The way in which we communicate has forever changed. In person interactions are slowly being replaced by digital experiences that we share with other users. Even after the Covid-19 crisis, some companies will continue to have employees work remotely. This will further push our worlds in being shaped by the actions that occur online. As this continues, it will become increasingly important that we pay attention to the online communities that we create. Communities that reside on Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, and more will continue to grow in prevalence in our day to day lives. We have seen how communities can organize and have real world impacts through their interactions with each other. R/Wallstreetbets is an online community on Reddit that caused the price of multiple stocks to skyrocket by all agreeing to buy as a collective group. This gained national attention and it was focused on how an online community was able to manipulate the market, but what was even more intriguing is how it represents the future of communication. It is easy to forget that the interactions we have online are with real people on the other side of their username and profile photo. We are consistently conversing with strangers as we leave comments on posts and reply to certain users. It is incredible that we are able to network with just about any user that is on a social platform. Despite this incredible ability to connect, we live in a world that is also divided and polarized. This is a result of using platforms that create filter bubbles and work to gain your attention to sell advertisements. These sites are largely unfocused and play host to both viral videos and social justice awareness. This thesis is focused on proving the concept of a new platform’s ability to resolve these issues. In this paper I will describe to you the problems that have arisen due to large social media companies, my proposal for a platform dedicated to resolving these problems, and the validity and testing of this proposed platform.
The purpose of this project was to evaluate the State Bar of New Mexico's (SBNM) new podcast series, SBNM is Hear. The podcast was initially developed as a member outreach tool and a new platform for professional development and survey questions were developed to gauge the podcast’s effectiveness in these two areas. An electronic survey was deployed to active members of the SBNM through email. Respondents were asked questions regarding their demographics, whether they had listened to the series, and what content they would like to hear in the future. The survey resulted in 103 responses, of which 60% indicated that they had not listened to the podcast. The results showed that listenership was evenly divided between generations and that more females listened to at least one episode. The open-ended responses indicated that the two cohorts of respondents (listeners and non- listeners) viewed the podcast a potential connection to the New Mexico judiciary. Future recommendations include conducting an annual survey to continue to understand the effectiveness of the podcast and solicit feedback for continued growth and improvement
The study includes results of a survey of 207 participants and in-depth interviews with six Generation Z members. The survey included both quantitative multiple choice and qualitative open-ended questions on the respondents’ personal and workplace communication habits and expectations. The in-depth interviews expanded on the findings of the survey and added additional context to many of the survey's findings.
Through researching the habits and expectations of members of Generation Z who are currently in the workplace, the study uncovered many unexpected attitudes and behaviors among working Generation Z respondents. These insights include: the
respondents’ awareness of the negatives of technology usage, differences in personal preferences and professional behaviors, the self-regulation of technology usage, and the concern for boundaries between personal and work life.
This interview-style podcast highlights the history of marketing and advertising, social media and its effects on users, and social media influencers and their roles in consumers’ lives. Furthermore, expert opinions from faculty at Arizona State University will help answer the question: do influencers have an adverse effect on mental health?
Professor Naomi Mandel, a consumer behavior professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business, and Dr. Mary Ingram-Waters, an Honors Faculty Fellow at Barrett, The Honors College, provide insight on the topic of social media influencers. The full interviews are found in the podcast. Professor Naomi Mandel’s interview is found at 29:45, and Dr. Mary Ingram-Waters’ interview is found at 46:00.
