A Primer on Social Media Mental Health Camp Vancouver ’09 Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega http://www.raulpacheco.org (research) http://hummingbird604.com (personal/social media) Image source: http://digiredo.files.wordpress.com/

Preface For those of you in the audience who do social media – sorry, this is going to be a bit repetitious. For those of you who come from the mental health community – stop me at any time if something is unclear, ok?

For those of you in the audience who do social media – sorry, this is going to be a bit repetitious.

For those of you who come from the mental health community – stop me at any time if something is unclear, ok?

Basic premises of my talk We live in a networked society. No longer isolated. Everyone is connected. No longer 9am to 5pm. Things happen online 24/7 No longer purely private The boundary between public and private life has blurred. Social media is all about networking. So if we are going to use the network, let’s use it the right way

We live in a networked society.

No longer isolated.

Everyone is connected.

No longer 9am to 5pm.

Things happen online 24/7

No longer purely private

The boundary between public and private life has blurred.

Social media is all about networking.

So if we are going to use the network, let’s use it the right way

Social network of the New Testament  http://www.esv.org/blog/2007/01/mapping-nt-social-networks/

So, what is this thing you call... Social media? It is social Allows you/enables you to create multi-directional relationships. It is media Content generated is distributed via online (electronic) methods Image at http://www.47project.com/2009/03/11/social-media-experts-you-have-lots-to-learn-grasshopper/

It is social

Allows you/enables you to create multi-directional relationships.

It is media

Content generated is distributed via online (electronic) methods

Credit and source: http://www.fredcavazza.net/2008/06/09/social-media-landscape/

A few social media tools Video-sharing sites YouTube Vimeo Viddler Content Management Systems Blogger WordPress TypePad Wikis PBWiki Podcasts (audio) Photo-sharing Flickr Micro-blogs Twitter Identi.ca Laconi.ca

Video-sharing sites

YouTube

Vimeo

Viddler

Content Management Systems

Blogger

WordPress

TypePad

Wikis

PBWiki

Podcasts (audio)

Photo-sharing

Flickr

Micro-blogs

Twitter

Identi.ca

Laconi.ca

Social media enables dialogue... Web 1.0 Unilateral (static webpages) Traditional media (I say, you listen) Content generation from the website creator (Top-down) Web 2.0 Multidirectional (dynamic websites) New media (I say, you say, we all say) Crowd-sourced content (Bottom-up)

Web 1.0

Unilateral

(static webpages)

Traditional media

(I say, you listen)

Content generation from the website creator

(Top-down)

Web 2.0

Multidirectional

(dynamic websites)

New media

(I say, you say, we all say)

Crowd-sourced content

(Bottom-up)

Social media is an enabling agent Finding information Learning from other’s stories Building trust and strengthening relationships Sharing your story ( storytelling )

Finding information

Learning from other’s stories

Building trust and strengthening relationships

Sharing your story ( storytelling )

Privacy concerns? Not a problem! http://www.sophos.com/security/best-practice/facebook.html

Facebook

Why the properties of information flow in social networks matter Or, in other words, I’m going to go a little bit academic on you, if you don’t mind 

Four properties of information flow in social networking sites Reciprocity Information flows bi-directionally and reciprocally. No reasonable human interaction is uni-directional all the time. Durability Information that you put on the web, stays on the web. For a very, very long time. Traceability (and accountability) Information that you put on the web, can be traced back. Scalability Once information flows publicly, you can’t stop its flow to other nodes. It’s out in the open. And one wrong move can change how it’s reproduced and perceived. Partially and initially based on boyd (2009), adding my own thoughts

Reciprocity

Information flows bi-directionally and reciprocally. No reasonable human interaction is uni-directional all the time.

Durability

Information that you put on the web, stays on the web. For a very, very long time.

Traceability (and accountability)

Information that you put on the web, can be traced back.

Scalability

Once information flows publicly, you can’t stop its flow to other nodes. It’s out in the open. And one wrong move can change how it’s reproduced and perceived.

Lessons to be learned on how to use the properties of social media to mental health issues Property A couple of pieces of advice Reciprocity Bi-directionality and reciprocity enhances trust. Give back to the community. Feedback and conversation are key. Durability Online information can stay on the web for a long, long time. Ensure that you are prepared to deal with long-term repercussions of content creation. Traceability Bear in mind that information can be re-hashed (mashed up) and therefore you need to ensure that your own material can be traced back. Scalability Emphasizing the sensitive nature of some information flows and recognizing that information escalates

Bi-directionality and reciprocity enhances trust.

Give back to the community.

Feedback and conversation are key.

Online information can stay on the web for a long, long time.

Ensure that you are prepared to deal with long-term repercussions of content creation.

Bear in mind that information can be re-hashed (mashed up) and therefore you need to ensure that your own material can be traced back.

Emphasizing the sensitive nature of some information flows and recognizing that information escalates

In a nutshell (pun 100% intended) Don’t be afraid of social media!  Test the tools, find what suits you. Dial up the privacy as much as you need. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – there is a whole community out there 

Don’t be afraid of social media! 

Test the tools, find what suits you.

Dial up the privacy as much as you need.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions – there is a whole community out there 

Recommended reading/viewing The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom (Yochai Benkler @ Harvard) http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/wealth_of_networks/Main_Page Social Media in Plain English (Common Craft, Lee Lefever) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE Actually, ANYTHING “In Plain English” is fantastic

The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom

(Yochai Benkler @ Harvard)

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/wealth_of_networks/Main_Page

Social Media in Plain English (Common Craft, Lee Lefever)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE

Actually, ANYTHING “In Plain English” is fantastic

Thanks for listening! Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD How to contact me: Via email [email_address] for social media matters [email_address] for my enviro research Via contact form on my blogs http://hummingbird604.com social medial/personal http://www.raulpacheco.org research Via Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hummingbird604 social media http://www.twitter.com/raulpacheco research

Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD

How to contact me:

Via email

[email_address] for social media matters

[email_address] for my enviro research

Via contact form on my blogs

http://hummingbird604.com social medial/personal

http://www.raulpacheco.org research

Via Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/hummingbird604 social media

http://www.twitter.com/raulpacheco research