The Digital Age

Over the past few months, I have been given the task of posting weekly blogs that consisted of digital topics. In that time, I have truly seen the depth and control that digital media has in every aspect of our lives. Everything we do is almost always done through some form of digital medium. We shop digitally, order food from websites, find dates on apps, talk through video, plan our days on digital calendars, share our lives on all forms of social media, and so much more.

In my experience, technology has been very beneficial. It opens up a world of convenience, entertainment, and satisfaction. I am certain that there are not many people that could live without these privileges. However, I have also witnessed technology be debilitating for a lot of social interactions. Everywhere I turn I see people staring at their phones, and after four years of college, I have yet to sit next to someone on a bus who does not look at their phone the entire ride. I would be lying if I said I did not fit into this category, because I am just as guilty as my fellow students. I have caught on to this so called "norm," and I constantly look at my phone to keep myself occupied. I am not trying to advocate for more social interactions and less technology time (even though I fully support it), but rather use this as an example of how prominent digital media is in our lives.

Businesses, whether small or large, are also heavily dependent on digital technologies. As technology develops, businesses will adopt these and continue to grow. I am pleased to be studying a profession that relies on these digital advances, and will always present new challenges that will help me learn and expand my career.

The Social Battle

Last week, Facebook released an update to their app that includes their own version of "stories." Similar to Instagram, the new Facebook design adds a strip of stories to the top of the page. Facebook did this in an effort to compete with Snapchat and increase their daily use. The stories carry similar features as Snapchat, such as filters.

With Snapchat being Facebook's main competitor, and the decline in overall usage, Facebook realized they had to make some updates in order to retain their user base. The growing trend among millennials is the concept of video and photo communication. Snapchat users normally put their activities on their story, before they post a picture and clever caption to Facebook. Snapchat has just become a fun, interactive way to show your friends what you are doing, and filters have made the experience even more entertaining.

In my opinion, this new creation by Facebook has the potential of being beneficial, but I could also foresee it being ineffective. Implementing Snapchat style stories was a move in the right direction for Facebook, because people are fascinated by consumer generated content. Consumers will go nuts over digital content that requires participation that will ultimately lead to a fun experience. If Facebook had just recreated Instagram's version of stories, I would not anticipate users to accept the new Facebook design. However, since they implemented filters to compete with Snapchat, I think users will be more likely to try out Facebook's newest addition. However, I think Facebook is too late in adopting this new feature. Even though people crave new digital trends and consumer generated content, Snapchat is the current leader in video and photo communication. I think consumers will be slow to adopt Facebook's version, since they have been accustomed to Snapchat. In my opinion, the Facebook and Snapchat stories are too similar, and I don't think Facebook can compete with Snapchat's presence in digital communication. Facebook has always been the outlet for sharing photos and captions, and Snapchat has been the outlet for sending quick videos and photos with cute snapchat filters and voice changing animations. The two platforms are meant for two completely different things, and I don't see people turning to Facebook to send the things they would normally send through Snapchat. That does not mean that people won't experiment with Facebook stories to see what filters that have to offer.