Social Media - Don't Take it Away from Me!

Social Media Post

1. How I use social media:

I use social media on a daily basis for various aspects of a well-rounded life. 

Personal

I use social media for personal reasons and satisfaction.  To keep in touch with family and friends from around the world, social media plays a key role in us staying connected.  My niece, nephew, sister, and brother-in-law live in New York.  Thanks to our iPhones, iPads, and Facetime we have regular conversations and I am able to see how quickly my niece and nephew are growing up.

I spend many hours a day on my iPhone – mainly text messaging my friends, emailing volunteers in my organization, reading my Facebook feed, and reading my Twitter feed.  These tools help me stay on top of what it going on with the things that interest me the most.  I am able to stay in regular contact with my friends, I can keep up with the sports world, and I know what is in the news at any given moment.  In fact, it is Twitter where I first read the news of Michael Jackson dying, the earthquake in Haiti, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and many other world-altering events. 

Education

Social media has initiated a great paradigm shift in the way we educate ourselves.  This class blog is a prime example of how we use social media to enhance our learning in school.  Many classes have class websites, which allow students and the instructor to interact with one another outside of classroom hours.  This helps the instructor provide supplemental information and helps students’ access class material even when class is not in session.

With various tools (email, Skype, online discussion forums, Google docs), group projects have also become much easier to manage.  It is easier to coordinate back and forth online between members of the group, minimizing the need for face-to-face meetings.  Many times it is difficult to coordinate the availability of 5 people and arrange meeting times – online social media tools allow group members to work on their own time and be in constant communication.

Career

As I work toward a career in the business world, social media helps me stay abreast of what is happening in the industry.  Blogs, Twitter, and various articles make the opinion and experiences of veterans in the industry available to the public.  Making a habit of reading my Google Reader feed (which has been customized to include relevant articles for me), I can easily and quickly read articles related to the fields I am interested in. 

What is perhaps today’s most powerful social media tool in the professional world, Linkedin plays a large role in my career pursuit.  This is where I showoff my skills and my interests to the business world.  By posting relevant articles and opinions and by building a network of colleagues, I hope to appeal to the recruiters who are constantly searching Linkedin.

It is difficult to recall when I “started” using social media – the first social network I joined was Facebook.  This was in 2007 when a friend told me about it, describing it as the “next best thing.”  As Facebook grew, paving the way for other social networks, I continued exploring more and more.  Being a student of Marketing, recognizing this new way of communicating with the market, social media has to be an area in which I am fluent.  In 2011 when I switched from Computer Science to Marketing, I recognized that become more frequent and effective on social media was important. I would say I started using social media the way that I do today in 2011 when I became a Marketing student. 

If social media were taken away, information would take a longer time to disperse.  Social media has brought us to a time where information is available almost instantaneously.  I think if social media were taken away, on a personal level, I would lose communication with my friends and family.  Social media is the primary way I keep in touch – mainly because it is quick, simple, and hassle free.  If social media were taken away and we went back to face-to-face meetings, it would be difficult to see my friends regularly.

Career-wise, it would also be difficult to stay on top of the industry.  News breaks within seconds of happening – social media allows us to know what’s going on right away without waiting for the 6 o’clock news.  It would be more difficult to build a professional network without social media given that I am a student.  If it were taken away, it would be difficult to replace especially since I have become so dependent on it.  In an industry that’s all about “who you know” it is tough to know people before starting your career – social media gives you a foot in the door. 

Suffice to say that social media helps information disseminate quickly.  If I can conclude and sum up with one plea it is – “please don’t take it away from me!”

-A

F.A.D. - Facebook Addiction Disorder

Everyone loves Facebook. What would happen if it was taken away? Are you dependant upon your Facebook so much that you may start feeling restless without it? Or are you dealing with a Facebook addict?

I came across this article regarding Facebook addictions that have become so strong that an American psychologist has described a new term for this disorder: Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD). According to the article, people suffering from this disorder must have the at least two-three of the following symptoms "during a 6-8 month time period":

1. Tolerance - How desperate does one get if one is not able to access their Facebook account? People suffering from this disorder spend so much time on Facebook, that they |need it in order to obtain satisfaction or on the other extreme, it is having a detrimental affect on them as a person and their life." 
2. Withdrawal - These are the symptoms that come out when one is "restricted from using Facebook because they have to participate in normal everyday activities." For example, victims usually feel the need to talk about Facebook when they are not able to use it.
3. Normal social/recreational activities decreased - The amount of time victims were spending before with friends, family, or playing some sort of sports is taken over by Facebook. They instead spend that time on catching up with events and other postings that took place when they were absent from Facebook.
4. Virtual dates - Instead of spending time with friends and family at the dinner table or going out, they tell their friends and family to "come online at a certain time."
5. Fake friends - As stated by the article, "if 8 out of 10 people on their Facebook page are complete strangers," the person is a victim of serious FAD.
6. Complete addiction - People completely addicted usually say the following to new people they meet: "I'll see you on Facebook." These addicts' pets also have Facebook pages, and any friend requests or notifications "give them a high, one which can be compared to that gambling addicts get from the pokies."

Although this article might have exxagerated the symptoms and other things about Facebook addiction, I completely agree with a lot of the point stated in the article. For example, I have also seen friends becoming irritated and/or restless when they have no access to their Facebook accounts. Their normal daily activities are affected by what happens on Facebook.

How does Facebook affect you and how much time are you spending on your Facebook account on average?

http://socialtimes.com/facebook-addiction-disorder-the-6-symptoms-of-f-a-d_b60403

Concerns With Digital Privacy

This blog is in response to an article titled Worried About Digital Privacy? You’re Not Alone by Alex Fitzpatrick and was found on Mashable.com.  Alex wrote on the topic of digital privacy and I thought I would add my thoughts on this topic.

In the article Alex outlines that a recent consumer reports poll suggested that 71% of participants felt “very concerned” with companies selling their personal information.  He also highlights that the survey found 65% of respondents who owned smartphones were concerned with the ability of apps access their address books, photo galleries, geolocation and other sensitive data.  The consumer report also covers topics such as targeted online advertising, data storage, and exploitation of online data.

This information is not really a surprise to me and I’m sure many of us share the same opinion.  The fact is that while many of are concerned with our online privacy how can we better protect ourselves?  I think that executing our own due diligence is the first defence, and simply being aware of the threats out in cyber space is the first step.  One way of doing this is actually reading the privacy policies of many of the websites or apps you are providing your information to.  You might be surprised with what you find written in the small print.

Another way to protect your privacy, which is also discussed in the article, is providing laws that protect internet users.  There have been some recent developments in laws that are directed at protected consumers’ online data including President Obama’s push for a “Consumer Bill of Rights” which would help to govern what companies can do with consumer data they collect online.

Laws may seem to be the right choice as far as governing the usage of online consumer data, but the concern I have is with the enforcement of these regulations.  There will be some organizations that will abide by the rules with limited enforcement but with so much data moving between so many users in countries all over the world it will be a daunting task to ensure companies are abiding by these rules.

Digital privacy will no doubt be an on going concern as technology evolves and companies continue to collect and mine consumer data.  The question that is left for us to decide is whether we are OK with this usage of our data, and if not what are we going to do about it?

Manage your own Social Media!

I found this article on the entrepenuer.com about managing social media when it comes to your business.  I thought it was a really interesting read, especially for our class, because many of us are looking to be entrepreneurs in the future.

The author of this article, Mikal E. Belicove, says that there is a trend for entrepreneurs to use contract communication strategists to help them with their social media, but he suggests that it is actually better for businesses to do it themselves.

The four reasons he lists are as follows,

1.       No one knows your business like you

2.       Your business is fluid and dynamic, not stationary and static

3.       Your staff is accountable to you, the communication strategist are not

4.       Someone in-house likely has more passion for your brand then a communication strategist will

As a future entrepreneur (hopefully), I found this article really interesting.  Many companies (including one I used to work at) outsource their social media needs to outside sources. There may be many issues with this because it is harder to communicate to an outside contractor what exactly you want, because they do not completely understand your business. It is also much less costly to use your own employees because they will understand the brand the better and also, because change happens so quickly in a business, quick adaption will be made.

If you guys want more information about why you should manage your own social media for your business, you can find the article here: http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223294

Re: ENTR 3000 Class

Shout out to Sean Bindra for pointing out the key things that he learned from the ENTR 3000 class. I have never enjoyed any communication or writing class until ENTR 3000. Primarily, because I never enjoy writing. Secondly, I always fall asleep in such classes. Finally, I never saw myself as a writer.

As the class went on, I realized the reason why I didn't enjoy writing. It was because I never believed in my writing skills. This class has helped me build my confidence and be able to write with confidence. I would always fall asleep because most writing classes I have attended were boring. Bob, made the class a fun. I came to class to learn, but for most of the times I looked forward to Bob's stories. Finally, I am a writer. I do not write big essays or fictional stories, but I am constantly communicating through writing via TXT messages, Facebook, and emails.

Other than being courteous and maintaining and fostering relationships. The biggest thing I learned in this class is the "Monday and Friday test". That is something I can see myself continuously doing. For the people that missed the class where Bob had mentioned about the "Monday and Friday test", let me rephrase it as clear and concise as possible.

On Mondays, if you don't feel like getting out of your bed to go to school/work, it is time to take a step back and re-think of what we are doing and why we are doing it. We may have started it with a goal, but over some time we have forgotten why we started it.

On Fridays, if you don't feel like going home to your family (considering the one has moved on and is now living happily) or spend some time with your significant other, we haven't been attending to those needs of our life. Time to start spending some more time to maintain and foster the relationship

I encourage everyone to never forget the "Monday and Friday test".

RIM trying to save itself?

RIM makes two more steps to save it self

As most of us know, RIM has been having troubles keeping up with Samsung and Apple, and is seeing a huge lag in their market share.

RIM is now trying to make some changes that may help increase their market share. Recently they have started an initiative that will allow blackberry users to have easier access to social media sites such as facebook and twitter, by connecting it to their BBM instant messaging. Other initiatives RIM has taken is update BBM, to make it easier to use for blackberry users.

Also, there is a new rumor around the buyout of RIM has surfaced. The CEO of RIM has kept it no secret that they would be open to a buy-out or a joint venture, and recently, rumors have surfaced that Microsoft is looking into buying the organization.

Personally, I think any changes that RIM makes now, are going to be of no help to them. I recently moved from a blackberry to an IPhone and the difference is amazing. I used to be totally stuck on staying with blackberry but after having issue after issue, I switched and the difference is remarkable. Personally, unless there is a buyout, I think RIM is pretty much done.

If you guys want to read more about the steps RIM is taking to save itself, you can find the article here: http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1159865--blackberry-maker-rim-takes-two-more-steps-to-save-itself

The Power of Social Media

If you ever plan on running a business, it is crucial to understand the power of social media and how it can affect your business. I recently read an article that describes it perfectly:
             
      "With social media, everyone’s a broadcaster and the snowball is on steroids"

If you upset one customer and they're an avid social media user, news will get out fast.  The article is about a non-profit organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. This foundation is one of the biggest charities for breast cancer research in the US. Komen recently decided to stop founding another non-profit organization, Planned Parenthood. Komen provided planned parenthood with resources for mammogram examinations for over 5 million Americans that can't afford to apply for the screenings.

When news broke out that Komen had cut the funds, supporters were outraged. Komen clearly did not do an audience analysis and did not realize how her supporters would react to this decision. Especially when you are a non-profit organization and you're source of income is from donations, you can not make a decision like this without thinking about the end result. Komen has since reversed her decision, but supports are still upset about the decision and she will most likely lose funding from some supporters.

http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/3-lessons-from-the-susan-g-komen-for-the-cure-disaster.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+inc%2Fheadlines+%28Inc.com+Headlines%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

What Social Media Means to Me

What do you use social media for that is necessary for you to lead a good life? 
I use Facebook to share pictures with friends and family, create events or to get invited to events. It enables me to connect to one of my best friends that lives in Edmonton. Her sister recently had another child and she is continually posting pictures on Facebook. I'll admit that when I first signed up for Facebook and I didn't really realize what it was or how permanent items you post on the internet are, I would add and accept friends that I hadn't spoken to in years or just recognized from high school.

Currently, I have deleted half of my "friends" and only have people on there that I'm in contact with or may have contacts with in the future. I've deleted most of the photos I've been tagged in, deleted a lot on unnecessary content from my wall, and I even went as far as changing my first name. I've told other people that I've done this and they think that it's a little extreme, but I only use Facebook to connect with people that are in my life and I don't want to share information with people that I don't talk to anymore.

I ran into someone from high school that I never really spoke to begin with and they asked me how my trip to Texas was? The fact that they were "creeping" my Facebook page, kind of freaked me out a bit. I do not use Facebook to creep or stalk people that I'm not friends with and I don't really want to share my personal life with everyone on the internet. However, I do creep my friends pages because I want to know whats going on in their life and sometimes it's hard to continually stay in contact with everyone when you're working and going to school full time.




When and why did you start?
 In late 2007 I opened up a Facebook account. I had no idea at the time what it was, but all of my friends had it and insisted I should sign up. Before Facebook, there was Nexopia. I had an account but never really went on because it did not interest me. When I got an iphone last December I decided it was time to sign up for a Twitter account. I do not "tweet", however I just follow people or organizations that interest me. For example, I follow news sources like the province and CNN. This way, I can access all the information on one device instead of reading a news paper, using my computer, or watching TV.

Just last week I signed up for Pinterest, which is AWESOME! It enables you to share ideas and products with other users. I plan on moving out soon and Pinterest enables me to create a "board" and "pin" home products that I'm interested in buying. I will also have to learn how to cook when I move out...so I've been "re-pinning" recipes that other users have pinned to their boards.


How would you replace it if it was taken away?
If social media was taken away, I would probably have a mental breakdown. I don't just use social media to communicate with my friends and family but it definitely would change how I obtain or share other information. I'm extremely busy with school and work and Facebook and Twitter allow me to get information on the go that would take way longer if social media did not exist.

If Facebook didn't exist I guess I would have to send a mass text message out or call all of my friends to invite them to an event. Facebook allows me to create and invite friends to an event in less than 5 minutes...I remember the day when I would hand write invitations and mail them to friends....that never happens anymore. I got my friends invitation for her wedding by e-mail and you e-mail her back to RSVP.

 I do think that some people rely on social media too much to do thinking for them. I find that when a major social issue arises, people just go on a social media site, read someone else's opinion, and share that person opinion on Facebook or re-tweet it on twitter. No one is forming their own opinion, they're just relying on social media to do it for them.

WWE superstar in jail

 According to this article superstar wrestler goes to jail, who is this wrestler you ask? It is Scott Hall or Razor Ramon from WWE. Scott Hall was a very popular wrestler when he first started out but drugs and alcohol have taken over his life and has had a downfall ever since. Recent news from this article has indicated that Scott Hall has been thrown in jail for chocking his girlfriend during an argument. The article states Lisa had noticed that Scott Hall had been drunk for the past 2 days and the two had an argument and this is when Scott Hall tried to chock her while she was driving.

Scott Hall had been booked for domestic violence, but his girlfriend is not pressing charges according to the article. Hall’s life has gone in a downward spiral after drugs and alcohol took over his life. Scott Hall was a popular wrestler in WWE and was respected my all wrestler. It is very sad to see such a good wrestler and superstar go down the wrong path. If you would like to read more the article link is below.

 http://tvguide.ca/TVNews/Articles/120411_wwe_arrest_GD     

Border job cuts

This was an interesting read I found online stating that Canadian government wants to cut down border officer jobs. The union for the guards is saying if this happens there will be more drugs, weapons getting into the hands of street criminals in Canada. It’s interesting how big the budget cut is by the Canadian government they want to cut down by 143 million dollars over the next three years which is a large amount considering they protect our borders.  The government has given 1000 employees notices that their jobs are now on the line. Cutting these employees will also affect wait times which is bad for individuals who will be coming back into Canada.

 I thought this was an interesting read because I go shopping into the U.S a lot so it will be interesting to see if any changes occur.

http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/home/border_job_cuts_threaten_national_security_union_says/cedc3ccf

Social Media Rumble

In light of the first Canuck loss in this year’s playoffs, “painful exhale” I wanted to discuss social media. Earlier in class we discussed shutting down social media in order to help police protect the city from mayhem.

I believe that cutting down on people’s right to communicate is against free speech. However, I can see how something like this would help the greater good of Vancouver, its residents, and all the visitors watching the game.

IF there was to be any sort of rioting during this year’s playoffs I agree that the police should have the authority to black out social media for the evening, or even a couple of hours. People can still make phone calls if they need to find out where not to go. However via phone calls you generally can only talk to one person at a time. Social media would allow for multiple persons to view what you have posted in an instant and I believe this is where the true threat lies.

With that being said happy playoffs Canucks fans! There won’t be any riots this year, because Canucks are going to win!

Do I have your attention yet?

As I was watching the presentations in last night’s class I realized everyone incorporated some type of attention getter into their opening. However we are all guilty of just asking a simple question, something generic like, “who has something to do with my presentation?”. This prompted me to do some research on attention getters, I hope you all enjoy the following as much as I did.

-          -Use a quotation form literature, or even from your daily newspaper.

-          -Tell a personal story

-         - Quote statistical research

The article linked below relates attention getters to award winning movies. How do the directors do it the author questions. You must encourage the audience to think, the important part that we tend to overlook is at the end of the presentation. Create a memorable close with a residual message. Leave them with something to think about by achieving two goals. As we talked about in class, let your audience know you are ending the presentation, but also leave them with something to discuss or ponder long after the presentation.

http://publicspeaker.quickanddirtytips.com/Openings-Closings-Attention-Getter-Residual-Message.aspx

Email Assistance

I found a very interesting article the other day with tips on writing professional emails. Many of the points below were well covered in our class:

·         -Paying attention to who is your audience

·         -Watching your tone

·         -Being concise with your words

·         -Checking spelling and grammar

However the last point I found very helpful for someone like me who tends to write emails and letters at a hundred miles an hour. Then I always say “ya, I spell checked that”. Here is the kicker, don’t fill in the To: until you have gone back and read through your document again. I thought  that this tip could go a long way for people like me! The link is posted below for anyone who would like to read the article.

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_tips.htm