TED unlimited talks

TED, Ideas Worth Spreading.

Now you can listen or precisely - watch various type of talks in your phone. TED is an apps which contains over 100+ topics for example adventure, DNA, economics and leadership.

Let's say you only have 5 minutes while waiting for public transport, you can actually watch a talk in that short period of time. In this case, TED has provided a function which you can choose any talks by choosing the time you have.

Clearly, TED is no harmful for all of us. We can gain knowledge. It's a good way to learn more but we should adventure this wonderful by ourselves rather than sitting on the sofa and watching videos and assume that we knew everything. 

For your interest, kindly refer to this article for the 15 terrific talks for new media students. 

Author: Chan Yoon Wei (B1402005)

Issues of Social Media (fueled by Mobile Apps) Part 2

Social media creates new issues for Malaysians. One of which is online harrassment. According to this article, The level of online harassment is reportedly high at above 70%, especially for children calling other children mean names, posting improper messages and inappropriate photos. As many as 26% of all schoolchildren reported that they had been bullied online, with children aged 13 to 15 being bullied the most. The survey done (as seen in the article) shows that children are extremely exposed to cyberbullying and they take little protection against such an issue. This is extremely disturbing as Foong Cheng Leong, an advocate and solicitor mentions some cases of online harassment in his blog. 

Also, social media may create a new problem for Malaysians. This issue may be explained to our readers through a video by John Oliver, an English comedian who is the host of Last Week Tonight, a satirical weekly news report. 

He first discusses about women being harassed online and proceed to a huge issue of 'revenge porn'. Revenge porn is sexually explicit media that is distributed without the consent of the individual(s) involved. This typically happens when a partner who is bitter about the break up of a relationship posts naked pictures sent by the other partner during their relationship to porn websites without the knowledge and consent of the other partner, causing humiliation and may even ruin the lives of the victim (lose their jobs, their families or turn to suicide). 

Our group agree that this is not an issue of Malaysian society yet, or at least it is not an overblown controversial problem that Malaysians face due to the more conservative culture of Malaysians but it is not an exception to this problem. It may be an issue of the future or it may be an issue we face now. We agree that there must exist criminal rules in the country to protect individuals from such a crime. Also, we propose that tighter regulations should exist for cyberbullying to prevent harassment or stalking, since it is a general consensus among us that all citizens and netizens should feel secure in their own country and in their own home.

Photo credits:

http://kalw.org/post/your-call-who-responsible-preventing-online-harassment

http://tribune.com.pk/story/51428/poverty-drives-man-to-murder-suicide/

Author: Florence Chong (B1402193)

I Don't Want To Friend You!

source: pc-tablet.co.in

A new app called "Unfriend Alert" which claims to let users know when they get removed from someone's friend list is really just a scam designed to steal private information such as name and password.

A security blog called MalwareBytes detailed in its security report that the app sends information to a strange website. Unwanted ads from the app could potentially install unwanted malware on someones computer.

Such apps can be used by cybercriminals to cause harm to their prey as they are armed with private data about individuals. As social media apps become more and more popular, one should always be careful when sharing personal information online and to err on the side of caution when it comes to installing apps on devices.

Article referenced in this post can be found here.


Author: Shasha Fernandez (B1401973)

Just Five More Minutes Ma

Gaming apps, these are horribly addictive and are highly competitive, with new ones pumping out of app stores everyday. People are spending their rest hours on games, putting their health in jeopardy. Gaming app these days uses different techniques, most of them involving psychological ones in order to attract people to be addicted to the game. Look at Candy Crush Saga, according to this article, Initially, the game allows us to win and pass levels with ease, giving a strong sense of satisfaction. These accomplishments are experienced as mini rewards in our brains, releasing the neurochemical dopamine and tapping into the same neuro-circuitry involved in addiction, reinforcing our actions. then it applies the variable ratio schedule of reinforcement which is the same tactic used in slot machines; you can never predict when you’re going to win, but you win just often enough to keep you coming back for more.

Here is a video to introduce the Candy Crush Saga:

Also, it makes you pay for more chances to go at it. Allow this short video enlighten you about the science behind gaming apps these days, in which the characters call it 'Freemium gaming'

Allowing oneself indulge in these gaming are merely putting one in a situation where you might give in to the temptation to buy intangible items of the game just for another five minutes of pleasure. Not only are people spending money unnecessarily, they are spending their time on these mobile gaming apps, reducing productivity and sacrificing their sleep time for one more level. 

This is an issue that is not easily solved by other parties. Only oneself is able to practice discipline upon himself and forgo the instant gratification our nature so desires for a better lifestyle, healthier mind and thicker wallets. 

Author: Florence Chong (B1402193)

tumblr mobile app

This tumblr app allows us to effortlessly share anything whenever we want to, We are able to post text, photos, quotes, videos etc from our mobile phone. Tumblr is more appealing to younger users and most of its users are younger people as compared to other social networks.Users are also able to "reblog" things that they find interesting, basically sharing the post of other people on their feed.

However what some people don't realize is there are consequences with posting pictures and things which we aren't sure are copyrighted or not. It is illegal and tumblr may shut down your account along with everything else you posted. This is what happened to a popular blogger on tumblr as stated in this article .

Therefore it is always important to know the origin of a picture before using it and posting it on sites such as tumblr. Artist and photographers also spend a lot of time capturing this images and it would only be fair to credit them and not post it as our own. In fact we should take our own photos and share the love! Information on how you can post on tumblr safely can be found from this article.

author: Joohijit Kaur (B1203073)

The Dark Side of Online Dating Apps

source:www.parent-connection.com

The dangers of meeting online strangers in real life is not one that is new to most of us. However, with dating apps like Tinder, which allows someone to be matched to another by swiping right on the phone screen, the potential dangers that lurk are not always immediately known.

Tinder uses social media site Facebook to reduce the chances of fake accounts being set up. Naïve young people might be gullible enough to think that it is safe to meet someone from Tinder.

source: dailymail.co.uk

This article provides scary evidence that proper precautions must be taken if going to meet someone online. One must never give out private information about oneself and one should never go out alone with a stranger. 

The article reported about  several sexual assault incidents from Tinder meetings and went on to stress that people met online might not really be who we think they are. T

Tinder can be a convenient way for busy singles to meet new people however, proper caution must be taken to ensure security and privacy are the utmost priority



author: Shasha Fernandez (B1401973)

LinkedIn mobile app

 
source: blog.linkedin.com

LinkedIn app is an app which allows you to access the social networking site that is designed specifically for professionally networking. Basically LinkedIn is like a professional facebook. A LinkedIn member's profile emphasizes on employment history and education. "The entire website is designed as an “information rich” system, not a “photo and personal sharing” system liked Facebook and other networks."-Forbes. 

The benefit of LinkedIn is that it is able to aid hiring companies and recruiters to search for professionals who might fit their criteria. Also as employees or if we were on a job hunt we would be able to get introductions to potential employers or colleagues in your field which makes it really convenient for us. 

However, this article  says otherwise. This article shows LinkedIn had negatively affected a man's job search. "One of the many things I did to boost my chances of success was to edit the field just below my name in my LinkedIn profile to remove mention of any specific employer and to more precisely convey the services and expertise I offer." This however turned out to be the opposite of what he expected. LinkedIn sent out an automated email address to the members on his network, asking them to congratulate him on his new job, imagine his shock! People started congratulating him on his profile including a headhunter. Not only did sending out notes asking people to congratulate him seem unprofessional but it also lead potential employers to think that he landed something. This small click of a button was not something that was easy to reverse.  

This shows how misleading LinkedIn can be as a social network. Without a doubt LinkedIn app has become a great app to allow us to discover new jobs opportunities and also to connect with other professionals however we must be careful with what we post and also press on and make sure that LinkedIn is aware of its flaw as mentioned in the article above. 

Author: Joohijit Kaur( B1203073)

tweet away!

Twitter has more than 100 million downloads solely from Android users. This famous social app functions in a way similar to blogging. However, each "tweet" is constrained to 140 characters so it is some what considered "micro blogging".  Twitter works in a way that it allows you to follow other people so you could see their tweet and vice versa. An instant conversation can be done by replying the "tweets" of other people. Therefore twitter is basically a blend of instant messaging, blogging and texting. 

The interesting thing about it is that you can find all types of people on twitter with different agendas. The users of twitter ranges from Presidents and Prime Ministers of different countries to celebrities to average people like you and I. Celebrities use it so that they can connect with their fans or to build a bigger fan base. Twitter is also widely used as a marketing platform. With twitter's hashtag function, whenever someone hashtags a brand in their tweet, for examples #nike, more people start talking about it! It also allows companies to interact with their customers and also provide them with customer service. 

However, cyber bullying which is a serious social media issue is easy to be carried out on twitter. According to this article (The Huffington Post), researches find 15,000 bullied related tweets sent daily. It is sometimes hard to put to stop to it because many of this bullies hide behind a fake account. If these accounts were to be deleted due to inappropriate behavior, they would simply create a new account and continue where they left off. Cyber bullying on twitter is escalated when there are a group of this bullies and the retweet function on twitter allows them to share the tweets of the other bullies. The victims keep it to themselves and are reluctant to tell adults due to the fear of being bullied more or being labelled as a tattletale. There many cases where cyber bullying on social media's such as twitter has lead to suicide. 

Cyber bullying on twitter is a serious issue and must be dealt with. Twitter users should report the account when they witness abuse on twitter. Abuse should never be ignored ever if we are not the ones being abused. Information on how to be safe on twitter is provided here . 

Resources of this post can be found in the following links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_downloaded_Android_applications

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/internet101/f/What-Exactly-Is-Twitter.htm

Author: Joohijit Kaur (B1203073)

Foursquare - share or not share

Foursquare is an social apps which allow us to share our locations with friends. First, let us see how does it work.

1. Check in!

2. Done

It is a very easy apps to use. You also able to comment on the place itself or share some idea with friends in the apps.

Do you know that in community, there are more than 55 million people worldwide, who have left more than 70 million tips and checked in over 7 billion times. In businesses, there are than 2 million businesses have claimed their locations to connect with their customers. It is actually helping the community grow.

However, please don't easily share your current location from time to time. Although it has privacy settings, stalkers or hackers are still able to track your locations. So, think before when u check-in any apps. Check out this article to know more.

Please check this website to have a clear image of how Foursquare works.

Author: Chan Yoon Wei (B1402005)

Issues of Social Media (amplified by Mobile Apps) Part 1

Several issues emerged after the inception of mobile apps. One of which will be discussed in this blog post is the possibility of hate speech being amplified through social media. As mentioned in the previous post, mobile apps are catalysts for social media in Malaysia. It has made social media so easily accessible that it is now the main platform for the access of social media, especially among the young. This is seen in platforms such as Facebook, Blogger, Wordpress and Twitter. 

This was the theme of discussion among professionals of different fields in Cafe Latte Chat, a dialogue that was organised in 2013. Some has suggested that social media (driven by the ease of availability due to mobile apps), merely provides a reflection of society, that these were thoughts that people always had and now had the avenue to have their voices heard. Others suggested that real life when speaking face to face, people tend to have boundaries and limitations. On the other hand, going online allows them to speak freely without censorship and the ease of doing that has reduced the consideration of consequences of what they post. It was however a common understanding among the subjects of that dialogue that hate speech is frequently and easily found through social media in Malaysia. 

 Another issue that was discussed is that false news or slander is easily spread through social media, (again the ease of spread is made easier due to mobile apps that are available at Malaysians' fingertips). Some suggested that these false news may be self-regulatory while others suggested that the medium of self-regulatory is when people correct the mistake and by then, it could be too late since the news may be already viral news. When asked about the laws of Malaysia protecting citizens of defamation and slander, some suggested existing laws are too general and are not as effective as expected but the lawyer of the dialogue suggested that it is sufficient. 

Our group agree on the two issues social media (fueled by the availability of mobile apps) pose to Malaysians are indeed very real and some of us experienced first hand some of these issues. Hate speech are easily seen when it comes to racial or religious issues, especially by extremists of religion or race. False news disguised as real too are easily available on different platforms that it takes an experienced eye to decipher between real and false news. Users of social media (and mobile apps users) should be vary of these issues and take all news with a pinch of salt, verify the legitimacy of an article before sharing it out. Also, they should also condemn those who speak and want to impose extremists views in order to make the Internet a better place. 

The dialogue referenced above may be found here.

Photo credits: 
http://www.returnofkings.com/49279/freedom-of-speech-is-dying-in-sweden
http://mediacriminaljustice.blogspot.com/2011/03/fox-news-caught-using-false-news.html
Author: Florence Chong (B1402193)

The Benefits of Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are seen to be extremely useful. Its advantages will be seen through the perspective of businesses, consumers and student/parents.

For businesses, below are the main advantages:

• Create a direct marketing channel
• all the information businesses want their customers to know is right at the customer's fingertips, including special sales and promotions
• push notifications may serve as a reminder to these information
• To be visible to consumers
• the app is always there serving as a reminder, even if the customer is not intending to use the app, he will have to scroll through a bunch of apps that may include the businesses' app
• Build brand recognition
• the more exposed customers are to your brand, the more inclined they will be towards purchasing your product/services. 
• as brands becomes more recognised, this increases the value of the business
• businesses are more flexible to design their app in such a way that would give better impressions of the brand to customers than a design of a blank billboard
• Improve customer engagement
• customers may provide feedback or complaints via the app with ease as compared to calling the business about it
• Cultivate customer loyalty
• with noise levels of promotions so high, an app is a better platform to reach out to customers as compared to advertisements on radio or billboards
• the more the business is able to reach out, the more loyal customers the business will get

Some businesses that are aboard this technology wagon are: Nike +, Zalora, Uber

For consumers, here are the main advantages:

• Ease to use and convenient
• its easy to access (merely by downloading it from the app store) and it is easy to learn how to use it, since the app is designed to be consumer friendly
• its on the mobile devices of consumers, which means it is directly at their fingertips. No longer will they need to access the computer/laptop and enter the url to the websites. It merely is a tap away. 
• Easy schedule of appointments
• the app may make appointments and schedule it for consumers without having consumers taking the trouble to do it themselves. 
• It provides reminders to events or appointments as well

For students/parents, here is the advantage:

• Ensure that parents get the message
• schools may design their own apps to inform parents about events of school and a child's progress in school without having to worry that students may not relay the message to the parents

Resources of this post is found in the following links:

• Forbes
• Get Mobile Exposure
• Active School Apps
• InfoMedia

Author: Florence Chong (B1402193)

Mobile apps' Influence on Malaysians

Mobile apps on phone devices, whether it be Android or iOS operating system, are highly linked to social media. In Malaysia, a survey by Connected Life, TNS and Kantar (details of these editors available in link below) suggested that Malaysian Internet users are amongst the global social leaders.

Some statistics include: “Facebook is by far the most popular application, with almost half of Malaysian Internet users identifying it as their favourite social platform (48%) and 88% visiting the site weekly. WhatsApp is not far behind for weekly use, at 72% of Malaysian Internet users, however it’s the favourite platform for just one fifth of the population (19%).”

Such numbers grow due to the increasingly ease of access to social media via mobile apps. From this study, it was shown that “Malaysia is one out of only five places in the world where smartphone usage is higher than computers at 51% vs 39%.”, “In fact, 35% of the Malaysian users surveyed say they exclusively use their smartphones and no other device to access the Internet, making Malaysia the #1 country in the world when it comes to smartphone Internet access exclusivity”

From articles here, it should be concluded that mobile apps plays a huge role in Malaysian society, whether it is an advantage or a disadvantage, the answer is uncertain. This will be discussed in the following posts.

Author: Florence Chong

Welcome!

This blog is created to bring awareness on the issues of social media in Malaysia, our home country. The focus of this blog will be on mobile apps, in which case, we will emphasize on the mobile apps influence on our society today. The blog posts to follow will inform readers on the effects of specific mobile apps and apps in general.

Our group consists of 6 members: Chan Yoon Wei, Ching Ching, Jennifer Koh, Shasha Fernandez, Joohijit Kaur and Florence Chong.