A discussion of the benefits of the social Web wouldn't be complete without a mention of an emerging risk: that the technology of personalization is becoming so sophisticated that this giant digital space is getting carved up into a myriad little echo chambers. In other words, as the New York Times put it, "on the Web, we often see what we like, and like what we see." Eli Pariser, board president … [Read more...] about The social Web’s echo chambers
civic engagement
Why social media help private citizens want to help solve public problems
A few years ago, during the huge flap among Facebook users about its then new "News Feed," a journalist asked Mark Zuckerberg why it was so important to have that new feature, author/activist Eli Pariser relates in a TED Talk. Zuckerberg responded, "A squirrel dying in front of your house may be more relevant to your interests right now than people dying in Africa." Whether or not Zuckerberg … [Read more...] about Why social media help private citizens want to help solve public problems
Study shows Net supports civic engagement
Certainly "clicktivism" isn't the all of social activism – it's a complement to it – but it's clear the Internet is an increasingly important support to civic engagement in this country, a just-released Pew/Internet survey shows. According to Pew's report, 75% of US adults are active in some kind of voluntary group, and 80% of those who use the Net are (compared with 56% of non-Internet users). … [Read more...] about Study shows Net supports civic engagement
Today’s ‘low barrier to participation”
Those are media professor Henry Jenkins's words in a talk he gave to USC students' parents this fall about "raising the digital generation." It's good to be reminded that Facebook, MySpace, (or Hyves, studiVZ, or Tuenti in Europe, for example) are not the all of social media for youth – that today's highly interactive, global digital media lower the barrier of participation in all sorts of … [Read more...] about Today’s ‘low barrier to participation”