One voice can go a long way.
Last week, a Twitter revolution broke out in Chisinau, Moldova. Because of activism via Twitter, blogs and Facebook, a huge anti-Communist protest of 15,000 people was brought together on the streets. The frequent updates on these networks made it possible to inform Moldovians about the time and place of the protest.
Although we might not be planning a revolution here in Salt Lake City, many individuals use social media to express themselves and connect through blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The Moldova protest demonstrates just how powerful these resources can be. Those not versed in the social network jargon have a little catching up to do to comprehend the whole Twittosphere of tweets and tweeple, and what Facebook is all about.
To my own great surprise, some departments at the U are keeping students informed through their own Twitter and Facebook profiles. If you don’t feel like you know what’s going on in your department, or simply want to keep up on upcoming events, this is the easiest way to stay informed at the U, with all of the events planned for Salt Lake City, and anywhere else you’d like to keep tabs on.
Twitter is more of a networking tool where you can find others with similar interests and stay in touch with frequent updates or ideas you can share. Just interested in finding other writers and grad students whose brains I could pick, I recently started my own profile. With this network, I’ve been able to talk to a lot of different people already in my future career field, ask questions and get advice on grad school applications, workshops that are taking place in the area, and many other things I’d have missed out on without these connections.
Sarah Nielson, a communication major at the U, even relies on this network for research.
“It’s easy to hop online and ask a question to hundreds of people, rather than seek out individual people,” Nielson said. “Students are pressed for time and this allows someone to get many different opinions at once.”
Most newspapers and magazines are becoming more involved in the network world by delivering short news bits online. CNN, which had 937,000 followers on its Twitter feed as of Wednesday afternoon, supplies its followers with breaking news from any corner of the world. Combining networking, news updates and reading up on what your Congressman or favorite celebrity is doing can simplify your life by only using one network.
The “flat world effect,” as described by the economic author Thomas Friedman, doesn’t only become real when you can follow Ashton Kutcher or Britney Spears, but when you know that it’s possible to have your voice heard instantaneously on the other side of the globe. With the world somewhat more leveled, opportunities open up that can be used to share your insights on things important to you. Using online resources for something other than socializing is a wise move.
Your view of the world, your future and even society can be changed with the simple click of a mouse. Instead of spending hours wandering aimlessly on Facebook, there are many alternatives that can be used to learn more about the happenings around us, interact with others who are already on your career path, and perhaps even get more involved in making a difference.
Emily Rodriguez-Vargas