Digital Intimacy

Thompson's main argument for the article is that with the help of social media sites our lives are becoming more public with every status and picture we post. Zuckerburg created a new update for Facebook that changed the news feed. The news feed changed to be an easier view. Each user's friends are displayed on one easy screen in a quick fashion. The update says that our attention span is short and very brief. In terms of literacy the news feed is bad because it allows to see every one in a fast speed without having to search for any information at all. This article defines ambient awareness as knowing about someone with actually knowing them. For example, through Facebook we can see every aspect of one's life without every talking to them personally. Ambient awareness helps us because we do not have to waste time focusing on the small stuff. It also hurts our relationships because we know more about people without catching up with anyone. The media is making everything 'skimmable' so this is decreasing literacy. We are getting used to skimming over information that we forget how to actually research and read thoroughly. The weak ties spread our emotions thin and make it difficult to manage many friendships at one time. The 20 year olds feel the need to keep up with social media to stay in touch with old friends and check to see what people say about them. This article defines literacy as keeping up with social media. It is being able to read posts and statuses and understand the user's personalities and moods.