USF CLCE Podcast

Ryan = [R]

Mallory = [M]

Social Media in Your Life

[R]:

Welcome back everybody. This is Ryan Newton here in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. It is a beautiful week here at the University of South Florida and we’re excited to have another podcast I have a very special guest

[M]:

Hey everyone! This is Mallory staff member in the CLCE glad to be here Ryan

[R]:

And we are interested in talking a little bit about today some social media, the influence that that could have in our lives and in some of the things we do. Why is this topic important to you?

[M]:

I think it’s important because with so many people on Facebook, It gives us the power to either make a positive change or to really destroy both our reputations and our company. And so for me it’s asking the question “How do I interact with Facebook in a way that I’m proud of?”

[R]:

Totally, because everything that we do is “track-able.” To think about the fact that every, everything that we put out there about ourselves that’s all marketing of ourselves, it’s branding who we are and if we let it, it can define us, but the problem with that is even if you misstep how can you correct it? And I think taking that even a step further is if you don’t misstep how can you take a step forward in the right direction? How can you, how can you use this social media to do something that your passionate about? Improve your image?

[M]:

I, I think there’s a lot of opportunity like you said to get involved with causes. You know Facebook created this new application to support causes and so it’s being able to find things out there that you support where you can not only learn about resources to be involved with them, but find a community that supports it too and one that doesn’t necessarily have to be in your own geographic location. Causes these days are so huge that it’s bringing together people all across the world united against one issue.

[R]:

And I think that’s probably one of the biggest things when you talk about Facebook or any kind of social media. What it’s really doing is bringing people together in one form, one place where everybody can find everything. I mean that’s why you have applications for phone sound right? You don’t have to go on your phone and go into the browser and find Facebook and then type in Twitter, and then type in Gmail, right? You can find all those things on one application on one phone. And that’s what these social networks are doing. There bringing people together for common cause, like you said. And I think that I mean that speaks volumes to this opportunity for Facebook or Company or anything to create major change…

[M]:

Oh yeah!

[R]:

…and that gives us the opportunity as individuals to stand for change.

[M]:

Yeah. I think social media has made it so easy for people to click a button and say they “like” something and one of the conversations we’re having nationally with civic engagement specifically is that is it so easy to click a button and “like” something and not get up and do anything about it? And so I think we have to ask ourselves how are we really invested in social change because there are many examples of how students, how people, how countries have united and actually gone out and created change in their own country’s democracy. But then there are those who just sit and push a button and don’t do anything. So it’s kind of asking ourselves “which one are we.”

[R]:

It really makes me, It, it kind of makes the entrepreneur in me want to start my own group or like my own club because I want to see the power of leadership and “follower-ship,” specifically. I mean, if you can get 10 people, if you can get 10 of your friends to follow you, right and they can get 10 of their friends to follow them do you think 20 people would be willing to spend a dollar for a cause?

[M]:

Oh I think it’s possible. I mean especially when you’ve got so many people on Facebook. If you’re hitting up all your friends…I don’t know how many friends you guys have, I know I have a thousand plus on my list. So, if I send out a cause that I’m passionate about to a thousand people inviting them to get involved with it, to donate their money, I, I would have a hard time believing at least 10% wouldn’t return back on that.

[R]:

If you have more people on Facebook than there are in the United States and everybody could come together for one common cause think of what that could do. I mean it’s, it is remarkable. It’s crazy, it’s insane I, I can’t even fathom it but that’s the power of something like a social network.

[M]:

And it’s not just in the sense of raising money as we mentioned, but in collecting people together to share a voice. I know there is an example. One of the first real pieces of activism that came out of Facebook was a gentleman from Columbia who was on vacation and there were a lot of riots and a lot of unrest in Columbia from the, the FARC which is the revolutionary armed forces of Columbia and they were killing and kidnapping people and this young man was tired of it and so when he was on vacation he put out a cause like a group and overnight he had 1500 people alone join his cause. Within a month he had chosen a date and put out that to the entire Facebook group and it’s estimated that 10 or 11 million people collected not only in Columbia, but around the country to rally against this political army! and he has made significant change just through a Facebook group so I think it’s really powerful not only in collecting funding, but in, in having a voice and giving other people who may not have money to do something, the opportunity to get up and make a change.

[R]:

Yeah, that’s so true and I think, I think the questions that you have to ask yourself when you look at these, when you look at these social network options whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, or anything. I think you have to ask yourself “what does mine say about me?” Right? I mean “What groups am I in? What, what do you like?” But further than that “what have I done something about?” Not just what do I like, but what, what have I liked and then contributed too? Right? And what does that say about me?

[M]

The other question that I would ask too Ryan is “How do you see social activism changing in a society dominated by social media?” and “Where do you see yourself making a positive social change?”

[R]:

Great questions. Great questions. I mean we want to hear from you! we kind of put ourselves out there a little bit I mean you can find our Facebook profiles I’m sure and even if you didn’t find ours you can find the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. We’ve got, there are hundreds of thousands of causes out there. We want to put the charge on you “What are you passionate about?” answer those questions for us. Engage in conversation. I think this is a time that we, we’re see a generation in you all and myself *giggle* that it’s time that we stand for something. If Facebook is going to be the avenue for us to do it then let’s do it and, and we want to hear what you have to say about it.

[M]:

Yeah. Let us know what you stand for.

[R]:

So I think it’s a fascinating topic. we want to thank Mallory for being here with us today and obviously we hope that you’ll engage in some conversation about this talk with your friends about it. Post in the blog, comment on Facebook, share with us, follow us on Twitter. Do whatever you have to do, but, but share with us your causes, share with us what you’re passionate about. Go out there and do something. that’s the charge we want to leave you with. So, thanks for listening again.

[Music Fade In]

Tune in Next week for another podcast, another guest and Go Bulls!

[M]:

GO BULLS!