Social Media Metrics and Analytics: lj3

Social Media Metrics and Analytics: lj3

From the "We Are Data" reading and previous materials, I now know that every activity we do online leave behind digital traces, which then are picked up by algorithms to create personal databases of our "online" selves. And the same also applies to social media, Application Program Interface (API) is what allows data to be shared across social media which will then be organized by social network algorithms to group similar data categories together. There are multiple social media metrics for performance such as followers, interactions, popularity, and these metrics will inform the users of their social selves, which are also derived from data that the algorithms collected from digital traces. The word cloud visualization I did last couple of weeks was an excellent example of metadata, which is data about data, of how data are collected and grouped together through keyword detection just like how word clouds are created. It does provide the potential for the developers to create a personalized news feed for each user, which might sound great, but could be a major violation of our privacy online. After all, what's the point of having a private account designated for close friends and family if the data can be seen by other developers. Plus, the security issue is another annoying companion of the previous problem if developers can see it using algorithms then bad people can also steal our information and sell it using similar algorithms. Even though I agreed to their terms and service when I sign up for my account on the platform, it still makes me feel uneasy every time I log in and saw an advertisement that is similar to what I just spoke out loud a couple hours ago.

Knowing this made me adjust my social media usage significantly, I used to think that the more personal details you provide to your online account which represent your online "self" the better. However, I have stopped providing too many details or just simply posting online because of the worries, and I also think that businesses can use this to their advantage. For example, if a business knows that accounts with similar online traits or characteristics will be grouped together, the business can create an account with desired characters or traits to see what will that account see in the news feed, from which they can create a generalization for all the online account with similar traits to make advertisements that will most likely appear on those account with similar traits. In general, I feel like the personalization for each user from individual databases is quite fascinating and it does improve Internet usage for everyone, however, I just have certain concerns about the privacy and security issues of the way they are created.

Comments

  1. Renae Lee Learning JournalFebruary 22, 2023 at 1:01 PM

    Hello Hung, I really enjoyed reading your learning journal entry and really enjoyed the types of details that you have decided to go into and have also made connection and have gotten straight to the point of what you have saw from the reading that we had to do this week in class and making connections with the " We Are Data" material.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jarred ArnoldFebruary 22, 2023 at 2:39 PM

    In regards to your last paragraph you are correct. I live by "less is more" when using social media. Businesses and work places can use this to their advantage when vetting you for a new position within their company. Keep it clean and professional

    ReplyDelete
  3. JacksonFebruary 22, 2023 at 8:43 PM

    Hi Hung!
    I agree that the personalization of social media is a blessing but the way data is collected could be considered a curse. What frightens me more than my data being collected is how much of my thoughts are being influenced by the media and advertising that I am seeing. I interact with social media platforms on a daily basis, so I can easily be influenced by things being shown to me on a daily basis that I wouldn't normally see.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jordan GloverFebruary 22, 2023 at 8:51 PM

    Hey Hung, I highly agree with the last paragraph. Knowing that our personal details are on the internet should make us be more aware of what we share. Being more aware also leads to having a more professional appearance on our social media accounts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jenny PhamMarch 21, 2023 at 9:14 PM

    Hi Hung, I think what you discussed regarding presenting our best self online is very true. We often want others to see us in our best state, always having fun and looking happy. I think it often leads to a misconception of humanity. And like you said, if any business or company accounts look at that, it can be very hard to interpret what is genuine and what isn't.

    ReplyDelete

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