Social Media and the Teenager

 

Guest Blogger:
Alicia King

Very rarely do you find a teenager that does not use social media. It is a great way to connect with others that share similar interests. Sites such as Pinterest allow you to connect with millions of people to share great recipes, craft ideas, and the latest fashion trends. What more could a teen ask for? And YouTube is a great site for sharing music, dance, and funny videos. These useful tools enable us to be more in tune with the constantly changing trends and topics. These sites have allowed teens to connect in ways that have never before been possible. Being able to share similar interests not only with friends and family, but with people around the world is incredible. It is so exciting to think about what the future holds for social media!

Crazy Busy

There will no blog post until next week because I am taking finals and completing final projects at school this week. See you all next week for another great blog post and thanks for your patients!

Project Glass

The buzz this week has been all about Google’s new “Project Glass” or wearable glasses-like devices that present a transparent screen and give you web-connected data for your everyday life. I personally think this invention is a long way off and has a lot of problems that could arise from it, but the idea overall is awesome! So far on the Google+ Project Glass page the information has been shared over 10,000 times and there are 500 comments. Project Glass is definitely creating buzz. Is this the future of smart phones? The video of the glasses can be seen at here. I honestly love this idea and hope that Google can find a way to make this a success. However, I wonder how many people are going to be wearing these glasses and trying to drive, work, etc. A huge issue right now is people talking on the phone/texting while driving! How can Google encourage people to use these glasses responsibly? It looks like I would have to completely re-learn or practice walking just so I don’t get distracted by the web showing up in front of my eyes while out for a stroll!

I wonder if marketers and advertisers will take over your glasses to push products and promotions like they do now with every other piece of technology ha-ha. These are still a prototype and Google is doing the right thing by listening to possible consumers. We may never see these hit the market but now that the idea has been revealed to the masses, I bet we do. Imagine these glasses replacing your smart phone. It seems this could be a step into the future. What do you think?

What’s The Fastest Media Channel To Get In Touch With Someone?

I want to conduct an experiment someday soon to discover the fastest media channel to get in touch with me.

The experiment:

Multiple people somehow find a way to get in touch with me (all at the same time) about going to dinner.

That sounds easy enough right? I am just curious to see which media channel I would check first and which media channel would people choose to find me. Would it be Facebook, Twitter, email, text, instant message, or phone call? I honestly want to know which one I would respond to on the fastest and check first. I know the phone would be out because I screen and don’t always like to talk to people (even my friends) when I don’t know why they are calling. I think either through social networks, email or text would I be most likely to respond, check first is a whole different question.

Which one do you think you would check first and respond to?

Job Seekers Prepare To Hand Over Your Facebook Page

I was completely caught off guard this morning when watching HLN on TV thanks to a special news report. Apparently, more and more employers are asking job applicants for their Facebook login information. Many have been asking, “Is this legal?” Apparently so, but I doubt for long. The report this morning stated that three states in U.S. have already had representatives file to protect people from being asked for this personal information.

What happened to the good ole days of Facebook stalking where you try to “friend” the applicant and then see their page? This story has blown up in the news and gained a lot of attention in just a short amount of time. I feel like requesting Facebook login information would scare of possible candidates. If they don’t have anything to hide, they will gladly show you their page without having to hand you the password. Also, from a public relations standpoint, this shows that employers have little faith in their employees. It makes employers appear untrusting and unwilling to build personal relationships. In my personal experience, I have NEVER learned information about a person more from Facebook than from actually just taking the time to get to know them.

I understand how employers could examine someone’s Facebook page and make judgments about them as a person; however, I have to wonder how accurate those judgments really are? Can you learn everything you need to know from someone’s Facebook page? Employers are taking applicants login information and not only viewing the applicants’ page, but also their friends’ pages.  For example, I am friends with about 900 people on Facebook, yet I only actually spend face-to-face time with 30 of them. Just how accurate of an analysis of a person can you make from this? We no longer judge a book by its cover, we judge by its Facebook page. Also, most people tend to use Facebook to connect with others. If knowing that an employer could deny you a job based on your Facebook profile and friends, will this limit who you are friends with and your connections?

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the courts and in the future that’s for sure. What do you think? Are employers overstepping?

Does Social Media Take A Spring Break Vacation?

Spring break is finally here! Well not for me because I work but for students at least. Are people still using social media as much as normal or is there a decline in social media use during spring break? Spring break is supposed to be a time for individuals to relax and enjoy their time off, but does this mean they take time off from their computers and phones as well? I notice that without my friends from school in town and without a boring class to sit in, I have not been checking my Facebook, Twitter, etc accounts, mostly because the people I want to see or the time I want to waste is not currently here. What do you think? Do you use social media more or less during spring break?

Social Networks and the First Time Mom

Guest Blogger: Meag Warren

When I first found out I was going to be a mom, being the crazy research type person I am, I immediately ran to the internet to start my search. I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of social networks made just for parents. Some great examples are cafemom.com, Mom365.com, babycenter.com and many more. Not only are the sites filled with doctors research and information but they have millions of questions and answers that are all posted by fellow parents. Through pregnancy and now birth of my son, I have been able to find information from parents who have experienced the same things. It is very comforting as a parent to know your not alone in some situations and are able to get sound advice from thousands of other parents just like you. Sometimes all the research in the world just doesnt compare to those real life experiences. These sites are also great for many other things such as all the great shopping tips! Everyone knows how expensive babies can be and by using these tools I know where all the great sales are and have saved a ton on diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, etc. These sites are even great for passing on information about fun kids activities happening in your area. This year we have been to kid fairs, swimming lessons, baseball events, library events, etc. all because of companys and parents posting their information on these websites. It truly is a great resource for any parent to help stay connected and up to date.