Come on, admit it. If you’re one of millions of Baby Boomers around the world heading for retirement, you may actually have been a “hippie” back in the 1960’s. Jeans, sandals, beads, headbands and peace signs… Ah yes, you remember it well. But you’ll also remember there was something else hippies loved to wear… a cause… and they wore it on their sleeves – picketing politicians and marching on places like Washington, D.C. to make their voices heard. Everything from the Viet Nam war to women’s rights… Hippies were on it. Imagine what the world might have been like if Social Media had been around back then… People could have pressed a button on a computer or an iPhone to make their voices heard. Well, welcome to 2010…(More…) Continue reading “Using Social Media to Change Government and Society for the Better”
Business Embraces Social Media
I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. Thousands of Baby Boomers out there have no use for Social Media. Why? Many don’t understand it. And we all know that what we don’t understand, we fear. Imagine how big companies feel. They’ve been plodding along for years very successfully, thank-you very much, doing things the way they’ve always done them. And now they wake up to a brave new world where a whole generation of new customers speaks a totally different language… the language of technology. What’s a company to do? According to consultant Mark Evans writing in Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, the answer is simple. Pay attention. (More…) Continue reading “Business Embraces Social Media”
Social Media and Stranded Travelers
Social Media. A lot of Boomers just don’t see the point. They’ll tell you technology is, to put it mildly, “highly over-rated”. But tell that to the thousands of travelers stranded in airports all over the world this week thanks to that cloud of volcanic ash spewing at us from Iceland. Truth be told, maybe Social Media isn’t as “highly over-rated” as those Boomers imagined. (More…) Continue reading “Social Media and Stranded Travelers”
Foursquare – It’s a SM Holiday!
Let’s face it. It’s tough for us Boomers to wrap our heads around some of this social media stuff. We come from an age when our parents scratched their heads over disco music, platform shoes and klackers. “Kids today!” they used to sigh. Now it’s our turn. Are you ready? All together now… “Kids today!!!” The latest social networking craze is called “Foursquare”. What??? Glad you asked… (More…) Continue reading “Foursquare – It’s a SM Holiday!”
Facebook and the Panic Button
Ever feel like you need to hit the “Panic Button”? It usually happens to me when a “friend” has talked me into getting on a ride at an amusement park. You know, one of those truly scary rides with eight tentacles that catapult you into the clouds. As soon as I’m up in the air, my stomach starts screaming for my Mommy. I’d love to hit a panic button. But there isn’t one. Face it…You’re stuck there, dangling in space, wishing you could be anywhere else but where you are. Well the same thing can happen in cyberspace… especially if you’re a kid. You can be stuck and scared and desperately wanting your Mommy. Now comes word police in Great Britain are supporting the call for a panic button on Facebook. (More…) Continue reading “Facebook and the Panic Button”
Facebook Improves Safety Info
Any way you slice it, it’s a massive number: 400 million. That’s how many people use the social networking site “Facebook”. The question is, how safe are we and how secure is the information we post? These are major concerns for all of us, but in particular for millions of parents around the world… Parents who routinely toss and turn at night worrying about their high-tech children and the criminals who may be trying to take advantage of them online. In a bid to help, the execs at Facebook have come out with a more user friendly “Safety Information Centre” . How does it work? Come with me and check it out… (More…) Continue reading “Facebook Improves Safety Info”
Twitter Goes Commercial
If you’re a Baby Boomer, chances are you’re still trying to wrap your brain around what “Twitter” is. Why are Tweets necessary in life? What purpose do they serve? Why should we care? Millions of people around the world are sending Tweets into cyberspace on a regular basis. And now comes word they’re going to be “tweeted” to something we all knew was coming eventually: Advertising. Tweet mother of God! (More…) Continue reading “Twitter Goes Commercial”
The iPad and Autism
Every so often, a story comes out that makes you realize technology really doesn’t deserve the bad rap it seems to get from some Baby Boomers. Case in point? An eye-opening article in The Globe and Mail today about the way teachers are using iPads to reach out to children with Autism. The hot new technology is making the classroom less stressful and more fun for both the teachers and the students. Experts say it’s revolutionizing the way we communicate with kids living with developmental disabilities. (More…) Continue reading “The iPad and Autism”
Social Media and Compassion
Remember the 1970’s classic TV show “Little House on the Prairie”? Ma and Pa Ingalls, and all the gang from Walnut Grove? You know it. The other night, I was channel surfing and caught a few minutes just for old times sake. One of the little Ingalls was caught in a well, and Pa Charles ran into town for help. Mr. Olson yelled at Willie: “Go ring the town bell as fast as you can and tell everyone to come running!” Fast-forward to 2010. Think of Facebook and Twitter as the modern equivalent of the town bell. Case in point, this week’s mining disaster in West Virginia. (More…) Continue reading “Social Media and Compassion”
Suing and Social Media
You’ve heard the song. You’ve seen the video. Remember the scene where Jason Alexander throws a cafe latte at the Starbucks barista because the cuppa java isn’t hot enough? It’s called “Celebrity”. And at one point, country star Brad Paisley famously sings, “Can’t wait to date a supermodel. Can’t wait to sue my Dad.” Well guess what? He isn’t a celebrity, but a 16 year old boy in Arkansas is now suing his Mom. And all because of Facebook. (More…) Continue reading “Suing and Social Media”