It’s a survey among people with various age groups and how much they use social media, how do they use it, and how much it has an effect on their lives. Interviewing people with different statuses, we found that it did vary from the same age group and at different age groups too.
First we interviewed two freshmen students at LAU age groups between 16-18; Lara Tahini and Sherihan Yatim. Lara the 17 year old, uses Facebook as a tool on social media, “im addicted to Facebook, if I have free time all I do is spend my time on it. I love to see the pictures and see the status updates, and notifications.” Lara also uses Skype for contacting her parents in Africa, she says that social media is very beneficial for communication is very easy and cheap. As for twitter she didn’t know what it is and she always hears about it but never that interested to search or has an account. ‘For me Facebook is so much fun and better.”
As for Sherihan 17 year old was very eager to say that she did have a Facebook, Twitter, Skype accounts but didn’t use any. She said that Black Berry is much better its faster communication wise and keeps you in contact with friends and family 24/7. As for social media, “it’s useless it is a waste of time, it takes away the social life of the person, it is much better to BBM where you can carry it around all the time.”
The second age group where between 20-25 two LAU students Farah Shami a Radio/TV/Film major second year and Lama EL Haqhaq a journalism major third year where extremely opposite.
Farah used Facebook for the updates keeps her posted to her interests like singers or actors and even news. She said social media is very important in ones life it’s the only source of information that we can get very quickly and stay updated. “Especially my major I have to stay posted to new technological tools and to hear about plays … these things are demanded for my major.” Also TV is very essential to her she watches segments and her story that benefits her personally like the latest video clips. As for twitter she didn’t show that interest she didn’t consider that having an account would change her life style or enhance it. She also uses Skype for the free calls that she can contact and talk with her friends and family. “In general I can’t live without Facebook its part of my life as for the other tools online I use search engines like Google but that’s it I haven’t made it yet to twitterJ>”
Lama a journalist major was active on social media. She is a blogger she has followers, she uses twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Linkedin, “I use all these tools, I even have them on my phone I carry it where I go. Social media has changed my life a lot from bogging to saying what I want to express my view point to tweeting and being updated to the latest news being talked around me.” It’s a very important medium it broadens your connections and keeps you posted to new things and this helps us in the community that we belong to. “
Our last age group was between 29-39 years old. We had an interview with Dr. Yasmine Dabbous an assistant professor in journalism at LAU, she uses the Facebook and reads blog but that’s it. “I don’t have an account on twitter, I don’t use Facebook that much, some use it for entertainment, and I just don’t have time to waste. According to keeping my students up-to-date I use TV and read news papers online and listen to news to provide my students with everything they need. It’s just that I’m not a social media person.”
But she also believes that social media has a huge impact on our lives it benefits the students more and more and especially those majoring in journalism for the speed of information, and social media as a medium is complemented with traditional media like TV and news paper they both run together and they are both there to stay.
Dealing with these various aging groups I was surprised to see that the 17 year- old weren’t that much interested and the 35 year-old too. But alas social media has changed a lot of lives starting with mine!!
It’s a very important medium for information, it keeps the person up-to-date. As for people who consider it a waste of time and takes away the social life, what about the BBM service doesn’t it do the same??
I guess that those who aren’t introduced to blogs twitter, foursquare, word press, Tumblr…. Is just a matter of time until you realize that it is important? People still aren’t that aware of how much twitter affects one’s life as a medium of information.
I was once away from these tools but once introduced it changed a lot of things, at least I can know what is happening around. In this medium “social media” there is no wrong and right as ling a person stay updated and knows how to stay posted in every day life issues and news.
“I was once an ignorant and having twitter I learned how to read.” TR
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