COM3332 Mini Project 2: The Death of Distance

The Death of Distance:

The Death of Distance suggests that distance will no longer be the determining factor of the cost of communication via technology and electronically.

In my opinion, this trend, the Death of Distance, could not be more accurate relating to genres of web content when considering social media and blogs. People have come so far from the days of having to be in the same place to speak, to then having to use a landline to make long-distance calls (which have the potential to be very expensive), to having basic cell phones and computers. Now, with the development, improvement, and increased affordability of laptops, tablets, and smartphones, we can use social media websites and apps wherever we go.

According to the article “Narcissism on Facebook: Self-promotional and anti-social behavior,” “Facebook is one of the most popular websites in the world with over 600 million users.”

Today, thanks to these websites and apps, like Facebook and Twitter, we can instantaneously follow our friends, family, acquaintances, and even celebrities. We have the ability to see what they’re doing, what they like, who they’re with, at literally any time of the day, no matter where we are. We are no longer bound by the need of person-to-person contact, phones with cords, or even desktop computers.

With products like the iPhone or iPad, we can even video chat wherever we go – we don’t even need Wi-Fi to see friends and family who may be otherwise unavailable to visit due to distance.

The Facebook App for iPad

The Mobile Twitter App for Smartphones

In terms of blogs, the trend of the Death of Distance also applies.

One example of the Death of Distance in blogs is the celebrity blog genre – some of the most popular blogs on the Internet today. In this way, the Internet serves as a free communication service to the fans of celebrities who otherwise would not be able to travel the distance or logically locate and/or contact a celebrity to find out the latest gossip, or as Twitter provides a service for, even follow the most mundane of everyday activities that so many fans enjoy reading.

Fans can follow and subscribe to the blogs of individual celebrities, or, they can visit a single page of companies like TMZ and famous bloggers like Perez Hilton to find more information about the lives of many stars and celebrity personalities in one place – further reducing the time and monetary costs of following celebrity news.

On a more personal level, students can use blogging as a way to network and keep in touch between schools to keep in touch.