Chapter 1. Word of Mouth Goes World of Mouth
Erik Qualman talks about why social media is so popular and why we need social media. I think social media is so popular these days because we feel connected and accepted. As I live alone in the States and the rest of my family is in different countries, we get to know one another’s lives by looking at photos and status updates on Facebook. Facebook has been something that has connected my family.
Facebook is very popular as we do not have to leave the application when we want to chat with our friends. However, there is something we have to give up- privacy. My privacy settings on Facebook are Friends Only. I do not want random people to see my pictures or profile. Moreover, many companies make hiring decisions based on their research on applicants’ Facebook accounts. I have a personal example. I was a Marketing intern at Costco last year and I applied for this year again. They have asked me if I had a Facebook account so I said yes and told them my account. I logged in and checked my settings again to make sure it was private.
I sometimes get annoyed when I am on Facebook for I am just bombarded with people’s random status updates! If I find someone posts too many updates, I just block that person’s status. This way, I can get only what I want. I agree with the author that social media actually saves time. I check my FB when I am bored, waiting in line, or waiting for friends. This way, I know what people are doing.
I also liked Jane the Blogger story in the book. I also get to know news through Facebook first. I find it very interesting and this will eventually change how we know what is going on in the world.
Chapter 2. Social Media = Preventative Behavior
He talks about how consumers use social media as a medium to complain to companies. I think I should do it that way if I need to complain in the future. Companies should be open-minded and proactive rather than reactive when solving complaints and satisfying customers. Then, more customers will like the companies and find them ethical.
Chapter 3. Social Media= Braggadocian Behavior
I totally agree “Social media is the new inbox.” When I talk to friends on Facebook chat, it is more fluid when I just have something very short to say or ask. It does not feel awkward saying something short on FB. I often use Facebook messages when I want to say something privately between one or several friends. We planned a surprise birthday party for our friend by communicating on FB messages. I found it was efficient because it was so easy to reply the messages as well as I could also see what the previous messages were about.
We can brag about ourselves on Facebook and Twitter as we like to talk about ourselves. When I have something for many people to see and know about, I just write in my status. I think it is a genius thing to letting people know what and how I am doing and what others are doing.
Chapter 4. Obama’s Success Driven by Social Media
This chapter shows social media can also be used in politics. He says Obama would not have won his own party’s nomination before social media. I remember when 2008 was all about presidential election and voting. I saw lots of “I voted” signs on Facebook as well as on other websites.
As politics can be somewhat transparent, I think this world with social media is a community which we have wanted. However, there is an opportunity cost of these social media benefits, privacy. It is up to us how much privacy we are willing to give up. It will be interesting what roles social media will play in the future. In the near future.
Best regards,
Lee
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