New Media & Society

New media has caused society to become more outspoken. It has given us the sense that we have a voice and that voice can be heard by anyone at any time. New media has allowed us to view everyone as human, because no matter how important of a job one has, they still manage to find the time to publicize their lives on social media. As odd as this seems, it has revolutionized the concept of celebrity. What was once unreachable is now only a Tweet or Facebook comment away. 

Privacy and Confidentiality

Social Networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook began as a fun method of self-expression. Users would post “inside jokes” publicly on each other’s profiles and photos of all kinds were uploaded without a second thought. Now that new media has become so mainstream in the corporate world, social networking profiles can no longer be used so freely. Although “privacy” settings are available to restrict viewers, many companies will gain suspicion of a potential employee whose social profiles are too hidden. People tend to share very personal information on their profiles, and thus need to be aware of who might be viewing them.

Advice to Brooklyn College

I would suggest Brooklyn College create a Facebook page for each course offered at the school. Professors can use this as a way to easily communicate with the entire class at once, and maintain an organized schedule with reminders for upcoming assignments. Students can also use the class Facebook page to express questions and concerns. Other students can see what their classmate has posted and “Like” it to confirm that this is a popular thought. Furthermore, each department can require a link to the class Facebook page be submitted, thus providing an easy glimpse into student feedback and the semester as a whole.