{"id":1505,"date":"2020-03-19T20:46:35","date_gmt":"2020-03-20T01:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mediarhetoric.com\/blog\/?p=1505"},"modified":"2020-03-19T22:30:19","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T03:30:19","slug":"social-distancing-in-the-age-of-social-media-social-medias-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mediarhetoric.com\/blog\/social-distancing-in-the-age-of-social-media-social-medias-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media’s Moment: Social Distancing in the Age of Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wrote a post on September 11, 2011, titled, “How the Internet Changed after 9\/11–Citizen Journalism, Social Media and Mobility.”<\/a> I followed what we learned about the Internet at a time of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Again, we find ourselves in uncertain times. Just like on 9\/11 we were not expecting the unexpected. A pandemic. Everyone, not only in America but the world, is encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing.<\/p>\n

During 9\/11 we learned the Internet is a powerful tool. In\u00a0March 2020 we are learning social media is a tool we gave up on until we really needed it to socially survive.<\/p>\n

Social Distancing<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say to avoid close contact with people. Most importantly, stay home if you can.<\/p>\n

This isolation can be daunting to some. Humans are social. We are meant to socialize. We are communicators.<\/p>\n

Social Media is having a moment thanks to us practicing Social Distancing.<\/p>\n

Instead of political bickering, instead of concentrating on hate, we are concentrating on entertaining each other. We are sharing, we are unifying, we are protecting each other.<\/p>\n

When Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, saw it as a way to communicate with each other. Quartz reported<\/a>—<\/p>\n

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It all started rather innocently. In 1989, some scientists at CERN, the science research center in Switzerland, wanted to automatically share their information<\/a> with fellow scientists working elsewhere in the world. Email already existed<\/a>, but there was no easy way to transmit large amounts of data other than saving it on a disk and physically bringing it to another computer.<\/p>\n

So Berners-Lee, a researcher working at CERN, created the World Wide Web. It solved the communication problem for the siloed scientists\u2014and changed human existence as we know it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Yes, it changed human existence. It’s also created a change that Tim Berners-Lee didn’t expect<\/a>—<\/p>\n

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In other ways, though, the web hasn\u2019t fulfilled Berners-Lee\u2019s vision. Malicious actors and their army of bots have filled the web with information that\u2019s partisan and intentionally misleading, altering elections<\/a>, driving genocide<\/a>, and forcing people to question everything<\/a>\u00a0they read online. People phish, spam, SWAT, and steal one another\u2019s identities. Rancor on social media sites like Twitter has made the normal process of debate and discussion seem pretty much impossible. Let\u2019s face it\u2014the web\u00a0can sometimes be\u00a0a cesspool.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Yes, the Web can be a cesspool of haters, scammers, and fake news. We can combat the haters and scammers by socially distancing ourselves from them digitally. How do you stop fake news? You stop sharing information you haven’t verified yourself. You take back the Internet.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Los Angeles Times\u00a0<\/em>reported <\/a>that false information spreads just like the Coronavirus and that we are fighting an infodemic:<\/p>\n

The prevalence of hoax missives and less nefarious but nonetheless inaccurate information led the World Health Organization\u2019s director last month to declare that disinformation was as dangerous as the virus itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not just fighting an epidemic; we\u2019re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous,\u201d Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Feb. 15.<\/p>\n

Some of the text messages, along with similar posts on Twitter and other social media platforms, compounded the confusion and worry by equating the idea of a government order instructing people to remain in their homes<\/a> with martial law.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I proposed that we stop sharing information mindlessly in my last blog post What the Coronavirus can teach us about fake news and how to fight it<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n

What if we applied the SAME concept to spreading fake news? What if we stopped sharing every piece of information before verifying? What if when we spot Fake News that a friend shared we speak up and link to the proof that it is indeed fake?<\/p>\n

We could stop or at least limit the spread of infected messages that are used to confuse the truth.<\/p>\n

Fake News is just as viral as COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Be as diligent at verifying the information you share as much as you are at washing your hands.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Social Media’s Moment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite the rapid spread of fake news about this virus, Social Media is having a moment right now. Just as 9\/11 created stronger Internet news web sites, and connecting users socially–social media is showing exactly what it was meant to do.<\/p>\n

Connect people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Social Media is at its best when there is a crisis. We cheer together during the Super Bowl, we become fashion critics during the Oscars and also, we grieve together.<\/p>\n

Our normal is being challenged by minute to minute updates on a virus that makes us feel out of control.\u00a0So what are we doing on Social Media to make us feel not so alone in all this?<\/p>\n

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  1. People are sharing tips on how to work from home.\n
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    if your dog starts barking during a conference call while we're all working from home, don't you DARE apologize. she is being HELPFUL. put her on the video call<\/p>\n

    — danny nett \ud83c\udf31 (@dannynett) March 19, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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    Are you teleworking? Get ready for work every morning like usual \u2014 get dressed, do your hair. If possible, create a space to serve specifically as your office.<\/p>\n

    Here are 8 tips for working from home effectively \ud83d\udc47https:\/\/t.co\/gs6GS04LO1<\/a><\/p>\n

    — NPR (@NPR) March 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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    Working from home top tip: this is NOT normal. Those of us who've been doing it for years were not productive last week, not because working from home is less efficient, but because these are Interesting Times.<\/p>\n

    — Trisha Gee (@trisha_gee) March 16, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

    I think Trisha is right: This is NOT normal. I don’t know about you–but I haven’t been able to focus.<\/li>\n

  2. We are learning that Zoom is not just a sound a fast car makes.\n
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    \ud83c\udfb6Here\u2019s a story… about 8 lovely ladies…\ud83c\udfb6 4th grade team meeting on Zoom! pic.twitter.com\/ZVJbcabdve<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Erin Shera (@erin067) March 19, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n