What exactly is social media and why is it so popular? Social media networks are known for staying connected with friends, communication, meeting new people, sharing pictures and more. Businesses and companies also use networks like Facebook to advertise for free and try to get people to “Like” their page. The popularity of social media has grown over the years. Facebook was the biggest social network in years. Now Twitter is slowly taking over. I love social networks. I use to be a huge fan of Facebook for years along with millions of other people I’m sure. These sites have been a big part of my life. Being an Army Bratt I moved around a lot so it has been very easy for me to stay connected with old friends from facebook. When it first came out Faceboook was the biggest thing. Facebook was a big part of my life which is why I have chosen this as my social identity topic.
Facebook was originally called thefacebook and was founded by Mark Zuckerberg who was a Harvard student. It spread within months across the Harvard campus and eventually to other universities. When this site became a national student network phenomenon, he dropped out of Hardvard and focused on facebook full time. In 2005 it was officially called Facebook. It was first opened to college students, then it got popular with high school students, then eventually facebook opened up to anyone 13 and up. Facebook became so popular with all the groups they have to join and how they can stay connected.
Have you ever thought about the psychology behind facebook? People may not realize this but facebook has been an escape for people to feel like they are being heard. Also it may feel like a rescue. It gives them a platform that they may not get in person. When people post pictures and status and get comments and likes they feel appreciated and noticed. I know I do. People on Facebook crave for this kind of attention when they post things for everybody to see. What exactly makes facebook so interesting? Something that makes facebook so interesting is how humans like to stay connected in what is going on and what is happening with others around them. We like to stay updated with the latest news. I do for sure. A lot of things that we post there is an audience that are interested in what is going on in our life and may find it entertaining. This is mostly the reason why facebook users are always posting things constantly throughout the day. A lot of users try to get as many friends as possible. Facebook can get you addicted. With all the games and other things to do on facebook, you can really make the day go by fast. You can also find yourself wasting time on facebook when you have important stuff that you should be doing. It was a big distraction for me when I had homework or chores. Even though this site can get you addictated and waste your time, there are some good positive things about facebook.
Since I moved around a lot and being a mostly quiet person, I met some friends on facebook in the town that I live in who I later met in person. Social media networks make it easy to talk to people online. Facebook may control people’s self esteem. A good comment may make them feel good about themselves.
Facebook was a big part of my life. There was never a day that went by that I did not check facebook at least twice. I made a facebook account when I was in 7th grade but didn’t start using it till my sophomore of high school which was in 2009. I’m mostly quiet so facebook made it easy for me to talk to people online. I stay in touch with old friends and family and can always see what has been going on with them. I wouldn’t say that I have a big social identity. I get on there so read the latest news and gossip. When I first started using facebook I was on there all the time. Sometimes I would be on there all when I was bored on a weekend. Usually there was always something going on. I would always know about any events or parties that are coming up. Anything that went on in my community I was informed about it through facebook. 
I wasn’t the type of person that always posted things every thirty minutes or every hour. I was mainly on there to post pictures, read what’s going on, and see what other people have been up to. Honestly, I basically would be nosy. I would “Like” and “Comment” on my friends pictures and status and also post things on their wall. There was always some type of drama going on that I found entertaining. There were always a lot of games to choose from that you could play. I never played any games on there because I was just never interested. I got a lot of invites that I just ignored. On my facebook page I didn’t want to put personal feelings or show certain emotions. Unlike some people who always put their business on their page so everyone knew their personal stuff, I didn’t want to be like that. I wanted to appear how I am in person. When I would take pictures to post on facebook, I didn’t just put any kind of picture on there. I would edit my pics (not too much) to make them look nice. I liked to come off on facebook as a person that liked to have fun and enjoyed playing sports. I would post pictures of me at school, hanging with friends, and with my teammates. The status I posted was mainly about my day or what I did or something funny. I would also post quotes and even song lyrics. Just like about anybody else, I liked when I would get notifications that someone liked my post and my pictures. I mean who wouldn’t. Posting things on facebook I was able to show old friends who don’t live in the same town as me anymore how I have been doing and if I have changed any. Also I would show my accomplishments that I have made. 
Even though facebook was very big and popular with billions of users, it is slowly getting old and Twitter is taking over. I stopped getting on facebook all the time around November 2011. I still always look back to facebook on all the old pictures and memories that are stored in my facebook account. I don’t delete any pictures so I can always look back and see how much I have changed. Also see the changes in not only me but my friends as well. I still get on Faceboook every now and then, but not as much anymore. Even though Twitter is what I use now, I catch myself looking back on Facebook to reminisce on the old memories it still holds.
You did a good job incorporating the history of Facebook in a way that wasn't boring; however, my biggest problem with the essay is that it lacks a thesis. What are you trying to say to your readers? You said a lot, and it was hard to pick out the main point among all of the other things you were saying. I think the best way to attack ANY essay is to go for what you know: intro, body, conclusion. Also, organize your points just as you would any other paper; it would definitely help readers to get a clear image of your message. Pictures are always a helpful tool in communicating, but some of the pictures look like they were thrown in. Think, "What do I want people to know about me from these pictures?" Try adding captions to make the connection for your readers.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I don't feel like the paper is genuine to you. How do you want to sound to others? Find your voice. And talk about your social identity! If you're a Twitter junkie, talk about it! These papers act as a way for us to kind of get to know each other, so lay it all out and don't bullshit. Just keep it real. The easiest thing to talk about is yourself. Have fun with it and tell a story.
I hope this helps,
Shawnee