Kyle Talarico

Adam Padgett
ENGL 1102
1/27/14
Inquiry Proo!al
Context
"ocial media !ite! li#e $ace%oo# and T&itter 'a(e ne(er really layed a large role in my li)e* I
er!onally don+t !ee any ro%lem &it' !ocial media !ite! t'ey are a good &ay to #ee in touc' &it' old
)riend! e!ecially i) you no longer li(e near t'em* In my oinion t'e ro%lem i!n+t !ocial media it!el)
%ut t'e u!e! o) it* "o many eole u!e it a! a ,ournal o) !ome !ort and relea!e t'ing! t'at !'ould remain
ri(ate* T'e T&itter !y!tem o) )ollo&er! u!ually lead! to mi!under!tanding!* T'e main goal o) t&itter i!
to get t'e mo!t )ollo&er! or eole t'at &ant to #ee u &it' your )uture o!t!* T'ere are t&o &ay! to
gain )ollo&er! %y %eing )amou! or %y %eing entertaining* $or t'e )amou! !ide eole &ant to )eel a!
t'oug' t'ey are getting a %e'ind t'e !cene! loo# at t'e cele%ritie! li)e and !eeing t'e er!onal !ide o)
t'em* $or t'e entertainment !ide t'e t&o mo!t common &ay! are 'umor or 'umiliation*
T'i! i! &'y I c'oo!e -eddit a! my rimary !ocial media outlet* -eddit i! a &e%!ite &'ere u!er!
can !u%mit o!t o) many di))erent )ormat! in a !u%reddit o) t'eir c'oice* "u%reddit! are &'at ma#e! u
-eddit a! a &'ole it !eerate! t'e &e%!ite in to !eci)ic !ection! !uc' a! 'umor. ne&!. or ,u!t a%out any
ot'er intere!t you could t'in# o)* /o!t eole &ould !ay t'at -eddit i! not a !ocial media &e%!ite %ut I
!ay. a! c'ee!y a! it !ound!. &'at i! !ocial media0 -eddit i! !ocial. eole get t'ere ne&! )rom it
)eature! comment! muc' li#e t'at o) $ace%oo# and #arma !imilar to li#e! on $ace%oo#. only %etter. it
'a! an otion to lo&er t'e #arma o) anot'er u!er %y one oint* T'i! !y!tem e))ecti(ely &ill %ury t'e
negati(e comment! and %ring t'e one! &it' mo!t #arma to t'e to and )or t'e ma,ority &it' a )e& rare
e1cetion! t'e 'ig'e!t comment i! o!iti(e in nature* T'e -eddit community al!o 'a! a )ond 'atred o)
2-e3o!t!4. or o!t! t'at 'a(e %een re(iou!ly !u%mitted %y ot'er! recently. &'ic' i! good %ecau!e it
encourage! originality* It+! 'ard to tal# a%out -eddit &it'out mentioning Imgur* Imgur i! t'e rimary
image re!ource u!ed %y redditor!. it i! u!ed %ecau!e it i! (ery ea!y to uload a 'oto quic#ly and t'en
u!e t'e lin# )or your o!t* 5outu%e i!. o) cour!e. u!ed )or t'e ma,ority o) t'e (ideo! o!ted on reddit*
T'e u!e o) !u%reddit! al!o gi(e! -eddit an ad(antage o(er ot'er !ocial media !ite! %ecau!e it i!
li#e a )ilter )or t'e content you !ee. t'i! i! imortant %ecau!e it let! you decide &'at you &ant to !ee on
t'e &e%!ite* 6!er oriented control i! !omet'ing t'at i! u!ually o(er loo#ed on t&itter. &'ere you can
c'oo!e &'o to )ollo& %ut you ne(er #no& &'at t'ey &ill o!t and it i! t'e !ame &it' )riend! on
$ace%oo#* T'ere are !o many t'ing! t'at can %e learned )rom !ocial media and t'e internet i) u!ed
correctly er!onally my )a(orite lace to learn i! %y &atc'ing (ideo! on 5outu%e* I am t'e #ind o)
er!on t'at get! e1citement )rom learning !o t'e internet i! a let'ora o) ,oy )or me* T'ere are !o many
re!ource! t'at are a(aila%le to anyone near a u%lic li%rary or any u%lic comuter!. t'i! i! en'anced
e(en more in modern yout'! t'at 'a(e !mart3'one!* /any eole do not reali7e 'o& muc' #no&ledge
t'ey are mi!!ing out on &'ile carrying a comuter in t'eir oc#et!* I 'a(e !een too many eole a!# a
que!tion aloud t'at could %e ea!ily an!&ered %y a quic# Google !earc' and t'en ,u!t %e !ati!)ied &it'
not #no&ing t'e an!&er* T'i! could 'o&e(er ma#e u! rely on Google )or all t'e an!&er!. %ut. i! t'i! a
good or a %ad e))ect0 Google i! muc' more e))icient t'an a li%rary allo&ing it+! u!er! to 'a(e t'eir
que!tion! an!&ered muc' )a!ter*
I %elie(e t'at curio!ity could %e a imortant )actor in &'y eole come %ac# to !ocial media day
a)ter day. t'ey are curiou! &'at t'eir )riend! are u to. &'ic' in a &ay i! t'e an!&er to a que!tion. !o
&e are learning )rom !ocial media* It i! 'ard to tell i) !ocial media i! a ro%lem %ecau!e &e 'a(e ne(er
e1erienced it %e)ore* It i! ,u!t a more e))icient &ay o) connecting &it' eole you #no&* I do not t'in#
it 'a! 'ad a! %ig o) an imact on t'e younger generation a! many eole claim it 'a!* I 'a(e ne(er
'eard o) anyone meeting ne& )riend! and t'en ne(er tal#ing to t'em again ot'er t'an t'roug' $ace%oo#
or t&itter. &e all !till !ee# t'e !ame !ocial interaction a! &e 'a(e )or t'ou!and! o) year!* T'e only
ro%lem I !ee t'at i! ari!ing )rom !ocial media i! in)ormation t'at !'ould %e #ee &it'in t'at grou o)
)riend! ma#ing it to $ace%oo# and %ecoming u%lic* I do agree t'at !ome eole do not under!tand t'e
(alue o) 'a(ing ri(acy and %elie(e t'at all in)ormation !'ould %e !'ared not #no&ing t'at !ome eole
mig't not &ant to 'ear it*
Inquiry
/y main que!tion &ill %e 2I! !ocial media really a ro%lem04* I &onder i) !ocial media 'a! a! %ig o) an
e))ect on !ociety a! many eole claim* I &ill !earc' )or !tudie! on t'e e))ect! o) !ocial media on
today8! yout'* I &ill al!o )ind article! t'at 'a(e %een oulari7ed %y t'e media and comare t'e claim!
in t'o!e article! and comare t'em to t'e !tudie! I 'a(e )ound*
9t'er que!tion! I 'a(e are 2:'y i! t'e di(er!ity o) !u%reddit! !o imortant04* I &ould ta#e e1amle! o)
o!t! )rom !e(eral !u%reddit! and comare and contra!t t'e o!t! and e1lain &'y t'ere di))erence! are
imortant*
;o& can &e u!e !ocial media )or good0 I &ould loo# to !ee i) !omeone 'a! already come acro!! t'i!
que!tion and u!e t'eir e1eriment a! a re!ource )or my aer* I) !omeone 'a!n+t I &ould 'a(e to loo#
)or t'e o!iti(e e))ect! o) !ocial media and !ee 'o& to amli)y t'em* T'i! toic &ould %e rat'er 'ard to
)ind re!earc' )or %ecau!e mo!t re!earc' &ould %e oinionated*
:'at are t'e %ene)it! o) !ocial media0 I &ould try to )ind a !tudy t'at de!cri%ed &'at 'aen! &'en
eole u!e !ocial media and I &ould )ocu! on t'e o!iti(e e))ect!*
Next steps
I &ill %e trying to )ocu! on my )ir!t t'e!i!. 2I! !ocial media a ro%lem04* I &ill comare article! t'at
!tate ro%lem! t'at 'a(e to deal &it' !ocial media* <a!ed on t'e ro%lem! re!ented in t'e article! I
&ill try to )ind i) t'ere i! any trut' to t'em or i) t'ey are greatly e1aggerated*