FOCUS: CREATING AN EVENT ON FACEBOOK
The main social media platform which I have used today has been Facebook. I started by creating a save the date event on Facebook for my 21st birthday lunch. This is a common way for millennials to organise events as it’s the most convenient/reliable form of communication. Facebook sets up a basic structure for users to author events by..
- Titling the event and choosing a date/time/place
- Writing a brief description about what the event entails (authoring online content explaining the event)
- Selecting guests from your friends list (distributing online invites out to guest)
My purpose for creating this event was to allow for guests to save the date and post their addresses on the wall so I could traditionally send out hard copy invites. If I was creating a casual event I would just send invites via Facebook but as this is a formal occasion it is necessary to send via mail. This active online process of organising my event allowed me to apply authoring, publishing and distributing content through the web.
FOCUS: SHARED A LINK ON FACEBOOK
I am usually no one to share online content on Facebook but when I read the article about ‘Married at First Sight (MAFS)’ I couldn’t help not to. I’ve been watching MAFS this season and have found it to be so pathetic, which has only tempted me to continue watching my guilty pleasure. One of the contestants, Deb, wanted to marry a Polynesian man which she stressed multiple times on television, but unfortunately ended up with sweet, kind John. The amount of memes that have been made about Deb’s wish are hysterical, I felt the need to share one with my Facebook friends. By clicking share on the meme I was distributing it out amongst others to see, allowing others to see this humorous image. I wanted to share this meme amongst my friends who view the show because it was sure to make them laugh.
FOCUS: WATCHED LIVE TELEVISION ON FACEBOOK
I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed tonight when a streamed live video of Monday nights Q&A debate was brought to my attention. The discussion delved into the Sunday penalty rates being reduced within the next financial year. I could see that Facebook users were commenting passionately by the second about what was being discussed amongst the panel. The commotion unravelling in front of my eyes grabbed my attention and led me to watch the video live. I had rarely seen live video’s on Facebook so was excited to watch how others responded to the same thing you were watching. People were reacting with emoji’s, likes, comments… it felt as if everyone watching was contributing in some way. Although I didn’t participate by authoring online content, I felt as if I was having a group discussion by agreeing and disagreeing even though I was visibly alone. Watching live news on Facebook is social and beneficial because not only are you getting the presenters perspective but also the publics. Q&A is great for social interaction as they often include public comments from twitter on screen.