How do Instagram and Twitter influence society?
Politics, Lifestyle, Consumerism
02/01/2019
CYBERBULLYING ON TWITTER LINKED TO TEEN DEPRESSION
The advent of technological advancements on social media, especially on Twitter, has made cyberbullying a very rampant problem. The victimization of teenagers online has received an increasing level of analysis, particularly after a series of suicides of young people who were reportedly bullied on Twitter.
For teenagers who rely on social media for modern interactions with their friends or even strangers, some of these interactions may be unpleasant in nature. Cyber-bullying can sadly cause teenagers to feel down and even develop symptoms of depression.
Adolescence is a time when people try to build important relationships with others and with that establish their identities. They expect a feeling of closure with their friends making them continue to strengthen that friendship online. Unfortunately, it may leave them vulnerable to the ill intentions of a cyber bully who can lead to behaviors such as impersonating someone in a hurtful manner, spreading rumors, stalking people online, sending threatening messages or sharing personal information or photos about a person without their consent.
There have been reports of cyberbullying on Twitter for "almost as long" as the site has existed.
People have the liberty to write everything that crosses their mind, but sometimes they do not realize the impact that words have on people's lives.
All it takes is one bad comment about that person or what this person believes in and it can lead to depression.
Twitter has been warned about this situation and has taken steps to prevent such thing from happening regularly, but even so, cyberbullying remains.
Overall, the use of Twitter is very common among teenagers, but the health effects of cyberbullying on social media sites are largely unknown, and that is why we must make prevention campaigns to prevent cyberbullying from continuing to be part of our daily lives.
References:
https://www.cio.com/article/3107165/social-networking/cyberbullying-continues-to-drag-twitter-down.html (02/01/2019)
https://www.brightfutures4kids.org/how-cyber-bullying-on-social-media-is-linked-to-teen-depression/ (02/01/2019)
https://www.brightfutures4kids.org/how-cyber-bullying-on-social-media-is-linked-to-teen-depression/ (02/01/2019)
https://www.livescience.com/51294-cyberbullying-social-media-teen-depression.html (02/01/2019)
28/12/2018
Who are the biggest twitter and instagram influencers about politics? and in whats ways they influence people?
Social Media has had a big role on people’s lives. Not only on everyday usage (to
check the news or to check other people’s lives) but also in many different things. One of
those things is politics. In politics, politicians use social media, such as Twitter and Instagram,
in order to obtain better results in campaigns. So, who are some of the biggest influencers in
terms of politics? And in what ways do they influence people?
Nowadays, in order to obtain a better result on political campaigns, politicians use
social media strategies (especially Twitter and Instagram), in order to have a more direct
communication with the voters. However, these strategies have to be thought through, so that
unwanted results do not happen. An example of a strategy well used is the 2008 Elections for
the President of the United States of America when Barack Obama used a strategy around
social media. With this approach, he managed to get other type of contact with the voters.
Because of this success, other politicians started to use this strategy too.
On the other hand, some politicians also use social media to give their opinion about
some subjects. An example of a politician with a big influence on people nowadays is the
President of the United States, Donald Trump. Through Twitter, he expresses his opinions
about many subjects, and also about other people. Consequently, he may influence people
with his ideas. Some ways which he can influence the people are the type of language he uses,
and the type of subjects he speaks about, at the time he speaks about them. Other ways that
politicians use to influence people have to do with showing their beliefs and showing some
parts of their personal lives, for example, if a politician shows a lot of pictures and videos of
them playing with their children, people are probably going to think that he is a good father
and will probably sympathize with him.
To conclude, politicians can use social media both for professional duties, and personal
opinions. In terms of professional duties, the strategies are better planned. And in personal
opinions, they do not need to be that much planned. But, both of these uses can and are used
to influence people in many different ways.
26/12/2018
HOW CAN TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM INFLUENCE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS?
Social Media has had a big role in society. A situation where social media have been
used in politics. Politicians use social media in order to have a more direct approach with the
voters during political campaigns, and many times off political campaigns. Two of the most
used social media in political campaigns are Twitter and Instagram. So, how can Twitter and
Instagram influence political campaigns?
The social media did not always have a big impact on political campaigns. However, in
2008, during the United States Presidential Election, Barack Obama used a strategy based on
social media, more specifically Twitter. Obama in this election was not the only candidate to
have a Twitter account, however, he used it more efficiently and strategically. Twitter allowed a
more direct approach to the voters, among other things, such as a cheaper advertising
strategy. This ways he could expand is campaign without having to pay to Twitter or the fact
that through Twitter (and other social media), the campaigns can go viral, and thus attract
more people to them.
Another case where Twitter was used to impact political campaigns was 2016
United States Presidential Election. The presidential candidate Donald Trump used Twitter in
order to show his point of view about some subjects in America, and, at the same time, to
keep people updated about his rallies. As Donald Trump said, “I like it because I can get also
my point of view out there, and my point of view is very important to a lot of people that are
looking at me”. However, in this election, Twitter was also used to create some controversy
between the candidates, what brought more attention to the candidates involved.
The last case is about the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the United States House of
Representatives Election in New York. This candidate had a different campaign in many ways,
including social media. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used Instagram in a different way from the
usual. Besides using it for professional means (promoting rallies and keeping the voters
updated about the campaign), she also showed parts of her personal life, giving a more
personal touch, such as showing some her tastes and hobbies, and also using comedy on her
posts. With this approach, the voters started to sympathize with her and also started to listen
more carefully to her ideals.
To conclude, it is a fact that social media have a big role in political campaigns. They
can be used to promote some campaigns but also to demote others. And there are multiple
and efficient approaches that the candidates can use to attract voters through social media.
References:
https://www.thoughtco.com/how-social-media-has-changed-politics-3367534 (26/12/2018)
23/12/2018
the influence of Twitter on language
In July 2006, a social networking service was launched, called Twitter. In this social networking service users were restricted to post 140-character messages called “tweets” and since then this
maximum length restriction has had a big effect on how we communicate. This length limit has given rise to many new conventions used every day, like hashtags, acronyms, and emojis. This limit forces us, users, to be frugal when we write tweets and thanks to this Twitter has
become a template for corporate communication. To create the best impression for the audience, marketers, politicians, and bloggers write in clear English, in the active voice and with short, plain sentences. Regardless of our message, it is possible to communicate in a simple and clear way. If we don’t do that, the audience will tune out from our message.
Also, Twitter and other social platforms have changed the way we use the words “friend”, “add” and “like”. The word “friend” now means adding someone, the word “add” now means sending an invitation to connect accounts and the word “like” is now a numerical measurement of popularity.
As we can see, the 140-character limit obliges us to pass our message in a very clear and short way, which is something positive since with that we catch more attention from the audience with
simple messages. Also, Twitter gives other meanings to many words, which can be positive.
References:
https://www.visiblethread.com/2017/09/tweeting-the-way-forward-how-twitter-has-changed-language/ (23/12/2018)
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20/12/2018
Twitter and the presence of brands
In a recent study made by Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, some useful findings have been made about Twitter users. What is especially interesting to emphasize from this study, is that people who follow brands on Twitter are more likely to both buy and recommend the products of these brands.
On Twitter, users are more frequente to be online. 50% of Twitter users are online more than once in an hour, which is more than Facebook users (positioned at 34%). Only 3% of Twitter users are online less often being between two and six times a week. This naturally means that the possibility of followers interacting with brands is high on Twitter. The study states as well that Twitter users are selective about brands they follow. Only 21% of those users actually follow a brand an assume that brand really have to fulfill their expectations in order to both gain and maintain the follows. However, what is important here is then also that the followers of a brand aren’t just followers for fun. They like the brand and follow it with interest. 75 % of followers have never un-followed a brand.
Regarding the audience on Twitter, brands are most likely to reach the younger audience. According to the study, Twitter users under the age of 35 are more likely to follow brands than the older users. Regarding the audience on Twitter, brands are most likely to reach the younger audience. According to the study, Twitter users under the age of 35 are more likely to follow brands than the older users. Only 13 % of users of the age 50 and over follow brands. What is more important to know about Twitter users is the fact that most of them follow a brand, because they are customers, they want to gain information about the brand as well as they want to receive discounts and promotions.
With this in mind, Twitter has shown that it is able to appeal to consumerism, reaching the younger layers that are, as seen, the big part of Twitter population and the easiest to influence and reach.
References:
https://www.mindjumpers.com/consumer-behaviour-on-twitter/ (20/12/2018)
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-networks/how-twitter-influences-tech-purchase-behavior-infographic (20/12/2018)
