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Facebook seems to be the topic of most all my posts lately, but I am always fascinated with the new ways they are improving and making their site match the exact needs of its users. Currently, Facebook has stopped showing pictures of a person’s ex boyfriend/ girlfriend in the photo memories section of their page. This was done after several users had complained that seeing old photos was hard for them and made them not want to frequent the site as often. Facebook listened and has removed all of the photos of the ex’s, which has been shown to make their users much happier.

I noticed the photo memories box that Facebook added in the past couple of months. Some of the people they would show I did not talk to any more nor did I care to see their photos. Yet instead of unfriending them, I just kept clicking “X” to delete the current photo memory. Although no matter how many times I “X” people out, some still kept coming back. Rather annoying.

I am glad Facebook made this change, as I can see how seeing ex’s photos with out making the effort can be hurtful. Yet, this action on behalf of Facebook has brought me to two questions…. 1. If you really can’t handle looking through an ex’s Facebook pictures (even though you know all of you stalk your ex’s, even if you don’t want to admit… you do, its okay) why are you friends with them still? 2. Has Facebook turned into a dating site and lost its focus on being a social network? Oh wait, I lied. One more question. 3. What if you dated a person and then unfriended them just to refriend… does Facebook have the ability to recognize that or will photos still come up? I wish they did that. It would make things a lot easier. How many times do people break up and one of the first things they do is unfriend the person, just to refriend when either they work things out or become civil.

Maybe the moral of the story is, if we don’t want to see pictures of your ex, or people in general you do not care about… why not just unfriend them?

 
I keep thinking about a comment our speaker (Tonise Paul, President and CEO of BBDO Chicago) made last week regarding the 30 second TV spot. After a man in our class asked Tonise about how to keep media fresh in people’s minds and that he felt that TV and more traditional forms of media were dead, Tonise responded with an informative piece about the use of traditional media. She told us that the 30 second TV spot is not dead, in fact it is still very powerful. It is all about how we use certain forms of traditional media; the message we send to our audience; most importantly if we are able to make a significant connection with them.

I was thinking about this message and the impact that television ads still have on their target audience. Lately, there has been a commercial that has really bothered me and I feel that there are ethical issues surrounding its message. Chef Boyardee has currently been running a series of TV spots that claim that their ravioli has a full serving of vegetables, which is fine and good, until they say “but don’t tell your kids that.” Another commercial shows a young girl on a time out for almost telling her other friends that there are vegetables in their food, and was then punished by the surrounding parents for her attempt.

If the TV spot is still so powerful, then why is this major food company trying to tell not only adults but the children that see their ads that vegetables are something that should be hidden away or something to fear and that children are not able to learn what is beneficial to their health. The United States has been facing a health crisis related to poor dietary and activity choices for several years with no real positive light at the end of the tunnel. Having food companies encourage parents to not educated or feed their children vegetables (because no kids like them?) is completely irresponsible.

V8 Fruit Fusion is also a company who makes claims that their product offers a whole serving of vegetables, but that the taste is covered up by fruit flavors that are also in their product. I know this does not have a lot to do with emerging media, but it does present a valid ethical dilemma that some advertising agencies may have to deal with in the future. 

Where has the line been drawn between making a profit and what is over all the best message to send to your current or potential consumers?  Further will ethical concerns for the target audience actually yield long term benefits for your customer?

 
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I just viewed the Social Network less than a half an hour ago and I thought that I would blog about it now while it is still fresh in my mind. Overall, I give the movie 2.5 stars out of 4. Meh, not something I would have paid to see given my taste in movies. But it was informative none the less. It gave good background on how Facebook started and the people behind what is now a major addiction to many people not just in the US but the world.

I liked the overall make up of the cast, good chemistry between the characters and the drama between them was believable. I just do not understand all the reviews I had read about the movie prior to seeing it where it is claimed to be the best movie of the year and will be up for many grand awards. Maybe it is because I started using Facebook when it first came to be and the topic of social media, which I love, is talked about so often in my group of friends (seeing as we are all communications nerds) and in the media that I didn’t really feel a big connection to the movie. I had a totally different reaction to the film then I thought I would have. I was very excited to see it but I left feeling kind of bored and not impressed.

I love Facebook, I do. But after seeing the movie and really learning how badly Mark treated Eduardo, whether intentional or not, made me not admire him as much and start to think he was a jerk. Facebook made in vain? Maybe that is just me…

Anyone else have a similar view of the movie? I would be interested to hear what you have to say.