Today in class we listened to our second round of EOTO presentations. I thought all of the presentations were well prepared and interesting to listen to. I especially liked how one group's topic was the idea of “whistle-blowing”. I learned whistle blowing is when someone “blows the whistle” about a person or group about corrupt activity. I did some further research and according to the National Whistleblower Center, a whistleblower is “someone who reports waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or danger to public health and safety to someone who is in the position to rectify the wrongdoing” (National Whistleblower Center). I learned that the whistleblower actually works within the organization or firm where these problems are taking place. Therefore, these problems or concerns cause them later to spill. While listening, I learned whistle blowing can be both positive and negative for the whistleblower. Whistle blowing can help give people more power over the government and it also keeps our country safe and informed. However, blowing the whistle involves dangerous information which could get you in trouble or be targeted by the government. I decided to research famous whistleblowing cases and found a case about a former employee for Facebook.
Frances Haugen worked for Facebook for several years and knew the research they were conducting was wrong. According to an NPR article “Here are 4 Key Points from the Facebook whistleblower’s testimony on Capitol Hill” Haugen stated, “During my time at Facebook, I came to realize a devastating truth: Almost no one outside kows what happens innside Facebook… The company intentionally hides vital information from the public, from the U.S. government and from governments around the world” (Allyn). Haugen felt Facebook was abusing their power and breaking the law. She felt they needed to be stopped before more damage was done to their users. As a result, Haugen copied pages of confidential documents from Facebook and brought them to court to support her case. Facebook sadly didn’t see an issue with their research and the potential harmful effects it could have on individuals.
Another topic I found interesting that a group presented was the idea of influencers. Influencing has become a new and popular way of marketing in today’s generation. I am a fan of many influencers, however I didn’t realize the underlying works that happen behind the scenes. Today, there are thousands of young influencers with major followings, but you may ask why and what exactly is their job? Online influencing is actually a form of social media marketing involving endorsements or product placements. I never knew online influencing could help offer more jobs for users, I thought it was primarily selective. However, anyone can be an influencer! Not to mention, influencing can improve our marketing and advertising aspects. I did some further research about influencing and found an article posted on Manobyte called “The Role of Social Media Influencers. In the article it stated that influencers “are passionate individuals who develop and share their experiences and opinions on the social web for all to see. In their categories of influence, they hold considerably more sway than traditional celebrities” (Dean). In addition, online influencing has become a huge marketing aspect and viewers are starting to follow their ways more than high paid celebrities!
I learned Online influencers actually have a lot of positives. Such as bringing awareness to important causes, exposing us to diversity in all aspects, and niche marketing. My favorite online influencer is Gretchen Geraghty. Geraghty is a popular YouTube star and is known for her tips in beauty and fashion, fitness, college, etc. I strictly follow her ways and keep up to date on her life. However, in reality this activity can strike some major concerns for users like myself. Sometimes, I find myself being too wrapped up in these influencers' lives and constantly wishing I could be like them. This is because online influencers can actually damage users' mental health, promote scams, and create obsessions. I feel users today are too fixated on becoming influencers, rather than focusing on themselves and who they truly are. Overall, I enjoyed all the groups' topics but these are the two I related to and interested me the most!
Sources:
https://www.whistleblowers.org/what-is-a-whistleblower/
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/05/1043377310/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-congress
https://www.manobyte.com/growth-strategy/the-role-of-social-media-influencers
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