Social Media – 🧙‍♂️🤝🇺🇸

iamAgency University Capstone Project.

Advertisements

Do YOU have agency, or control, over your actions? If I told you I knew for a fact you didn’t, would you believe me?

If you believe, continue to read.

Can you believe that you have control? Do you believe that you can develop agency over any situation with training?

If so, continue to read.

You do have agency over your body, your mind, and your emotion.

That fact that you continue to read the words in this blog means you can make a conscience decision to empower yourself. It’s empowering isn’t it.

Advertisements

Look around are you safe? Safe, comfortable, calm, attentive, receptive, open, ready.

If so, continue to read:

In the coming days and weeks, your thoughts will often turn to the consideration of important decisions you have to make, and important problems for which you have as yet found no solution. Even when you are not consciously thinking about these topics, your mind will continue to deal with them so that, when your attention returns to them once more, you are going to be surprised and delighted at how many potentially useful ideas you are able to come up with; and some of these ideas are even likely to catch you by surprise at times, emerging into your awareness while you are thinking of something else.

They might even enter your dreams at night, or you might wake up with some of these new ideas in mind; but regardless of how they make their appearance, they are going to be very helpful and beneficial to you. Of course, You will always try to make sure that you have sufficient information on which to base any final decisions, and you will always want to check out these new ideas to make sure that they are practical, just as you would check out information from any other source.

You will also continue to be aware that sometimes the best decision is a decision to wait or to secure additional information before acting. But nevertheless, you are going to be surprised and pleased at how much more clearly and creatively you are going to be able to think, and at how much more confidently and effectively you will be able to deal with the issues and problems which lie before you.

Advertisements

This Suggestion was provided by Don E. Gibbons, Ph.D. Suggestions to Facilitate Problem Solving. Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors (p. 130). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle Edition.

🧙‍♂️

Social Media for Communicators Blog for Week One

What I learned after Week one in Social Media for Communicators is that blog stands for . . . uhh. OMG I forgot! (a quick Google search later). It stands for “Web Log“. Cool huh?! Well, I think it’s cool. I love Google. Anyway …

How you first used social media, and how you use it now.

When I first used social media it was in the form of instant messaging. It was called AOL Instant Messenger and my friends and I would text each other at home after school on it. This was around the time DSL internet became the new Dial Up; the way of accessing the internet. When dial up was popular we would just call people to say hi. We didn’t text. Three way phone calls was the cool new technology. What’s a three way phone call you ask? It’s when you call a friend, put that friend on hold and listen for a ringtone, call another friend, and return to the call on hold to have all friends connected at one time. That was our social media!

Right. Soo, we had instant messenger and would text each other once in a while, and try to find new ways to text strangers. When ICQ came out I learned we could talk to random people. IM and ICQ where messaging platforms that were used to talk to friends, colleagues, and strangers. If I remember correctly they had a roulette feature where you could click a button and have a random person show up in the text. I tried it once in a while, but even back then I knew to be aware of fake profiles and fake people. I was a teenager after all.

Any positive and/or negative aspects of social media use that you have noticed arise in your personal or professional life.

There is one negative experience I remember from using social media that arose in my personal life and it relates to my posts on Yahoo Answers. Back in 2010 Yahoo Answers was super cool to me, because I could talk to people through questions or answers and find categories that matched my interests. I had just got out of the military and had a falling out when it came to sustaining relationships; basically, I had literally no friends, and so Yahoo Answers was my way of communicating with people.

I don’t remember what the post was entirely about, but I think it was related to flatulence. Any guy knows fart jokes are a classic conversation piece. Well, I posted about the amount of times I would use the restroom in a day; about 2 or 3. Oh, I forgot to mention that every answer that was posted could have a thumbs up or a thumbs down. The post with the most thumbs up would be highlighted next to the question as the best answer.

My post had the most thumbs down, and to this day I don’t know why it was so hated. Maybe I had a sarcastic/cynical undertone that was making people thumbs down my post? Looking back in hindsight 2 or 3 times a day to use the pooper is a lot. Ultimately, I don’t know what created the community to hate on my answer so much. Yahoo Answers still exists today as well as ICQ messenger. Here are the links if you wish to check them out:

ICQ Chat https://icq.com/icqchat/

Yahoo Answers https://answers.yahoo.com/

Anything that surprised/excited/alarmed you from the data included in the Pew Research and Internet Trends reports.

What surprised me about the data included in the Internet Trends report: https://www.bondcap.com/pdf/Internet_Trends_2019.pdf

Is that America has the freest, as in least restricted, internet access in the world. It makes sense now, but it was a surprise. It makes sense now, because I know America is all about transparency, truth, and freedom! Like I always say, “America is the land of the free, home of the Whopper.” 🙂

What aspects of social media you are interested in exploring further after consuming the Week One content.

I’m not sure what aspects of social media im interested in exploring further. I kind of want to get my certification in Google Analytics. I think it’s free to learn and get certified, but don’t quote me. I know Google Analytics is super expensive to use, but to become certified may be free. Someone fact check that and post it in the comments. What else . . . Oh yea! I want to learn more about gaming and how that platform is playing a pivotal role in social medias expansion.

🧙

FTC Endorsement Guide Link

I thought this was important, and wanted to remember it, so I linked it to my blog. If it will help me, it might help you. I learned of this from my Media Law course at Communications@Syracuse.

Basically, it’s a link that sends you to the Federal Trade Commission website with a bunch of common questions that are answered about accepting endorsements, products, and all kinds of free stuff and the necessary disclosure procedures that need to be disclosed when accepting such goods and services.

I thought this was important, and wanted to remember it, so I linked it to my blog. If it will help me, it might help you. I learned of this from my Media Law course at Communications@Syracuse.

Advertisements

So … here it is:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

🧙

What I Learned about Digital Communications at Syracuse.

What I Learned about Digital Communications at Syracuse.

First, never trust emails regardless where they come from! I opened an email from my Syracuse University email address that I never use, and therefore assumed was a legit email, and after reading the email I learned it was a proposition for an at home job. Yada, yada, yada and a few weeks later I lost $250.00. It was an email scam! I fell for it, but after filing my police report I learned people fall for the same scam often, and have lost much worse.

I have yet to get my money back, and likely never will. Oh, and I now hate Citibank. As a communications major the inability to have good communication with a customer representative (Citibank that’s you!) makes it even more difficult to handle problems when they arise… And that’s what I learned at Syracuse.

(Microphone drop. Looks around, smiles awkwardly and picks up imaginary microphone).

Testing, testing, can you read me? Good. I learned that with internet comes great responsibility, and great risk. Always be aware no matter where you are getting your information. Even if you find the president talking on your favorite news channel about how the world is ending, check other sources, because it could be a deep fake. See Deep Fake Kind of Like Lean Cake; It Ain’t.

Information we can find online is endless, and that goes for everyone and everything in between. Data analytics is the gathering of information that is found online and when organized correctly can predict behaviors, and in some cases even prevent illness. See What is Psychometrics?

I recommend all my readers begin learning about these technologies, because they are tools that can protect you, and help you survive in the warfare that is the internet. Think of data analytics, deep fakes, internet scams, technology, etc. as nuclear weapons, and the only way to prevent others from using said nukes against you, you have to have even stronger nukes on the ready, for the counter-attack.

If any of you have a good source on how to learn data analytics, like data analytics for dummies book; do they have those? Then, comment below with the sources so I, and anyone else, can read/watch/listen to the information and learn. Knowledge is power, power is control, control is security, security is peace of mind, and peace of mind is happiness. Don’t you want to be happy? 😃

🧙‍♂️

Public Relations in 5 to 10 Years.

Public Relations in 5 to 10 Years.

Five cups of coffee and ten hours of research later… I can give you an educated guess on where PR is headed; PR is headed forward. The end. Let’s wrap it up people, close the set, turn off the lights! My job is done.

. . .

Seriously though, I did this pretty little mind map thing on my computer so you can visually see the connections and representations of what I will be discussing:

Isn’t it pretty? ^_^

I predict public relations is here to stay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Public Relations Specialists will have an average growth of 6% from 2018 to 2028. Not too shabby if you ask me.

As you may be aware, we have come into a time of influence. The steady flow of content and the exponential growth of screen time has led to a small epidemic. Many of us have become addicted to media consumption We can’t stop looking at our phones, tablets, televisions, and computer monitors. So, we now have apps that monitor our usage of screen time to help us become self aware of our consumption. Whats next? Apps that monitor our usage of apps monitoring our usage of screen time!? Hmm.. not a bad idea for data analytics.

This brings me to my main point; public relations will need to adapt technology in all of its glory in order to stay afloat, stay current, stay relevant, and stay competitive in this age of Google, Facebook, Amazon and other monopoly conglomerates. Data analytics is Google’s forte, Facebook’s bastard child, and Amazon’s source of all power; and data analytics is one of the technologies pr specialists will have to learn in order to stay afloat.

Blockchain is what makes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies possible. Cryptocurrency is a rather new technology, but it is not going away anytime soon. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that it may dominate the market in the future. I know of one pizza place near my house that takes Bitcoin as a form of payment. I think that’s neat, but unfortunately I still don’t know how to use it. Its on my to-do list for “things to learn”.

Virtual reality and augmented reality are practically the same thing. The main difference is virtual reality takes all of actual reality away from visual perception while augmented reality adds components to our visual perception of actual reality.

Example of Virtual Reality:

Example of Augmented Reality:

As you saw in the above videos, VR and AR can be extremely useful tools in marketing and pr.

Lastly, but not least, we get into artificial intelligence. However, if you would like to know more about artificial intelligence, and data analytics, you can check out another one of my blog posts with all the information pertaining to said, uh, things. Here’s the link to click click on:

What is Psychometrics?

That’s it for now. Namaste.

Deep Fake Kind of Like Lean Cake; It Ain’t.

Deep Fake Kind of Like Lean Cake; It Ain’t.

If you don’t know what deep fake is it’s okay, because neither did I. However, a quick look at this video from Bloomberg on deep fake will get you up to speed:

Advertisements

Here’s another on Donald Duck, I mean Honorable Donald Trump, President of the United States:

The person you see in the video is an actor; that part should be obvious. In fact, if you are an American and didn’t notice that wasn’t the real Trump, I worry for you. Get some sleep, eat a good meal, check your prescription glasses, and maybe take a spa day.

You good? … Great! (You know I’m just kidding around; all my readers are geniuses).

Deep fake is the term used to refer when artificial intelligence, computer generated graphics, and/or a voice actor, comes together to create a personality. This personality is normally someone famous like former President Obama, or current President Trump.

Advertisements

If you read the comments on the Obama YouTube video you will see people stating this technology stemmed from our demand to see celebrities in pornographic material. The directors would artificially augment the pornographic actor’s face to portray a cinematic actor’s face, and etc., etc.

I just want to clarify that it is not porn that drives innovation, but sex. The want for sex comes from our need to survive, and our need to survive stems from our subconscious, and our subconscious stems from our genetic mutations over the course of history. Ironically, genetic mutations are causing are downfall; see cancer.

Survival can be achieved through two means: (1) leaving a legacy, landmark, or societal achievement/advancement; and/or (2) leaving offspring. Offspring who, when full grown, can leave a legacy, landmark, or societal achievement/advancement and/or, leave offspring.

The cycle is continuous until the end of our time, if ever.

Back to deep fake… I remember hearing about an Adobe event, a company known for it’s creative software apps, where they shared a program that could listen to a few words from any human being, and then create an algorithm using artificial intelligence that would allow anyone to pretend to be someone else.

For example: you answer a phone call and say, “hello, who is this?” The person who called could record your response, input it into the Adobe program, and then be able to manipulate your voice to say anything they wish it to. After showcasing this technology the company received much backlash and thereby ended up not commercially sharing this technology.

Advertisements

But, just because it isn’t commercially available doesn’t mean it no longer exists. Many believe that the next presidential election may have implementations of deep fake representing presidential candidates whether the candidates know about it or not. This technology could be used by news outlets and journalists within and outside America.

Journalists may be receiving sources they believe to be real, writing stories based upon these sources, and then releasing them to the general public. In turn, they would be unknowingly spreading false information that could damage all the parties mentioned within the story. The journalist could lose their job, but the effects of the story will ripple through regardless.

So, next time you watch something on a media platform; television, YouTube, iPhone, Samsung, etc., make sure you engage with the content with a critical eye, check other sources for inaccuracies and similarities, and proceed with caution.

There’s so many people in this world that many of them have lost touch of reality, and technology like deep fakes aren’t helping them come back to it. The best we can do is be strategic in our acquisition of truth, forgive ourselves when we make mistakes, and stay humble.

🧙

What is Psychometrics?

What is Psychometrics?

Psychometrics combines two fields of study:

(1) Psychology, and

(2) Data analytics.

It uses the OCEAN or the Big 5 Personality test. If you ever taken a survey on Facebook that promised you an insight on what kind of person you are, or a personality questionnaire, then you are familiar with the Big 5 Personality test, or OCEAN:

Advertisements

Openness (curiosity to the world around us).

Conscientiousness (goal-directed, good impulse control).

Extraversion (high amount of emotional expressiveness).

Agreeableness (kind, affectionate, helpful).

Neuroticism (sadness, anger, instability).

Don’t you love acronyms? DYLA.

Analytics or big data, on the other hand, is the collection of, but not limited to, all one’s likes on Facebook, all one’s links and browsing history, and all one’s Google searches combined. Companies then analyze this data, compare it to the five personality traits, and decipher what type of person you are. Are you more likely to buy an American car? Then, you likely voted for President Trump. Do you follow Lady Gaga on Twitter? Then, you’re probably an extrovert. Making sense? You too can find out what your social media profiles say about you as a character by clicking on this link:

University of Cambridge Apply Magic Sauce Demo

It will require you to download your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn data and upload them into their site. Cambridge will then use their application program interface (API) to create a footprint, or dataset, of your OCEAN personality. If you already know your type, feel free to share how you came upon that information so others can follow if they choose to do so.

Im an INTP Jungian personality type and 74% feminine on twitter, but more masculine on LinkedIn. I guess that’s a good thing🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♀️?

Last thing I want to talk about is how big data can save lives in the future. Yesterday, I had visited my local VA hospital and had my blood drawn for a survey they are conducting called the Million Veteran Program. Details of what it enfolds hasn’t been disclosed yet, and understandably so, because of the confidentiality/integrity of the research. That doesn’t mean we can’t assume!

I did some research on a data breach, London Lab Advances Use of A.I. in Health Care, But Raises Privacy Concerns, and found out DeepMind, a London artificial intelligence company owned by Google’s parent company, had taken data from a hospital without fully going through the necessary hoops and loops to do so. Anyway, they did get consent from Veteran Affairs, because veterans are down for whatever, and found out they could predict kidney injury after analyzing records of over 700,000 veterans datasets. Cool huh?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Byeeee.

Advertisements

When Media Won’t Fade to Black.

When Media Won’t Fade to Black.

Minority owners in media are not being represented with fairness. First of all, the word “Minority” to define people of color is messed up. Why is skin color so important in America. It’s not just America, because I know in the Philippines skin color is important in media as well. If for some reason you happen to come upon the Filipino channel you’ll see that everyone is as pale as milk. I’m Filipino so I know this isn’t a super accurate portrayal of the country. Just look at my profile picture and you’ll see that I am brown like Norwegian wood.

Advertisements

The FCC at one point was appointed to regulate the diversity and minority ownership of media companies, but this initiative has fell flat. It is known that the reports they produce are often late, unreliable, and incomplete.

However, we are slowly diversifying and its representation can be seen in media. Have you seen the Crazy Rich Asians movie? I haven’t seen it, but I heard it was good. Or have you seen the Black Panther movie? I haven’t seen it, but I heard it was good. I don’t go out much… and my favorite genre is Horror. I’m a horror nut; pistachio.

Advertisements

Still, the majority in power within the media conglomerates are white. I live near Hollywood and the nepotism is real. If you want to be in Hollywood you need to either have family or really good friends already working in Hollywood. The only way to make it into Hollywood is to have enough money to create your own movie. Anyone have a couple million dollars laying around? Can I borrow *cough* have $100,000.00? I’ll not, not, not pay you back.

Are there any other countries that put color on such a pedestal? Let me know in the comments below.

🧙

Global Digital Divide.

Global Digital Divide.

Advertisements

The Digital Divide can be defined as a disparity between those that have access to technology to those who don’t.

Of course it isn’t so black and white, and some may have access to technology, but choose to not use it. Or, some technology might not be in a language that one understands. I’m not talking about coding, but I am talking about symbols.

The symbols used in language.

Today, I will be delving into the Global Digital Divide, and will end the blog with a few ways we can minimize the distance. That is, if closing the gap in the digital divide is something we want.

I wonder what my life would be like without the aid of digital technology. I wouldn’t be writing this blog if I didn’t have access, or I wouldn’t be listening to Snarky Puppy to calm my focus on my iPad Pro.

Maybe, I’d be married with like 10 kids who are in the field right now picking blueberries, my wife in the balcony churning butter, and i’d be in the bath, also known as a bucket, reading the bible for the thousandth time.

Advertisements

The first thing we need to do to close the digital divide is to bring awareness the types of barriers developing countries need to overcome:

Physical, Cultural, and Political.

Physical

The location of the developing countries requires a connection to the internet which can be an expensive infrastructure to create for a small tribe for example. A solution to this physical limitation could be Google’s hot balloon pop up wifi experiment. It inflates hot balloons with wifi tethering and gives access to those close enough to receive its signal, and its much more cost effective than other methods.

Cultural

By cultural I mean the divide in the amount of languages the internet can be translated in. If the developing country has a specific language that is not widely used, it will not be able to acquire and translate the information provided from the internet. Do they even want to know what is on the internet, or would they be better off living a simpler life?

The solution to this would be to deploy linguists to developing countries and have them implement a symbol system that coincides with the specialized language, and then teach them how to use it. After the people have learned how to identify their language to the symbols, and recreate it effortlessly, the linguist can certify the language into a national database and have it as possible translation in internet capable sites like Google.

Political

Certain countries, like China, feel the internet’s vast array of information is a liability, because the information shared cannot be controlled. Limiting citizens or straight out denying access to internet is something that occurs in countries, and it’s because of the need to control one’s people. I mean, I can be a control freak too sometimes, but.. Actually, never mind. No comment.

I had hippy parent’s so it’s easy for me to say, “Just let them have it,” and, “Don’t worry so much, take a chill pill.” So, that’s my solution to political limitations on digital technology. Nah! Gotcha. I think instead of trying to control people by limiting such a mass medium, we should control people by utilizing said medium. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments below.

🧙