#Ferguson: Online Activism, Offline Action

Social media has successfully been used to spread awareness about rare diseases, and to coerce retailers to remove offensive products from their shelves, but can it be used to bring about social change?

I think so. As long as the online activism is matched with offline action, and that is exactly what has been happening in the days after the #FergusonDecision.

#TBT & the internet's obsession with the 90s

There's something about reflecting on the past that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. That's why social media has dedicated a whole day each week to celebrating nostalgia- #TBT or Throwback Thursday. It's a day where we dust off our old baby pics, showcase our favorite childhood memories, or just post that after-club selfie from last week that got lost in the shuffle. 

But a huge trend that I've noticed is a slight obsession with looking back at a particular time period: The 90's.

I was Scary Spice...ALWAYS.

What is it about the Fresh Prince, slap bracelets, and Tamagotchi that sets our hearts aflutter? The answer is simple...

Take Notes: Shameless Maya & the power of likability

Have you heard of Vlogger Shameless Maya and her "Do you boo" philosophy?

source

If not, you should check out her Youtube channel where she shares videos with her almost 500,000 subscribers. Or maybe mosey on over to her Instagram, where her selfies rack up over 8,000 likes.

In a world full of Instagram models and Youtube gurus, what's unique about Maya is her rapid rise in popularity. Her first video was posted only two years ago. Yup, you read that right. In just two years she has amassed hundreds of thousands of fans, subscribers and followers, myself included.

So how did she do it?

Besides the quality and content of her videos? By being extremely likable.

Facebook Narcissists, Tribal Marketing, & Beyonce

So I came across an interesting study on how Facebook relates to empathy and narcissism*. According to the article narcissism, aka "feelin' yourself a little too much", has risen 30% in the last 25 years- especially among college students.

Could this be caused by the increasing popularity of social networking sites encouraging a generation of "wait let me take an artsy photo of my food before I eat it so my online friends can see"? Who knows. But what we do know is that narcissists make great brand cheerleaders and I can tell you why...