The Impression That I Get

Last post I discussed how so many in the online community over share information with their friends and followers. For the most part, this occurs on Facebook, as I elaborated on a week or so ago.

This week, my blog discusses the real world consequences to this phenomenon. According to this Huffington Post article, posted this morning, there are six major things recruiters (and employers) DO NOT want to see on social media. Read the article, here.

Posts about drugs, alcohol, sex and swearing will get you no where fast in the process of recruitment, as well as on the road to your next job or promotion. Even swearing and spelling can earn you a bad impression.

If you Google, "should employers be able to hire based on Facebook posts", you'll find this. Employers are encouraged to check social media posts to ensure that they are hiring the best employee for the job.

According to Forbes, checking prospective employees' social media activity can tell you exactly who to give the job. This article states that Facebook not only can show you these red flags (such as drugs, profanity and lying) but it can also give you some insight into whether or not they're the right fit and can even give you an inkling into how good at their job they'll be. Makes sense, right? Someone who constantly complains on Facebook may not have the work ethic and positive attitude a boss is looking for.

Many people, however, argue that employers and scouts should not be allowed to see these personal posts. What do you think? Are Facebook posts, Tweets and Instagram posts private if we put them out there for the world to see? Should we be allowed this privacy? There is always the option of making your accounts private, but then that poses the question of, "what are you hiding?"

What do YOU think??

Over Share Much?

Oh, your dog just got fixed? Your mom made oatmeal raisin cookies? You have athlete's foot? ...Your mom had an affair, contracted herpes, got pregnant and transferred herpes to your baby half-brother during childbirth? Man, life's crazy, huh?

These sound ridiculous and I know you would NEVER post something like THAT...but, I've read all of these posts and many other disturbing bits of info on my Facebook news feed from "friends". And this is the number one reason I do not frequent Facebook and I'm sure I'm not alone. 

Though annoying, there may be a science of sorts behind the reason why so many of us feel almost compelled to share information about ourselves and our day-to-day lives to 500 of our closest friends. 

Some of the latest research to on the issue of Facebook over sharing comes from professor Russell W. Belk, chair in marketing at York University in Toronto. His recent paper on the subject, “Extended Self in a Digital World,” will appear in the Journal of Consumer Research in October. 

He writes, “Sharing itself is not new, but consumers now have unlimited opportunities to share their thoughts, opinions, and photos, or otherwise promote themselves and their self-image online. Digital devices help us share more, and more broadly, then ever before.”

Social media wants us to share; it wants us all to share. Belk points out that YouTube’s slogan is “Broadcast Yourself.” Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter ask us “What do you have to Share?” “What’s happening?” “What’s on your mind?” …basically seducing us into divulging the day’s details, all to fill a communication void, according to recent research. This is only made better (or is it worse?) by mobile devices with all their websites and apps. 
 
I suppose some entertainment can be gained from these over share posts. Both the Facebook fails of the average idiot, the online bragging of criminals and the over shares of moms are conveniently compiled and can be found on the Internet for our reading enjoyment. It's probably better if we all just don't though...right?

These Vines are Out of Control!

With my blog, My So-Called Social Life, I want to delve into interesting articles and news that I find on various aspects of Social Media (or New New Media). With this blog, I hope to both inform and interest you on the newest developments in Social Media. But I also hope to touch on the importance and impact these tools have on our lives.

What's hot right now? What doesn't make any sense? This week, for my first post I am addressing, or maybe introducing, the little video maker that could: Vine. (Both extremely popular and very confusing for many people.)

Get familiar with vine: Vine is a mobile video app acquired and owned by Twitter.
Vine debuted on January 24, 2013 as a free iOS app on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The app is now available for Android devices as well. In just a couple of months, Vine became the most used video application on the market and by spring that same year, became the most-downloaded free app for iOS devices.

Now, I frequent the Huffington Post, a very popular news site. Recently, HuffPost has been running "The Best Vines of the Week" each week in the Technology section. This week, August 25-31, 2013,  we get a hilarious compilation of the week's 43 funniest and most shocking Vines. I promise it's not a waste of time!

So you've noticed, these videos are SHORT. Users are given six seconds per video, that they can start and stop anytime within the recording process, to create, essentially, pre-edited six-second videos taken with a user's smartphone. And you thought 140 character tweets were limited!

But why does it matter? Okay, I'll give you an example of just how much users are sharing in six seconds. This guy Vines (Yes, the act of recording a Vine) the break-up of his relationship! The short article that accompanies this Vine video forces us ask the question: Are we sharing too much? Is nothing private anymore? I have three words for you: FACEBOOK OVER SHARE. Maybe I'll discuss that can of worms in a future post.

So while physically there really is only so much you can share with each Vine video you create and post, this tool does allow a creative and interesting view into our lives and the lives of the other users we follow. From trick shots that seem unbelievable to strange feline behavior to creative sketches brought to life, Vines are the newest and possibly the strangest way thus far in which we express ourselves and share our lives with the internet. The internet is our So-Called Social Life.