An Examination of the Theme of Power in ​Maus​ and Its Effect of Dehumanization on Its Characters

Hitler once stated, “The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human.”  During the time of the Holocaust, the ideology of Jews as non-humans existed as a driving force for the Holocaust and genocide of the Jewish race. This ideology was exercised by Nazi Germany through the form of power. The abuse of this power also led to the dehumanization of German Nazis in ​Maus.​ Through the central theme of power, Spiegelman exposes his readers to the dehumanization of both Jews and Nazi prison guards in ​Maus.

The concept of dehumanization refers to a reduction in a given human’s perception of their individuality as well as their recognition of the human-like characteristics and attributes in others. The misperception of regarding others as non-human includes perceiving them all together as a lower order of being than the human, perceiving them as “bad human” (a well-known part of collective prejudice) as well as perceiving them as non human, as if they are purely insentient things or a disposable stock of some type. Therefore, the abuse or elimination of these perceived non-humans is executed in absence of an active conscious or sense of troubledness.

The idea of dehumanization is more frequently utilized in regards to “ethnicity, race, and related topics such as immigration and genocide.”  Expressing his idea in just that, Spiegelman uses the theme of power in order to emphasize the dehumanizing treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. Vladek mentions some of the first physical forms of power that the Nazi Germans placed on the Jews. “They put thousands of people there…it was so crowded that some of them actually suffocated…no food…no toilets. It was terrible.”

Here, Vladek is talking about when Jews were relocated and incarcerated in cramped apartment buildings. By expressing a form of physical power over the Jews, the Nazi Germans dehumanized them, taking away their basic human liberties to control where they go as well as forcing them to live in conditions so dense, that it could be compared to that of the animals on factory farms. Here, we see the Jews being treated as sub-human. They were given very minimal resources such as shelter; however, not enough resources that anything above a subhuman would most definitely need to survive such as food and a toilet. These conditions were so dense that it was impossible for humans to even live. Some of the mentioned conditions in ​Maus​ are comparable enough to those of animals that even equipment used on animals was involved. “We lay on top of the other, like matches, like herrings. I pushed to a corner not to get crushed…High up I saw a few hooks to chain up maybe the animals.”

By using their power to force the Jews into such small quarters, so tight that a human would be crushed, the Nazis clearly viewed the Jews as objects and non-humans. Here, we see that Jews were considered ​insentient things or a disposable stock. In his article, Spiegelman states that “​In fact, Zyklon B, the gas used in Auschwitz and elsewhere as the killing agent, was a pesticide manufactured to kill vermin—like fleas and roaches.”

By including Zyklon B in ​Maus​, Spiegelman once again ensures the reader of the dehumanized treatment of the Jews. Not only were they being exterminated (similar to vermin) by genocide throughout the entire novel, but the way they were put to death is the same pesticide made to kill vermin. The Jews were viewed as less than human, to the point that their form of death would be the equivalent to that of a rats.

Similar to an animal, the prisoners were willing to endure these living conditions in order to fight for their lives. For example, Vladek finds his cousin and his family hiding inside a bunker within a garbage hole. Here, we see Jews diminished to their very basic animal instincts. There no longer existed a sense of dignity or identity, but a primitive, driven compulsion to live. They were willing to do or endure just about anything in order to simply survive, as an animal would. Spiegelman expresses the dehumanization of Jews down to their animal instincts once again when Anja says that she wants to die. ​“No Darling! To die, it’s easy…But you have to struggle for your life.” Similar to an animal’s daily struggle to survive in the wild, Vladek reminds Anja that she must endure just that in order to live through the Holocaust.

Not only did the German Nazis push a physical power onto the Jews, further dehumanizing them, but through their power, they dehumanized the Jews mentally as well. Once Nazis began to build their power over other countries, many people were forced to enlist. Feeling the threat of the Nazi power, Vladek’s father starved both Vladek and his brother in order to make them look just unhealthy enough to not serve in the military. The Nazis had such an influence over the Jews, that even before the war had begun, a father was threatened enough to starve his own children. For a father to deny his own fatherly instinct enough to starve his children is considered immoral and uncivilized in any given society, and ultimately, dehumanized. Beyond this, Vladek mentions that people were even willing enough to put their own need to survive above those of their family members. Vladek says this when Artie asked if Jakov still would have helped them escape the ghetto without payment.

Vladek responds by stating that the loyalty of family had diminished to nothing in the ghetto and that everyone had to look out for themselves. The amount of authority that the Nazis held over the prisoners was enough to cause a Jew to turn their back on their own family members. Similar to that of a surviving animal, the Jews were forced to no longer look out for one another, but only themselves. It was every man for himself. This caused the Jews to isolate themselves from one another, further dehumanizing them. Not only did they turn their back on their family members, but hurt one another in reaction to their dehumanizing living conditions. Spiegelman writes that prisoners became hostile towards one another in result of their starvation. Living in cramped spaces and extremely stressful living conditions has the power to turn any human into a savage. This is a tactic seen common among battery caged chickens. Similar to the way that chickens kill one another in means to survive inside their battery cages, the prisoners will to survive transformed them into the equivalent of animals in cages. This can once again be linked to a given individual being stripped down to their animal instinct and their very will to survive, in turn, causing them the will to take down anything or anyone who may stand in the way, similar to that of a primitive creature.

Through their tactic of power, Nazi Germans not only dehumanized Jews through their bodies and minds, but through their very identities as well. Vladek says, “​They took from us our clothes and our hair…and here they put me my number.”  This passage dehumanizes Jews in various ways. Through the removal of the things that not only made them human, but made them unique to themselves (such as clothes and hair), the German Nazis used their power of control and manipulation in order to completely dissolve the Jew’s identities and replace it will that of an animal’s. The German Nazis did so by removing their clothes and making everyone look identical, similar to the way a given herd of livestock is viewed. Giving them a number to identify with makes them further feel like an animal similar to that of cattle, or an object, as cattle are seen as nothing more than a product in the meat industry. Here, we once again see Jews diminished to non-human, insentient things. The taking of one’s identity can have a heavy effect on a given person, making them feel powerless and ultimately, a nothing. Doing so once again gave the Nazis the power and control they needed as the driving force for the Holocaust and genocide of the Jewish race.

It’s apparent in Spiegelman’s work that the power the German Nazis held during this time not only had a dehumanizing effect on the victims of the Holocaust, but on the Nazis as well. According to Bruneau, “The disadvantaged group shoulders a disproportionate share of casualties and may be especially likely to question the humanity of the advantaged group.” Through this we see that while the Nazis may have dehumanized the Jews through their abuse of power, the German Nazis were themselves viewed as dehumanized, also through their severe abuse of power. Spiegelman portrays this in a brutalizing passage about Nazi treatment of children.

“So the Germans swinged them by the legs against a wall…and they never anymore screamed.” Such an act would quickly be deemed immoral, without conscience and inhumane. The way that Spiegelman describes this scene makes it seem as if the guard fixes the problem of the children screaming by simply throwing them against the wall. This shows the readers the lack of remorse and guilt that the Germans felt while committing brutalizing acts such as these. This lack of conscience dehumanizes the Nazis to emotionless brutes in ​Maus.

Other brutal treatment towards the Jews would cause anyone to question the humane-ness of the German Nazis, such as when the Kapo forced Anja and other prisoners to exercise until exhaustion. It is one again questioned when Nazi soldiers took the bribes of prisoners in the ghetto to allow them to escape. Once they took their bribe, the Nazis shot them. Any given person would feel at conflict with their basic values and express a rational emotion of guilt or remorse in these situations. The fact that the German Nazis in ​Maus, could no longer feel a conscience or relate to the humans around them, dehumanized them​. ​

According to ​Schwebel, “Dehumanization facilitates the tolerating of mass destruction through by-passing those psychic inhibitions against the taking of human life that have become part of civilized man.” Through Schwebel’s findings, we’re able to make sense of the Nazi’s dehumanization in ​Maus​. They were capable of by-passing the concrete emotions that come along with the taking of another human’s life. The Nazis in ​Maus ​were committing acts that no healthy-minded human would be capable of committing, but that an animal or monster would.

Not only were Nazis dehumanized to emotionless brutes in Maus, but dehumanized in a way that categorized them no longer a normal human, but above human or a superhuman. For example, Vladek says that when dealing with prisoners from the Reich, that German Nazis were free to murder Jews with complete immunity. “International laws protected us a little as Polish war prisoners. But a Jew of the Reich, anyone could kill in the streets. According to ​Schwebel, there is a self perceived idea of dehumanization termed ​self-directed de-humanness​. ​It is possible that here, Nazi Germans dehumanized themselves through self directed de-humanness by perceiving themselves as not only untouchable by common law but ultimately above humans and human morals. With such a severe abuse of power, the Nazi Germans could have easily considered themselves no longer the equivalent to that of a normal human, but so superior as to transcend the human race and deem themselves super humans.

It’s through the evident theme of power that Spiegelman exposes his readers to the dehumanization of both Jews and Nazis in ​Maus. N​ot only did the German Nazis reduce their perception of the human characteristics of Jews by forcing them to live in inhumane living conditions, removing their identities, exterminating them in the same ways as vermin and diminishing the Jews down to their basic animal instincts, but the German Nazis were themselves dehumanized through the eyes of the Jews through their abuse of power and lack of conscience, emotions and human morals, as well as through deeming themselves superior to the human race. It is essential that we observe this time in history and the impact that dehumanization can have on not only a given individual, but an entire culture or race. As philosopher David Livingstone quotes, “It’s acts such as genocide that happen when one fails to appreciate the humanity of others.”

A Comparison in the Works of Frederick Douglass and Toni Morrison: The Theme of Slavery

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, slavery is defined as “the state of being a slave” and “the practice of slavery or owning a slave,” however; Frederick Douglass and Toni Morrison re-define our perspective of slavery throughout their various works. Both Douglas and Morrison address the recurring theme of slavery. While both Douglass’ and Morrison’s works propose common themes of slavery including its destruction of identity, dehumanization of slaves and its damaging effects on the human mind and spirit, Douglass and Morrison propose different ideas in this theme as well. Douglass emphasizes the theme of the effects of slavery on slave owners while Morrison emphasizes the theme of the effects of slavery on slaves through its horrific nature.

“The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege.” Douglas starts his narrative by expressing the theme of slavery and its destruction of identity. Douglas yearns for his own identity as a child; however, recognizes that he’s unable to know even his own age. He recognizes the unfairness in this compared to the white children, as it is just one of the most basic ways that slaves are stripped of their identities. It’s one that can easily be dismissed yet so clear in the eyes of a child. Morrison’s Beloved p​ resents a similar theme.

Morrison places a high emphasis on the loss of self in many of her characters. For example, Paul D becomes so distanced that he’s unable to know if the screaming he hears is his own screaming or if it is someone else. The slaves in Morrison’s novel were treated as less than human and as mere property, being only comparable to currency. Paul D is constantly challenging his own worth and if he is a real “man.” Sethe overhears Schoolteacher talking to his students about her “animal characteristics.” She is also isolated and experiences self-hatred of different types. Sethe’s kids show characteristics of insecure and unsteady identities as well. Slavery has shaken Baby Suggs sense of self through destroying her family and ultimately stripping her of her ability to reach her full potential as a person.

 

Not only do both Morrison and Douglas stress the destruction of identity throughout their works, but the dehumanization of slaves altogether. “Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chaines. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed my spirit, and filled me with ineffable sadness. I have frequently found myself in tears while hearing them. The mere recurrence to those songs, even now, afflicts me; and while I am writing these lines, an expression of feeling has already found it way down my cheek. To those songs I trace my first glimmering conception of the dehumanizing character of slavery.”

Douglass mentions the idea of the “dehumanization” of slaves periodically throughout his narrative and that slavery turns African Americans into beasts. It is during these songs that Douglass realized how truly awful slavery is; however, also lets us know that hearing these songs could remind us of the humanity of slaves and in turn, the wrongfulness of slavery. We also see this when Douglass writes about being ranked among animals. “There were horses and men, cattle and women, pigs and children, all holding the same rank in the scale of being, and were all subjected to the same narrow examination…at this moment I saw more clearly than ever the brutalizing effects of slavery upon both slave and slaveholder.”

Douglas uses the word “brutalize” to emphasize the mistreatment of slaves, but also how slaves were completely altered from human to beast. Douglas uses the example of slaves being ranked among animals as a way that they were made into beasts. When, in all reality, it was not the slaves that were uncivilized or non-human like, it was slavery itself that portrayed them as so.

 

Morrison uses the same theme of slavery and its effects of dehumanization on slaves in Beloved w​ hen Schoolteacher inspects the slaves when examining their teeth, as well as when Sethe hears Schoolteacher and his nephew talking about Sethe’s human and animal-like traits. “No, no. That’s not the way. I told you to put her human characteristics on the left; her animal ones on the right. And don’t forget to line them up.” Using this theme impacts the audience by showing us how slavery had the power to alter a person so severely, to the point that they could not be considered human.

Not only did Morrison and Douglas express the theme of slavery as dehumanizing, but that is also held the power to essentially break the minds and spirits of African Americans. Douglass mentions this when he talks about slave owners destroying the very minds of their slaves. “I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. I tis necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery; he must be made to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man.” Here, Douglas shows us that slaves are brainwashed into believing that slavery is normal. This is such a crazy and irrational thought that the only way for slaves to believe this is if they were to lose their minds. Douglas proposes this theme once more while speaking about

 

Mr. Covey “breaking” him. “I was somewhat unmanageable when I first went there, but a few months of this discipline tamed me. Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute.” Here, we see again Douglass emphasizing that transformation of slaves into beasts. We also see that this is being done by the breaking down of his very spirit until he feels nothing of what he once was, a pure emptying out of everything that made him, until there’s nothing left but a beast. He was “tamed,” similar to that of an animal.

We see the same theme of slavery breaking down the minds and spirits of slaves in Beloved. W​ hen Beloved arrives and Paul D is skeptical of her, no one else seems to see her as a strange and almost paranormal entity since the burden of slavery has caused many of the characters to be insane and forgetful. Not only are slaves’ minds and spirits broken down physically and through dehumanization, but through trauma as well.

Although Morrison and Douglass express many common themes of slavery such as these throughout their works, they also propose different themes of slavery as well. While Douglass manages to place a large emphasis on the damaging effects of slavery on slave owners, Morrison places a large emphasis on the brutality and horrificness of slavery on the slaves themselves.

Douglass touches on how slavery and power have the power to not only corrupt a slave owner, but turn them into beasts, similar to the way he portrays slaves to be transformed into. “That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon.” Douglass expresses the complete transformation that slavery can have on a slave owner, from her character to her voice. The ability to have complete jurisdiction and authority over another person didn’t just change her, but took all the good inside of her and replaced it with pure evil, something she didn’t have before. “Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tiger-like fierceness.” Douglass compares Mrs. Auld’s change similar to the dehumanization of slaves, an animal like one. She once felt empathy for others; however, her feelings are only as capable as a beast due to the effects that slavery has had on her. By expressing the extremely damaging effects of slavery on slave owners, Douglass suggests that without slavery, everyone would be better off, not just slaves.

 

Morrison’s piece is unique from many, as it gives a very raw depiction of the harshness of slavery. She highlights a theme revolving around the brutality and horrificness of slavery on the slaves themselves. We see this through scenes of rape, torture devices and tactics as well as bloody and detailed murder.

“By the time they unhitched him from the wagon and he saw nothing but dogs and two shacks in the world of sizzling grass, the roiling blood was shaking him to and fro. But no one could tell. The wrists he held out for the bracelets that evening were steady as were the legs he stood on when the chains were attached to the leg irons. But when they shoved him into the box and dropped the cage door down, his hands quit taking instruction. They would not hold his penis or urinate or a spoon to scoop lumps of lima beans into his mouth. The miracle of their obedience came with the hammer at dawn.” Morrison does what she does best and makes us feel not only as if we’re present during this moment, but that we are feeling what Paul D is feeling in this moment. It is similar to him being coffined from physical death, but we feel his internal death as well through his inability to just perform the very basic necessities such as eating and urinating.

Morrison takes the “dehumanization” of slavery on slaves that Douglass emphasizes and takes it to the next level by showing the effects of slavery taking away even the animal-like abilities of humans. By doing so, Morrison uses the theme of slavery as being horrific and atrocious even to the point of traumatization in people.

 

Douglass emphasizes themes on the effects of slavery on slave owners while Morrison emphasizes the effects of slavery on the slaves themselves through its horrific nature. Both Douglass’ and Morrison’s works propose common themes of slavery including its destruction of identity, dehumanization of slaves and its damaging effects on the human mind and spirit. Both authors are able to portray vast and unique interpretations of slavery by stressing common; but also differentiated themes of it in their works.

The Fate of Social Media and Its Users

Enrolling in a social media course has taken my perspective and knowledge of social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram and drastically manipulated it and expanded it, eventually leading it to a complete breakthrough in the way I see social media as a consumer.

Throughout our course, we have seen some major news and changes in social media and there’s more to come.

More recently, we have seen small changes from less filters and more raw content to much larger changes such as the complete change of Snapchat (along with the absence of users to follow).

Still to come, I believe will be more live videos and real/raw content, less marketing, more of an emphasis on relationships instead of business, social videos/social video ads, Ads in stories, further monetization, and VR and augmented reality features.

I hope to see more awareness of eco chambers and filter bubbles and a more simple solution of credible sources.

Although I believe some of these to be the future of social media, I believe we can only predict social media to a certain extent. There’s a reason there isn’t any textbooks for our social media class: because things are constantly changing-at times, changing in ways that you would never expect.

In regards to Facebook, I hope that the long term effect with the transition from engagement to meaningful interaction will be time better spent on Facebook and more authenticity. Mobile video is Facebook’s key element in 2018. They will also manage to boost brand discovery through the Explore tab and accelerate organic and paid Messenger interactions. I hope there is a way to simplify access and build transparency regarding where content is coming from and why it’s showing up on a given feed. I hope to see more people (older and younger) seek and investigate sources.

I especially enjoyed coming up with future features for my app to present, Flipboard. From this research, I learned that even if an application doesn’t have “posts,” there are still ways to produce effective content. I also learned that when creating an app, it can be difficult to draw a line between presenting your users with a lot of content and overwhelming your users.

For now, marketers can reach people on apps (that may not be considered social media). For example, my dad doesn’t use social media much; however, he uses apps on his IPad. This could be a way to advertise NOT on social media, but still through technology rather than traditional advertising methods such as newspaper and flyers. Inserting ads in movies, television shows (Netflix) and sports may prove effective as well. Celebrity advertising may find a way to reach a young audience without going through social media.

One of the most surprising elements to me during our social media course was the amount and extent of importance that social media can play for a business. I thought more of social media as a “plus” rather than a priority. The person who does social media at Knapheide isn’t a social media manager, but social media is just one of the many things she does. I never knew people had careers based off of social media managing. That’s very cool.

If I designed my own platform, I would be sure to include a convenient, simple and elegant user interface, good security and analytics.

 

Facebook Live: Proper Execution

Facebook Live: Best Practices

Through the analyzation of the best practices of Facebook live videos, I am able to execute my own live video, use Facebook to promote a business or product and predict the future of live video.

Most of us are scared when it comes to executing a live video but after learning that engagement is six times greater on live videos compared to regular, I think it’s time we dive deep into the best practices of live videos.

Live Video: Best Practices

Tell people ahead of time you’re going to broadcast. Build anticipation by letting people know you’ll be broadcasting live. Give people a preview of what you’ll be doing. Let them know how they can benefit.

Go live when you have strong connection. Take a test video before your actual broadcast to ensure that you have connection that is up to par. Facebook users are fast paced. If they watch a video and realize that it’s not working properly, has bad quality or doesn’t benefit them at all, they are going to jump a live stream and fast. Keep your audience engaged by confirming strong connection before going live.

Write a compelling description before going live. Use the status update section when you select “live” to let your audience know what your video is all about. Leave a tease or let them know how they can benefit from watching your video. I think simplicity is key here. Nothing draws me away from a live video more than 10 lines of information about what the video is about. After reading it, a part of me doesn’t feel the need to watch the video anymore.

Ask your viewers to follow you and receive notifications when you go live. Again, here I would entice them to follow you by giving them a reason why or how they can benefit from future videos as well.

Say hello to commenters by name and respond to their comments. If you’re not able to engage with your viewers’ comments during the live video, then be sure to comment on them soon after the video.

Broadcast for longer periods of time to reach more people.

Plan ahead to avoid awkward pauses. I plan to list an agenda for my live stream and have that list near me during my broadcast for any emergency awkward pauses.

Walk around during your shoot and please your audience with visuals by giving them a clear picture and description of what’s going on. Remember not to give them a narrow view but a 360 one.

Keep your audience interested by engaging them through interesting video content or questions. Call all commenters out. Let your audience know that this stream is a two way one.

Keep your goals in mind while you stream. These will dictate many of the logistics. Study your agenda before hand and be prepared for any and all situations.

Don’t forget about ethics. It’s important to not show any pictures or videos during your stream that aren’t 100 percent yours. Let people around you know that you are doing a live Facebook video so if you get a shot of them, they aren’t caught by surprise or worried as to why you are filming them and the people around you.

Using Facebook Live to Promote

I would love to use Facebook Live to promote Knapheide during one of our many shows. Our biggest one is the NTEA Work Truck Show. Here, Knapheide shows off its best trucks and their many features. There are multiple Knapheide employees there to explain these awesome features to potential clients. Knapheide has (by far) the best setup at this event. Thousands of people partake in this event. Although Knapheide produced a short video segment and took many pictures, I think it would be a great social marketing opportunity to have a live video because Knapheide promotes this event all over their website and social pages. Some people aren’t able to go to the show so what better way to make them feel like they are there than a live video?

Live vs. Demand

I’m not sure if more people watch the Facebook video live or on demand. Engagement is much higher with live video content which makes me think more people are watching it then; however, I’ve watched much more live videos on demand. This can also depend on how long the video is. As I stated above, it’s best practice to shoot long videos so you have a further reach to Facebook users.

The Future of Live Video

I don’t think the success of marketing depends on live videos; however, I do think the success of marketing could depend largely on video content as a whole. Knapheide produces sublime Day in the Life videos on their pages. They’re edditted, polished and perfected into a professional and sleek finish that has an awesome impact on viewers. I think live videos currently do and will continue to have a big influence on the social pages of businesses especially with the new Facebook algorithm which stresses live video use.

My Live Experience

Tonight, I executed my first live video at the Taproom Bar and Cafe in Quincy. During preparation, I wrote a carefully planned agenda and read through it a few times. I used a selfie stick to provide my audience with a wider angle for a better view of my surroundings. This was important because the bar was extremely scenic. I attempted to hold my phone horizontally; however, Facebook wouldn’t let me record that way. It would be easier for users to view it vertically anyways. I was pretty nervous and I didn’t speak as smoothly as I wish I could’ve; however, I’m happy with the outcome of the video and believe it bettered me not only as a public speaker, but as a social media manager as well.

The Death of Stephon Clark: Ex-Nurse Fired for Contentious Facebook Comment

In response to the death of Stephon Clark by Sacramento Police, Faith Lithicum was quick to voice her opinion that he deserved to die on Facebook; however, only to find that it would cost her her job. Through this case, I have reflected on the involvement of Facebook, what I would have done and what this means for us as a community.

Stephon Clark was shot eight times primarily in his back by Sacramento police officers, the autopsy found. What was thought to be a gun turned out to be a cell phone. A mistaken gun, eight shots, a shattered vertebrae, a collapsed lung, a shattered arm and many protests later, we’re left wondering what this means and where this leaves us as a society and a community.

It began when two officers were dispatched to the Meadowview neighborhood in South Sacramento to investigate a report that someone was breaking car windows. A county sheriff’s department helicopter joined the search. The officers spotted Clark who ran from them into his grandmother’s backyard. An officer is heard yelling “gun” repeatedly and firing almost immediately after.

Maybe this story started much sooner…when Eric Garner was held in a chokehold until he could no longer breathe or when 37 year old Alton Sterling was shot and killed during a confrontation with two police officers outside of Baton Rouge. Or maybe it started even sooner than these.

Whenever the story started, we as a community have found ourselves being split. For Faith Linthicum, it was a decision between freedom of speech and hate speech. In response to Clark’s death, Linthicum made a comment on Facebook saying “Yeah but he was running from the police jumping fences and breaking in people’s houses…why run?! He deserved it for being stupid.”

Activist Christina Arechiga saw the comment which later caused it to go viral.

Linthicum, who worked in labor and delivery at Kaiser Permanente’s Roseville Medical Center was put on administrative leave and then fired.

Arechiga also shared other comments made by Lithicum saying “Can we protest all the deaths of people shot by black people too?” and “Hell ya! Build that wall Mr. President!”

If you’re wondering what I’m wondering, it’s whether Kaiser Permanente fired Lithicum because they don’t tolerate hate or discrimination of any kind (which is what they claimed) or whether they didn’t want to be the center of attention when a viral post was released about a so called racist bigot who happens to be their one of their employees.)

In this case, social media was used to shine light on the issue between free speech and hate speech. If hate speech isn’t allowed, then is there such a thing as free speech? Can an organization fire someone based on a personal view? No, but they can certainly fire someone due to certain social posts that reflect the company in a negative manner.

When I worked at Blessing Hospital, our social accounts were being watched. I never thought they were until my brother got in trouble for creating and later sharing a parody of KHQA’s live video of Devon Hawkins which went viral in (at least) the Quincy area.

Facebook was the platform used in the case of Lithicum’s comment because in my opinion, Facebook is where all the chatting happens especially hot conversations about controversial issues such as this one. Although the new algorithm is being implemented primarily to connect people, I wonder if long comments of people arguing in viral posts will end of at the top of the news feed as well.

I think an interesting note to make on this case is that she didn’t go out of her way to make a post. She just commented on a viral post. Sometimes when I comment on a viral post, I look at the thousands of comments and think there’s no way anyone’s going to see this comment anyways so let’s see what spicy comment I can come up with.

In this particular situation, if I was Lithicum and felt the need to make a comment about Clark’s death, I would do so in a professional manner. I think there were three words that caused her termination: He deserved it.

In order to support herself during unemployment, Lithicum later launched a GoFundMe page titled: RN fired for exercising first amendment. Since, it has raised over $20,000.

I studied multiple stories on this case. I watch my news sources as much as possible; however, I was curious to see how Fox would craft their story. It turned out to be much different compared to the Huffington Post article I read (of course). In it’s article, when explaining how the comment came to light, Fox doesn’t say an activist shared the comment, but rather just “a user.” They were also sure to make their pull quote: “I believe Kaiser Permanente violated my first amendment right to free speech in order to protect themselves from the wrath of these activists.” (Quote by Lithicum)

Overall, news outlets and reporters should use social media as a business, a trend, a promotional tool and a way to seek the truth and report it. It’s heavily involved in our lives and only makes sense for it to be heavily involved in news.

The Facebook Apocalypse: Survival Guide

The Facebook Apocalypse is upon us; however, by delving into the new metrics of meaningful interactions and the reasons this change was implemented, I discovered a multitude of ways that social media managers can adapt and change their social media game in order to take advantage these new measurements and come out more successful than ever.
To everyone’s surprise, Facebook blindsided a large number of its users and more specifically, its social media experts by changing the way it measures engagement. The social platform has turned its focus solely on the number of comments a given post gets, measuring engagement through meaningful interactions between people instead of the number of likes a given post receives.

The Metrics of Meaningful Interactions

Michael Stelzner explains the metrics of meaningful interactions as followed:

1. Users ‘liking’ shared content from publishers will become a significant element of the new algorithm. Influencers will be crucial here. (By collaborating with them on content creation, you can reach a lot of your ideal customers without having to put in years of work building your own social following and email list that your influencers already have.)
2. It will be key to place the right type of content in front of the right type of audience.
3. Users conversing with each other or group dialogue will be highlighted as a major influence in the new algorithm.
4. More relevant ads will win. In order to increase successful advertising, marketers will need to focus on creating pertinent content in order to have better leverage. There will be a greater demand for ads. Make yours stand out.

Why the Change, Zuck?

In mid-January, Co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerburg, posted a status on the platform that would be the spark of something huge. In summary, Zuckerburg stated that one of Facebook’s biggest focus areas for 2018 is making sure the time we all spend on Facebook is time well spent. He further explains by saying that Facebook was built to help people stay connected and bring us closer together with the people that matter to us. Research has proven that strengthening our relationships improves our well-being and happiness. However, Facebook received feedback from the community that public content is taking over the personal moments that lead us to connect with one another. When we use social media to connect with people we care about, it can be good for our well-being. We can feel more connected and less lonely. This is correlated with long term measures of happiness and health. On the other hand, reading articles or watching videos may not prove as good.

The freakout moment has begun. Many people are thinking that their businesses are now doomed because organic reach is near to nothing. Meaningful interactions are real. It’s not a number. It’s not a statistic. It’s real engagement. Social Media Marketers are scared of this. It’s more difficult to garner and its completely new. Take away a human’s habit, give them a new one and their world is turned upside down. Can you blame them? However, think about your human needs. We would rather have fewer meaningful interactions than many passive ones. If it works for humans, it may prove the same for your business. As Zuckerburg stated, if we do the right thing, it will turn out beneficial for our community and our businesses over the long run.  

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I’m here to tell you there’s a way to use this new algorithm to succeed as a social media manager.  First and foremost, forget your frequent posting schedule. With meaningful engagement being the new focus, use your time wisely and concentrate on engaging posts to update occasionally. Learn what your audience likes through your analytics. Make adjustments to your tone and social media strategy to pinpoint your target audience and pull them closer to your business.

Once you’ve delve into the wants and needs of your audience, present effective and probing questions to them. Brainstorm on call to action’s that will interest and grab the attention of your potential customers. Presentation is key. “Comment below” is timeworn. Push your creativity to the next level and think of refreshing new ways to engage your audience. They’ll thank you for it.

Schedule Facebook Live events and keep your viewers engaged with compelling content, visuals, personal connections and by asking them questions. Involve your viewers by encouraging them to share your live videos. Don’t be afraid of long video. Feel free to post content that lasts anywhere around 10 minutes to four hours.

Be Human at Scale

As a millenial, numbers in social media have been everything. Even transitioning into adulthood, numbers on social media continue to be a heavy influencer on one’s status, so to speak. We even judge ourselves based on our numbers. This is human and its normal. However, so is meaningful interactions or at least it’s supposed to be, right? Is the exact mechanism that built us up to be creatures of numbers the one that will tear us down and back into real people engaging in real interactions? In a way, Facebook is telling us how to human and that if we are to a certain extent, we may find ourselves (and our businesses) being better off.  

Mari’s Advice

In 2009, Mari Smith gave Michael Stelzner advice regarding management of social media. She advised him to put the people first and business second. Social media, before marketing was thrown into it, was centered on meaningful interactions.

In this apocalypse, safe ground exists. As witnesses to potentially the largest turn in the evolution of social media and through collaboration and response, we may not only find our businesses thriving in the new algorithm, but ourselves, as users, as well.

Local Educators Look for Ways to Respond to Recent Mass Shooting

After the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14th, hearts and families were crushed, prayers were sent, many were inspired and not only was the safety of students across our country contemplated and questioned, but a deep and thorough reflection of the proper reaction to an event such as this is has since transpired in the United States from citizens and more specifically, from our local educators.  

Various options are being proposed regarding how to respond to the mass shooting in Parkland including reviewing policies and procedures, changing gun control legislation, arming teachers, installing metal detectors, bulletproof and tinted windows, hostile intruder training presentations, controlled access of schools, upgraded safety drills and security cameras and many more. Some plead for stricter control while others are frustrated with guns being pointed at as the reason for shootings such as these.

“As an educator, as a grandparent, as a parent, as a member of society- each and every tragedy resonates deeply in my heart and soul. We are all members of the human family and horrific situations like the Florida murders make me reflect, pray and consider what could have been done,” Director of Campus Ministry for Quincy University Ray Heilmann said.

According to Principal of St. Peters School Cindy Venvertloh, in order to prepare itself from like incidents like the mass shooting, St. Peters School has rehearsed drills with and without police officers present. This is a requirement from the state. They also have a yearly annual crisis review meeting every October. During this review, they ask first responder representatives to join them in reviewing and evaluating the plans in place.

In addition to similar protocol with multiple safety drills rehearsed and reviewed Quincy Notre Dame High School has implemented a number of security upgrades such as electronic key fobs and numerous security cameras for a better view of areas inside and outside the building.

“Our school district does lockdown drills a few times a year, but other than that there is truly not much security,” Third Grade Teacher at Quincy Public Schools Allison Menz said. “Our school does not use metal detectors on students but only on visitors coming in the building. I feel it’s ridiculous that we are not checking students. This year I had a third grader come to school with a pocket knife. It was caught thanks to another student. Even after the Florida shooting, our school has not done anything different besides a reminder of what to do in a lockdown drill. If society could get passed this idea that a gun kills people, they could focus more on the people who have the mental issues that are causing them to make he choice to kill others.”

According to USA Today, March 14th is National School Walkout. The walkout is a call to Congress to pass legislation to keep people safe from gun violence at schools, on streets and in our homes and places of worship.

Kade Zanger, junior at Quincy Senior High School, said that the high school will not be walking out and that they are instead having meetings.

Associate Professor of Communication at Quincy University Travis Yates suggested our admissions department make concessions to any high school seniors that are reprimanded for taking part in peaceful protests in their home state.

“I think guns in the classroom are a terrible idea, regardless of who has them, be it a teacher or armed security force. A classroom has one purpose, for learning,” Yates said.

According to Director of Safety and Security at Quincy University Sam Lathrop, based upon four decades of police and security work, the only way to address armed violence is with armed violence.

“In one respect, I agree that the staff and teachers should be able to defend themselves and protect their students. I wonder if people realize that to many of us, our students are our family and we would do anything to protect them. Does this mean we should be trained and armed? I am not sure what the answer is,” Venvertloh said.

Sourcing and Verification: What You Need To Know

Through the exploration of the significance of verification and how to properly verify content, I, as a future social media manager, have learned how to better gain trust from my audience and viewers.

Some people know verification as the process of establishing the truth, accuracy, or validity of something; however, for those who are social media savvy, verification is necessary in order to prevent fraud, and to protect the integrity of the person, company or corporation whose name is being used.

It’s important for people to be aware of what’s going on in the world today. News it vital. Seeking transparency in our government is important. Without knowledge or access to accurate news, the public can be blinded and end up voiceless. This is why seeking news and content is significant.

Many businesses are proving credibility in their content in order to gain trust from viewers. CNN verifies its content by contacting the contributor. They gather more information by checking local media and calling local people in the field. They will call their affiliates and try to get to a place where they can confirm as many details as possible. They handle any suspicious content by contacting creators of potentially false images or video.

It’s better to be right than be first. For example, if someone were to find a mind-blowing video that was going viral and this person wanted to share it with their peers, it may be best to verify the content before rushing to share it.

I personally believe users should be held accountable to verification standards before posting content. For example, seeking credibility and accountability before posting. However, if you re-post false content, you are not liable for false dissemination.

In order to stay safe, you can accurately verify information by researching the name of the author or organization who created the content, look for a complete and comprehensive presentation of data and facts and determine from this information how the creator of the content gathered their facts or studies and how they conducted their analysis.

A share or a retweet does not necessarily mean someone has verified the content and they are sharing it because they agree with the findings; however, this may in fact be the case for some people when they share content. For example, my sister checks every single sourse of everything she reads or shares on social media. She will search the name of the original creator and look for their method of conducting information. If it was done scientifically and methodically, she shares it.

There is a lot of value in a verified social media account. People automatically trust verified social media profiles a lot more than those without a verification sign. This can lead to a higher engagement and a higher brand reputation. If there’s anything I’ve learned in news writing, it’s that getting your audience to trust your content it extremely important. This can vary from punctuation to proper writing style to credible and verified content.

Quincy University Provides Opportunity For Students Beyond Their Own

Quincy University is working to provide a better college experience for John Wood Community College transfer students and local Quincy high school students through scholarship implementation, weekly visits at John Wood Community College  and easy credit transfer.

During the fall semester of 2017, 34 percent of QU’s transfer students came from John Wood.

“The transfer process came incredibly easy for me,” Madison Badgley, junior, said.

QU offers the standard scholarship matrix for all transfer students that ranges from $8,000 to $17,000. Implemented in 2017 was the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship. Any students who were a part of this fraternity prior to transferring to QU have the opportunity to receive this scholarship. This international honors organization is available to John Wood students. In order to be a part of it, a student must have completed 12 semester hours of associate degree work, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and be currently enrolled in classes at John Wood.

Also implemented in 2017 was the John Wood Community College Scholarship. If students transfer directly to QU from John Wood, they can receive an additional $1,000 off of their tuition. However, this scholarship is not available for existing QU students who transferred from John Wood Community College.

According to the Office of Admissions, this scholarship implementation was a way for QU to strengthen its relationship with John Wood even more.

“We are showing we want to invest in these students and give them a valuable and affordable option to stay in the local area,” Director of Admissions Brittany Ellerman said.

The Associate Director of Transfer Admissions, Justin Ray, visits John Wood on a weekly basis to meet with interested students and offer onsite admissions decisions.

“I will tell you due to our longstanding relationship, QU is familiar with the John Wood curriculum and can offer a seamless transition. The majority of John Wood credits transfer easily to our institution,” Ellerman said.

QU is currently partnering with John Wood to entice Quincy high school students to stay local for college. QU is currently planning a College Caravan event at Quincy Notre Dame High School in March where both colleges will bring faculty, staff and students together for a small college fair. QU hopes to do this at Quincy High School in the coming months as well. QU will also offer a Camp College event this summer on QU campus for sophomores and juniors in high school just starting out their college search. John Wood admissions staff will take part in the event to provide basic admission, financial aid and student life information.

“In my experience, students transferring from JWCC are very well prepared, and they begin to contribute to life at QU from day one.  I’m sure that at first they wonder how quickly they will begin to feel at home here, but they are warmly welcomed and fit in right away.  We want to make it as easy as possible for transfer students to know from the day they start at JWCC that there’s a clear four-year path to graduation from QU,” Associate Director of Communication Barb Schleppenbach said.

According to the Office of Admissions, QU hopes to bring John Wood advisors, counselors, and faculty members to QU campus to mingle with QU professors and discuss the ease of helping John Wood students transfer to QU to further improve QU’s transfer process.

“While I am unaware of up and coming articulation agreements possibly in the works, the admissions staff would love to see increased development of adapting John Wood’s applied degrees and certificate programs into four year programs or additional 2 year programs,” Associate Director of Transfer Admission Justin Ray said.

YouTube and Pinterest, Recent Updates and How You Can Benefit

Through the exploration of recent updates, modern purposes and various ways to use YouTube and Pinterest, I have discovered how journalists and social media managers can better utilize these platforms.

There are various reasons to upload a video to YouTube. For example, you can make money through affiliate marketing, selling products, selling yourself and promoting sponsored ads. More businesses are using YouTube as lead generators to market their product. For example, Knapheide uses YouTube to show 360 camera videos of the interior of their various van packages. This gives potential users the full experience of Knapheide products. Some people upload videos to YouTube to gain popularity and awareness of themselves or a product.

People such as these are most likely aware that as of Jan. 1, 2018, all paid content was automatically made private. Content owners still have full control over keeping these videos private or making them public (as free videos to watch). Even after researching, I honestly don’t completely understand what this means for me or why this change is considered a change if content owners still have full control over keeping these videos private or making them public.

YouTube has established itself as a social marketing platform. The dictionary definition of social media is a website or application that enables users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. Not only can you post videos on a regular basis, but you can send friend requests, ask people to subscribe to your channel and/or favorite the videos they like and leave comments and responses to comments. With these interactions and various ways of networking available, YouTube expresses itself as a living and breathing social media platform.

Interactions appear in different shapes and forms. For example, monetization. Monetization means that you authorize the presence of advertisements on your videos, YouTube charges advertisers for these and shares the fees with you, allowing you to make some money from people viewing your videos. However, monetization is currently undergoing changes. According to TechCrunch, for publishers to make money through advertising, instead of needing 10,000 total views to join the program, channels also need to have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of view time within the past year. This will also apply to current partners. There are also changes planned for the exclusive Google Preferred program, providing more of the best and popular content for audiences of all kind.

Pinterest is another influential social media platform that businesses can better utilize. From creating a Pinterest account, I learned how and why Pinterest is used to visually discover and share new interests by posting images of videos to their own or others boards. I currently have one board that centralizes around unique and modern hairstyles. One of my pins on the board is modern hairstyles for thick hair. Pinterest is one of the top social media sites due to online shopping. According to Business Insider, Pinterest works well for shopping and finding products because of its image-based design.

According to Poynter, journalists can use pinterest to highlight feature content, resurface old content, respond to news events, showcase local attractions and events and reach new audiences.

Digital Guide says advertisers and businesses can use Pinterest as an opportunity to build a visual library of links. This provides a great opportunity to generate targeted traffic for a website. By pinning or uploading images on Pinterest, you can attach a URL of your choice, such as a link back to your business’s website.