Impact of Digital Media Some thinking points! Lesson Objectives: to consider how digital technologies are affecting Social Media.

Social Media and Politics 21 st Century media relies heavily on digital media to communicate ideas, to provide a safe harbour for thoughts. This is especially true in countries where the national print and broadcast media are heavily censored It is a good thing that all views are aired at times of political unrest, a broad view is heard. The breadth of expressed views assures citizens that in a democracy no one group can claim to represent all of society. Democrasy requires a breadth of views. For example, Tunisian citizens monitoring state corruption organized themselves to create YouTube videos of the Tunisian president’s wife using the state plane for shopping trips to Milan and Paris The Internet allows opposition movements based outside an authoritarian-ruled country to reach into and become part of the political communication system Citizens have increased international content in their news diets. Family and friends employ Twitter, Facebook, and Orkut networks in their communications, independent of direct state control. Women are drawn into cyberspace discourse in ways not always available in “real” space. Twitter, blogs, or YouTube do not cause social unrest. But today, it is difficult to imagine successful social movement organizing and civic engagement without them, even in countries like Iran and Egypt. Many people in these countries have no Internet or mobile phone access. But those who do — urban dwellers, educated elites, and the young — are precisely the population that enables regime change or tacitly supports an electoral outcome. These are the citizens who support or defect from authoritarian rule, and these are the people whose connections to family and friends have demonstrably changed with the diffusion of new communications technologies. Pundits are right to point out that the Internet also is used to support terrorist networks

Activity: Paired discussion Can you think of any examples of how you have been engaged in a political conversation using digital media?

Social Media & Disasters The strength of social media is the ability of news and messages to quickly reach massive amounts of people, and not just reach them with a general alert but to tell various angles of the story. The ability to take action by donating is another huge bonus. Donors tend to be younger, more numerous but lower in amount donated. Mobile donations are a new and massive change to how people give to disaster funds. Consider also disaster donation requires online via as well as on television. Speed of response is the key but that feeling of immediate impact is not ‘real’ it can take months for your money to make an impact! The strength of social media is the ability of news and messages to quickly reach massive amounts of people, and not just reach them with a general alert but to tell various angles of the story. The ability to take action by donating is another huge bonus.

Class discussion Have you given to a disaster fund? Are you more likely to over your mobile than ringing up or sending cash? How do you think these ‘appeals’ feedback to news reporting of such incidents?

Digital Media and Businesses Consider Piracy (not Somalian ones!)… Can you compete with free? Apple think you can, by offering a much better ‘product’. How does open source affect trading on the internet? Do you think you get a better deal than on the high street because of it? What are the moral issues with piracy?

Task: in groups of less than 4 Imagine you work for the ‘Red Cross’, there is a major earthquake in the south of england (highly unlikely btw!) Brainstorm the different ways you would use the media to communicate news & ask for donations. For each method, outline the strategies you would use.