What is social mapping? Social mapping is a process where information about online use is used to create a map of historic usage, as well as a predictor of future digital usage for a person. It is basically a way of creating a digital fingerprint for a person. It is a collection of data about a person’s internet use habits and social networks. It is a very powerful and useful profile of digital information. The problem is this information can be used for both good and bad.
The following is a look at social mapping and its uses:
Marketers- Social mapping is extremely useful for marketers. Basically, by using social mapping they are able to predict what consumers want, where they are looking, and their habits. In other words, a social map tells marketers what factors consumers are considering before making a purchase. Knowing this can help them feature ads tailored to what you like, what you are most interested in, etc. In other words, it is customized marketing to the individual consumer, which results in much higher sales. That is huge because it means improved bottom line.
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Personal contacts- Social mapping can be great for friends, family, and personal contacts as it is a way for them to stay in touch with you. They can see what you are doing, and what you are interested in. It is a great way for people to stay in touch. It allows people on opposite sides of countries or the world to connect and be involved in each other’s lives. Social mapping is most frequently done though social sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. People can track their loved ones, and see what they are up to.
Other people- This is the part that parents should be worried about. Social mapping is a way that strangers can gain access about people’s personal lives, and often use that information for ill. For example, burglars could monitor social sites and pay attention to tweets from affluent people, and pay attention to where they eat, when they are going to be out of town, etc. This can help them track down their house, and burglarize it when no one will be there to catch them. This may seem like an extreme example, but criminals are getting smarter everyday, and technologies often let too much information be available to the general public. This means that it is harder to protect your identity. Thus, parents should warn kids to not post information that is too personal or too sensitive in nature, and to be careful about who they friend or follow. If they notice undue attention, it is a good idea for them to block the person, or put themselves on alert so that they do not get taken advantage of online.
Social mapping is good and bad. It is basically information, and that information can be used in a number of ways, both positively and negatively.
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