Media ecology is a concept that needs to be kept in mind when you’re trying to get your organization noticed. In chapter three of Social Media for Social Good by Heather Mansfield, Mansfield suggests that Non-profits sync their Facebook page with their website, letters, and other printed materials that are seen by potential contributors.
Just having a Facebook page isn’t enough. You have to put yourself out there and update it so your followers have something to look at. In the Pew Report it was mentioned that the use of social media isn’t as good as it seems to be in the art community; it adds more pressure to the artists because people have higher expectations.
I think that social media does add pressure to art but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It can stand to be a motivation to artists. It’s easier to share your work with people because of social media cites such as Facebook and Instagram and when you share your work with someone you want it to be as good as possible to avoid criticism.
I took an introduction drawing class last spring and at the beginning of every class we would hang up our drawing so that the class could critique them with the intention of helping each other improve. Knowing that I had to hang up my art on a wall for a group of ten students to critique was nerve racking for me so I was inclined to do my absolute best.
My drawings were nowhere near perfect, especially compared to some of the more experienced people in the class, and that made hanging them up next to their art hard but they were nice about helping me improve so in the end it was okay but it was still more pressure than posting an image online to be critiqued; you don’t have to face the people responding to what you’re producing and you can choose to ignore negative feedback.
I see both sides of the argument of social media being bad for the art community; I agree because you can choose to ignore helpful criticism that could potentially make you into a better artist and I disagree because you can make a name for yourself using social media. I really enjoyed my art teacher’s work and I can follow what she’s doing even though she moved back to New York. She’s made a name for herself here because of her careful use of twitter and Facebook. If it wasn’t for social media I wouldn’t be able to see her art without physically seeing it in person. In this scenario medial ecology is in play for both of us; I get to enjoy her peculiar paintings and she gets publicity.
Using media is important today when you’re trying to make a name for yourself. If you use it to your advantage it can help guide you to success.
Michelle Jacobson 