Location and Social Media: Good or Bad?

Photo by Taylor Long

By Taylor Long

  When posting a picture to social media, I almost always tag my location. I don’t necessarily do it so people can see where I am, but more so that I can look back on that memory and know exactly where I was. I especially like to add my location on Instagram if I am at a big event or concert so I’ll never forget how fun something was just from a single picture. When I tag my location on Facebook, it’s so my family can see what fun things I’m doing. Most of my family like my mom, dad, and grandparents only have Facebook so it’s a good way to show them what I’ve been up to.

There is also a downside of tagging your location… Everyone who sees your post will be able to tell where you spend the majority or your time. Instagram does have a feature, like most social media, to make your account private. This would ensure that only people you allow to follow you will be able to see your posts and therefore, your location that you have tagged.

Learn about some pros and cons when tagging your location by clicking on this link.

Weather and Social Media

By Daniel Webb

Royalty free photo credit – Pexel

Weather agencies such as the National Weather Service, along with weather-related media agencies such as The Weather Channel have been using various social media outlets to both inform users of impending weather conditions as well as to educate them on general weather knowledge that is important to the day to day user. 

Virtually all news channels have their own Facebook page in addition to many being active on other forms of social media.  Facebook has become a great place for these agencies get the info out to the masses when there are high chances of severe thunderstorms or tornadoes, when a hurricane is approaching an area, or when road conditions have been impacted due to winter weather.  With the ability to share posts across various social media platforms, the widest possible viewing audience can be reached compared to the traditional method of relaying these warnings via TV and radio.  This has in turn enhanced public safety and lessened the casualty rates experienced due to natural diasters.  Social media is also a fantastic way for these agencies to inform citizens when it is safe to resume travel or emerge from homes or shelters following any type of weather event.

Social media is also being used to educate people before these events occur.  Many people don’t understand the difference between a weather watch and a weather warning, nor what to do when one of these occur.  The National Weather Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), the Storm Prediction Center, along with countless other national and local agencies work hard to educate the public in these areas so they know whether they need to take shelter ASAP, or just be aware of general conditions for the day.  There are also many private pages that tend to focus on a specific area that do a fantastic job of capturing the attention of people living within their state or community and engaging with them about potential weather hazards and conditions in their area.  The Kansas Weather Page is a great example of this for the area we live in. Social media has really been a huge help in bolstering public safety and improving education when it comes to weather.

Facebook and Libra – Hanging in the Balance

By Daniel Webb

Libra is a form of cyber currency that Facebook has been planning to launch.  What makes Libra different than currencies like Bitcoin is the fact that Libra is backed by many international currencies including the U.S. dollar, Japanese yen, and the Euro.  This makes Libra theoretically more stable than most other cryptocurrencies.  As promising as Libra sounds however, it’s not without it’s doubters or controversy.  Part of the problem many people have with Libra is that a council of private-company representatives would be employed to run and tweak the composition of the currency.  This is off putting to many would be backers due to fear of corruption or just simple human error.  This has led to the rollout of Libra falling flat on it’s face – least for now.  Many huge payment companies such as Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, and others have pulled their support for Libra.

Libra has been important for media due to the fact that it’s attempted Launch has spurred an arms race of sorts for a new “global currency.”  It’s also very important to Facebook due to a concept called “platform risk.” Platform risk is the danger that a newer, trendier technology or company could undercut your business by wooing users away.  Facebook has slowly (and sometimes covertly) been acquiring other tech platforms and bringing them under their umbrella.  Facebook doesn’t want to be left behind in the crypto-currency game so this time instead of waiting to acquire an existing company, they decided to be proactive and create their own.  Cryptocurrency has been slow to catch on but one thing is for certain.  If and when it does, Facebook is positioning itself to be a leader and innovator in the “digital wallet” industry.

How dows Libra differ from Bitoin? – https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/19/bitcoin-vs-libra-how-facebooks-cryptocurrency-is-different.html

Libra – A new global payment system – https://libra.org/en-US/

History of Facebook’s Interface

Photo Collage created by Christian Clark

Facebook has played a significant role in the evolution of social media and the way we use the internet. Here are a few way Facebook has managed to remain relevant today. In 2005, facebook first launched its photos feature and shortly after, they released their new feed feature in 2006. These were some key changes as they are some of the few features that remain from their initial launch in 2004. 2009 was the year of the like button as they launched the like feature, it would go on to be in just about all social media platforms that we use today. In 2012 facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion, which would later be seen as a great deal and they also introduced advertisements in the feed. In 2016 they launched there Facebook live feature which allowed users to go livestream and interact with friends. Facebook is constantly giving users new ways to interact on the platform, these are just a few examples of how they’ve been able to remain in the social media discussion.

What are we agreeing to? We take a look at Facebook’s Terms and Conditions.

Photo created by Christian Clark

In 2016, Facebook was accused of giving Cambridge Analytica, a political date firm access to over 50 million Facebook users in which they used for targeting advertisements for the 2016 presidential election. Following this scandal, Facebook made some changes to its terms and conditions of service, here are some basic things you need to know. Facebook has the ability to use any photo you post royalty free, they can even sell your photos to other companies making revenue off your data. If liked by another active user, your photos will remain visible even if you delete your account. Facebook also has the power to change the terms and conditions of service whenever they please. These are a few things to keep in mind next time you go to share something on Facebook or through one of its partner companies.

Reporting done right from your pocket!

by Camden Blosser

News reporters are a trusted source in most communities. The nightly news at 10pm has always been a thriving tradition of many households. You can catch up on everything happening locally such as politics, schools, crime, and sports. Like many newspapers, news articles and reports are going digital.

Screenshot by Camden Blosser

If you scroll through Facebook you may notice news reports being shared by your friends from some of your trusted news sources. Many channels are going digital across social media. Facebook has become a useful tool for a lot of reporters. Reporters can arrive at a scene quicker and all they need to bring with them is their phone (Maybe a car charger for their phone too).

Reporters can go live across social media platforms such as Facebook and stream to thousands of people watching at home instantly. Facebook also allows for people to share their favorite news with friends.

Waiting on your 10 o’clock news is a thing of the past and “breaking news” has taken on an entirely new meaning. Receive instant alerts and news right on your mobile device from anywhere in the world.

App to Generation

Photo by Alyssa Storm

Websites and apps are always popular, no matter what generation you grew up in. As technology has become more advanced and diverse so have the apps. When Facebook was open to the public in 2006, most people used it to connect with their family and friends that they hardly see; it was used to show your life to your friends. More recent apps like Instagram and Twitter are used for the same purpose but it’s typically geared more towards younger people.

The divide of apps wasn’t planned, it was just a natural occurrence. Most people use Instagram to show off selfies, Twitter to be funny, and Facebook to show their distant family that they are still doing well.

This commonality has become more separated over time, leading more young kids to get Instagram before Facebook; when ten years ago, kids were lying about their age to try and be cool and have a Facebook profile.

Is the FBI Watching?

by Alyssa Storm

Everyone has a feeling that the FBI is listening in to conversations, making certain ads for products you’ve only talked about pop up. Is it really the FBI? If you’re a conspiracy theorist like me, you believe this is all true; but in fact you are way off. There is no tiny FBI agent in your phone watching and listening at all times; no one is really spying. at all.

According to CBS News, Google and Facebook have ads that pop up based on what you like, share, and post. Everything that you interact with online helps marketers realize what will be the most appealing ad for you to see on your social media.

Google and Facebook deny showing ads based on “ambient sound” and conversations that you’re having out loud. Although, there are products like Amazon Alexa and Google Home that are always on if they are plugged in. Some people think they could contribute to certain ads popping up.

Although people are always going to be paranoid about companies listening to every little conversation, companies like Google and Facebook don’t have the time to keep track of all of that. Ads are “random,” but they aren’t always a bad thing when ads pop up. Most of the time, it is extremely helpful.

Photo by Alyssa Storm