February 2009 Archives

Here we go again. A British neurologist is claiming that Facebook, Bebo, etc. are bad for the youth. According to her research, we are, "infantilising the mid-21st century mind, leaving it characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity."

Just like violent videogames. And before that, MTV. And before that, rock'n'roll. And before that, comic books.

Now to play the opposing side, I can foresee a scenario where some kid literally spends *all* his time on Facebook, and then ends up exhibiting some of the symptoms noted above.

But I also see a gigantic disconnect between this researcher and the reality of how people use these networks. In the vast majority of cases, these services are nothing more than utilities to keep people - real people that actually interact with one another - in touch with each other.

That's it. They're just much advanced forms of writing letters and sending cards, or giving someone a ring, or even stopping by to say, "Hello."

//image via The Guardian

In recent months CNN Newsroom anchor Rick Sanchez has been called both "America's most celebrated Twitterer(?)" and "chief twit" due to his newfound use (some would say over use) of microblogging platform Twitter (as the link points out, "tweep" is actually the preferred term). He frequently runs Twitter posts as a crawl across the screen and boasts an impressive 57,540 followers to date. Just to compare, CNN's Breaking News Twitter account carries a staggering 263,730 followers. (second only to President Obama's with 308,577 followers). Sanchez maintains up-to-date Facebook and Myspace accounts. He also blogs frequently.

But Sanchez is hardly the lone techno-geek at CNN. In fact, his embrace of Web 2.0/social media is emblematic of a whole slew of examples of early-and-eager-adoption across the network, which seems to have taken the idea of utilizing social media to heart, more than any other broadcast network. (For evidence, check out the clip above where they explain how Twitter works) As Mashable points out, CNN has done everything from creating RSS feeds to embedded video, to working Twitter posts and Facebook comments into the broadcast. Perhaps their most audacious move into harnessing social media comes in the form of iReport.com, its fully user generated content platform -- which has received millions of submissions. While some have doubts about CNN's ability to make any real progress using services like Twitter, it only seems natural that the network that first pioneered "wall to wall" 24-hour TV news coverage in the 80s and 90s is, for better or for worse, leading the charge among its peers in the latest wave of mass communication.

There's definitely something in the air this Valentine's Day, and it's not just love. With the White House fighting to pass the massive economic stimulus bill, critics have been busy digging up the "bumper-sticker negatives" -- and at the top of most lists is the $335 million allocated for sexually transmitted disease education and prevention programs. With all the news coverage, it seems STDs have reentered the forefront of the media zeitgeist and the national dialogue, at least for the moment.

And with Valentine's Day coming up this weekend, Trojan Condoms has thrown itself right into the cultural intersection with this hilarious spot called "The Gifts," which is currently making the viral rounds online. Best line: "Gonorrhea? Aww, you shouldn't have!"

But for those unfortunate people who don't get the message on time, or the stimulus-funded education, there's always the anonymous, STD-warning e-card.

(via Adages)