Story by Larissa Wurm
There is more out there than just Facebook.
Apps like Vine, Instagram and GetGlue offer users the opportunity to share more than just status updates. But why do we care?
“They all have something unique,” Abby Bedore, a senior public relations major, said. “They delve deeper into one component.”
Facebook integrates the sharing of news, photos, videos and whatever else is going on in our lives. Apps like Vine and Instagram focus on a single part of that.
Other apps, like GetGlue, offer people a way to socialize and meet others who are talking about something specific — in its case, television shows and movies.
For those not completely sold on the uses of Twitter Bedore said, “It’s different. But it allows you to connect with people, use hashtags to connect with them and you can keep up and even connect with celebrities.”
With new apps and sites being developed all the time, Bedore also uses Twitter to see what apps are being talked about.
Chris Snider, the instructor for Social Media Strategies said following people on Twitter and reading the “Social Media Examiner” online is helpful to keep up with what’s new in social media.
Google+ is another social media site that has been trying to make its way to popularity.
“It has potential. It’s a lot like Facebook,” Bedore said. “But I like the Google Hangout.”
Snider says Google+ has some cool features that could draw people to it.
“It’s tied into Google,” he said, which could offer more personal results in searches.
Snider, Bedore and sophomore Nicole Barnett all say that Vine is definitely an up-and-coming app to keep an eye on.
“It’s like Instagram for videos,” Barnett said.
Another app to keep an eye on is Timehop, which shows the user what they were doing on that day one year ago. It will show statuses and media from whatever accounts that are linked with it.
One big question that many in social media have: Is Myspace truly coming back?
“Not for me,” Bedore said. “I was never on it to start with and I think it’s too similar to Facebook.”
Barnett, an advertising major, agrees.
“Facebook has really launched,” she said. “Myspace already happened.”
Snider tends to disagree. “With the help of a big celebrity, Justin Timberlake and its focus on music,” said Snider. “It has a chance.”
Barnett and Bedore are both students in Snider’s social media class.
