Social Media
Social Media Obsession: Do You Have A Life?
Once upon a time, I thoroughly enjoyed updating my whereabouts 24/7, especially on Facebook. Guilty like many of the other 1.39 billion users around the globe, I would post sexy pictures of the most scrumptious meals and boast as to where I was dining, or shopping or whatever that day. And if not updates of provocative, mouth-watering and expensive meals there were the pictures from Disneyland, the weekend getaways, the latest DLSR camera purchase, or simply a note with a picture of my washed Prius just to demonstrate how nice and shiny it is. Oh…and let’s not forget doggy and kitty pictures. They are by far the best especially when wanting to garner extra attention.
It’s true, we’ve all been guilty of bragging, boasting, gloating, exulting, and showing off via social networking accounts. Caught red-handed and equally red-faced, I refrained from the boastful social media braggadocio for the first month and a half of this year. But recently I backslid and allowed a fitbit sticker I won to be posted on my timeline. I proudly gloated that I walked 20,000 steps in a day exactly 12 days ago, not that I was counting. (Well, yeah, I was.) And although it garnered only two “likes,” I was pleased with myself and patted myself on the back while enjoying a couple of “atta-girls” from FB friends. Sigh. But there are so many friends and family members who are rather talented at soliciting enough likes to graduate them to a level of importance that supersedes us dull, unpopular FB folk. Read the rest of this entry »
No, I’m Not Upgrading My Cell Phone
I am sure there are those of you out there who can’t wait to upgrade your gadget, but when it comes to technology cell phones tend to be the easiest, most popular (and sometimes cheapest) item to upgrade. If you’re with one of the major carriers you’re likely due for an upgrade every two years. And although your PC gets outdated just as quickly as any smart phone or tablet, it’s not so easy to replace this larger item every six months to a year. Plus, smartphones and tablets are gaining ground as the primary “computer.”
But, ultimately, what does it matter if you get a new cell phone, especially if your current one works perfectly fine? Often it’s a matter of keeping up with the Jones’, as there are many cheaper smartphones now available, and many users don’t even come close to needing the features of the more expensive varieties. Read the rest of this entry »
Are There Mental Health Benefits to Joining Facebook Groups?
Small and large companies aren’t the only ones that bank on the convenience of the Internet. Obviously some of us who refuse to camp out in front of Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and any other stores opt to spend our money online to avoid the crowds. But as Cyber Monday has come to a close, some of us enjoy the comfort and convenience of the Internet for other reasons.
Everyone has a bad day, but some of us struggle with the lack of that “happy” gene more than others. According to a Huffington Post article by Michael Sigmen, approximately half of our happiness is linked to our genetic make up. How close are you to genetic happiness?
Wow, half is quite a chunk of our happiness pie, leaving the leftovers to be fractioned off to environment, circumstances and/or traumatic life events. If depression is more than a chemical imbalance and is actually deeply ingrained in our DNA, then what can we actually do about it?
The Internet is used for a number of reasons, only some of which have to do with viral marketing. Social media sites allow for individuals as well as organizations to connect with people from all over the world and share their individual brand. But behavior on these sites can run unchecked, which have literally given both social media and the Internet a bad rap. Lyrics posted on Facebook threatening to not only kill his wife but also kindergarten kids landed wannabe rap artist Anthony Elonis in jail for 44 months. Privacy, freedom of speech, an increase in social isolation, and a host of other number of issues arise when discussing social media and the potential negative ramifications. Read the rest of this entry »
Do Blog “Likes” Reflect Writing Quality?
I write because it’s what I do and have always done. As a child, and without thinking, I used to carry a pen and a note pad everywhere I went. The words always just flowed forth. Even as an adult, for the longest time I had notebooks and notebooks of written material I saved that dated back to elementary school. The notebooks were so old the pages bled and eventually the words were unreadable. At that point I finally had to realize that they were too old and I needed to part ways with literally a large box. When I was in the second grade, I recall my mother’s voice and how she used to insist that all of her children ought to be a doctor or a lawyer. Writing wasn’t the path to success or big money, she reasoned. Read the rest of this entry »
Social Media Sites: The Good and the Unfriendly
If you’re not on social networking sites these days, you’re living in the 20th century or more or less. It might as well be the Stone Age if your profession relies on any form of content marketing. The sun is setting on the day of simply buying print newspapers ads or high-priced radio or television spots. Why pay tens if not pay hundreds of thousands of dollars when you can virally market yourself for next to nothing? It’s really a no-brainer. Save money or spend money. Spend money and get some views or virally market yourself and potentially get thousands upon thousands of eyeballs on your content. No one says, “I can’t wait to waste money on ineffective, expensive advertisement.” Read the rest of this entry »
Writing With Hope 