Social Media & The Metaverse

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A short while back, a close friend mentioned he wanted to purchase some land.  I engaged with enthusiasm asking him questions about where he was looking.  Was it close to water, was it near some farmland? I needed more details!  When he finally told me, I had more questions than answers.  Where is The Metaverse?!

The Metaverse in its simplest form, is cyberspace.  It is a place where an individual can engage in concerts, games, shopping experiences, all in augmented reality. While still new and continuing to be developed, many have already taken part in events and have expressed excitement for potential uses.

Product launches

Earlier this year, Samsung held its S22 Ultra reveal in The Metaverse.  While attendees state that it felt rushed and incomplete, the sheer potential for organizations to create a more polished and engaging experience will develop over time.  Many who are unable to travel to product launch events, can simply tune in, in augmented reality!  I can foresee this application being used for trade-shows as well.

Concerts

In 2021, Decentraland hosted a Metaverse music festival spanning a full weekend, with headlining acts such as Deadmau5 & Paris Hilton.  The ability for artists to connect with a worldwide audience is now upon us.  I personally would love to see The Strokes perform on top of Niagara Falls.  Someday. 

The Strokes live at The Roundhouse, London. Credit: Jenn Five/NME

Shopping

Well-known brands such as Adidas and Gucci have already established a presence in the Metaverse.  People will soon be able to experience show rooms, see new clothing lines in augmented reality, and make purchases.  Subway has been developing their online store, where users can order a sandwich in the Metaverse, and have it delivered to their home.  It’ll be a matter of time before other fast-food chains follow suit.

Social media applications

Currently to access social media, a user will have to use a phone, tablet, or laptop. But what if wearing an ocular headset would allow us to interact with our friend network in augmented reality?  Facebook messenger group chats could be replaced with an opportunity for friends all around the world to gather around a poker table and interact with each other, almost like being in the same room.  Imagine seeing an Instagram post of your friend in front of the Great Pyramid in Egypt, and with a simple click of a button, you could be transported right there beside one of the great wonders of the world.  The future potential of the Metaverse is boundless.  And for advertisers, it’s another dream opportunity to engage with users and followers by hosting events, product launches, trade shows or other special events.

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What are your thoughts on the Metaverse? Have you already explored it?  Do you plan to? Leave a message below!

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Twitter: #Metaverse. A game changer is upon us. Click here to read about its future applications: https://wp.me/p3QRy0-w5c

Social Media made me do it! A look into how trends influence us

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Since childhood, I was always told to stand out from the crowd and be my unique self.  Mass phenomena wasn’t my thing.  While all my friends were raving about the Nintendo NES, I wanted to be different and was loyal to my Sega Master System.

As the years went on, I was finding it harder and harder to stave off the urge to follow the trend. In high school, name brand clothing became a thing in my life because all the musicians I listened to were wearing them, and I wanted to fit in amongst my friends.  I wanted to be one of the cool kids!  Now with social media, trends are all the rave, and being one of the cool kids is as simple as replicating something we’ve seen and posting it to our favourite platform.

Take for example, The Harlem Shake!

Sourced from: https://gifer.com/en/gifs/harlem-shake

In 2013, nobody could escape the viral video that garnered over 40,000 replica videos, with over a billion views.  Professional athletes were creating their own versions in locker rooms, late night talk show hosts were joining in on the fun, even the TV show Glee incorporated the Harlem Shake in an episode.  The viral trend catapulted Baauer’s single to #1 on the Billboard charts in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.  Not all good things came of this trend. Two Israeli soldiers were jailed after being responsible for organizing their battalion’s version while dancing around a tank, with the higher-ranking officer being stripped of his command.

Anyone jump on the fidget spinner craze?  Yes, that was also influenced by social media.  In 2017, two high school students saw an opportunity when their schools 3D printer was not being utilized, and came up with the idea to mass produce their own version of the fidget spinner. Within 6 months of creating an Instagram account to promote their fidget spinner, they amassed $350,000 in sales, and were threatened with suspension by their high school for using school equipment to make a profit.  They later moved the operation into one of their parents’ basements and continued with their operation.

Image sourced from pexels.com

There was also that one-time TikTok created a huge spike in demand for cherry tomatoes and feta cheese, nearly causing a shortage in the supply chain!  In 2019, a simple pasta bake recipe which called for the two ingredients went viral causing many to want to try it.  My newsfeed was inundated with friends showing how they attempted the viral recipe and raved about it.  Full disclosure, I have yet to try making it!

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My personal favourite is the story of Nathan Apodaca, an Idaho potato processor whose truck broke down on his way to work in October of 2020.  With a skateboard in the back of his broken-down vehicle, Nathan decided to persevere and ride his board the rest of the way while listening to Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. Along with sipping his Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Nathan created a TikTok video of himself living his best life despite an unfortunate start to his day.  Unbeknownst to him, Nathan created a huge resurgence of Fleetwood Mac sales, and even had members of the band replicate his video, and reach out to him.  Ocean Spray purchased Nathan a new truck in cranberry red, and he has had over 130,000 tribute videos made.  I believe this is what Oscar Wilde meant when he said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”

Nathan Apodaca
 | CREDIT: OCEAN SPRAY

The common thread between all these stories is how powerful social media has become in influencing sales, shooting songs into the #1 spot, or piquing our curiosity for trying new recipes. With so much opportunity to connect with the masses, I suppose the trick is doing so without landing ourselves in jail or getting suspended from school!

What are some of your favourite viral trends? Have you tried the cherry tomato & feta pasta bake dish? Do you recommend I give it a whirl?  Leave a comment below!

Take good care,

Nick

Facebook: Check out a social media trend that landed some Israeli soldiers in jail https://wp.me/p3QRy0-w0N

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COM0011: (BLOG #2) Zombies. Have social media reels turned us into them?

  A look into mindless scrolling.

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The other day as I was visiting with family, I took note of how everyone was glued to their phones.

I found it humorous that they were all unknowingly partaking in the same synchronous action.  One arm was supporting the weight of their head resting on their hand, while the other clutched a phone swiping in an upward motion with their thumb. Like commanding an orchestra, I shouted, “HEY!” to gain everyone’s attention.  They all looked up at me dumbfounded, like they had lost time for a moment and were snapped back into reality. 

Who hasn’t been glued to their phone endlessly scrolling and oblivious to their surroundings?  But are we aware of it? It seems the more I swipe, the more my social media app knows what I like and will continue to show more of. This causes me to get locked in for just one more reel!  Funny videos of rams clobbering people will never get old for me. I swear it’s like the developers of social media apps know this, so they keep me REELed in (see what I did there?).

It’s not a conspiracy.  Social media reels are designed to keep us addicted. Psychologists have been studying this trend and have linked the satisfaction of swiping up and receiving instant feedback to the reward centre in our brain.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a huge role in our comprehension of when something feels good or is enjoyed.  Think taking a bite of that delicious birthday cake, or nailing a public speaking engagement where you receive a standing ovation.  These are all good things that make us happy!

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Why are they designed to keep us scrolling?

It is estimated that 2 billion people use Instagram once a month.  This is enticing for advertisers to have their product or service seen by such a wide audience.

In 2021, Instagram generated over $45 billion in ad revenue.  With dollars in that range, you can understand the incentive to develop ways to keep social media users hooked on their platform. 

Zombie Scrolling Syndrome

There’s no other way to write these next few lines without it sounding a bit like an infomercial.  Have you found yourself mindlessly swiping, without any real intent of finding something specific? Are you lost in your phone, but still receiving pleasure in the act of swiping?  You may be experiencing zombie scrolling syndrome.

The good news is, some smart phone companies have developed a time limiting feature to lock out social media apps after a period of time has passed.  This can help reduce you falling victim to the social media zombie apocalypse.

Comment below if you’ve ever experienced mindless scrolling.  Has it affected your relationships?  Do you limit your screen time? Engaging in these types of conversation can help us better understand our behaviour. After all, interaction is what separates us from being human, to being zombies!

Final Thought

What was the vegetarian zombie looking for while scrolling on social media?

“GRRAAAIIINNNSSS”

Facebook: Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling? You may be experiencing Zombie Scrolling Syndrome. Read about it here: https://wp.me/p3QRy0-vWn

Twitter: Hey Zombies! Check out this blog about mindless scrolling. Your life may depend on it! #zombieapocalypse https://wp.me/p3QRy0-vWn

COM0011: (Blog #1) 

Weathering the storm: Three of the best methods to hurricane proof your mind!

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At times I wonder what it would be like to have an app on my phone that would give me a 3-day forecast of my mindset.

Alerts could be highlighted with a bright red banner warning of an imminent meltdown.  “100% chance of crippling anxiety with extreme gusts of inadequacy.  Feelings of impending doom on the horizon! Isolate in bed for the next 24 hours”.  It would be SO much easier to plan for the weekend.  No more cancelling on friends at the last minute, because plans would not have been made in the first place!  “My app told me it’s not a good time to go out, maybe next time”. The reality is, such an app doesn’t exist. Sad stuff!  But the need to be able to deal with that fight or flight wanting to hijack our mindset is very real.  You may be questioning, “so when the storm clouds roll in, how can we be prepared?”.  I’m glad you asked! Read below for three of my tried, tested, and true methods to weather the storm.

While I sip my coffee and look out the window, I see what little sun we have peering out from behind the clouds. That sun is about to be swallowed up by the dark brooding grey skies that are rolling in.  Within moments, huge gusts of wind pick up, and sheets of rain come down hard.  Trees are bent to their breaking point. I notice branches give in to the sheer force of their own weight, and come crashing down below. Bearing witness to mother natures brut force, I say to myself, “this is what happens in my head everyday!”

Sourced from https://tenor.com/
https://c.tenor.com/MYZgsN2TDJAAAAAC/this-is.gif

1) Use the good weather to build your shelter

To deal with what I like to call, “mind-storms”, I’ve taken steps to build my shelter on clear-headed sunny days. The sun can’t shine every day, but it’s also worth betting on that it also won’t storm every day.  These are the moments we can use to reinforce our shelter in preparation for future storms.  A good self-care routine is the foundation to which our shelter is built upon.  Starting each morning with a quiet meditative moment to practice gratitude can set the tone for the day. When we approach life where our fight or flight is not engaged, we have the capacity to take on the present moment, and succeed in being a conscious parent, partner, and citizen of the world. Smiles come a lot easier in this state.

Finding an exercise regimen to get our bodies moving is also key.  Studies are now linking how exercise can aid in neurogenesis (a fancy term describing how our brain can develop new neuron pathways) and in this process, we are forming and strengthening a new, healthier mindset.  Building this strong foundation through mediation, practicing gratitude, and exercise, will keep you from questioning if your shelter can withstand its next storm. 

2) Have an emergency back-up plan

Back-up generators, candles, food and water are all contingent to a good emergency preparedness plan.  But what about when we become overwhelmed in our lives where routine self-care schedules can’t be maintained, and our world feels like it is falling apart.  We need to create an emergency back up plan for when we no longer have the capacity to put in work, and just need to survive. 

I myself am a big fan of using codewords.  Setting up a simple phrase to send to a loved one when we are struggling could be the difference between suffering alone or receiving the support we need.  Sending a message of, “I need you”, or even, “pineapple”, when in crisis is easier than writing out a long message explaining what is going on.  We are more likely to ask for help, if the process is simplified. 

Distraction is another part of the emergency plan.  When a mind-storm rolls in, it is important to understand and accept that we may not have the capacity to do a lot, but we need to distract.  A pre-curated playlist of soothing songs is my go-to. Coupled with candles, chocolate, essential oils, and a pillow to hug, this method promotes the use of a well promoted cognitive behaviour therapy technique to ground us when anxiety becomes overwhelming.

3) Remember that you’ve survived your worst storms

So far, you’ve survived 100% of your worst storms. Congratulations! You’re doing great! At times, automatic negative thoughts seem to overshadow our accomplishments.  Simple reminders to nudge our mind back into a positive place can be the difference between drowning and keeping our head above the water. 

On my phone, I keep an album of inspirational quotes and memes to remind myself that I’m doing okay, and to inspire me when I’m not.  Find something that works for you to continue affirming how great you are doing!  Be it a journal/blog to document your journey, a series of inspiration quotes, or even purchasing a new umbrella as a symbol of strength.  These positive reminders will continue strengthening your brain’s ability to create that neurogenesis, which will lead you on a new pathway of being able to weather your storm!

Final thoughts

There are so many methods and tools to utilize when life becomes overwhelming.  It takes trial and error to determine what will work best for you.  Don’t be afraid to try something new. I was once told, “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting”. What I was getting wasn’t conducive to building a solid foundation for my shelter. It was time for me to incorporate new tools and materials.  Thankfully these methods have helped me, and I was eager to share them with you. I’m hoping you found this article helpful and would love to hear some of your strategies that are utilized to help you weather stormy days.  Leave a comment below! By building a community where people share in their vulnerabilities, we’re destined for a forecast of sunny days ahead!

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Take good care!

Nick