IS2210: Systems Analysis, Systems Design and Change

1. IS2210: Systems Analysis, Systems Design and Change Email: cathal.doyle@umail.ucc.ie Twitter: @InstCathalDoyle Website: www.cathaldoyle.com

2. What is Social Media? • Social media is a term that has been used to describe a form of interacting among many users • It looks to challenge the values of traditional media • This is achieved by the characteristics

3. Is It New? • According to Standage (2013), social media can be traced back 2000 years • Before traditional media, the Romans used to communicate by sending messages to each other, where others could comment, copy, resend, etc. • Slaves can be seen as the internet of the time, delivering the messages in the users social network

4. Social Media Today • Built on the foundations of Web 2.0 • Many devices used to access it, in many ways • A global phenomena

5. Does It Matter? • 2 out of 3 of the global internet population visit social media platforms (Nielsen 2009) • Time spent on social media is growing 3 times the overall internet rate, accounting for 10% of all internet time (Nielsen 2009) • 90% of internet users know at least one social media platform (Browne 2010)

6. 1.4 billion people use social media platforms to post status updates, share photos and links, leave comments and engage in discussions (Standage 2013) • These platforms account for a quarter of all time spent online globally (reaching 40% in some countries) (Standage 2013) • Each month people collectively spend around 300 hundred billion minutes, or the equivalent of six hundred thousands years, on Facebook (Standage 2013)

7. Definitions from the Literature • “Social Media is an umbrella term for a variety of applications, tools and services on the internet that allow individuals to interact with one another” (Richter and Schäfermeyer 2011) • What does this mean?

8. “Social media is defined as a group of internet-based applications which builds on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and allows the creation and exchange of User-Generated Content (UGC)” (Mansour, Abusalah et al. 2011) • What does this mean?

9. “We define social media to be the set of connectivity-enabled applications that facilitate interaction and the co-creation, exchange, and publication of information among firms and their networked communities of customers” (Larson and Watson 2011) • What does this mean?

10. What does it mean to you? • Are you one of the statistics? • How would you define social media?

11. Characteristics of Social Media • These are the characteristics inherent of social media (Doyle 2014): • Social Interactions • Collaborative Participation • Content Sharing • User Generated Content • Dissemination of Information • Social Connectedness

12. Social Interactions • Users interact with each other • This is achieved through discussions • Example: Posting a message on someone's wall

13. Collaborative Participation • Users working together towards a goal • This is achieved through discussions with each other, and having an outcome • Example: Wikipedia

14. Content Sharing • We can easily share content with other users • Content can be links, articles, videos, etc. • Example: Tweeting a link to a YouTube clip

15. User Generated Content • Content that is shared is often user generated • This can be shared by others • Example: creating a YouTube clip on how to turn 4G on, on your HTC One

16. Dissemination of Information • Information no longer comes from the top down • It is generated and disseminated from the bottom up • Example: News stories on Twitter

17. Social Connectedness • Each time we communicate with another user, a connection (tie) is made • These start as weak ties, but have the potential to become strong ties • Example: Creating a subreddit on Reddit

18. Another Definition • “Social media are a collection of platforms that allow participants to interact through online conversations, where relationships are formed by collaborating and sharing content, which is disseminated from the bottom up” (Doyle 2014) • What does this mean?

19. The Platforms of Social Media • Social media enables many different platforms • They all have the above characteristics in common • There is often a mashup of these platforms too

20. Social Networking Sites • Platforms that enable users to connect by creating personal information profiles, inviting friends and colleagues to have access to those profiles, and sending e-mails and instant messages between each other. • Examples: Facebook, MySpace, Google+

21. Virtual Worlds • Platforms that replicate a three dimensional environment in which users can appear in the form of personalized avatars and interact with each other as they would in real life. • Examples: Second Life, Habbo Hotel, World of Warcraft

22. Collaborative Projects • Platforms enable the joint and simultaneous creation of content by many end-users, where it is believed that the joint effort of many users leads to a better outcome than any actor could achieve individually. • Examples: Wikipedia, Reddit, Delicious

23. Microblogs • Derived from blogging, users create a profile and are then allowed to publish information about their activities, opinions and status, with a character limit on the message being between 140-200 characters. • Examples: Twitter, Yammer,Weibo

24. Blogs • The earliest form of social media, which are special types of websites that usually display date-stamped entries in reverse chronological order. • Examples: Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr

25. Content Communities • Sharing of media content between users, including photos, videos, and presentations. Users are not required to create a personal profile page, but if they do, these pages usually only contain basic information, such as the date they joined the community and the number of videos shared. • Examples: YouTube, Flickr, Slideshare

26. Open Networks • Many of these platforms are “open”, in that other users of the network can see most activity • Are we starting to move to more “private” networks? • Snapchat, Viber, Whatsapp

27. Personal Use • We all use social media in some form to communicate • Some users are lurkers, others power users • We are building a digital profile, where reputation is king, and leaving many digital breadcrumbs

28. Organisational Use • Inevitably, with the interest from users, organisations have began to look at these platforms • Looking to gain some competitive advantages by bringing them into their organisations • What does this mean?

29. The “I have a Facebook Account” Syndrome • A lot of organisations adopting them for the sake of it • This leads to disappointment when there are no interactions • Change is needed – but will organisations adopt?

30. Flattening of the Organisation • Information no longer needs to come from the top down • A much more democratic way of doing business is needed • Hierarchies are demolished with the introduction of social media platforms

31. How Are They Using Them? • They are using them both internally and externally • Internally to get employees to collaborate with each other • Externally to interact with current and potential customers, as well as business partners

32. For Example • Airline organisations use Twitter to communicate with their passengers regarding flight times, and baggage allowances • Phone organisations use Twitter to answer any queries that customers might have • Football organisations use Facebook to deliver exclusive pictures and videos of their teams

33. Are They Information Systems?

34. Social Media Policies • More and more organisations are introducing social media policies • What impact do these have on social media use? • Are they necessary?

35. Thanks • Any questions?