Let's communicate

The more I learn about public relations, the more I am uncovering about our society's reliance on and infatuation with digital communication and uses of social medias.

I am of an age that would suggest I have grown up with various social media channels - however it seems, I missed the boat. I lived in a home with a computer, but it was never the centre of my entertainment or learning environment. I used e-mail only when I left the country and my opinions on the internet came with skepticism of the unknown. I have an interest in technology and can see the purpose it serves, but I also love the tranquility of life without it. It is funny to think that using a computer was not a part of my daily life just over three yeas ago. What is interesting is that there is no turning back.

Coming back to school meant not only changing my lifestyle, but gaining exposure to digital resources and media outlets, and then actually using them as a functioning tool. My early experiences with digital technology were ones of confusion and frustration. Realizing it's importance, I quickly adapted, learning as much as I could. It is easy to get a hate on for technology, but it isn't smart to deny yourself the know how. There is no denying it, technology in all of it's many forms and functions has forever changed the way we communicate and the only way to survive in the social and business world is to be able to manipulate it to serve your purpose. One of the biggest purposes I have noticed these technologies being used for is networking.

I would consider myself a social being, but I didn't realize how technically I was slipping behind socially. I do not have the internet, I was not on facebook, I didn't have a myspace page and I was uneducated about other social medias. Yet all of these things were quite important to those around me, they all had a functioning purpose in my fellow classmates daily lives. So what did I do to keep up - I signed up for facebook. At first it was entertaining - I was connecting with people that were geographically far away, communicating with friends and family easily and could access a variety of opinions on numerous topics. Then, something shifted, and facebook started to make me feel claustrophobic, as it was allowing me to find people and gain insight into their current lives - it was also allowing people to do the same to me. I felt so exposed. I should put it out there that I still currently have a facebook page. I can't deny it's value as a communication tool just yet. I am however, uneasy about the idea of people thinking they can figure me out from what they can find on the internet.

My feelings stemmed back to my initial views of the internet - skepticism. There is so much good information out there, but there is so much false fact floating around too. I found that facebook, like msn or myspace as a communication tool works best when the people you are talking to already have an understanding of how you naturally speak. Words have so many meanings, phrases can be said sarcastically, seriously or jokingly; written communication leaves so much open for interpretation, especially when used via the internet at rapid speeds. It is however, the wave of the now and the future. I also found that most people didn't have any problem interpreting one another; this form of communication was foreign to me, but not at all to others. I wasn't used to posting thoughts, feelings, activities or photos online but the majority of our society is. (As you can see by this blog, I am challenging my levels of comfort!)

Currently, in my public relations course I am being reminded just how much digital communication is taking over. The speed at which information can be shared is incredible, and the only way to keep up with these social changes is to adapt to these methods of communication. As I have been learning, so have most industries; more and more businesses are aware of this evolving form of communication and working out ways to keep up. All the PR professionals that I have had the pleasure of meeting this year emphasize the importance of media monitoring. They not only have their own media outlets; e-mail, podcasts, webinars, blogs, vlogs, websites etc. but they are paying attention the the social media outlets to stay in tune with their consumers and clients. Whether is be for information or opinion gathering, research or investigation, these social media channels are frequently being viewed. They have become an efficient way to spread and gather information, while simultaneously linking people and opinions together. Public relations is about connecting people; digital communication seems to be a perfect fit for such an industry.

As great as this digital communication wave is for businesses, personally it still makes me a bit uneasy. As stated above, business are constantly monitoring the media, but they aren't just doing it for market research. I read an article in My Career Magazine; it informed me that employers are searching out these social media channels as a method of selection in their hiring process. They are viewing profiles and opinions of potential employees trying to perceive an image of that person. We may not have anything to hide you say, but remember how easy it is for information to be misinterpreted. Looks like my fears about facebook are coming true. We are always being watched and profiled, even more so in this day and age where information and opinions move faster than we do.