Improvement Plan

This blog has been mainly dedicated to topics around communications.  There are many ways to improve this blog and others to make it more engaging.  As proven by Instagram, people love pictures and videos.  As I delve deeper into blogging, I will start to collect and create more meaningful content including videos, especially since they are so easy to create these days.  As we have learned over the course of this class, content is king. 

Successful bloggers use a mix of time, dedication, passion, and effort (Shur, 2012).  Personally, time is the hardest part to carve out, but blogs are important to build a personal brand or to curate content.

Another change I would make would be to create a keyword strategy.  I would have spent more time making sure the correct search terms were in place so people could find this blog (Hou & Gilbert, n.d.).  Once I shift it over to a personal blog I will share it across my social platforms and use keywords to others can find it.

Finally, I would also create a theme and name that is a bit more personal.  I chose this one to make it more professional for my class, but once it is over I will shift it into things that interest me, such as fashion or charity events where I am a speaker.  I will ensure it is consistent with whatever direction I take

Communication 565 has allowed me to carve out time to create the blog, and I hope to continue to do so once the class is over.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and a bit sad to have it come to an end.  Best of luck classmates.

References

Hou, Z., & Gilbert, M. (n.d.). 9 Ways to Improve Your Blog from Beginner to Advanced. Retrieved from Convince and Convert: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/9-ways-to-improve-your-blog-from-beginner-to-advanced/

Shur, D. (2012, September 25). Seventeen ways to Improve your Blog- Case Study. Retrieved from Moz.com: https://moz.com/blog/seventeen-ways-to-improve-your-blog-case-study

Where is the technology free zone

Technological enhancements have changed the way we communicate within society.  The accessibility of media technologies are the cornerstone of an information society, which exists at the expense of interpersonal communication or competence (Lăzăroiu, 2010).  As technology continues to dominate our lives, there is evidence that in-person social interactions are declining.  

Last night I went out to dinner with a group of friends, we are all mothers that were excited to catch up over dinner.  At one point I looked around and every person was on their mobile device perusing their social feeds.  Comically, one of them pointed to a ted talk that said that when you use choose to use your mobile in front of others you are basically telling them that they mean nothing to you.

“The growing technical sophistication of the means of mass communication is evidence of choices that pit the advancement of mass communication against the decline of social interaction” (Lăzăroiu, 2010). Technologies create distractions and when we become so enamored with what is happening online, we are alienating ourselves from the real world and face-to-face communications. The video below shows funny examples of antisocial smartphone users:

I work with many younger employees that rely so heavily on technology and email that it is crippling their ability to form working relationships. One gentlemen that works with me relies so greatly on email to solicit information out of colleagues that he is no longer confident enough to talk with people head-on.  He fears the interaction and the possibility of not being able to answer questions on the fly.  Lickerman expressed that “people are often fear face-to-face confrontation, and easily turn to technology to hide behind” (2010).   In effect, technology shields us from unwanted responses, and we don’t feel the impact as much via digital.

Technology is also creating obsessives behaviors in society.  A survey initiated by Facebook revealed the first thing 80% of us do in the as soon as we wake up in the morning is check our phones, and the average user then goes on to check their device 110 times a day (Chonchui, 2014).  Technology is important to society and to keep us connected, but we need to make sure we still foster our interpersonal skills.  As I say at the dinner table each night, this is a technology free zone master the art of conversation.

References

Chonchui, N. (2014, May). Always Turned On: The negative impact technology has on relationships. Retrieved from Irish Examiner: http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/healthandlife/relationships/always-turned-on-the-negative-impact-technology-has-on-relationships-267185.html

Lăzăroiu, G. (2010). Conceptualizing the changing dynamics of mediated communication and the flow of mass-mediated realites. Geopolitics, History, and International Relations, 176-184.

Lickerman, A. (2010, June). The Effect of Technology on Relationships. Retrieved from Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201006/the-effect-technology-relationships

Mass Media? I say customized Media

Technology has shifted the characteristics of mass media because we now expect individualize approaches, and we dictate where and how we choose to consume content (Lăzăroiu, 2010).  As patrons of mass media, we expect customized content, and we will no long only accept one program, at one time, in one place  I remember as a child I had to watch whatever was on TV at any given time, even if the programming was awful.  We did not have a choice because we had to watch what national networks chose for us e.g. Small Wonder.

Now, we have the ability to watch what we want, where we want, and when we want to watch it.  From experience, I watch the BBC show Downtown Abbey on my iPad while I am running on a treadmill.  I even watch the British version instead of the US version because we now have choices in mass media.

“Communication, and in particular the new forms of communication, depend today, more than ever, on the development of technology and on the conditions in which it is introduced” (Moragas, 1990).  We no longer only watch TV shows, but we watch videos created by amateurs, shows made only for streaming services, and movies that have never been released on a big screen.  For example, the popular documentary, Making a Murder has inundated social media feeds and while Netflix does not release audience data,  Paul Tassi from Forbes magazine wrote “"I have never seen a show consume the pop culture conversation like this outside of when programs like 'The Walking Dead' and 'Game of Thrones' kill off a major character," (Tassi, 2016).  All this, and it was only available through a streaming service.  

As a society we spend less time sitting down and more time moving from place to place, we have too much to do to simply relax. When we do get a chance to relax, it’s most likely in front of a computer, and thanks to the popularity of websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the internet has surpassed television as the place where young people spend most of their time (Spider Magazine, 2012).  It is clear that technology has shifted the way we consume mass media. 

References:

Lăzăroiu, G. (2010). Conceptualizing the changing dynamics of mediated communication and the flow of mass-mediated realities. Geopolitics, History, and International Relations, 176-184.

Moragas, M. d. (1990). New Technology and Changes in the Mass Media. Barcelona.

Spider Magazine. (2012, June 12). The Changing Face of Mass Media. Retrieved from Dawn: http://www.dawn.com/news/733766/the-changing-face-of-mass-media

Tassi, P. (2016, January 3). Why 'Making a Murderer' Is Netflix's Most Significant Show Ever. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2016/01/03/why-making-a-murderer-is-netflixs-most-significant-show-ever/#e9274aa5c00e