedia of communication theory ed. In LittleJohn ,W and Foss A. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publisher, 2009) 978–980. Purser Karen Using Social Media In Local Government; 2011 Survey Report, Australian Centre of excellence for Local Government (Sydney: University of Technology 2012). Schuler Carly. Using Mobile Technologies to Support Children’s Learning. (2009) accessed September 19 2014 Stutzman Fredrick. ‘An Evolution of the Identity-sharing Behaviour in Social Network Communities’. Journal of International Digital Media and Arts Association (2006) 10-18 Thurman Neil and Walters Anna. ‘Live Blogging: Digital Journalism’s Pivotal Platform? A Case Study of the Production, Consumption, and Form of Live Blogs at Guardian.co.uk’, Digital Journalism (2012); 82–101. Ward Stephen. Journalism Ethics, in Handbook of Journalism Studies ed. Karin Wahl- Jorgensen and Thomas Hanitzsch, (London: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2008) 295-309. Whalen Pat “Professional Standards Advisory pS-8; Deceptive Online Practices and Misrepresentation of Organizations and Individual”.(2008). accessed September 18, 2014 World Disasters Report, Focus on technology and the future of humanitarian action (2013) accessed September 18, 2014 Read More

Additionally a report by Schuler (2009) on mobile technology indicates that more than half of the world’s population have a cell phone. This means that more people in the developing countries enjoy a lot of exposure to media through online blogging of news. Additionally, mobile aware applications have made it easier to access information through online blogging almost everywhere with the provision of internet. Secondly, live online blogging of news enables news to be delivered to large and diverse audience instantly (Pearce 2009).

Due to this possibility a large number of people with internet access including those in the developing countries have a room to participate or take part in some live global debates that affect issues in their lives. For instance, a live debate on the causes and possible solutions to poverty would not only enable passage of significant information to the people in underdeveloped countries but also allow their participation in real time. According to Pearce (2009) media plays a vital role in creating a sense of reality to people.

In this case media, especially live online blogging of news, bridges the knowledge gaps between global communities by enabling diverse people to share their views on the issues affecting their lives in the efforts of finding solutions. Furthermore Pearce (2001) argues that people media content can act as education tool that equips people with relevant knowledge and skills required to realise economic sustainability. In addition, live online blogging of news and mobile aware application enables intercultural communications.

Therefore, it can be argued that live online blogging of news functions as an agent of cultural socialization (Orbe 2008). Furthermore, Orbe (2008) notes to that as a result of sharing views and opinions in online blogging, the diversity in the ideological maters of different races, gender, social classes and several forms of human diversity is exposed. In this way, live online blogging of news influences the way people perceive themselves, others and the society in general. Similarly, expression of different cultural views during live online blogging of news create opportunities for people from developing countries to learn emerging cultural trends that can impact positively in the growth of their personal, economic, and social development (Stutzman 2006).

Role of connectivity to humanitarian actions in the developing worlds and government agencies that develop social media for citizens According to a report by Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) (2010) humanitarian actions refers to assistance or aid designated to save lives, eradicate suffering so as to uphold human dignity during or after natural disasters or crisis. Over the years, connectivity has played a significant role in facilitating humanitarian actions especially in the developing world.

As more people in the developing world are getting connected through various social media platforms, the work of various international organisations and government agencies is improved particularly in relations to strategic crisis management. Chan (2010) categorizes crisis management into four distinctive phases namely crisis preparedness, crisis mitigation, crisis response and crisis recovery. World Disaster Report, WDR, (2013) states that connectivity through technology holds significant gravity in detecting humanitarian needs at appropriate time.

For instance, through internet connections, humanitarian aid providers can detect any crises that require humanitarian actions as soon as they are posted on the internet. Subsequently, after crises detection human aid providers can respond by preparing the resources required and which match the needs of the affected people (WDR, 2013). Following this further, it is easy to observe that early detection of crises and quick responses prevents disasters from becoming too severe. Additionally, the ICT tools for humanitarian actions enhance and increase in transparency and accountability in handling humanitarian assistance.

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