Reflection

            On Thursday afternoon, Mark Schaefer, author of the Tao of Twitter, came to speak to our class. One thing that he said that really caught my attention was that, “everyone can have a voice, everyone can publish, and everyone can have power.” After he said this, it really made me realize how true that statement is. Before the use of the Internet, it was much harder for people to have their voice be heard. While people could post stuff in newspapers, write a book, or join a protest, it was much harder for people to stand up for things they believed in or state their opinion on specific topics. As the use of social media has increased, more and more people realize how much they can have an impact in the world about anything they are interested in speaking about. Whether it’s posting a status on Facebook, posting a tweet on Twitter, or starting your own Blog, anyone can have his or her thoughts out there for the public to see in less than 5 seconds. Today, people use the Internet and social media to promote their business, stay connected with old friends, and write about their lives. Because the Internet makes it so easy to let your voice be heard, Mark Schaefer is right when he says that anyone can have power. Being a political figure or a celebrity, your voice can be heard by almost anyone. Being just an average citizen, it is much harder to have the power to have people listen to what you have to say. If you get enough people to read into your Facebook, Twitter, Blog, or any other social networking site, you can be just as powerful as anyone else. After writing a book on the uses of Twitter, Mark Schaefer is an expert when it comes to getting his voice heard. With 36,068 followers and 26,205 tweets on Twitter, Mark Schaefer has really learned the techniques of making people listen to him. Being an Advertising student, I would really like to have my name out there for people to know me. This statement from Mark Schaefer really made me realize how easy it is to do that. 

-Sorrell