Stories on SNS

               Have you ever heard the saying “believe half of what you see and none of what you hear”?  Well to me it sounds like a math equation that just can’t ever be solved.  To me, I can only believe what I think I know if I learn information from reliable sources.  I can never actually know something unless it can be proven which is not often.  Usually, I stick with my reliable sources, whether it’s friend, family, or reputable news agencies.  Deep down though, one can never be certain unless they are involved fully in a situation. 

                I am not a very active user of Social Networking Site (SNS).  The one site I frequent is Facebook.  I scrolled up and down my newsfeed and I could only find one story and it’s quite salacious.  Apparently, there is a group out there called “Free the Nipple” which wants equal rights for women to walk around shirtless as men can.  Now, I’m all for equal rights but I’m also aware that we do not have the same bodies.  I believe that women should be covered and if they want expose their chests that there are certain places for that, but the public is not the paramount place as there would be many people who would be uncomfortable by it. As part of their campaign, they have created bathing suit bikini tops that are skin color that have nipples on them and therefore look from a far as if a woman is walking around without a top.

                Of course SNS sites can be reliable for obtaining credible information, but not always.  Let’s face the facts though; most of the stories that go on SNS, such as Facebook, are for entertainment purposes.  This little story that I shared is interesting because it’s scandalous, and not much more.  This story isn’t the differences between life and death, it’s not going to affect the economy, start or end and wars, but it is going to make people double take because it’s a hot topic.  It makes people ask themselves if women are being oppressed, if the norms of society are outdated, and it certainly sparks conversation when we see celebrates such as Rhianna, Beyoncé, and Miley Cyrus exposing their nipples.  Could it be that they are on board for the cause?  Or are they just trying to create attention and promote their work? (The picture on the left is of Miley Cyrus, sporting black nipple-looking pasties at the iHeartRadio Music Festival.)

References

 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/24/tata-top-free-the-nipple-campaign_n_5525668.html

Events and New Media

There are only a few forms of new media that I find myself using every day.  One of which is, of course, is the Internet.  In fact, since receiving my first iPhone in the beginning of 2011, I don’t remember going a day without the Internet.  I am not a very active user when it comes to Social Networking Sites (SNS) though.  For my first class at SNHU I made it one of my goals to get more involved with SNS.  Since then, I have joined the main SNS such as Pinterst and Instagram and have learned how to use them.  However, I do not use them on a daily basis.  The one SNS that I can say I may come close to using daily is Facebook and it is mostly due to boredom.

            New social media has changed my perspective of events somewhat.  People are able to use SNS such as Facebook to invite others to events.  I have gotten invitations from people trying to promote their companies by inviting me to sales events, friends sending me invitations to parties, and I have also received general notifications regarding festivals in my county (ie. Greek Festival, local carnivals, wine tasting events etc.).  I still feel that a personal invitation sent to my home will catch my attention better than the Internet, especially since there are so many advertisements competing for my attention. 

            I suppose I would count this change in Events more as a positive effect than a negative.  It is easier for the event coordinators to send invitations and keep track of their guest list online.  By posting about the events on a forum such as Facebook, the other guests can check the guest list and itinerary.  It helps as well because the invites go out almost instantaneously whereas invites via mail may take a week or more.  Although convenient, invites via the internet are not always appropriate (ie. wedding invitations).