More Customized Content

More Customized Content:

More Customized Content refers to the ability of individuals to find content catered to them. In my opinion, this is exactly the point of both of these genres of web content, and social media and blogs are perfect examples to prove this trend true: you get to choose who you are friends with, whose blogs you follow, what type of content you want to see, what you like, and who gets to see what you do.

One issue with the so-called “customized content” of the Internet is trusting that the source is honest or authentic. This topic is discussed in the European Journal of Communication article “What’s left of trust in a network society? An evolutionary model and critical discussion of trust and societal communication.” It indicates that mistrust in “networks and communities is a problematic one, not only for the media, but society at large.”

Because it is so easy to gain access to the Internet, and so easy for people to create blogs, individuals and society are left to question the authenticity of blogs. So, even though it is easy to find customized content an individual is interested in, as the article says, “the major problem here is the expectation of communication being ‘authentic.’”

In my personal use of social media, I focus on the websites/apps of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On Facebook, choosing who I am friends with, what groups I join, and what I “like,” allows me to control what I see on my newsfeed everyday, and even what kind of advertisements I view. On Twitter, I am able to follow news about celebrities, events such as music festivals and concerts, and even what’s going on at school socially, in my sorority, and throughout Greek life. On Instagram, I can follow my friends, different organizations, and celebrities to see what they’re doing, and even brands, to see new merchandise.

My main usage of blogs is through following famous fashion and music blogs, the Tumblrs of my friends, and my own Pinterest. I think Pinterest is the ultimate example of “More Customized Content” because it is a website specifically designed to allow you to find and “pin” things that interest you in particular. According to Pinterest.com’s “About” Section, Pinterest is “A tool for collecting and organizing things you love” used by millions, which gives you a place for anything you’re interested in. Pinterest also helps a lot of bloggers come up with ideas for blog posts, or find images to add to blogs such as Tumblr.

Photo and Info Sources:

(Screen shots from my phone)

and

http://blog.pinterest.com/

http://about.pinterest.com/

http://www.customcontentcouncil.com/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tumblr

Quandt, Thorsten. "What's left of trust in a network society? An

evolutionary model and critical discussion of trust and societal communication." European Journal of Communication. 27.1 (2012): 7-21. Print. <http://ejc.sagepub.com/content/27/1/7>.

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