Social networking websites have been a major factor in providing individuals an outlet to express themselves and learn about others. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter provide its users with up-to-date posts and happenings amongst the interconnected groups of people that share news about their lives. Although Facebook and Twitter provide ways to post video on their websites, is there a chance that a website like YouTube could become the next avenue for live visual social networking?
Many businesses nowadays are starting to use the concept of telepresence to conduct meetings with clients that don’t have the ability to you make face-to-face interactions. According to lecture, telepresence is defined as, “using audio/video conferencing components (across 2 or more locations) to create an immersive communication experience that simulates an in-person encounter” (E-Commerce). Although many of these conferences can be extremely expensive the idea of interacting with people through visual conversation could be the next big step for online social networking.
Websites like YouTube allow users to upload videos to share with their friends, colleagues and fans, but if the website were able to allow its users to directly share content through live-online video feeds the outcome could have a huge impact on the way we interact with each other. In a study conducted by Kent State University professors Paul Haridakis and Gary Hanson that measured the use of YouTube usage, “it was estimated that 85% of college age Internet users 18–24 had watched videos on sites such as YouTube” (Haridakis & Hanson 2009). According to Haridakis and Hanson, the study found that internet users watching videos on YouTube used the site for; “convenient entertainment, convenient information-seeking, co-viewing, and social interaction motives were not significant predictors of watching videos (Haridakis & Hanson 2009).
Computer-mediated communication may be at the forefront of problems that causes YouTube to not be able provide its users with social interaction motives. Although YouTube is not considered a Hybrid source of computer-mediated-communication, it provides its user the ability to comment, like, rate and share videos with their friends. The problem is that most users aren’t getting the instance gratification of being able to share up to the minute video posts. It takes a shorter amount of time to type in a message than it does to film a video and upload it for people to watch. The possibility of live video social networking is going to be debatable until the standards of mobile processing speed are enhanced enough to where people can immediately post and share video feed in live setting online.
Haridakis, P., & Hanson, G. (2009). Social Interaction and Co-Viewing with YouTube: Blending Mass Communication Reception and Social Connection. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 53(2), 317-335. doi:10.1080/08838150902908270
Great article. Video and the Internet is really a hot topic and for good reason. Video offers incredible potential. As video compression standards are improved and Internet bandwidth speeds increase for both mobile and regular clients we can expect video to have a more integral effect in our lives. One aspect of the future of video relates to the file format of the video. Open source video formats like Ogg Theora can allow the Web to be open, secure, and cheap. Video contains so much more information than text ever can. I text comment saying “that leader is amazing” can be interpreted entirely differently when intonation, pitch, and rhetoric are added through the use of video.
ReplyDeleteChriss.2
Telepresence sounds like a good way to communicate with others. It allows you to see the person you are speaking to with not having to be in the same room. However, it is a lot like Facetime on the iPhone, which I have used once with my seven-year-old cousin. I think that the only time I really want to watch a video live on the computer is when it is like a blog. A lot of YouTube videos are actually, filmed, cut and edited, to make the video a better video to watch. When a kid sings and dance a song, it might not take the first time. The reason why we do this is because we strive for perfection.
ReplyDelete~petty.79
I found this blog to be quite intriguing. It really made me think outside of the box when it comes to telepresence. I think you may be on to something but I also think that Skype would be a great platform for this idea rather than YouTube. I say this because with Skype you actually can do a live video chat. The only other function to add would be to incorporate the videos from YouTube I guess. This is just a thought, but I do think that this could take social networking sites to the next level and increase peoples need for entertainment.
ReplyDeletejohnson.2878
This post was very interesting and relevant to technology today. Telepresence is being used more and more by people and companies to communicate. I thought it was so interesting that companies conduct meeting across the country and world using this type of technology. I thought that was so amazing. Youtube is also constantly being used by so many people for various reasons. It is used to reach people for anything. It could be entertainment, how-to's, and information of any sort. I think this post touched on important aspects of telepresence and the pros/cons of it. I do understand how this type of sns might not give the instant gratification like Facebook, but it definitely reaches people on a whole different level.
ReplyDelete-stachowicz.4
Good article. I also think that live video social networking will happen but not in our immediate future. Facebook is having trouble with their "chat" feature. It doesn't work nearly as good as it should. Having live video chats would take up a ton of space on the electromagnetic scale. I also don't think it would catch on as well as people may think. You would only video chat with your best friends. I do think it is coming eventually, I would like to see how it catches on with younger people. I have an Iphone 4 and iv'e used facetime maybe twice. Although I do think it would be very useful in the workplace.
ReplyDeletewhite.1656
I agree with this. I think in the near future, a social network will be introduced that will be video based. Facebook introduced something close to this but it hasn't really caught on yet because of the lack of popularity it has. Once everyone starts leaving video post/messages then it will hit the market like none other. I do not see this happening soon, though. Telepresence on the other hand, if it hasn't taken off yet, it will very soon with the era we are in right now. The economy is down and people are becoming lazier and lazier so telepresence will be a hit for sure.
ReplyDeletemorgan.886
I think that video communication for business and many other things is a great idea. It can lead to expansion of companies and even save trips for people which could reduce price of gas since there would be less traveling and less pollution. It may not be a ton but every little thing counts. There is of course always will be negatives with this with people using it the wrong way. Hopefully that in the future there will be cheaper versions of these new social networking systems for business. I think that videos are going to be the new way of communication.
ReplyDeletePulsinelli.3