GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN!

Make it stop! ...Since the government shut down, my social media news feeds have been flooded with memes, jokes, and rants and raves. It looks a lot like this the whole way down:

This stampede of opinions and propaganda has only been made possible through social media. What's interesting is to see the exponential effect social media can have on an issue. In the case of Obamacare, people's thoughts and feelings are so out of control and across the board that no one knows what to think anymore, and it is hard to determine what are real facts and what is straight bogus. People are being inundated so deeply with memes, articles, and fact sheets that it creates panic, fear, misunderstanding, and makes it hard for someone to choose what to believe. So, when panicked and fearful, people only fuel the fire more. And that is why our news feeds look the way they do. 

There could have been a simple solution to all this: Understanding. People are afraid of what they don't understand. If Obama and his administration had communicated clearly to congress and to the public through media/social media channels the facts and effects of Obamacare, the federal government might not be shutdown and people wouldn't be prophesying the end of the world on my news feed. 

Due to a complete lack of clear communication on a very serious policy, the public has used social media as a way to vent. This venting has become so heavy that social media has made this topic spiral out of control and I don't see Obama clearing it up anytime soon. Bottom line: Communicate; so social media doesn't for you! 

Customer Service

Harry's is a men's shaving company in which customers can subscribe to monthly, high-quality razors. I'm obviously in their target demographic because I've been hit pretty heavily by their social campaigns. I finally fell victim to their luring ads and sleek design. When I looked at their products I saw something that really impressed me. For every comment posted on Harry's social media pages their was a Harry's response. Wether negative or not, every comment got a reply from Harry's. This made everyone feel important and that they had a personal relationship with Harry's and that their voice would be heard. I was so impressed that I succumbed and subscribed to try out their razors. This was the first time I was so impressed by social media that it directly influenced me to purchase something. Shows how strong social media can be and how investing time to respond to customers can have a huge impact. Check out Harry's here: http://www.harrys.com

HOLD THAT POST!!!

Today I stumbled across an interesting article concerning social media in China. Supposedly, Chinese authorities launched a campaign this summer against rumors spread across social media communities. The article states that "an internet user could be sentenced to three years in jail for posting a "defamatory" message that receives more than 5,000 views or is forwarded more than 500 times." This will definitely make you think twice about what you post. Allegedly, a 16-year old schoolboy was recently detained by Chinese authorities due to a post that argued against statements made by local police authorities. 

While this campaign seems extreme, and probably wouldn't go over so well with the First Amendment here in the United States, it is apparent that these efforts are in response to the overwhelming impact social media is having on the public in China. We see it here in the United States as well; wether true or false, good or bad, social media gives anyone a voice to start a movement or a belief. We'll see how well these measures play out in China...

Read the full article here.

I got "Jimmied!"

A couple weeks ago I watched a hilarious video of a girl getting her upside-down twerk on, fall, smash a glass table, and then light on fire. Watch it:

As you know why, this video was immediately added to my favorites on YouTube; mainly because I liked watching one of Miley Cyrus's lemmings be a victim of pain. However, I was the only victim... A victim of getting "Jimmied". Yesterday, Jimmy Kimmel posted this:

What a publicity stunt! Awesome how Jimmy used social media, in this case a viral video, to advertise and get everyone talking about his show. Not only did media channels report on the epic twerk fail, but now they are reporting on how they themselves were victims of Jimmy Kimmel's prank; I bet Jimmy's viewer count skyrockets during the next few weeks.

FREE SWAGGGG!!!

School is back, which means...

      It's about that time... you know, that time when it gets a wee bit nippy, your mustache gets crunchy walking to class, and girls sadly put away their bikinis–i'm talkin' ole' Jack Frost. So throw away that snocone and get PUMPED for some pre-season "swagcessories" from Transworld Snowboarding.

      Today TWsnow announced via Instagram their "30 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS" for a lucky few. Don't believe it? Here's the proof:

      Being a poor college student myself, free stuff never hurts, sooo I entered myself and a couple of other bogus names to boost my chances. You can do the same! Feed your homework to your dog and do something actually productive by entering HERE!