Social Media And Rational Social Conversations - Essay Example

Essay questions Question 1 Social media and rational social conversations The invention of social media coupled with the subsequent invention of smart phones, which have enhanced the mobility of aces of the social media, have systematically enhanced interactions among people in the modern society. Such social media sites such as Facebook and twitter create interactive platforms where people share their opinions on the prevailing social issues. However, the structures and functionality of the media makes it difficult for people to have rational agreements and disagreements. Most controversial social conversations often turn abusive as people share their opinions emotionally. The rapid spread of such trending hash tags as #Gamergate portrays the extent of the damage potential of the various social media. The use of social media has therefore made it impossible for people to have rational conversations especially on controversial matters as the discussion below portrays. Unlike the traditional media, social media lack gatekeepers. Gate keeping is a vital aspect of media, which often serves to minimize harms caused by media contents. Televisions, radios and newspapers have professional editors and subeditors who eliminate any form of errors thus enhancing rational communication of any form of social issue including those that may elicit emotions (Hoffmeister 77). In case of live discussion on such media, the existence of a moderator ensures that the guests maintain rational conversations on air. Social media on the other hand lacks moderators. This implies that they provide everyone in the entire society with an equal opportunity to share their views on a social issue. Maintaining rational thought on such emotional issues as sexism and racism among other forms of social discrimination is always difficult. The aggrieved persons will always feel the urge to retaliate. The social media provide effective platforms for such retaliations. The social media for example enables people to maintain a degree of anonymity while contributing on such vital social issues (Willard 54). Numerous users of the various social media use pseudonyms. This way, they can easily trade abusive words and even threaten others with actual violence without revealing their actual identity. Lack of actual identity on the social media for example enhances the development of irrational conversations on the numerous social media. Key among the functions of the media is agenda setting and information of the public opinion. The success of an opinion relies on the influence that the originators of such opinions enjoy. The mainstream media enjoys immense influence on their audiences since they have systematic ways of censuring their conversations. The social media on the other hand creates a competitive platform for the people. As such, anyone can readily influence the opinions of the others provided they can articulate their ideas effectively to their target audience. This way, those who share a particular opinion easily state their thoughts and feelings either in support or in disapproval of the stated opinions. This creates a murky situation in which every user can state anything just in a bid to prove an argument (Fine 44). Social media have millions of users without a reliable gatekeeper. This implies that trending discussion go viral spontaneously as people share their opinions without a defined parameters of the conversation. In most cases, some users become abusive and violent thereby derailing the entire conversation. This makes it difficult to hold a rational conversation, as was the case with the #Gamergate, which created a platform for people to share abusive words on their perceived sexists. Question 2 White privilege The fact that the whites enjoy economic might and influence is a result of a series societal manipulation as the whites secured resources at the expense of the other races. Most of such resources resulted from effective strategies coupled with equally effective management and creation of ideas. However, demographical factors in nations throughout the world continue to change. In the United States, for example the number of the whites continues to decrease as interracial marriages increase. Such factors act to level the playing field thus giving every race equal opportunities. This implies that the concept of the white privilege does not exist, at least not in the modern society as discussed below. Among the fundamental statistics that continue to disapprove the existence and practicality of the concept of white privilege in the current society, include the fact that the number of educated whites is higher than the number of educated African Americans among other colored people in the society (Jensen 71). Additionally, the number of colored criminals in the United States for example is higher than the number of white criminals serving various jail terms. Such facts do not prove that the whites enjoy specific privileges but portray a continuous cycle in which each group domesticates its cultures thus possibly sustaining the status quo. The whites created the concept of race superiority in which they viewed themselves as better humans than any other race. With such notions, the whites embraced school and therefore acquired professional skills. During the racial segregation periods in the United States, most African Americans among other colored population resented school. The long period characterized by racism in the country marked the breakeven point for whites thus ensuring that they safeguarded their economic, political and social position into posterity. The educated whites therefore enjoyed priority in places of employment while others started private businesses. The other colored population did not qualify for such jobs and could not therefore obtain any formal employment through a competitive recruitment process. In the modern society, the colored have gained adequate education a feature that portrays the rising number of colored elite in the United States among other nations globally. Furthermore, the rapid economic development of the country has made talent a major employer in the country (Halley, Amy and Ramya 101). Talent management presents a situation in which every race enjoys equality. The number of famous colored actors and musicians is constantly increasing. The same is the case with the white actors and musicians a feature which portrays the equilibrium in the modern society. As explained earlier, the increased interaction among people from diverse backgrounds created a free and competitive society, one in which both the colored and the whites must compete for resources. The fact that the whites enjoyed economic control in the past coupled with effective education gives them a competitive advantage especially in competitive positions. As they become a minority group in such countries as the United States, they become a minority group with a competitive advantage and will therefore always enjoy economic stability. Work cited Fine, Robert. The Big Book of Sicial Media: Case Studies, Stories, Perspectives. Tulsa, Okla: Yorkshire Publ, 2010. Print. Halley, Jean O. M, Amy Eshleman, and Ramya M. Vijaya. Seeing White: An Introduction to White Privilege and Race. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2011. Print. Hoffmeister, Thaddeus. Social Media in the Courtroom: A New Era for Criminal Justice?, 2014. Internet resource. Jensen, Robert. The Heart of Whiteness: Confronting Race, Racism, and White Privilege. San Francisco, CA: City Lights, 2005. Print. Willard, Nancy E. Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Aggression, Threats, and Distress. Champaign, Ill: Research Press, 2007. Print. Read More