Week 6: Mantra

I make a concerted effort to stay abreast of new media technologies but last week I was introduced to something new by the intern in my office. It is called Snapchat. The idea behind this relatively new phenomenon is a conversation through images (i.e., photos or piece of paper with something written on it by the sender; photos of them or a group; or even just a random photo). Often it is up to the receiver to deduce the meaning of the message; that is only available on their mobile device for 10 seconds, then disappears and cannot be retrieved. I had so many questions about the medium, why it was so popular and of course the deviant uses; none the less it was fascinating and interesting to watch photos pop-up. I would ask, “What does that mean?” and she would interpret the things I didn’t understand.

Then this weekend, I discovered a new social media platform, Pheed (Feed) and it is giving Facebook quite a scare (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-kanalley/pheed-app-iphone-facebook-twitter_b_2760027.html).  I quickly downloaded the app, began to browse and quickly saw why it was becoming such a hit. Their catchphrase is “A new way to express yourself" and you can do so in text, photos, videos, audio, voice or live broadcast (Kanalley, 2013). It is literally a convergence of every social media yet it’s intuitive and well designed. I sent a text to the intern to gauge her interest but surprisingly she knew nothing about it. So, I took the liberty to inform her and she has now signed up.

Pheed started in October of 2012 and quickly has become the preferred social media platform for youth demographic. Facebook has publicly admitted they have a problem with the sector of their demographic (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/craig-kanalley/quit-facebook-teenager-problem_b_2782512.html?fb_source=timeline&ref=profile&refid=17).

Media and technology are all around us; we are engaged and yet disengaged all at the same. I believe a great way to learn, educate and retrieve valuable information is a conversation or exchange of thoughts, perceptions and ideas. The manner in which each individual manages the overwhelming amount of information and technology that is flooding our lives daily differs from person to person and from generation to generation and to understand the differences it requires a conversation. It is these kinds of conversations and exchanges that provide a framework for education and enlightenment for all.

My Mantra

To educate and enlighten by providing a fun and intellectually stimulating platform to discuss our media and technology reach society and how it impacts us.

 

Sources

Kanalley, C. (2013, February 25). Retrieved from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-kanalley/pheed-app-iphone-facebook-twitter_b_2760027.html