Axia College Material
Appendix A

Midterm Exam

Answer each question below. Answers should be approximately 100 words per question.

1. What are the different forms of social media that exist today? Provide examples of different social media and their primary purposes.

One of the forms of social media would be social networking sites, like Facebook or MySpace. These sites allow people to easily keep up with family and friends, as well as being able to join the pages of different organizations to keep up with the latest happenings. There are also blogging sites like Blogger.com, where people can share their own experiences and opinions for the world to see. Another type would be a site like Flickr, which allow people to share photos and videos easily with people everywhere. One more form of social media would be social news sites, like Digg. These sites allow people to read and post news stories, as well as share their own opinions about the stories that have been posted.

2. What are the greatest benefits of social media for individuals and society?

I think that one of the best benefits that social media provides is the ability to reach such a huge number of people with such a minimal effort. It lets us send out a message that will reach everyone in our group, and allows us to find old friends, and keep up with the happenings in our favorite organizations and local businesses. Another benefit is that local businesses as well as companies that match your interests are able to reach out to their target audience, which gives us as individuals more choices and a better understanding of the choices that we have in our communities.

3. What are the greatest problems of social media for individuals and society?

One of the problems that social media brings individuals is privacy issues. People tend to be linked to others all over the world who they do not know, yet they post information online that would make it very easy for an identity thief to take over their lives. Not only that, but anything that is posted online is subject to be viewed or taken by anyone who wants to have it, including pictures, phone numbers, and addresses, as well as family’s names, schools, or activities. Even if you are set to only allow certain people to view your information, you can never be certain you are protected. While social media is a great way to promote yourself and your business, there is no way to truly control the people who you are reaching.

4. How have modern social media sites affected commerce? Include positive and negative examples in your answer.

Social media has given businesses new avenues that they can use to reach out to their potential customers. It allows them to give up to the minute updates to their followers, opens up the lines of communication for the target audience to ask questions or make comments that can be addressed by the company, and gives a great opportunity for the business to build a strong relationship with its target audience with little or no money spent. One of the downsides to social media from a business standpoint is that anyone can comment on the page, so if there is negative feedback, it will be there for all to see as well. This can be challenging if someone has an issue with the business social media can act as a sounding board for their frustrations, reaching the same target audience that the company is attempting to impress.

5. How has the Internet changed the way many Americans consume information? Explain the importance and value of the availability of information on the Internet.

The internet has allowed most people to have access to the same amount of information at any given time. Instead of waiting for the nightly news or newspaper to be delivered, we can get up to the minute news from any number of sources online. Getting information on our own time and on our own terms is one of the unique things about the internet, and it is a must in the fast moving society that we live in that information is available all the time when we need it. Time is money in today’s world, and the internet allows us to get what we need quickly and efficiently, on the bus or train, or just about anywhere.

6. How might you determine if information found online is trustworthy? Describe credibility issues with information found on the Internet.

While the internet is a huge portal to any kind of knowledge we could ever want, there is a lot of information that is less than credible. Many websites welcome the readers to become a part of the community by answering questions, adding information to an informational entry, or just by expressing their opinion. While these sites can be helpful when trying to determine how far the dartboard should be from the toe line, or the rules of horseshoes, when you are writing an academic article or paper, you have to make sure that the sources you use are credible, factual, and indisputable, or you may run into a credibility issue with your paper.

7. In what ways have politicians used the Internet in campaigning and in staying in touch with constituents? What is the overall effect of the Internet on politics?

The Internet and modern technology have had a huge impact on the way that politicians run their campaigns. They now can run ads on social media sites, and search engines that link over to their own websites, they put out Tweets on Twitter and keep Facebook pages up to date so that the public feels like a part of the campaign. The internet is also a great way for a candidate to gain monetary support for a campaign as well. I think that the Internet has really opened up the world of politics to so that many more people are able to get involved. There is so much more information out there for everyone, rather than having to wait for the news to cover a candidate’s views, you can do your own research on the subject.

8. Newspapers, once available only in print, have evolved into 24-hour multimedia operations. In addition to newspapers, briefly describe the evolution of movies, television, Internet, books and magazines, and media companies throughout the last century.

The last century has brought on changes in just about every aspect of media. Creators of television, movies, books, newspapers, and magazines have all had to take into consideration that the internet is yet another venue that they need to prepare for the public. When we miss a television show, we can watch it on Hulu.com. Books can be bought online and downloaded to a laptop or a Kindle instead of heading to the bookstore. We have become a society that is looking for instant gratification, and we do not like to have to wait for our information, whereas before these advances, you had to wait for the paper to be delivered or wait for the bookstore or movie rental store to get the book or film you wanted. Media companies now not only need to take into consideration the media that they are making, but how it is going to be available on the internet for the non-traditional users as well.

9. What is media convergence? Provide an example of media convergence and explain the media elements that are being combined. Explain how the combination of media elements in your example may be useful and to whom.

Media convergence is the fusion of new forms of media with more traditional types. For example, digital downloads of books are becoming increasingly popular, so companies that publish books need to keep up with the demand that has been created. Changing business models and new departments to handle all of the changes that the internet has brought forth are inevitable when keeping up with the times. The combinations of these new media elements allows access for more people in many different ways, such as the Kindle and Nook, devices which you can purchase and download books to, and carry with you anywhere. These digital copies remain on the device and are yours to keep on the hard drive of the device. This is quite convenient in the sense that if you need to have books with you for reference, or another purpose, you do not have to worry about transporting many heavy books,. They are all at your fingertips in a device the size of a small notebook. Also, the companies selling the digital copies do not have to pay for binding the books, shipping them out, or even paper or ink for publishing, so it is a win-win situation.

10. How has media convergence changed American culture?

With media convergence, there are now many available outlets for Americans to get the information that they seek. If they have time to sit and read the paper, they can, but if the need to catch the news on their commute to work, or in between meetings, there is no better source than the internet. There is almost no excuse for not being up to the minute with all of the available information that is out there just waiting for us to access it. Life continues to become more hectic, with longer hours, more responsibilities, and a sluggish economy people cannot afford to waste any more time than they have to, and the media convergence has allowed the internet to access many forms of media with just a tap of a finger.

11. Explain how music and culture influence one another. Provide an example of a song or album that affected culture. Provide examples of songs with cultural references.

Music often influences the way that its listeners talk, walk, dress, or act, so different genres of music can cause different effects. On the other hand, music often follows the things that re culturally relevant at the time. I think one of the songs that affected culture in a big way is “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan. It was written at a time that civil rights were a huge issue, and the Vietnam War was beginning to weigh heavily on people’s minds. The message was that the answers were all around, but no one was able to grasp them though they were there for the taking. Another song that comes to mind is “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel. This came out around the time of the Vietnam War as well, though it was not written for that purpose. This song has always resonated deeply with me in the way it describes a society that is lacking communication. The prophets are out there, but no one hears them. They leave their words written on “subway walls, and tenement halls” in the hope that perhaps they will reach someone someday.

12. A big part of how pop music affects culture involves how it is distributed. Briefly describe how pop music and music distribution has changed over the last century.

Over the years, the way that music is distributed has changed drastically. The digital distribution of music has become hugely popular in the last few years due to the introduction of IPods and the like, which can store a large amount of music digitally, which not only makes it convenient to get the music you want but makes it very portable as well. Pop music itself still tends to adhere to its basic roots in the sense that it is usually a few minutes long, with a repeated chorus and a few verses. The content of the songs have, and will continue to evolve, and follow the cultural aspects of the changing times.