Communications and Media



Table of Contents

Synthesis1

Facebook2

LinkedIn2

Twitter2

Out-of-Class Assignment3

Paraphrase of the 1-2 highlighted paragraph(s)4

References5

Article6

Communications and Media

Synthesis

The article taken is “How Many “Friends” Do You Need? Teaching Students How to Network Using Social Media”, by Sacks, & Graves, (2012). It attempts to discuss the social media relevance in business communication studies and more importantly its efficacy in creating a social identity for millennial generation which is largely in their graduation studies phase of life. Author contends that social media has taken new shape in digitized world; however the concept is pretty old and derived from social network theory. Integrating such social media helps teachers of Business Communication in ways such as personal branding, as social media is used often for impression management (Roberts & Roach, 2009).

The social media has taken businesses in its realm, due to large presence of potential candidates with ample information about them. Social media is picking up the pace in displacing emails as intra-communication tool for companies and perhaps this is the reason for candidates accustomed to both formal and informal communication channels are now preferred.

The interrelationships among people and its dynamics are studied under the social network theory. The article presents the ways in which Facebook can be used for teaching the principles of “network quality” and “network Size”. The author demonstrates the principle of social distance in social network theory through LinkedIn. The principle of “Network Complexity”, and “Network Diffusion” are described through example of Twitter.

Facebook

The social network theory the principles of Network size and quality. Students often strive to increase their “friend list” on Facebook. This is in coherence with social Network Theory as the larger network allows more opportunity to learn and have social references. However, the time required to maintain such large network can downsize its benefits, also the quality of network, in other words maintaining information flow and meaningful relationship becomes difficult. The author provides sample exercises to be conducted in class to effectively teach students a lesson to maintain large but quality network that can be managed in meaningful way.

LinkedIn

The author describes how the LinkedIn demonstrates the principle of “social distance”. LinkedIn is used as professional networking platform and often people connect to third parties through their existing contacts. The social distance contends that, people are more likely to extend/get favor from others who they know with reference to their first order contact (Friend's friend or second order contact). In this way people get connected with famous personalities of world like President of United States through some order contact (e.g. second order, third order etc.).

Twitter

Twitter can be used by the teachers to demonstrate the principle of “network diffusion” and “network complexity”. Usually the shorter and simple messages spread more quickly (Network Diffusion), organizations are aware of its benefits in terms of marketing and dangers in sense of bad mouth. Simple exercise for teacher for conducting in business communication class is provided in the paper.

Out-of-Class Assignment

The three exercises mentioned above can be classified as in-class; however, the author also ...