The Beginnings

                So this first week in PSYC390R (Psychology of Social Media) has been quite an interesting class. We have only had two classes, but take in mind that each one is 3 hours long! We are planning on studying everything about Social Media including its history (which I am particularly interested in). This first week seems to have been filled with a lot (and I mean A LOT) of technology information, which I have been rather hesitant as to point out that technology is not exactly social media, although it is definitely the foundation for it. We have watched several videos; including this old fella (don’t ask me why it has those Korean or random foreign-language subtitles) which taught us all about the evolution of the internet, from simple computer networking to international everything networks.

                While having been studying such topics, we also have been assigned (yes, an assignment) to use our facebooks often (especially with part of our homework being ON facebook), create a twitter account, and begin using an additional social media platform for a term project as well. Since I had not yet begun using instagram still, I decided to use it for my project. Needless to say, the first day I created my instagram account I had two friends text me within not even 6 hours of doing so: “You finally caved.” Their reactions were expected, as I knew they would be the first ones to say anything about it because they were the 2 who have always harassed me for not getting one earlier. My reasoning was that I didn’t want to have multiple social media platform, because I feel it is a burden to have to check them all individually all the time.

                We have also begun reading the course textbook, which is Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder. The book is interesting in how it takes social media from a more scientific and psychological view (obviously), whereas I had never thought so much of these things before having enrolled myself in this course. We will come to see what happens in these next few weeks. I have a couple social experiments I am planning on performing within these next two weeks, but I cannot share them just yet due to probable interference with my statistics. But I will for sure let you all know just as soon as I do.

                Thanks for reading today! Remember to use social media to UPLIFT others!