Social Media Effect

If there is anything you've learned this week, hopefully it is that social media works. In case you haven't been following along, on February 15, 2014, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, received a two-game suspension for punching his then fiancee Janay Palmer, in the elevator of an Atlantic City casino. Up until yesterday, the only footage seen was Rice dragging Palmer's unconscious body out of the elevator.

After the NFL's investigation, they suspended him for two games, much to many people's dismay. How is a "two game break" justifiable punishment for someone who knocked his fiancée unconscious?! By the end of July, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell claimed that Rice wasn't entirely to blame for the incident, saying Palmer provoked him and was even seen hitting her fiancée first. Despite the very public issue, Rice and Palmer wedded on March 28th.

On September 8, TMZ publicly released elevator footage of Ray Rice’s assault on his then fiancée, during the week of the Raven's first big rival game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The video was disturbing and so controversial that football players, journalists fans and even celebrities immediately took to social media to express their feelings.

Due to the outcries from many over the immorality of the situation, against Ray Rice and the actions taken by the NFL, the Ravens have decidedly terminated Ray Rice's contract with the team as of September 8th.. Following suite, the NFL, who have claimed that they "never saw this footage," have also terminated Rice indefinitely from the league. This is the "Social Media Effect” – had this not been brought on by a social media hurricane, action would not have been taken. 

“Ray Rice Wasn’t Fired Because He Hit His Wife, He Was Fired Because He Became a PR Nightmare.”

I believe that without Twitter, Ray Rice would still be sitting the first two games of the season out, and playing as their running back by week three. Your thoughts? Opinions?

Social School

Hootsuite recently asked their followers if they wished social media is a prevalent thing when they were in school. Users answered just how I expected:

So obviously they were very excited. It does make you stop and think, though... If I had social media when I was going through grade school and high school, Facebook and Instagram would have saved me my most recent hassle of pitching things from my memory box. If social media existed as it does now, I would have been able to upload some of my early dance recitals and concerts. I'd be able to delete some of the horrific photos of me with nappy hair, braces and thin wire framed glasses. I definitely believe if I had social media when I was in school, that the issue of cyberbullying would have been addressed years ago and that makes this idea a little bit scarier, even though there are so many other positives. 

When you really think about it though, we didn't need social media when we were in school. We were pleased with our back to school photos our parents would take in front of the school. We liked boasting to our classmates when we had straight As, and never felt the need to post our GPA as our status. We spent recess rolling around in dirt and left covered in bruises and pride, not engrossed in Pinterest boards or Kanye West's Twitter updates. We had fun without social media in our faces 24/7, and I think we came out okay.

What are your thoughts? Do you wish you had social media in school?