I cannot believe it has been two and a half years since my first exposure to the ultimate addiction and primary tool of procrastination used by countless college students across the country known as Facebook.com. Not too long after I found Myspace.com and the rest is history...or is it?
All joking put aside I do think there actually is somewhat of a serious nature in regard to these mega-social networking sites which many students fail to take note of.
PRIVACY.
While I'll admit I have failed to be as safe as I could have been in my use of the sites; I have recently become much more aware of the dangers associated with the nature of content posted on your own and others profiles and who you are apparently becoming "friends" with.
A recent story from FoxNews.com titled "Myspace Stars: Is Your Celebrity 'Friend' a Famous Fake" by Hollie McKay addresses the false nature of so-called "celebrity profiles" on Myspace.com, and their implications on the privacy and reputation of both the celebrity and the Myspace.com users associated with their network.
I think this is just another reminder that you can never be too safe when posting information about yourself and allowing others to gain access to it its content on the Web. Even when privacy settings are applied to your profile you never really know who is sitting at the other end of the connection gaining access to your life; and becoming "friends" with other users such as celebrities or that guy who looks hot in a thumbnail-size picture only opens yourself up to a host of potential predators.
So be smart, be safe and protect yourself and your personal information because privacy is precious and once you give it up it's hard to get back.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
responsible radio gives some hope...
There is no doubt that the recent tragedy which took place Monday at VA Tech has had a profound effect on our nation। Being a student at a major university this hit all too close to home and my first thoughts and prayers went out to the students, friends and parents whose whole lifetime had just been turned upside down in a matter of minutes, or for that matter seconds.
Anything can happen in instant, and in that instant a life can change forever।
I recently have become a listener of morning radio, well mostly just The Bert Show which airs on one of my favorite radio stations in Atlanta... All The Hits Q100.5 FM। In listening the past couple days since Monday's incident I have been so impressed with the outreach and caring expressed by the station and Atlanta community.
So often you turn on the radio or television news and are bombarded with a barrage of negative media coverage aimed at exploiting the tragedies of others। We as citizens have a right to be informed and made aware of what's happening in our world, and that is the job of the media. More importantly it should be OUR goal as active citizens and participants in the communication arena to demand the media to go beyond just doing their job and take on their social responsibility. I see this social responsibility being the duty to report accurate news concerning the public interest, but beyond just reporting the news I think the media should recognize the enormous amount of influence it has on society and work to promote a more socially aware and communicative atmosphere aimed at educating and empowering, rather than exploiting.
I gained a bit of hope in broadcast media this week while listening in to The Bert Show and their dedication of airtime to not only talking about the tragedy affecting our Nation, but also giving listeners a sense of hope and community support in a time when we all need it। It is encouraging to know that there are still people out there that actually care about taking time to discuss issues affecting lives and not just making light of or ignoring them.
In case you weren't aware tomorrow has been declared National Maroon and Orange Day to support the Hokies, and there are tons of memorial services being held all around Athens and Atlanta tonight and this weekend. The Bert Show's Web site gives links detailing some of these events and ways to contribute to memorial funds।
So wear your maroon and orange tomorrow to show some Hokie support, and maybe even tune in to morning radio...cause you might be surprised what you'll find in the least expected places।
Go Hokies... and Go dawgs. (sorry had to put that in :)
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Don't "Snooze"...Click for News
Time...always ticking by, slipping away and although seemingly infinite, there is never enough of it in a day.
All too often we as college students and young adults choose not to recognize and take full advantage of the precious nature of our time. In an attempt to delay the realization of our newly acquired fast-paced and seemingly stressful lives we hit the metaphorical "snooze button" on certain aspects of life and time. This can be viewed as the act of procrastination or denial, but I think it is not necessarily complete laziness, but more of a failure to recognize the importance of consistent communication and interaction with society and the media on all levels.
Regrettably I must admit I have been hitting "snooze" on blogging in the last few months, but have now come to realize how quickly time passes and what I can hopefully achieve in making up for my time lost. My lack of posting over the past months brings to my attention and extremely pertinent and relevant concept in not only the practice of communications and PR, but life in general as well.
The snooze button doesn't stop time, it only makes the future come sooner...
Media and society are constantly changing and evolving with every second of the day. In order to be an active and informed citizen, as well as an effective communicator and PR practitioner you have to be aware of these technological innovations and societal changes affecting the global community. MY realization in terms of the world of PR as well as higher education at UGA is that this fast-paced society that we live in will not wait around or slow down for anyone. Whether or not we hit our "snooze" and delay our own knowledge of what is going on in the world around us in terms of technological and societal trends the world keeps moving along without us. Therefore, while it seems all too easy to allow ourselves as students and young adults to get wrapped up in the minute details of individual life, we must also remember that the longer we "snooze" the more we let pass us by. And remember...although you may be hitting "snooze" today, there is always someone that chose to get up and take notice of the world and everything it has to offer them. So get up, take notice and make use of all the resources made available to us every day!
Here are a few links to just a few of my personal favorite news and blogging sites:
These are only a few but be looking for many more coming soon! Feel free to post any comments or helpful sites you might have. Since I'm about to graduate I am always looking for helpful suggestions and insight into the PR world. :)
All too often we as college students and young adults choose not to recognize and take full advantage of the precious nature of our time. In an attempt to delay the realization of our newly acquired fast-paced and seemingly stressful lives we hit the metaphorical "snooze button" on certain aspects of life and time. This can be viewed as the act of procrastination or denial, but I think it is not necessarily complete laziness, but more of a failure to recognize the importance of consistent communication and interaction with society and the media on all levels.
Regrettably I must admit I have been hitting "snooze" on blogging in the last few months, but have now come to realize how quickly time passes and what I can hopefully achieve in making up for my time lost. My lack of posting over the past months brings to my attention and extremely pertinent and relevant concept in not only the practice of communications and PR, but life in general as well.
The snooze button doesn't stop time, it only makes the future come sooner...
Media and society are constantly changing and evolving with every second of the day. In order to be an active and informed citizen, as well as an effective communicator and PR practitioner you have to be aware of these technological innovations and societal changes affecting the global community. MY realization in terms of the world of PR as well as higher education at UGA is that this fast-paced society that we live in will not wait around or slow down for anyone. Whether or not we hit our "snooze" and delay our own knowledge of what is going on in the world around us in terms of technological and societal trends the world keeps moving along without us. Therefore, while it seems all too easy to allow ourselves as students and young adults to get wrapped up in the minute details of individual life, we must also remember that the longer we "snooze" the more we let pass us by. And remember...although you may be hitting "snooze" today, there is always someone that chose to get up and take notice of the world and everything it has to offer them. So get up, take notice and make use of all the resources made available to us every day!
Here are a few links to just a few of my personal favorite news and blogging sites:
These are only a few but be looking for many more coming soon! Feel free to post any comments or helpful sites you might have. Since I'm about to graduate I am always looking for helpful suggestions and insight into the PR world. :)
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