Don't Engage in Online Bullying

According to a recent survey, nearly half of all Wisconsin students think that bullying is a problem. I don’t that’s much of a secret, but with every new advance in technology comes a new opportunity for students to bully each other. There is a very fine line between free speech and slander, and it’s wise to stay away from the latter. But bullying isn’t just a problem for young kids; college students and even adults have been known to bully their peers. So, here are a few tips for keeping things from getting personal with others online.

1. If someone has done something to upset or offend you, the internet isn’t the place to air your grievance. For one, it doesn’t have to be public. But, when you write something about someone else online, you’re inviting others to chime in, which can lead to some really hard feelings, and things can easily get out of hand.

2. If someone writes something about you online, don’t retaliate. It’s okay to clear up any misconceptions and try to clear your good name, but don’t get into an online brawl; no one wins in that situation. On the other hand, things could get very ugly.

3. Just because you don’t mention someone by name doesn’t mean that everyone doesn’t know who you’re talking about. I see this a lot. Someone will post a “cryptic” message about someone else on their friend feed, and others will chime in with their own cryptic messages about that same person. No one has said a name, but everyone knows who they’re talking about – including the victim of this slander. This kind of behavior is extremely immature (although, I’m always surprised at how often adults are the culprits) and should be avoided at all costs.

4. Block anyone who you think is bullying you online. If you can’t see their nonsense, you’re less likely to chime in with your own.

Rutgers Now Offers Social Networking Classes

Contrary to the belief that American schools are falling behind (gasp!), Rutgers is among the many universities that are showing that there really is no need to be worried. Rutgers has begun to offer social networking classes as part of the standard curriculum inside their hallowed halls, showing an ability to keep up with the times and to give students the skills that they will need in order to succeed in the workplace of tomorrow.

There is actually not much that’s more important these days, whether branding a business or an individual, than to make sure that your online presence is complete and professional. You might think that these classes are only for marketing majors, but that’s just not true. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a personal trainer or a software developer, learning to network online can help you advance in your career and form lasting relationships.

Today, many more people find jobs online than ever before. Also, employers have stated in many articles that they regularly peruse the social media platforms in order to weed out the candidates who lack professionalism.

But, there is more to social networking than simply finding a job. It is, for all intents and purposes, how most young people actually communicate these days. Many people find activity partners and even dates by using the Internet, and more and more people are moving away from real life communication. Although there are benefits to online interactions, this fact is kind of sad.

The bottom line is that social networking classes are the communications classes of today, and Rutgers is setting a shining example for many of the other elite universities around the nation. Regardless of your major, you should seriously consider adding a social networking course to your agenda. You may find a job, a mentor, or you might just find out more than you knew before about your industry. Either way, it's a win-win.

Do You Have A Social Media Addiction?

Social media has become a trend that almost everyone participates in. But how easy is it to get sucked into social media to the point where you are actually addicted? Probably easier than you would think.

For centuries, some people have been addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. But, studies show that it is actually easier to become addicted to social media than to the cigarettes and alcohol. The School of Business at the University of Chicago studied social media addiction in people between the ages of 18 and 85. They did the study in Germany and determined that people are more likely to give in to their social media craving than any other craving they might have.

The study involved polling 10,558 Blackberry users seven times per day for 14 hours every day. The poll went on for a week, and the Blackberry users were asked if they had felt any desires in the previous half an hour. They also had to state whether or not they gave into their desire and how strong the desire was on a scale of mild to irresistible. Over 7,000 desires were reported and of all the desires people had, the desire to use social media was the one that people failed to resist. The social media sites that proved the most irresistible were Google+, Groupon, Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.

The man who led the team that ran this study said that people have a harder time resisting social media because there are no consequences to using it, as opposed to the consequences of smoking and drinking. The study found that social media has a much higher addiction rate than alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sports, spending money or even sexual activity.

This research led me to wonder whether I have a social media addiction. Oh, heck; I probably do. Maybe I should start a support group. Would you join?

How to Connect with Influential People on Twitter

If you want to be important, you have to hang out with important people. The same holds true online. If you want to have a good reputation on Twitter, you have to get “in” with the people who are most influential. Once you find yourself in their good graces, others will start listening to what you have to say.

The first thing you should do is identify the influential people in your industry. This is crucial. Just because someone has a high Klout score doesn’t mean they’re a good match for you. Someone may be highly influential about knitting, but you want to influence others about scholarships and grants. That person who is influential about knitting is about as useful to you as someone who doesn’t even use Twitter at all. Choose your connections wisely.

It is true that you reap what you sew. You can’t just start out by asking for favors or expecting influential people to interact with you. You need to prove your value to them first. Start by searching through their tweets. Reply, favorite and retweet things that you find interesting. Eventually, this interaction will pay off – trust me. Just remember that there is a fine line between engagement and stalking, so don’t be weird about it, and don’t dedicate every single one of your tweets to one person.

Now that you have spent some time engaging them, they have had the opportunity to learn more about you and recognize that you are both real and engaged. You can now create a specific tweet that is addressed directly to them. In doing so, indicate that you have read their tweets, bio and blog. Also make sure that you are posting something that will be of interest to them. If you don’t receive a reply, spend some more time engaging them before reaching out to them on Twitter once again.

Beginner's Guide to Google Plus

Have you heard about Google Plus? It’s a newbie on the social networking scene, but it has come a long way in a short time. It’s going to take quite a juggernaut to take Facebook’s spot as the top social networking site – and Google might just be that juggernaut. It’s too early to tell for sure, but the new network does show some promise.

There are a couple of things that make Google Plus unique. Its “circles” feature is something that people really seem to like. With this feature, you can write a post and decide who you want to share it with. Sound pointless? Think about this: You just roll out of bed at 2 p.m. after a big night out. You’re hung over. You have the urge to remark how you’re not as young as you used to be, but last night was worth the pain. This might get an interesting convo going between you and your friends about the antics of the previous night – but, does your boss really need to see it? Oh, no. With Google Plus, you can choose to share that status with only your friends.

Another thing that people seem to love about Google Plus is its “hangout” feature. It allows you to create a virtual hangout and talk to your friends face to face (through video) in your own online video chat room. You can even all watch the same YouTube video at the same time and talk and laugh about it too. As good as this feature is for fun, it’s even better for business: you can easily hold quick, impromptu meetings in your hangout.

One feature that I’m personally still on the fence about is the post editing feature. Once you’ve posted something, you can go ahead and edit it. It seems like a good thing on the surface, but I think it may allow for some people to change their story to suit themselves. Time will only tell.

Unlike other social networking sites, Google Plus seems to care about a user's confidentiality. There are many privacy features that are able to be included in a Google Plus profile, allowing people to choose who sees what and how.

Joining the Google Plus community is extremely easy. On the front page of the website there is a section where new users can enter tidbits of information, include a photo and create their profile. You can even edit what you see (or don’t see) in your feed.

Once you get settled on Google Plus, you may find the “What’s Hot” feature to be compelling. It’ll show you what topics are trending on this social network (similar to what Twitter does). The thing that sets Google Plus apart here is the ability for a user to customize the topic in the “What’s Hot” area, so you can see what people are talking about within your own area of interest.

As with any new social network, there will be a short period of adjustment when you first start using Google Plus (think about when you first started with Facebook, or when you switched to the new timeline), but it’s relatively easy once you get the hang of it. This may just be your new social network of choice.

Introduction to Pinterest

After posting last week’s guide to getting the most out of Pinterest, I realized that some of you may not really be familiar with the new social network just yet. So, here is a beginner’s guide to Pinterest.

Pinterest is a combination of a virtual bulletin board and social networking site. All they ask is that you be nice to others in your postings, and be sure to give credit to your sources when using pictures and images.

Pinterest can be used to show off ideas that you find interesting, things you want to buy and items that others may enjoy. You can share things like diet tips, fashion tips, recipes, home decorating ideas or hair styling ideas. It can be used for anything you'd like to share in a blog-type forum, with pictures pinned there for extra illustrative effect. Although, I have to say, there isn’t much room for text. You can tag and comment on your photos, but that’s the extent of it.

One thing Pinterest is often used for is posting about travel. Review places you have been, places you want to go, and still more places with breathtaking views.

You can also find creative ways to use Pinterest to create boards for your job or business. For example, if you have a teaching career, you can pin ideas for lesson plans to your boards. Or, if you’re a tattoo artist, you can pin artwork to later turn into tattoos.

Once you have pinned some interesting content on Pinterest, you can look to see who is following your pins, and check out the pins they've created. You can virtually "meet" and get to know others who share your interests, making it similar to the other social networking sites. Think of it as a new way to make friends that share in your interests, and to learn new things in the process.

One of the best pieces of advice when beginning to use Pinterest is to take some time to view the things people already have pinned. This will give you a good idea of how it's done, the types of things people find interesting there, and maybe even give you the inspiration you need to create your first board. Then, get ready to have some fun and share your findings with the world.

3 Tips for Using Pinterest to its Fullest

I’m a fairly new Pinterest user and I have to say – I’m hooked. I simply love online shopping and I find that Pinterest offers me a way to tag and save things that I want to buy. Sure, it may not still be available by the time I’m ready to make that purchase, but at least I can remember the style and start a hunt to find it elsewhere.

Part of the fun with Pinterest is to see what other people think. I have board that is completely filled with clothing and accessories. If something I pin there gets a lot of repins, I know it’s a hot item and I’ll seriously consider adding it to my wardrobe. I find, it’s kind of like asking a bunch of friends for their opinion. They’re not always going to answer the way you want them to, and you might not even care what they say, but they’ll tell you one way or another.

I know I’m not the only one with Pinterest obsession. In a very short time, this site has emerged on the top 10 lists of social networks, which is amazing when you consider that it’s still technically an invite-only service. So, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your pins.

1. Always tag an image with a descriptive phrase. Don’t just say “This is cool!.” Say, “This blue velvet clutch is cool!” Descriptive names help your tags show up in search results, which means more exposure.

2. Create themed boards. If you have enough time, create boards with very specific niches. For example, instead of creating a general “wedding ideas” boards, create different boards for each of your ideas. One might be a black and white wedding and other might be Asian themed. People are more likely to follow boards that cater to their very specific area of interest.

3. Follow other people’s boards. Remember, this is a social network. Be social. Follow people who like the same things as you and comment on the things you like. Getting to know people always helps boost your online reputation.