Ethics, Legality, and Policy's OH MY!

I find it incredibly interesting that there are so many people that I know who seem to think that they can do and post WHATEVER they want on social media sites and that they can do so without any sort of consequence whatsoever! If you are one of those persons then I would like to inform you that you are..

WRONG!!!

What social media users (and yes even if you only use Facebook once a month you are a social media user) don't seem to understand is that in today's world what you post online is just as powerful as if you where to appear on national television and say what you feel out loud! Whats even worse is that what you post NEVER GOES AWAY!! Even if you delete it from your platform the vast depths of the World Wide Web has already sucked it up and stored it elsewhere! 

I am sure you have all heard of cyber bullying and that you have heard of a legal case where someone was convicted of a cyber bullying crime. So if you still think you can't get in trouble for what you post online then think again, you can get in trouble if you abuse your social media rights.

Sure there is such a thing as freedom of speech but remember that the first amendment only protects you from government control, everything else is on you.. Remember when Phil from Duck Dynasty went on his anti-gay rant on television? When he was suspended from the T.V. show everyone screamed that his first amendment right had been violated! Well no they weren't, the production company has every right control what their employee's (technically t.v stars are employees, they are on the pay roll) say and do publicly. If you sign an agreement that has any sort of rules on social media or public relations you are no bound to follow them!

For those of you who want a career or even a hobby in blogging or online journalism, you have responsibilities too. Take the time to read up on topics such as defamation, clear and present danger, and other journalism regulation related topics. Understand cultural and social ethics and maybe create your own code of ethics as well!

Check out these following sites for suggestions and more resources on social media related regulations and ethics!

https://fromtheleft.wordpress.com/bloggers-code-of-ethics/

https://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal

Location Based Platforms

Everyone knows that when it comes to Real Estate, locations is everything. But is the same true for social media? Who doesn't love to brag about all of the cool places that they are traveling too! If you would like, Facebook will tell people where you are posting from in the world. Twitter has similar functions for its users as well. But what about platforms like Foursquare which are for the sole purpose of bragging about your daily movements?

Back in 2009 when Google Latitudes was launched and other programs such as Gowalla (which was later purchased by Facebook) and Foursquare became prevalent the idea was that life would become more and more social if we could broadcast our location to our friends and even to strangers. 

Today though a much smaller number of users than anticipated are finding the need to broadcast their locations along with their social life. Facebook found that it's check in function or "Places" was not receiving the attention that they wanted and in 2011 they quietly retired the function. Their goal now is that location should be a side feature and not the focus. 

I personally enjoy checking into locations be it just at the library on campus or at various cities and airports as I travel. It isn't that I feel the need to brag about where I am or what I am doing, I just enjoy doing it! I also like using foursquare because you can actually benefit from checking in at a location, often people leave tips and you can even get discounts somewhere! For instance I lived near a 7Eleven over the summer and we could get free Slurpees on certain days if we checked in at the store! I usually try be cautious at the same time, obviously it isn't a smart idea to broadcast to the world that you are going to be leaving your house unattended for a period of time but hey I am a broke college student, good luck finding anything of value in my apartment! 

Social Media Platforms

By now it is clear that our social media outlets in a way define who we are to those who may not have the convenience of knowing us in person. The same way we choose what to wear in the mornings, we choose which platforms best represent us and tailor them over time to make us look good.

Top 5 Social Media Sites

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Other sites in the top 15 include Tumblr, Instagram, Flickr, and even ClassMates.

http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites

Of those top five I use the first four sites regularly and I am a very avid Tumblr user as well! When I first started using social media sites I kept them fairly basic, using the standard or default templates. However over time I have worked on making my platforms unique by implementing different templates and adding pictures and art. Some sites such as Pinterest are not very customizable in layout terms but honestly in my opinion they don't need to be, especially with Pinterest since you have custom boards!

With over 370 different sites (although some are not available in the USA) the options for social media platforms are almost endless! I highly recommend checking several out before you decide what platform to use and keep in mind you can most certainly have more than one!

Check out more social media platform statistics and facts here!

http://www.statisticbrain.com/social-networking-statistics/