Social Semiotics

• Paragraph 1: Provide a basic introduction to the methodology. What is it? Who discovered it? Why is it important?
• Social semiotics basically the study of unnoticed things. Social semiotics draws on qualitative analysis of records of "meaning making" a few examples would be artifacts, texts, or transcripts. the purpose of this analysis is to create meaning making. Social semiotics focuses on spreading the studies of media and the modes of communication that people use to demonstrate their understanding of the world and to create stronger relationships with others. This concept was created by Michael Halliday. Social semiotics is important because it gives context and a wider understanding of visual texts and the relationship between texts and to the community or the environment that the texts were created in. Social semiotics focuses on meanings in context rather than things associated with abstract. 
• Paragraph 2: What are some of the rules associated with the methodology? What do photos at the top mean (at the bottom, to the left, to the right etc.)
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• There are three parts to social semiotics that allows us to be able to break down each part of social semiotics more effectively. The first part os representational, which refers to the real works either abstract of concrete, this category can be broken into two more parts narrative and conceptual. Narrative examines concrete events within an image and conceptual provides the framework for classification. The second part of social semiotics is interactive meaning which is broken down into three aspects of visual material, contact, distance and point of view. The third part of social semiotics is compositional aspects which includes information value, framing, salience and modality.  
• Paragraph 3: Provide 2 images and analyze them through the Social Semiotics method.

Contextual information: 

General: a group of people behind a sign that has the name of the city they are in. 

photographer: some random person on the street

Year: 2022

Representational: the image is representing a family traveling together. when first viewing the image one only sees the sign then the people behind it. Once looking at the image a little longer one would notice that they are standing in the middle of the town square. 

Interactive meaning: this picture is to remind its audience about the good times the family is having and to hopefully encourage the viewer to think about a time with their family. 

Compositional: the viewer is supposed to feel welcomed and get a sense of happiness from this photo. 

Context: 

general: photo taken of procedure supplies for a certain medical procedure. 

photographer: me 

year: 2022

representational: the image is supposed to show the viewer how to set up for a medical procedure. If the viewer looks closer there is notes on the trey the show what needs to be done to set up the medical supply trey correctly. 

interactive: this is supposed to be an image that shows the viewer how to replicate it. This image is very interactive. 

compositional: the viewer is looking down at the image and trying to replicate it. the supplies are framed together and organized in a certain way on the trey. 

Zolyan. (2019). General sociolinguistics, social semiotics and semiotics of culture - ex pluribus     unum? Forty years after Language as Social Semiotic. Sign Systems Studies, 47(3-4), 400–       419. https://doi.org/10.12697/SSS.2019.47.3-4.03

Visual social semiotics. Theories of Visual Communication. (2016, September 2). Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://theoriesofviscomblog.wordpress.com/visual-social-semiotics/ 

Online Arguments

I have chosen an online argument that happened over instagram. This argument started because someone in my sisters graduating high school class posted a video of them dunking on their principal during their graduation. This argument started with someone sliding into the comment section under the post and talking about white privilege and how because the boys who dunked on the principal were white they were the only ones allowed to do it and they would not get into trouble. Here is the link that goes to a google drive folder that has the images of the argument. The argument continues for a while so this is just a short example of what it looked like. There is also a video of the post you might have to download it to see it. 

I chose this argument because one this is my high school that I graduated from. Second, this video ended up going viral for a little bit and from what I saw this was one of the only argumentative comments on the video itself after doing some research on the popular instagram profiles that reposted it. 

A few concerns and negative examples that I have with this argument is one, both sides do not really know the situation that the other side is in. This is a concern because negative discussion and making personal attacks could really hurt someone over social media. The second negative example is that the person who started the argument did not know the full story of how this video came to be. A concern for this is that because they did not know that the boys who dunked on their principal asked for permission before they did it makes the person to call out white privilege seem a little harsh on the observation. The third negative example is that both sides were aiming to personally attack on another when things got out of hand. This is concerning because arguments should not be to tear one another down but to express ones beliefs on a certain subject and this was not the case in this given argument. 

five rules on how people should argue online correctly.

1) Understand that there is a person behind the screen and make sure that you are comfortable telling this person face-to-face the same thing you are telling them online. 

2) Be able to back up your argument with sound data not just a personal story. 

3) Be respectful of the other side's argument, though you may not agree with them you must acknowledge that this is what someone else believes and your should treat them with the same respect that you expect to be treated with. 

4) The goal of arguing should be to widen both sides perspectives and challenge different beliefs. 

5) Things should not get personal. nothing should be said to tear down the person you are arguing with or commenting negative things about their profile pictures or any other thing that does not relate to what you are arguing about. 

Toulmin Method

The Toulmin Method is a form of argument that utilizes many different key aspects of the art of arguing. Claim, the statement being argued, reasons, the reason behind the statement being argued, and the evidence, data used to back up the statement being argued. The goal of this method allows the user to be able to observe and break down the different parts of someone's argument. 

An example of the Toulmin Method is the most recent abortion laws that have been made in several different states. There are many ways to go about discussing this topic, this website talks about the different pros and cons for abortion and the laws on it. This website is a great example of making a statement either a pro or con and then backing it up with reason and evidence. Though I will not disclose what I feel or believe about these recent events. I know that many people feel passionate about how America chooses to address abortion. I think that the Toulmin method has been lost in many forms of arguments, debates, and protests. This method of arguing provides an organization to the arguer's words, actions and beliefs that could help people listen to what they have to say. Below are a few examples of the pro, con statements. 

 

Green, J. M. (2017). Agenda-Setting Theory. In Communicating online (pp. 315). essay, McGraw Hill Education Create.

Top 15 arguments for and against - procon.org. Abortion. (2022, March 2). Retrieved May 15, 2022, from https://abortion.procon.org/

Research Podcast

 I listened to a podcast called "interviewing a Facebook user" this podcast talked about how members of a military branch used facebook to generate hate and violence against muslims. He talks about how influential facebook is specifically. This caused one of the worlds largest human migration all due to misinformation on Facebook. This podcast I think really focuses on the chapter that we read in class for the week "Agenda-Setting Theory" It is alarming knowing that people and myself can be influenced by social media without even knowing that we are being influenced. This can be detrimental to people because news, posts, and comments can influence how people live their lives. Based on the information in the class book, Online Communication, this podcast addresses the levels of the theory. The agenda-setting theory states that media agenda shapes the public agenda. This theory can be broken into three different levels. The story that the podcast discussed highlights the first level of the agenda-setting theory which is what I will be discussing today. 

Level 1 states that the media tells us what to think about. Just like in the podcast certain members of the army created fake facebook user accounts and started following celebrities and posting about the Muslim community to upset the public and to generate hate and racism around the muslim community. This is a first hand example of how the media can influence what we think and believe. It is sad to see that not in just this situation but other posts and beliefs fall short of what is actually true. Many times social media leads people to false information and stories that lead them to make judgments about things that they either do not understand or have just not experienced.  Today's world we are bombarded with so much false information or information with truth but not the whole truth. It has become hard to believe what people say or even what some articles write about in the news or on websites. One must take a whole day to research something that they may or may not know all ready but they are doubting what they believe based off of social media profiles. 

Dangers of Social Media . (2020). Apple Podcasts. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interviewing-a-facebook-user/id1537281963?i=1000495951688. 

Green, J. M. (2017). Agenda-Setting Theory. In Communicating online (pp. 144–156). essay, McGraw Hill Education Create.

The Battle for Public Opinion

 In today's post I will be discussing how social media has changed how movements are started, how things are documented, and edited to fit an agenda. 

How has social media played a role in the 2020 civil rights movement and protests?

 Social media has allowed for the ability to be able to share a video such as the murder of George Floyd filmed by a 17 year old who posted it to social media. This video went viral over instagram and other social media platforms with in a day almost everyone who was on social media in the U.S. knew of the George Floyd case. Here is an article about the woman who filmed the murder its self and her take on what was going through her mind when she was filming it and what happened to her after she filmed it. This post forced social media users to make an opinion about the injustices within society and also allowed them to post about the black lives matter movement there were organized social media protests for example posting a picture of a black image and hashtagging it black lives matter. There were also posts about walk outs and marches that spread through the nation faster than any breaking news announcement. Social media has allowed for faster accessibility to information and action on injustices the civil rights movement was the beginning of how social media can be effective in obtaining justice.  

How is social media changing the way we document history?

Social media has allowed for more of video and photo documentation rather than written documentation. In this way it could be a little bit more accurate because it is hard to put your bias on a video. Which can allow people who study history in the future to create their own opinions about history and not be influenced by the writers or publisher's bias. 

Give and example of how social media has been used in a positive or negative way. 

Social media has allowed people to post their opinions on their profile or anyone else's platform. This can be effective in creating respectful discussions or creating awareness but most times it turns into abrasive and cruel comments always focused on completely shutting down the person who posted their belief or said something in a video that viewers do not agree with. Rather than explaining why they disagree or providing facts against the statement they just say cruel things that puts the person down. An example is the recent JK Rowling backlash on what she said what she believed about the LGTBQ+. I am not here to state my opinion on what she had to say but just to point out what happened from an outside third party perspective with no bias in the matter. For a while gender equality movements as well as the LGTBQ+ rights movements have been blossoming and apart of many social media, political, and social debates. JK Rowling posted a comment that was true to what she felt and to what she believed. Here is an article that breaks down what happened and what was said in some of the comments. There was some comments that shared their disagreements respectfully and aimed to bring awareness to the other side of the controversy. but most of the comments were directly attacking her and her success. The down fall of social media is that many people get so comfortable with tearing down a username and they do not remember that they are actually tearing down the person who owns that user name. This creates an immature, hateful, negative, and degrading environment that is only driven to finding who is right and who is wrong. Over social media there is never a grey space or an agree to disagree argument it is always who is right and who is wrong and the person who is wrong gets publicly humiliated, ruined, and chastised for a sentence that they said. 

this is just a reminder that many times you do not know the person behind the screen. You do not know what they are struggling with and the challenges that they face everyday. Your comment might have everything to do with how they feel for the whole day. 

Online Communication, Business Assessment- Sunski Sunglasses

The business I chose to review is a sunglasses brand that was founded in San Fransisco California in 2012. Sunski is a brand that aims to provide affordable and sustainable sunglasses for outdoor recreation. In my opinion, I think that Sunski does a great job at communicating their goal and their "vibe" on their website and social media platforms. Their presence on instagram is organic and true to their style. For example the brand is not Gucci or Lewis Vuitton this brand uses models that advertise activity with the sunglasses such as biking, hiking, or running. 

On the top of the home page of the website has a quote that says "Rare Shades for Wild Humans" this is an eye catching and unique phrase that draws people in. Then in the middle of the page there is their mission statement and a few images of their top selling or new style of sunglasses. Towards the end of the page their is other links that you can click on to get to the main shopping site of their sunglasses as well as information on how their company is practicing sustainability. Personally I find it effective, the top part draws you in and tells you about the company and their mission as to why their sunglasses are worth buying and towards the middle they show some of their styles and how they look on people then at the end of the website it gives facts about sustainability and the company. Another thing that I found attractive about this website and the company is that their sunglasses a quality and all under $100!!

I think that this business really has a unique and organic feel to how they communicate to their customers and how the express their brand. Here are some images from the company site that I really speak to how the company is managed and the customers that they are trying to reach. 

Personally I think the company could improve on their social media appearance by reaching out to customers to post or tag them in posts to better reach different audiences and customers.

Discussion- Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

 Howdy Readers! This week I am planing on talking about the big divide between humans on media. Many times you have the young generation using social media platforms, the internet and technology much more efficiently than the older generation. Digital Natives is a term that is used by Marc Prensky he defines them as people who are native speakers of the digital language (tends to be the younger generation, people who have grown up with email, texts, chats, and various social media platforms). Prensky also uses the term digital immigrants, people who also use social media and technology but were not apart of the digital world at some point in their lives. Prensky talks about a digital divide between digital immigrants and digital natives he also discusses the impacts that it has on the student teacher relationship and how education and students choose to learn. In his article "The Emerging Online Life of the Digital Native: What they do differently because of technology, and how they do it"  Prensky explains how the internet and information is now free, accessible and abundant in any information that a student is trying to learn. Usually in the classroom teachers were the only ones teaching the information, most times it is not the information that the student is interested in, and if the student is interested in the information why listen to a lecture that has selected information that the teacher only knows or has prepared when you could access all information with a few clicks on a computer or smart phone. This has led to a divide in the classroom. not to mention the lack of ability that teacher who tend to be digital immigrants lack in using social media or technology in a way that effectively engages a digital native and attempts to assist in their learning as a student. 

Another author named Paul Kirschner discusses the "myths" that Prensky's addresses in his article. One myth that is discusses is how being a ‘digital native’ doesn’t necessary mean one is ‘digitally literate’ what Kirschner is trying to get at is that even though someone might be a digital native, they might not understand the 'social rules' or how to interact on a media or internet platform making it difficult to connect with other fellow digital natives making them 'digitally illiterate'. Kirschner's article is called "The myths of the digital native and the multitasker"  

I think that due to recent events many people had an online present that thrived during the COVID pandemic. Many digital natives found comfort in communicating online and began to become more comfortable living their lives this way. For example online exams, SATs, and virtual classrooms have become preferred by some students rather than in-person tests, group work, and attending in person office hours. So many students have become so much of a digital native that they prefer only interacting and learning as a digital native. I understand that this is an online course and we have all chosen to take the course online due to any amount of situations that we are all in, but I wonder if there was a day where all classes had to be in person, how many people from this class would show up to actually meet our fellow peers in the flesh? To be honest, maybe I think that it would be a waste of time or maybe it is just a cover knowing that I am okay with communicating through a screen rather than in person. I know I would like to think that I would be the first person to show up to an in person lecture but if I am being truthful I am not sure if I would be biting at the bit to be permanently in person.