Principles of Social Media Class Review

When deciding on classes to take for my last semester, Principles of Social Media wasn't my first option. Actually, it wouldn't be in the top twenty. This was not that I disliked the class or its professor, far from that. Honestly, social media is a bane to humanity in my opinion. Ironically, I use Facebook and YouTube every day. I chose the class, genuinely out of curiosity, and I needed to find a class to fulfill my graduation credits. This class had its ups and downs, but I still found some enjoyment in the class.

I came into the class with little to no knowledge of social media and its components. It became a real surprise when I discovered it was a class related to marketing, which was very far from my major. Previously, I swore to myself that I would never take a class that related to business or marketing. Well, when I had already bought the expensive book and the desperate need for credits, I knew there was no way out without receiving a failing grade on my permanent record. So, I stayed throughout the semester. There were aspects that I found interesting at the beginning, like writing a blog and learning the nitty gritty of social media platforms. However, some aspects made me want to jump ship. There was conducting a podcast, which I believe to be an introvert's nightmare. There was also the Buhi bag simulation, which was long and annoying at times. 

Professor Aggie was a great professor. She was very outgoing and genuinely cared about student input and progress. There were points where she would get off topic and play with Pinterest or LinkedIn. I guess it was part of the learning process on her part. Still, she made the class enjoyable and adapted well to everyone's needs. She would get a five out of five in my book. 

In my honest opinion, I believe this class is perfect for those who are looking into a career in social media and marketing. This class wasn't my cup of tea, still, my opinion isn't the only one that matters. Just because I had a rocky experience, that everyone did. Sure, I hope some of my complaints make an impact on the overall class. I still want everyone to feel comfortable in this unique class and enjoy it. Best of luck to future students who take Principles of Social Media. I hope y'all find enjoyment in it.

 

Final ONU Life Poem #14 "Graduation"

Picture it, Ada, 2021. I began my educational journey at Ohio Northern University with eagerness and fear. Since then, I have encountered many students and professors who helped me through their amazing adventures. Within the next few weeks, I will finish my college years, and I wish to look back at what made it such an exciting, yet difficult and unexpected experience.

When I began studying at Ohio Northern, it was during the pandemic, and people were still wearing masks around campus. This was also the first time I experienced classes that began early in the morning and lasted until the evening. In my first year, the professors seemed to be very nice and supportive of every student they had. It also became clear that every professor had their own special ways of teaching. This was either a blessing or a curse. Still, the first semester of my first year went as great as I planned. I contracted COVID and was forced home for two weeks, missing class and hurting my perfect attendance record. It also took a small toll on my grades. If that wasn't bad, I also lost someone close to me during that time, so I was gone another two weeks. I still worked during that time, even though COVID left me unable to breathe, sleep, or stay awake at times. Beyond that, I managed to get back up and worked my pants off to maintain good grades in all of my classes. My professors were very supportive during this time. 

Throughout my career on campus, I also became part of the Student Senate. I served as a housing representative for Maglott my first year and Brookhart the next three years. This was a new experience for me, coming off a high school student council. There were a whole lot of parliamentary rules to follow, budgeting for campus organizations, and service events that put a lot on my plate. I knew I didn't want to join student organizations or Greek life, but I believe Student Senate was the place for me to get involved and control my own schedule. I have done a lot in my housing representative role over the years. I helped out the halls I lived in and provided the next generation of representatives with a blueprint on how to do things properly.

Living here on campus has made me appreciate many aspects of it. I am grateful for the professors who taught me. I missed some after I had left class, especially after the layoffs of history, geography, and political science professors last year. I really like my geography courses, especially how to use ArcGIS and how to draw a physical map. One class I will not miss is Statistics or any other math-related class. I enjoyed my history classes and some of the required classes, like those that delved deep into the natural world. Speaking of the natural world, I know I'm really going to miss the beautiful nature on campus. The walks around the ponds really made my day feel better.  The squirrels and ducks outside my door in the morning were something that made the day enjoyable.

As I leave ONU, I bid you all farewell and best wishes for your ONU career and your career after your own graduation. 

We mustn't feel sad

Though we mustn't feel entirely glad

The friends we made

Will always be our aide

Making our lives forever ironclad 

The Social Dilemma Review

I believe no person in the United States today is not influenced by a social media platform. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, social media's presence has grown exponentially and engulfed millions of people's lives. What was started to simply connect people far apart from each other, to share lives and positivity with others, has become a tool of control and division. While there are still some good aspects of social media, it is not wise to avoid the negatives as well. The Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, gives insight into how social media companies operate and their primary goals. 

In the documentary, there are interviews with former social media employees, social media experts, and people with some background in social media. Some of these people explain that they have experienced the drastic change of social media over the years, their influence, and reasons why they left the companies they were a part of. They continue to discuss the overall impact of social media on the minds of people, specifically of younger generations that grew up alongside social media platforms. A few of these experts have tried to put a pause on or call out some of the aspects that are harmful to the public. Even when they had all the power and factors, it was only dismissed and forgotten. This forced these experts to leave and begin to advocate for controls on social media. Other experts and employees stated it is hard to avoid the influence of social media, but controlling it must be a primary objective. They've even controlled it in their own households. One of the most talked-about subjects is the spread of misinformation. This only hurts society and pushes people away from each other. Social media has led to strong democracies to crumble over false accusations and information. 

My opinion of the documentary is overall positive. I liked the side story with the family battling over the control of phones in everyday life. This portion allows the audience to relate to the real world, where people have become so addicted to their devices and have become easily influenced by outside forces. This resulted in them being hurt socially and physically, dragging others into messes that didn't need to happen. I believe this documentary is a great way for the world to know of the dangerous effects of social media and begin to think of the time they spend on it, what they read, and how it might affect their real life. I liked this documentary and I would highly recommend it to others. 

ONU Life Poem #13 "Art of Nature"

When life is giving you troubles, one of the things you could do is to paint. Painting is a way to really allow your emotions to be free and to express yourself in a personal way. This doesn't require you to charge your phone, open an app, and find a funny picture just to make you happy. The art of painting allows you to find enjoyment in the smaller things. It makes you appreciate the nature around you. The time and patience that goes into a canvas allow you to create your own world. You're not beholden to anyone but yourself. You don't have to worry about likes, subscriptions, pop-up ads, or haters on the internet. Painting is for you and you alone, if that is what you want. 

Almost every weekend, I like to paint. As of now, I have been working on the same canvas for about five weeks. I tend to keep my paintings to myself, but I do post one image on Facebook after I complete it. I don't really care about likes or comments, I just want to express myself in a positive way that shows I'm satisfied with what I do. I hope that others in my friend group will be inspired to do the same, but that is up to them if they pull through with it. For me, painting allows me to cool down and turn my attention away from the chaotic world around me. It allows me to connect with myself and the subject in my work. For the most part, I focus on nature scenes, landscapes, or mysterious/magical environments for ancient tales. That is what makes me happy, and it is something I plan on doing for a long time. I must say, the hardest part is trying to clean paint off my fingers. Some paint acts more like a liquid than a paste. Still, even the things that don't seem practical are useful in other ways.

If painting is not your desire, that's okay. There are always activities that allow you to take a break from the world around you and be connected to something pure as nature. Still, painting or listening to music are some ways to interact with the world without interacting with the negatives. Painting can help find inner peace and allow your mind to be as creative as you want. If you could remember this, all works of art are for the artist's pleasure and no one else's. This means that the art you create, if it satisfies you, then it is a true masterpiece. It doesn't matter what anyone else says, art is beautiful always. As long as you believe in yourself, that is the true value of art. Still, be careful of what you paint. Art is personal, but don't make it offensive or disgusting. Art must still be respectable and welcoming. 

Painting is an interesting and liberating hobby. Never doubt those who paint, draw, or write music. These are people who are free and want to let their minds be free. I hope that some of you can paint from time to time. I hope you all find something you like that connects you with the world that doesn't involve an electronic device. 

Nature is true art

That comes from the soul and the heart

Never look away

You'll be led astray

For the beauty of the world is a fresh start 

Chapter 11 'Marketing with TikTok"

Just to be clear, I dislike TikTok. It is not just because of my political standpoint, but other factors as well. For some reason, I have something against popular things or fads during a period. I think I've said this before, but I'm not on a whole lot of social media and find it annoying and addictive. There are good things about it, but I don't think the benefits outway the negatives of it. Still, I can't speak for everyone. This is just my personal opinion. TikTok just seems a little redundant to other platforms available nowadays, and honestly, it takes up too much time in people's lives. I know people have built their careers on TikTok and make good money. Also, expressing their creative sides as well. Still, people could use other platforms for this. 

Despite my criticisms about the social media platform, there are benefits to businesses that should not be ignored. In Chapter 11, it explains that TikTok has become a worldwide sensation, gaining hundreds of followers almost every year. It has made its way into the lives of very influential people and groups. These factors can help businesses with advertising their products, gaining new customers, and expanding their influence to other areas of the world. TikTok allows for businesses to set up their own accounts, same like other platforms, and create fancy videos that draw people in like catnip. TikTok is unique in that it provides some services not found on other platforms. It positions itself as a short video machine, unlike Instagram or YouTube. Still, that is the only thing, in my opinion. It does have shops for buying products and bidding functions. It is evolving with messaging tools, similar to maybe Twitter.

Regardless of what the chapter says, TikTok will never be a part of my life. I'd rather be stuck in Antarctica than make an account. Still, I can't deny the tools or influence it has. There are some good aspects, but none that draw me in. For businesses, I can see its value. It allows businesses to spread their influence and sell products. It also keeps businesses relevant and modern. Though I hope in the future some other platform comes in and takes TikTok off the map. Even though I dislike TikTok, I'm not saying that you can't use it. If it makes you happy, go right ahead. Just don't expect me to fall into this rabbit hole of confusion and chaos. 

ONU Life Poem #12 "Night Life"

When referring to "night life", I don't mean partying or staying up till three in the morning. I'm referring to the natural life that goes at night, whether human or not. There is much that goes on after the sun sets, and sometimes we kinda forget about it. For some of us, thinking of going out at night is frightful and dangerous. Well, when you live in a town or city, it can be. However, for others like me, nightlife is an amazing experience. The beauty of going out in a familiar yet unknown environment is very interesting and exotic. For some reason, the places you recognize during the day, like a tree or barn, look very different at night. The lack of light messes with your eyes, you see the object in a different color, and possibly don't see it at all, and run into it. 

Many creatures wander through the night. Living in the rural countryside, animals are quite common, whether it be during the day or night. Still, seeing night creatures is interesting and beautiful. During the summer, I go outside quite a bit, so I've encountered my share of animals. I have seen opossums and raccoons, and even bats at dusk. Though encountering such creatures is short-lived. Most run off before you see them. Others are too fast and sporadic with their movements, like bats. Still, I've managed to take some pictures of some creatures at night. Some of them are just outdoor cat pictures, still, I've got some of the opossums. 

Not just the creatures are fascinating, but the sky above. The plentiful stars in the sky, the moon phases, and the planets moving about their orbits are always intriguing to look at. I know I've said this plenty of times in previous blogs, but it makes you wonder about how small and isolated our planet is. It opens your eyes by seeing a bigger universe where everything seems possible. There is a balance that many people ignore. People are so driven towards greed that and become blind to the many precious things around them. People spend too much time focusing on the future; they sometimes forget to enjoy the present. The Earth may be changing, but the night sky remains almost the same. While there is violence, pain, and suffering down here. There is peace and a new adventure that awaits above. There are still great things here on Earth, like the life that walks through the night, the peaceful sounds of the weather, and the smell of the environment around. There is also friendship, but not just between two people. There must also be a friendship between people and nature, both during the day and the night. We must be aware of everything around, at all times. We must all learn to enjoy what we have before it is taken away. 

Star light, star bright

This light, never leave my sight

I wish for peace 

I hope it'll never cease 

Always shine on a dark and unsure night

Creatures of the night

Come forth into my sight

Let your souls live

You have nothing to give

But guarantee that you're alright

Chapter 10 "Marketing with YouTube"

No one from our generation has grown up without YouTube. It has become a significant staple in our society and a necessity to make it through the day. Whether it be to watch episodes from your favorite sitcom or to watch a music video you made in high school. YouTube has become vital for our mental and social survival. Growing up, I never really saw YouTube as a social media platform. I was more focused on how to get three stars on an Angry Bird level. Still, there were some hints along the way that suggested to me that YouTube was able to bring people together like Facebook or Twitter. However, YouTube is unique in that it primarily focuses on videos rather than picture posts. I consider myself lucky to have grown up in an age where YouTube had little to no ad activity. Nowadays, YouTube is polluted with ads. It gets tiring and annoying at times. "No, I don't want Little Ceasars or a code for Old Spice body wash", I constantly say while watching a tip on how to cook cookies the Victorian way. Luckily, I have an ad blocker. Ironically, it was from a YouTube ad. Go Figure. 

Now that I got my experience and grievances out of the way, let's talk about the chapter. Chapter 10 was interesting. As stated previously, I never really considered YouTube a social media site, let alone a way for businesses to advertise themselves. Still, as YouTube has evolved over the years since 2005, it has become very popular for companies and businesses to advertise their products or services on it. It has also been very effective to connect with influencers to promote some products. I know that some YouTubers will take a short break to talk about products they use regularly. It is very tempting to see someone you follow enjoy a product that you may find useful. However, I'm Mister Cheapscake and don't like to spend a whole lot of money on something that could be too good to be true. The chapter does a great job in explaining how to use YouTube effectively and seems to be easy in organizing. One can choose their profile picture and manipulate thumbnails. Even connecting one video to another related video or a company site for a possible purchase. 

I probably won't use YouTube in my lifetime, whether to make content or buy a product. There seem to be a lot of uncharted waters on this platform. I think rewatching my favorite videos and listening to music will take up most of my YouTube time. Still, the value of advertising and selling products on YouTube is very high. YouTube is very popular and contains some of the top influencers across social media. Though, TikTok and Instagram may be edging ahead in some regards. YouTube has fought back effectively with the introduction of Shorts and TV services. I wait to see how YouTube evolves to the changing times. I commend this chapter for explaining YouTube in a new light.