Laurel Schwulst advocates for individual websites over social media since she believes that popular social media from those big private companies prioritize advertising above their users’ needs, that they are focusing primarily on users’ happiness and might cause anxiety to them while experiencing the apps. Schuwulst thinks that one website needs to work for people instead of being powered by big corporations for commercializing purposes. She suggests that if individuals have their websites, they can create not only the works but also the world around them, guiding the web to be more personalized and human-centred. I do agree with Schuwulst to some extent. However, I believe having a balance maintaining their activity between using social media and building up a personal website would give users the best experience in the digital world. Social media is a great platform for networking and connecting with other creators, as well as getting inspired and offered opportunities, I believe that using social media mindfully would support and help creators/artists develop their websites in the most diverse and creative ways. By building up a community and learning from each other digitally, artists can stay in touch and up-to-date with the most current trends, express themselves authentically and be able to reach more audiences. However, I think creators should use social media as platforms to promote and websites to express themselves, since by doing that, they would be able to have control over their online presence but still stay connected with other creators digitally.
My metaphor for a website is a website as a supermarket. Just as a physical supermarket functions as both a place for
product display and a platform for shopping, a website serves as a hub for content management and e-commerce activities.
Much like customers purchasing items in a supermarket, website visitors can browse, select, and view products or content available online.
Furthermore, creators can strategically emphasize certain content, similar to how products are showcased to appeal to specific buyers in a supermarket.
Just as products targeted at children are placed on lower shelves for easy access, while items catering to shopaholics are prominently displayed throughout,
website content can also be tailored to meet the needs of its audience. For example, dropdown menus typically reside at the top, while contact information is often located at the bottom.
Crucially, the most vital content is positioned at the page's forefront to capture viewers' attention effectively.