Me on the Internet

After typing my name on the Google search bar, I was nervous to see the results of what is yet to appear in the worldwide Web. Turns out, there was little for me to worry about since all of the results had nothing related to me personally. The first result is a Facebook search of the name Marwa Ahmed. Once I entered the link, I was able to see the many faces of Marwa Ahmed's that are signed up with Facebook, around the world. Majority of them are female, Arab, and have different backgrounds from the middle East. After Facebook, other links were LinkedIn and I had the chance to see multiple Marwa's professional profiles who also reside in mainly Egypt or United Arab Emirates. Further in the results, there were Twitter accounts by Marwa Ahmed owners, as well as Youtube users. It was interesting to see the results for Images under my name's search as all the pictures were diverse variety of girls. Unfortunately, no Doppelgangers were identified although that would have been amusing... but not really.

Having zero related searches that are explicitly about me shows how private I try to keep my online identity. Although I participate in a few social networks which involves me sharing personal information, many of my setting's options are customized and put to private. For example, on Facebook I have the option to not let people search for me unless I add them or have mutual friends. Also, pictures of myself are completely privatized and only friends are able to view them. I do not consider myself paranoid or afraid of online identity theft and what not. I would rather to be completely safe then sorry because things are able to spread and shared instantaneously on the net, especially since it has gotten easier now to save other people's personal images and screen shot their content. Lastly, I try to limit myself from posting and sharing personal things about me online because I believe not everything about me must be displayed or known by everyone else.

On the topic of sharing everything about myself, this is the process of lifecasting. I have learned that it is the constant update of events in one's life through digital media. Facebook, Twitter and many other social networks give you the freedom to post anything about you. This gives you the chance to create your online image and identity which may be not identical to your reality. I believe this is a form of lifecasting because media platforms give people the chance to update their whereabouts, who they are with, doing what, when and how they are feeling at the moment. Images capture a more personal broadcast of yourself as well as videos and audio notes that even take it more personal. These media platforms are even connected within themselves so you can upload the same information on multiple social networks to notify your friends or followers.

Micro-Blogging

I decided to research on Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie and the debut of her recent choice on getting a double mastectomy. This major news erupted in the social world of Twitter and Facebook as fans of the actress read the news in disbelief. I began the research by going to a valid news source of celebrity news such as CBC.ca who are more likely to have more of an accurate coverage on the issue. I also looked upon Twitter to see other celebrity/gossip blogging websites to see the kind of information they have gathered on the topic. Comparing the two as sources of information, they are very different in content and style of writing. The blogs and less professional sites, such as perezhilton.com, were using modern language that appealed to a younger generation as for CBC.ca who has a more elite and elder audience spoke in a traditional manner. CBC.ca described the surgical procedure of removing Angelina's breasts whereas blogging sites focused on issues of acting and how this will effect her career in the future.

Angelina's double mastectomy instantly became a trending topic on Twitter because it is an event that prompts people or fans perhaps to talk about a specific topic. The topic "Angelina Jolie" was trending world wide on May 14, 2013 and has instantly caught my interest to further research about. Micro-blogging has changed traditional ways of reading the news because of the level of interactivity it has elevated to. Now anyone with a laptop is able to create "news articles" on events on blogging sites or social media sharing websites. We instantly receive updates on different events around the world as they happen due to the fast and convenient world of the Web. This also introduces gateways for gossip, rumours and other types of news to be created. News is easier to manipulate which is dangerous because of the large group of audience this has the ability to effect. Passive readers fall into the traps of blog websites and news media platforms that are biased or just full of BS to be frank.

Some benefits for micro-blogging on Twitter would be the linking to other media websites to further search on the topic. It gives you the option of choosing from the many tweeters and sources to pick and choose your information. This is helpful in my case because I had to read a few blogs to understand what exactly a double mastectomy is and how its related to breast cancer. Also, Twitter gives you a chance to see people's reactions and their thoughts on the medical choice of Angelina Jolie. It interested me to see what fans have to say about such a sensitive topic such as cancer. A constraint on Twitter would be the 180-character limit there is to Tweet about the topic which is not enough room to talk about such a sensitive topic such as breast cancer. I understand there are links to other pages that further talk about it but it would be nice to see a brief summary about Angelina's issue in a post on the main page. Bloggers do not have an explicitly limit to their word or character count which worries me because they can ramble on about the topic, adding in cutting information as their hearts desire.These media platforms all give users and readers the chance to write their opinion, reaction or stance on the double mastectomy issue which is the highlight points of Web 2.0. 

How Social Am I?

My name is Marwa Ahmed, I'm 2nd year Media and Communication Studies in Brock U. I consider myself to be apart of the ever growing digital generation of social media and networking. It has been embedded into our daily lives and a phenomenon within our culture. I participate in media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, WhatsApp and upcoming apps such as Vine and Snapchat. It is has become the norm for high school and university students to be involved within these online social communities. You socially become included with the lives of your friends and family, coworkers and even strangers who you wish to have known such as celebrities. Following the lives of others is the social culture of the digital age by being instantaneously updated with photos, posts, and location check ins of their whereabouts. The easy access of social media has made it more prominent and convenient to use and regularly check rather than using a desktop computer or laptop. We can now access a variety of platforms at once in our hand held devices such as smartphones, tablets, and now smart televisions. The integration and connectivity of these sites has made social media a platform for marketing and advertising because of the high number of users on a daily basis. For example, corporations such as Tide or Guess clothing can now promote new products, sales and promotions with customized Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. I find this convenient because now advertisements are being customized to find your interests that will be displayed in your page which will capture my attention. I consider to be very much social media active and it fascinates me to see the upcoming changes of our digital age and what the future holds for media development and new, unique platforms.