Another Feature to show that Facebook is here to stay!

Facebook has recently been updating its format and features to accommodate the billions of trafficking users a day. A new feature has been released that enables users to filter their news feeds more specifically. Its almost like a mini-Google search for statuses. You get all the other junk out of the way like what Sally had for breakfast and search for article links or who has the top score on family feud. Zuckerberg has worked out all the kinks.

The new audience for Facebook users is middle-aged women, around 40 to 50 years. They are sharing pictures of their children and linking up with old high school friends. The new status simplifier allows users to get down to what they really want to do on Facebook. The uses for the monopolistic site are increasing daily, and this added application only makes room for more expansion. It frees up the news feed area and accommodates niche audiences. Gamers, photo-sharers, article-linkers, joke-sters, and relationship-changers all get their own space when it comes to like-minded users.

Facebook isn't going anywhere. I mention this in a lot of my articles. There is a lot of talk that twitter and myspace are old fads, and aren't appealing to the changing times. Facebook is always adapting the site quickly and efficiently, such as this new feature. Zuckerberg deserves Person of Year. He is fine-tuned to his audiences, they are constantly giving him feedback on the site he created. His audience is EVERYONE. Facebook could be called a survey site to his booming business.

Social Media in the New Testament: A New Study? (lol)

What an incredible idea! Please enjoy! (courtesy of www.youtube.com)

Rapunzel, Rapunzel...What a Great Film!

After slowly maneuvering through the snow storm in Northern Kentucky, I arrived home, extremely pleased with the new Disney Movie: Tangled.

picture courtesy of www.trhits.com

It was Disney at it's best. I was hesitant about the animated film, until I saw the introductory Cinderella Castle before the movie started. I didn't realize it was a Disney production.

It was filled with music, well-developed characters, stunning voice over work and good-tasting comedy.

I recommend the film to any family looking for a nice vacation during the holiday season. Honestly, it's great for any age. My mother (50), my younger sister (17) and myself all laughed and cried till our cheeks hurt!

Let me know what you think!

Facebook or Finals

A mini story I did on the College of Charleston students during the Final exam period in Fall 2010. 

FACEBOOK IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD...or at least the College of Charleston, SC. 

Incredible Year---The World is Evolutionary

Southern Hospitality

I returned from Thanksgiving break in Kentucky to Charleston, SC. I live downtown. Charleston stays afloat in the harbor because of it's strong tourism market and cuisine. However, today I noticed something that took me much to long to observe.



As I walked out of Moe's after purchasing my $5 burrito, as ritual of Monday's, I noticed that Chucktown isn't just a college town or a tourist attraction. I am living in a city someone else calls home. I passed a group of high school girls wearing purple plaid jumpers talking about the cafeteria food served that day. I smiled at a business man who was conversing with his children via cell phone about a movie rental choice for that evening. I noticed local business owners depositing money at an ATM. Small observations but something I never take the time to enjoy, let alone appreciate and recall later.



I proceeded to Marion square, a place where my mind really gets to relaxin' after a full day of classes. I sat on a park bench where the homeless are usually found. I'm not saying that out of spite or political comment but simply because most of the people seen sitting where I sit, have claimed that territory as their own. Once again, I was invading someone else's home. I sat and unwrapped my huge steak burrito, about the weight of a good sized textbook.



As I bit into it, the juices of the freshly made salsa seemed to call upon all the creatures of the park. Somethin' like a Disney princess movie. Suddenly I was surrounded by about 6 squirrells that begged for a piece of what I had. I found myself commanding them to "shoo!" or "get!" as I would my dog at home. I began to smile realizing that I was alone. I broke off a piece of a complimentary tortilla chip and tossed it to the pavement. Immediately the oversized squirrel snatched it up, only after claiming it for himself, as the others posed a  mild threat. I broke more and more crumbs off to accomodate the clan of creatures. The bricks in front of me were littered with corn chips. I ate side by side with the little guys. I munched on my burrito as they delicately held their snacks between their claws. I smiled again.

I love this city. No matter how many times my mom will be dissappointed in my choice to call Charleston "home". It's where I belong. Sure my family is in Kentucky and I love them. However, my assurance in myself is a habitant of a beautiful, historic, calm, hospitable and extraordinary place in South Carolina.



Photo by Lucy McNerney











The Holy City: Filling in the Spaces

Two dogs meet in Marion square. One of hound dog descent, the other of irish setter/golden retriever attributes. Wagging tales chase each other as the owners chat about the weather. The golden retriever stops play to receive gratification from his owner. His owner bends down and taps her hands to her thighs. The retriever is stunned with excitement and quickly breaks as he lurches toward her in lovable pursuit.

Creating my Career

I am flattered. I just came home from an interview with an elite public relations group here in Charleston, SC. I've been extended an internship with them and am thrilled to be doing what I love. Writing, researching and simply keeping up with businesses and their choices on how to advertise and gain public respect.

I recently made a choice to resign from the Resident Assitant position I occupied to make room for a possible internship for the spring semester. This choice was crucial. I am not confident in my decision and am totally ready and prepped for the internship opportunities.

The cognitive dissonance theory of communication by Leon Festinger, states that people sometimes undergo postdecision dissonance in which they have "strong doubts after making an important, close-call decision that is difficult to reverse" (Communication, Em Griffin). There is no doubt that I portrayed this type of dissonance when chosing to resign from my position as an RA. I am reassured now that I made the right choice, however, Festinger makes a comment that people can be motivated to communicate by this measure of dissonance.

Is this agreeable? How many times a day to people make decisions they regret?

There is an argument that aligns with "Live life to the fullest" but if making rash and abrupt decisions causes disruptions in your definition of success, what's the point?

I'm not regretting my decision to resign, I'm simply expectant that my new job will outweigh the experiences of my previous job. I hope this is the case and the gut feeling I have now, says that my expectations will be royally met. It is all really what I put it into it.

HERE WE GO!

"WE ALL AIN'T 'GONE BE AMERICAN IDOLS, BUT YOU CAN AT LEAST GRAB A CAMERA SHOOT A VIRAL." Kanye West

I'm sitting in a new business center at the College of Charleston. I'm eating an early dinner and watching the tickers and new stories come up on the HD flat screens suspended from the glass paneling. I put my glasses on to see the CNN headlines a little clearer and I'm surprised to see "Student Dead in Police Shooting". The story alone is gut wrenching, but as I continue to watch a live video appears on the screen with scenes of violence and chaos. It almost makes me nauseous with the frenzy of the camera movement. The picture stays silent in the business center as students bustle about from classroom to class room. Although there is no sound, it spoke volumes to me.

Social media users and communication theorists are constantly asking the question: How far is too far? We see racy photos leaked, personal lives shattered and gossip stem from one tweet alone. In 2010 it seems as though nothing is "personal" anymore.

I remember watching the television and the word "Damn" was forbidden to be uttered. Now shows like "Jersey Shore" don't even bleep out explicative language degrading women and lowering the standards of society. This is a show that is produced and edited to appeal to targeted consumers. A person is in charge of releasing what they think to be "appropriate" for viewers. Yes the station is targeted to upper teens to upper 20s but calling girls "bitches" "sluts" isn't really sending a positive message.

How transparent is our media shield? That is, what do we consider to be acceptable in this day and age and what made it that way? A student being shot, a celebrity making a fool of themselves, horrible sights of buildings collapsing during earthquakes; although interesting and efficiently delivered, this information is leaked all too easily. Social media has cut out the middle man, but is that necessarily a good thing?

It is often argued that "We are the media." The 'we' meaning anyone with a video camera, blog, cell phone, twitter, facebook, even an e-mail address. We are the reason that news is being released. Not only in the sense that we produce that information but the media exists because of us. The producers are the consumers. I guess this is the case with any business. But media news is in high demand--often times we think things are more important than they actually are--this is where it gets dangerous.

Facebook is a prime example of useless, entertaining news. What people are doing for spring break isn't necessarily top headlines but important in our personal life, so therefore still relevant to us. The fact that "GOING TO CANCUN SB 2010" is posted via "Susie Q" on our news feed triggers something in us. We may look forward to the posting of her pictures of the trip. Or if there is an interest in Susie Q, someone might follow suit and grab friends to meet up with her. We create news for the world to see and think that they will be effected, most often times our "followers" are.

The fact that the world (or what some people think is just their friends list) can view our information about where we are going, what we think about a headline, and our relationship status can detrimental as mentioned above.

When we forget the Facebook world knows that I'm "in a relationship" and I break up with my boyfriend the next day, that little heart shows up on Susie Q's news feed. She comments with the click of a button "Like." This information is misconstrued. I think she hated my boyfriend the whole time we were dating, while she is excited to spend more time with me.

I'm offended by news I created.

Our media shield is getting in the way of our ethics. Ethics and journalism used to go hand-in-hand. An objective observer was the best observer. But if your favorite celebrity "likes" a page on Facebook or tweets you to a specific website or YouTube.com video, your shield will go down and the likability factor to the person posting will take charge of the links you click.

Nuances in media have broadened the horizon for news availability. Livestreams from soldiers Iraq and FaceTime with the new iPhone have broken all technological boundaries. The advancements in science are brilliant, and although predominantly used effectively, our shields are disintegrating. Just recently, one specific shield became so lowered that a student thought to air a roommates personal homosexual encounters for Rutgers to see via Twitter.

The popular culture's reaction to this tragedy is focused on bullying. But maybe bullying isn't the issue. Maybe it's diminishimg morals of media (and remember we are the media) and their disregard of the question "How far is too far?"

The Value of an Actor - Believe it or not, we think we're important

The recent tuition increase is hot topic on the College of Charleston campus in South Carolina. The state has decreased their annual funding and we, the students, are paying. The president of the College, governor of South Carolina and passionate faculty and students are advocating that the price of education be reduced. Arguments are tearing up the campus. Bulletins are being posted. Opinions are being published. But have students been lost in this idea and forgotten how to truly "value" their education?

Today I was enlightened. Big surprise yeah I know.

***
It was one of those days that started at 6:00am as usual. A day consisting of; a short desk shift at the front of my Residence Hall where I work, an encore performance in a scene for my Acting class, 2 midterms and an on-call shift that evening. A strenous day in the life of an average college student.

I had prepared for the classes and exams that day but was not prepared for the knowledge I would gain.


After eating a hearty breakfast to "feed" my energy levels, I proceeded to my Acting class. 6 students, my professor and his tag-along daughter who had the flu, watched 4 duet scenes that had been previously shown to the class a few weeks prior. After the performances my teacher huddled us into a circle in folding black chairs, a commonality within the class, and asked us how we think we did.


I was the first to speak up and claim that my partner and mine's scene didn't seem "connected" today, mostly my issue. He wasn't understanding and I blamed my fumbled words on lack of sleep. Another student chimed in and said that the scenes seemed "dryer" today than they did in the previous performances, noting the point that they didnt' seem as entertaining. My teacher responded fabulously!


He said something along these lines:
Acting is a generous sort of practice. As actors we generously allow a character to inhabit our bodies for the time constraitns of the performance. Acting is an unselfish loaning.


My professor elaborated and told me that:
...as actors we must put aside our personal motives to make room for the motives of the character. This is the only way that the message will be clear. As a character, you want something, and you want it bad. To be successful in showing this to the other characters with you on stage, you have to focus solely on that motive. Everything else is unimportant in that point in time.


It made sense! For goodness sakes, I was stressed! I had 2 midterms and an early morning desk shift, I wasn't the most clear-headed person going into that performance. I was selfish with my motives and it was interpreted into the character I was playing that afternoon. The audience was more unaware than I thought, but when stuck in my own mind, I realized I did not give my character, 35-year-old, lesbian, dressmaker the time she deserved to "inhabit my body".


We began a discussion on empathetics and how majorly important it is for a good actor to be empathetic. My ability to act isn't defined as proper skills, it can be elaborated as that, but its the ability that I have to put myself in someone else's shoes. Not just show them sympathy but, for however long, be able to relate to them and feel what they feel.


I made a comment within the circle that this idea applies to everyday life and could be the reason the world can seem so messed up. If everyone was an actor (that is if everyone was successful at empathizing) we'd have a better understanding of one another. A student made a comment that "The philosophy classes are over there." And I understood her point. Some interpretations are meant to be spoken only inside one's brain.


As a corporate communications major, with a theatre minor, I applied this discussion to my every day life. This ability I have to "be someone else" is key in a world that says you have to make everyone happy. Often I choose to "pay it forward". I consider myself an optimistic, energetic student. To relay my personality to someone else, in terms of positivity,  can better their contentment, even for one short moment.


I'm not advocating acting classes or to never be yourself. Understanding isn't just listening but living. Actors live in a character and characters live in an actor. Often times this can be dangerous, but beneficial nonetheless in empathizing with copious amounts of people and within those encounters.

***

My enlightenment was simple. But effective.

I learned something today.

I was able to positively answer the inevitable question of  "How was school today?" It might have taken longer for me to respond, but any other answer than the one you just read would have underestimated my knowledge retention for October 15, 2010.

The value I place on today is of high-ranking. If students, faculty and people in general were to place value on their increased information capactiy for one day, the monetary cost of an education would seem peripheral to their goal of an education. Learning isn't a test you take and do well on, or do poorly on, its what you make of information you are given and the registration of it's value.

What I learned

Today I learned that blogging isn't just trendy, but it's how the world works. You need to gain followers to mean something. It sounds cliche and almost arrogant, but besides the Big Man, the world won't give you credit, and sometimes God doesn't even give that to you.

A speaker came into our class, Tom Martin, a member of the Advisory Council board at the College of Charleston for the Communications Department. He said that a company won't give you a second handshake if you aren't savvy in the blogging world and fluent in social media.

This is why I've created "Welcome to Nernia".

It's important to stay updated. Updates in today's world mean so much more than the latest CNN news headline. They consist of updated Facebook statuses, new tweets and an added link to a blog via social networks.

Keep up, and preferably with me!

Stay connected.
Nernia