Stephan Reed — The American Nightmare

Another amazing bgsu blog

Posts Tagged Social Media

Speak With Substance, Avoid Superficial Conversation

Dec 4

Posted by Stephan Reed in Uncategorized | No Comments

I have come to the realization that our common conversations have become incredibly superficial and lack depth and substance.

While watching the film “God Bless America,” the protagonist, Frank, goes on a tirade about this subject. “Nobody talks about anything anymore. When was the last time you had a real conversation without someone texting or looking at a screen or a monitor over your head?”

Why do we shy away from talking about our feelings, aspirations, religious convictions and/or things that aren’t entertainment or sports? I’m not saying there is anything wrong with popular culture-based talks or sport chats, but try and think critically about what you have seen and speak original thoughts. Don’t just spew what you read online or heard on TV.

Some of my closest friendships were spawned from spontaneous, personal conversations. One doesn’t have to pour their soul out to a stranger, but opening up shouldn’t strike fear into their heart.

Everyone has a history. Every individual has a unique story. Each person you come across probably possesses the memory of an experience that you would find intriguing.

There aren’t many things better than those long, all-night conversations with someone. The ones in which you can feel the friendship forming into a long-lasting bond. The ones where you think “I should probably go to sleep,” but your friend has you so encompassed and on the edge of your seat that you throw the ideas of morning exhaustion out the window and listen onward.

You’re completely engaged. Your phone doesn’t matter.

When you listen, it feels great for both parties. You retain the knowledge about this person and feel a deeper connection with them, while they feel special and unique because they have someone who will actively listen to them without texting mid conversation.

We live in a society where all of our thoughts and ideas are posted on social media, yet we can’t talk to people. Social media seems to be taking the “social” aspects out of our daily lives.

Instead of posting about how angry you are at your professor or subtweeting about your friend, try talking to them about it. Hell, they may even commend you for taking the initiative to attack the issue head on. Instead of posting a Facebook status containing lyrics that you relate to, bring the song up in conversation with the person who inspired the thoughtful connection. The song will never sound the same again.

Feelings. Dreams. Personal history. These are the things we should be talking about, not Miley Cyrus’ new haircut or what your ex said about you on Twitter.

Superficial chatter is a plague. It keeps us from talking about stuff that truly matters. These issues get overshadowed by “pop-politics.” There’s always the typical conversations about abortion, the death penalty and gun control, but why don’t we talk about the conflict between the University’s Faculty Association and the Administration or the on campus smoking ban that is being discussed?

It is doubtful that we can control the hot topic issues of the nation, but we can have a say in the problems that are in our own backyard.

I strongly urge everyone out there to strike up a real conversation with that one person who catches your eye in the Union or the girl who sits by you in class with the sweet Attack Attack! bookbag or the professor who makes you feel like a human being and not just another kid in class.

It’s the last week of classes. Take a chance.

What’s the worst that can happen? They could look at you weird and you will never have to see them again.

What’s the best that can happen?

You could have a new friend for life.

 

 

 

 

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Cool Kid Club of Social Media

Nov 16

Posted by Stephan Reed in News Related | No Comments

One may think that using a social media outlet to talk about social media is redundant, but honestly, is there any better way to explain how to use a web tool other than using it effectively?

The Twitter account @socialmediaclub has been tweeting, retweeting and demonstrating how to optimize social media since February of 2007. However, the organization has been around and exploring various social media since 2006.

Social Media Club is a California-based group that is dedicated to trying out new social media techniques and technology,  tackling key conflicts in the real of social media and reporting their findings to whoever is interested. The club now has more than 300 chapters across the nation. They have given computers and gadgets to local schools and are funded solely on donations.

This non-profit organization looks to scoop any up and coming sites that surface. Their Twitter start date alone is proof that they are ahead of the game on any social media technology they can find. Had Twitter not played out so well, they would have reported their findings and found the new media that was most effective.

The Twitter account for the group tweets links related to social media ethics, seminars and tips for businesses and personal users. They even have a book club series on which users can promote various social media-based books to by using #SMCbooks.

@socialmediaclub keeps users connected by tweeting interesting content daily and interacting with its audience. Every so often, the group will invite a prominent social media expert or author aboard and users can tweet questions to them. Those questions are then answered via Twitter, of course.

I would also like to note that their follower to following ratio. They follow more than 75,000 people and have almost 122,000 followers. The ration looks a bit one-sided, but when you note how many people they are following and how large the group is, that ratio is relatively modest.

My only problem I have with the Twitter site itself is the amount of tweets they have per day. In total, they have almost 16, 500 tweets. That is quite a few daily. However, Twitter comes with a handy-dandy “turn off retweets” function that allows you to just see their original content and tips. If you do not wish to flood your Twitter feed with social media tips, but would still like the insight, I recommend bookmarking this page.

I would say that the Social Media Club is effective in their efforts. One may see them as social media nerds, but I see them as the cool kids club of social media.

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How ‘Dub the Dew’ Went Terribly Awry

Sep 21

Posted by Stephan Reed in News Related | 3 Comments

Social media is great way to communicate with your audience and consumers. However, without careful planning, it can blow up in your face. On the Internet, there are trolls that keep an eye out for chances to mess things up or make someone mad. For example, in August of this year, Mountain Dew introduced a new Granny Smith apple-flavored soft drink. They decided to have a little fun and let their fans name it, or as their slogan stated “Dub the Dew.”

This went horribly awry when members of 4Chan.org, a group of the Internet’s best hackers, most curious individuals and people with too much time, decided to get in on the voting.

The poll was on the Mountain Dew website, so an Anon [Anonymous member of 4Chan] banned people together to vote for some really goofy names. “Gushing Granny,” “Granny Squirts” and “Fap Apple” made their way on to the list. Mountain Dew came out and said they did not have to choose the top name, just one that was on the list. 4Chan accepted this challenge and continued to flood the poll and hack the site.

By the end of the contest, “Hitler Did Nothing Wrong” was at the top of the chart, there was no reasonable name left on the poll and the pranksters hacked the site with Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna’ Give You Up” as an unwarranted pop-up. According to one blog related to this social media fail, hackers went so far as to add “a banner that read “Mtn Dew salutes the Israeli Mossad for demolishing 3 towers on 9/11!”

Mountain Dew gave their public too much freedom. Their intent was good: use social media to interact with their fans and gain their input. However, the Internet trolls took control of the situation and created a social media blunder for the soft drink moguls.

My biggest takeaway point from this experience is that companies need to monitor social media more closely. When a situation starts to arise, they need to extinguish it before it gets out of hand.

They also need to use more tact when dealing with Internet trolls. Mountain Dew’s statement to the trolls could be seen as antagonistic. Had they just let it go, the pranksters would have lost interest, but since they engaged in such a way, the trolls had to have a little fun.

Before a company begins a social media campaign, they need to recognize how it could go wrong and figure out a quick and painless process to fix it. After all, Mountain Dew could have just deleted the poll.

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Don’t Understimate the Abilities of a Fresh College Grad

Sep 14

Posted by Stephan Reed in News Related | 3 Comments

There I am, my first day on the job as Ford Motor Company’s newest social media correspondent, an organization known for its good social media etiquette. I sit at my desk, performing each task to a t in order to not mess up and disappoint my boss.  Every word is triple checked. Every phrase is carefully thought out and delicately formulated. I know, going into this job, that if I mess up, then I’ll be out of a job, out of a pay check and desperate to find a company that didn’t catch my social media mishap.

This is how I, a typical young, college-educated potential employee thinks. I feel the Digital Entrepreneur list underestimates the mentality of a young employee. I know that many of my friends, and myself, can be quite goofy and immature, but when the time calls for it, we can transform into responsible adults. While hanging out on the weekends, one may be incredibly silly, but when at work, the professional is put guard up and that individual becomes the rational human being that he or she has trained to be. After all, we didn’t work through four years of school just to mess around on the job.

However, I don’t believe a company should hire someone and put them in full control of all the social media accounts right away. They have to learn what the company is about. They have to understand the audience they are appealing to. They have to know there is something to lose. Putting someone who has at least a years’ worth experience with the company would be optimal.

I do like the point the article makes about having a few people know the account information for the business. Suppose the hypothetical social media correspondent gets fired for some reason, changing the password should be done before that employee actually get their notice to insure they don’t “go postal” on your social media accounts.

Younger employees should not be treated as incompetent. They can learn the niche audiences of the business and ways of communicating to them within a decent amount of time, especially if that was their educated specialty. I don’t believe you should give a young employee or new hire complete control of the accounts, but don’t be afraid to let them do a job they have trained years for.

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