COM0011 – Introduction to Social Media

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The Irony of It…

This coming July, it will be 10 years since I got “popped” for having 6 small Cannabis plants in my backyard. A “reliable human tip”, according to court documents, was the catalyst for this interaction and it almost Ruined my Life. It caused me huge suffering, professionally, personally and financially. I almost lost my Job and my Pension. It cost me Thousands of Dollars in Lost Wages and Legal Fees. It was 2013 and Cannabis was Illegal in Canada. I was embarrassed and humiliated by what had happened but I was not ashamed of what I was doing. I was growing for myself, I wasn’t selling it, I wasn’t supporting the black market and I knew I wasn’t hurting anyone by Growing my own Medicine. The O.P.P. descended upon the Love Shack, (I wasn’t home), as if I was Pablo Escobar, no doubt spending thousands of tax payers’ dollars in the process. They found six, knee high tall plants and less than an ounce of weed in a jar. Hardly the stuff Cartels are made of but the “O-dots” always get their man, or is that the “Mounties”. Anyway, maybe you or someone you know has been Charged with Growing their Own. This story ain’t done but please feel free to share yours with us here at Pirateboarder Life. I’d love to hear from ya, right on.

Home is where your heart’s at and the Love Shack is mine…

“Hell hath no Fury…”

The saying has Biblical origins but I was living it in 2013. The Police had come to my house for a reason. They secured a search warrant based on the information they had. They did not fly over the Love Shack in a Helicopter and inadvertently spot my tiny crop. Someone pointed them in my direction. I was advised by a Lawyer not say anything to the Police. It’s standard and really good advice too. I’m sure from a lawyer’s standpoint, defending you, the less you say, the better. He said “We’ll beat it on a Technicality with the Search Warrant”. Well, I didn’t listen to the Lawyer. I came clean to my Employer and to the Police. I admitted that I had been growing my own Medicine for years and didn’t think I was hurting anyone. I even told the Cops, “the only reason I grew 6 plants this year was because I ran out after growing four last year and I didn’t want to run out again”. Like I said earlier, I was not ashamed of what I was doing by growing my own medication. I took my lumps like a man, but was deeply affected by it.

“What doesn’t Kill you makes you Stronger…”

Loud and Proud, Feeling the Love in the Ganja Garden

How times have changed. Ten years have flown by, it’s 2023, the Archaic Laws in Canada are gone and Cannabis is widely recognized for its Medicinal and Recreational use. I ain’t no philosopher and I don’t know the dude but German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche coined the term “what doesn’t kill you…” and as you can see with the flex in the pic, I’m feeling it. 10 years ago I was hiding my ganja in the reeds. Look at me now! With legalization and the advent of Social Media, I have found the ability and the avenue to spread and pass on my message and story. I created Pirateboarder Life and started making YouTube videos and the creative outlet has spread to FB, Instagram and Reddit. This Old Dog has been well received Sharing the Love. With Tens of Thousands of Pirateboarder Life Crew Members (followers) and Millions in Combined Views across the platforms, I’m Feeling the Love too! My Old School approach to Growing your Own Cannabis is being followed by and helping thousands of people do the same. Believe me, that feels pretty damn good. It Validates in my Heart and Mind that I wasn’t doing anything wrong ten years ago when the Po Po swooped in. I knew I wasn’t hurting anyone back then but I had no idea ten years later, because of it, I’d be helping people now. I still don’t know who the “reliable human tip” is who dropped the dime on me ten years ago, and it don’t matter. I’m sending positive vibes their way, right on.

FaceBook has been the platform that has provided me the most opportunity to share my message and spread the love.

This Old Dog has yet to Tweet but I suppose this is what it would look like, right on. Screen shot of a Tweet. #pirateboarderlife
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Nikky K – The hockey guy!!!

COM0011 – Introduction to Social Media

I love hockey! Social media plays a huge role in professional sports. I am going to share with you some of the ways hockey players use social media to promote themselves and hype up the game. I am only going to cover hockey players and invite you to comment on my pics for the best vs the worst. This article shows how serious the NHL is taking social media as a marketing tool. https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-expanding-social-media-communication/c-292994654

In trying to explore the best and the worst social media accounts of NHL players, I used this resource https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-players-discuss-best-social-media-presence-in-league/c-312104462 to explore the social media platforms that the actual players in the NHL think are the best and the worst. As there are many areas to explore when judging what makes a good platform, I am looking at their ability to cover many aspects of their lives and how they connect to their careers.

The BEST – https://twitter.com/PKSubban1 PK Subban has the most interesting Twitter account of current and retired players. He played for 13 seasons and retired last year (2022) Although this is an interesting account, I am going to stick with current players. Please explore his account to see how it is done right. So… moving onto current players, my pick for the best current Twitter account is….drumroll….CONNOR MCDAVID. Not only is he the best hockey player in the world. His twitter account ROCKS. https://twitter.com/cmcdavid97. He shows not only his talents on the ice, but also his charity work https://twitter.com/cmcdavid97/status/1600990562596683776?s=20 and promotional commercials. https://youtu.be/fCJz2YtNdjQ. I love this commercial. The greatest player of all time with another potentially GOAT. Tell me what YOU think. There are many articles that show that the younger players know how to use their social media much better than the older ones. Who would have thought?

I think the best players in the world make the players around them better. And I’m always trying to do that.

Connor McDavid

THE WORST (cont.) – Now let’s look at Facebook for the more “experienced” (older) fans and hockey players. I don’t like facebook as much as say my mother and grandfather do but let’s take a look because they are the fans who can truly afford the tickets to the games (especially the Leafs). Brad Marchard (https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=brad%20marchand%2063) with the Boston Bruins is not a very well like player, except maybe with Boston fans. His Facebook page is just as uneventful. Most of his posts are about himself and his accomplishments. There are a few charity posts, however, he is cocky, rude and mean. This comes out on the ice and also on his Facebook page. If players are trying to get more followers etc….his Facebook platform won’t. His arrogance and boring posts will definitely keep fans away and won’t promote his team.

I don’t play in spite of people, I play for the people who pushed me along, the people who have helped me succeed. Brad Marchand

My social media promotions posts

Facebook –

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href&show_text=false&width=846&t=0

Twitter –

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Small Fish in a Big Pond

Swimming with the Sharks can be frightening and dangerous. As a rising Content Creator/Influencer, navigating the waters of various Social Media platforms, you may experience some rough sailing. On top of trying to create Quality Content on a Consistent Basis, your Personal and Professional Goals will have to be tempered by the fact that the Internet is full of predator fish lurking. We’re gaining a bit of traction and I’m finding that very thing at Pirateboarder Life. I also know full well that not everyone that swims in the ocean gets bit by a shark. Creating content can be as enjoyable as a day at the beach, you just don’t want to get burned.

The PBL Crew recently reached 15K in Subs on YT. Decent numbers but still a small fish in that big pond.http://www.youtube.com/@pirateboarderlife2684

Don’t be “Bait Fish”

Protect yourself. Two-factor authentication, strong passwords and other tools help protect us against scammers, hacks and thieves. Use them, they’re there for a reason and although they aren’t foolproof, they’ll slow the bad guys down. It’s a lot quicker and easier to take Precautionary Measures than it is to Recover your Account(s). Clicking links can be at your own peril and is one of the easiest way to fall prey. You want people to click on your Link but clicking on Strange and Unfamiliar Links can possibly Sink your Ship. You’ll get to know if something looks “funny” and hopefully with a few laps of the pool, you won’t knowingly swim into any unchartered waters.

“Imitation is the highest form of flattery”

Oscar Wilde was bang on when he coined a similar phrase back in the day. Be prepared though, the platforms are full of “flatterers” and if you’re creating quality content, you will be “flattered”. Remember the basic rule of thumb, once you post something to the Internet, it’s not your’s anymore. Posting a pic or text leaves us open, to whoever sees it, to do what they will with it. Fake accounts, identity theft and scams is just some of the nefarious business these people are up to. I’m sure we all know someone who has been victimized. Please feel free, to share any stories, situations or incidents that you’re aware of (and feel comfortable doing so). I know it’s happened here at Pirateboarder Life and I didn’t feel so flattered. Picture thieves have used our images to promote their profit seeking on FB and Instagram. A fake Pirateboarder Life Insta account was created by someone brazen enough to basically copy and paste my screen shotted posts to the fake account. A couple of alert Pirateboarder Life followers recognized the fraud and the fake account was shut down after numerous complaints. They had acquired over 1500 followers in the short time they were up and no doubt attempted to scam and defraud people while they were operating. Watermarking and copyrights mean nothing to these people. They have used pics with the old dog’s mug, while wearing PBL merch in their posts. One dude used it as his profile picture. I don’t have a choice, that’s my mug, I was born with it. If I was a picture thief/fake content creator and had a choice about what picture to steal for my fake profile, I wouldn’t pick me. Or maybe they picked me for my mug and not the quality content. It’s hard to say because we all know ”beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. In the meantime, don’t stop creating quality content on a consistent basis. Your hard work will be rewarded because the brand you’ve built to this point is already recognizable by those efforts. It’s pretty easy to screenshot and steal pics but your Crew will pick up on it and hopefully the bad guys’ fake accounts and nefarious ways will be Swimming with the Fishes.

That’s me in that pic but I got nothing to do with Zaza. He stole my pictures and was using the captions on some of the posts almost verbatim. Frustrating to say the least but this dude was shut down, probably only to resurface somewhere else. Check out the real Pirateboarder Life on Youtube, FB, Instagram and Reddit. This Fraudster has got nothing on the Old Dog, right on.

Facebook is the most widely used social media platform today and Pirateboarder Life has almost 22K in followers or as I like to call them, the PBL Crew.
Reddit might be my favourite Social Media platform. It’s a bit like the old Wild West but there’s something for Everyone here, right on.
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Influencing Fur Good!

Meet Hannah Shaw, an influencer fur good!

Hannah is a kitten advocate and rescuer, a humane educator, YouTuber, and a New York Times bestselling author. Known fondly as “The Kitten Lady,” her website and books are a resource for kitten rescuers around the world, providing educational media and training resources for topics such as fostering, determining age and sex, bottle feeding, health issues, weaning kittens, and adoption.

Photo credit Hannah Shaw www.kittenlady.org

Hannah has 1.5 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, 970,000 followers on her Facebook page, and 1.2 million followers on her Instagram page. She has a particular interest in neonate kittens, feral cats and TNR (trap-neuter-return) programs, as well as farm animal rescue. It should come as no surprise that she is vegan as well. She also enjoys traveling the world with her photographer partner, Andrew, of “I Am the Cat Photographer” fame. On their trips abroad they document the lives of feral and community cats, and highlight the work of kitten- and cat-related rescues and programs in many countries.

But you don’t have to foster adorable kittens to enjoy Hannah’s content! She is keen to educate the public about feral cats and their particular needs, as well as the importance of TNR programs to control feral cat populations and improve the health and wellbeing of these cats. Due to Hannah’s influence and my involvement with a local feral cat rescue, I have adopted three (formerly feral) cats and now maintain my own feral cat colony on my rural property, providing daily feeding and winter shelter for four feral cats plus occasional visitors.

Kitten Lady has many educational videos on her YouTube channel, including this one “Why are some cats FERAL?”

Over the last few years, the Kitten Lady has also written several books, such as Tiny But Mighty (cover shown below, published by Penguin Random House in 2019), Kitten Lady’s Big Book of Little Kittens (Simon and Schuster, 2019), and the Adventures in Fosterland children’s chapter book series (also Simon and Schuster).

Photo credit Hannah Shaw www.kittenlady.org

As if that weren’t enough, Hannah founded a charitable organization, the Orphan Kitten Club, which provides lifesaving programs including a neonatal kitten nursery, a TNR program, and the world’s first grant program specifically funding innovation in kitten welfare (such as treating rare and difficult medical conditions). Since its’ founding in 2019, the Orphan Kitten Club has “provided more than $1 million in funding to shelters and rescues to further the cause of neonatal kitten welfare.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

While Hannah’s work is truly impressive and inspiring, it’s okay to follow her social media simply to enjoy all the cute kittens and cats (and pigs and goats!) that she fosters!

Are you a #kittenlover? Have you heard of the Kitten Lady? Are you aware of any feral cat colonies in your neighbourhood?

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How M3GAN Reached Consumers In An Online World

M3GAN movie poster from IMDB

M3GAN

With so many different streaming services out there, and movies frequently being released in theatres, people have a wide array to choose from when deciding what media to consume. It can be much harder to stand out with the amount of choice out there. This is why it is especially important to market the content being produced. The film M3GAN is a great example of viral marketing. The movie, “a low-budget horror movie about an AI-powered doll, took Hollywood by surprise by grossing $150 million worldwide as of the start of February.” Universal saw the potential of marketing the film using the popular platform TikTok. A meme showing M3GAN doing a sway type of dance began to take off. This resulted in people recreating the dance and associated hashtags took off. It spurred “1.3 billion views from #M3GAN, #M3GANMovie, and #M3GANDance.” This traffic was mostly organic, not costing the studio a large budget in marketing dollars. They took advantage of the growing buzz by hiring a dance group to perform on popular late-night shows and even during a halftime football game.

Low Budget Advertising

Traditionally, a company would have to do market research before implementing a marketing plan. This could be very time-consuming and expensive. Social media marketing, however, allows companies to be able to do their market research while simultaneously maintaining their social network accounts. Not only does this save on a lengthy research process, but it allows the subject to stay relevant. Especially with the release of a new movie, time can be essential as it is important to garner interest leading up to the release date. With more traditional advertising campaigns, there is a very limited capacity to be able to make changes while the campaign is active without spending significantly more money. However, with social media marketing, there is much more flexibility. Campaigns can be adjusted, or even canceled, anytime throughout. Companies can evaluate analytical tools to see what is working and what is not. What links are people clicking on? Which campaigns are holding their attention?

Social media can provide an opportunity for businesses and companies, including movie studios, to be able to market their product without having to spend a lot. Marketing budgets can be lower but still see large returns. Social media has changed the advertising industry. Rather than having to spend money on traditional advertising spaces such as magazines or newspapers that would only reach a selected audience, companies are able to utilize social media to their advantage. Marketers are able to adjust to target certain audiences based on age, gender, and other demographics. Once the content is out there, it can be shared and spread without the original poster having to lift a finger. It is like word-of-mouth advertising but on a much larger scale. People can see others in their networks sharing the content. It is also much easier to reach a drastically larger audience, especially when going viral.

TikTok compilation of the M3GAN dance

What This Means

Each year the number of movies being released grows. People wanting to attend the movie theatre often have nearly a dozen choices, at any given time, of films to see. The number of films released in 2019 was more than double the number released in 2000. With more and more movies being released each year, studios need to come up with more clever marketing to make sure people are choosing their films to go see. I think the success of social media marketing with M3GAN will cause us to see an increase in these types of marketing strategies and a decrease in more traditional marketing like television and print. It does beg the question if social media marketing can start to be used alone, or if it will see the best success when used in conjunction with other marketing.

Personally, I did see a lot about the movie M3GAN on social media and it did make it seem more interesting to me. Posts did not seem to give away the plot but enhanced the creepier elements of the movie and made me curious. I also feel it can add to the idea of FOMO – the fear of missing out. If a lot of people are posting about, or sharing memes from a particular movie or show, it can really make people feel like they are missing out by not having seen it.

Do you remember seeing anything about the movie M3GAN on social media? Can you think of an example, movie, or product, where you first learned about the product through social media advertising and decided to consume it? Do you dislike seeing things like movies being promoted on social media, does it feel inauthentic?

Promotional Posts

How the movie #M3GAN took social marketing to a whole other level and succeeded because of it #viralmarketing #socialmarketing #socialmedia http://bit.ly/3nWVtTD

The movie M3GAN is a great case study of social media marketing and how viral trends can turn into a marketer’s dream. How was the campaign different and what were the results?
Read more –> http://bit.ly/3nWVtTD

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Filtering Photo’s Isn’t All Sunshine and Rainbows; The Harm It Can Cause

Since the dawn of social media people have harped about how harmful editing yourself and filters are but I’m here to pose the question of why? Why did we feel the need to use them in the first place? Why do we continue to use filters or editing if we know it is supposedly bad? Does this all contribute to declines in mental health and self-confidence?

When I think back to the first people guilty of the overuse of filtering, I think of the Kardashian-Jenner family. This family has been subject to many Photoshop fails at the fault of their own accidental over-tweaks, from Kendall giving herself slenderman-esque fingers to the truth truly being shown in the warped shadows, they’ve been at the center of this over-editing epidemic since the beginning. Even Kim’s first-ever Instagram post is blurred in her face and very bright, the early 2010’s way of hiding imperfections.

Image via @kimkardashian / Instagram

Now they aren’t only guilty of failure, they have gotten away with sneaky edits for years morphing their bodies or faces in ways that make them look slightly unrecognizable in photos not doctored to their perfection. Now I am all for filters, go ahead and slap some pretty colours or other details to your photos, but I feel like the days have passed where we should feel the need to FaceTune every aspect of our faces. The Kardashians ruled Instagram in the early 2010s and their influence doesn’t go unnoticed when looking at face-altering filters available on the platform. Your nose and jaw will be slimmed, brow bone raised, and lips plumped. These filters can sometimes work seamlessly and go ahead unnoticed, truly changing your face into something it isn’t.

Photo via @milliebobbybrown / Instagram

A theme I try to make prevalent in my social media presence is authenticity, I feel as though if you’re editing your face so extremely you are in a way lying to your audience. It is showing this perfect image but that isn’t reality, some people don’t know that there is a filter and could become insecure because they don’t look exactly the same. Even if the filter being used is being advertised the passing on of the filter could cause harm as well. I know in my own experience, editing and filters made me too insecure to be in photos without them for quite some time.

So what do you think? Do you think that filters and editing change the way we view ourselves? Can it negatively our mental states? Should we move away from the overly filtered world?

Twitter: Is editing your photo’s doing harm to your audience? Find out in my recent blog! #blogger #photoshopfails https://tinyurl.com/r9evy2xp

Facebook: The Kardashians may have cause more harm than we thought! Read my latest blog on photo editing! https://tinyurl.com/r9evy2xp

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Dylan Mulvaney, Makes Men Hate Beer?

In Early 2022, there was a creator who documented the first 365 days of their transition into womanhood. Dylan Is a 26 year old influencer who since their first post on the platform, TikTok has made it a goal to be kind and always show support for the LGBTQ community because they did not have a strong role model when they were growing up. Biologically, Dylan was born a male but started to take their transition seriously by undergoing surgeries to change their facial structure or even by surgically removing their reproduction organs . They have achieved so much positive goals through their platform even by sitting down with the President, Joe Biden to talk about the importance of trans rights but earlier this week, it seemed like the male population had it out for Dylan due to a sponsorship she was involved in. Bud Light decided to collaborate with Dylan to make some lighthearted jokes about the male norms such as joking about the meaning of March Madness because during march, was her 365 celebration of being a girl. To celebrate her progress, Bud Light created a can with her face on it which I thought was a great start to the gender norms of drinking beer by placing a female activist on a mostly male product but a lot of people were disgusted. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/she-s-on-bud-light-cans-and-all-over-the-internet-who-is-dylan-mulvaney/ar-AA19ztba

Kid Rock, was one artist who was enraged with the idea of Dylan being supported by the company and show their anger by shooting cans of the beer saying they will not buy the brand due to the support of Dylan. Other transphobic American’s went to social media to share how enraged they are with the sponsorship and are going to attempt to boycott Bud Light by not buying the beer in an attempt to try and shut down the company. But this is not the first time beer brands have supported the LGBTQ community. Check out this article about other companies who have shown their support with bright colors https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2023/04/06/5-beer-companies-that-support-the-lgbtq-community-in-2023/

Personally, I think that this is a beautiful step in giving the trans community the support they deserve when in most lights, America tends to shame the trans community who only the reason of them becoming comfortable in their own skin. Do you think that Bud Light made a great decision in working with Dylan/ Or do you think this was a tasteless idea?

Twitter- 365 of being a girl for Dylan was not the way they imagined it, check it you! bit.ly

Face Book- Is Bud Light causing enraged men? Check out this article bit.ly

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Shadow and Bone: Social Media Marketing Done Right

image credit: Seventeen on YouTube

As a huge fan of the series Shadow and Bone, fixating on the recently released second season has been taking up a lot of my time. The books that they are based on are highly beloved by not only myself but thousands of others, and thus this already generated buzz from the beginning. And when there’s this preconceived anticipation going into something like book-to-screen adaptations, it can be a hard thing to manage. Fans have a certain level of expectation and there’s almost this sense of vulnerability in letting people take the reins of these characters and storylines that resonate so deeply with existing fans that there is a sort of protectiveness over as a result, when it comes to doing them justice. Navigating this is no easy feat and yet the entire team behind this show has done it with such grace. I could gush about the specifics of this within the show itself for ages, but their social media marketing has also felt noticeably gripping, putting on an authentic showcase that really serves to elevate the elements fans are looking to get from this series. They seem to have nailed it in a way other shows have struggled to do and two recent videos (https://tinyurl.com/jeudaky8 and https://tinyurl.com/mwx9ta6u) I watched that took a more in-depth look at this got me inspired to talk about it as well.

image credit: @shadowandbone on Instagram

I think a big part of why the marketing and the press tour surrounding this release has felt so organic and that much more “real” and appealing, is simply because it is. This TikTok posted by one of the cast members and the caption accompanying it, is just one example in proof of this. But whether you believe it to be real or fabricated, this element plays undeniably well into what the story they’re trying to tell is all about. A cornerstone of this series, and something that is a well-loved talking point among fans is the aspect of “found family.” These people, who are thrust together by their circumstances and in the process end up coming to develop this profound love and care for each other, a second family. It seems the cast themselves, in coming together to bring this show to life, have done the same. There is an inarguable sense of chemistry between the castmates, and this is something that the marketing team has really allowed to shine in the promotion of this season. And, despite the fact that there were new major characters added this season and thus cast members who hadn’t been a part of the group quite as long, you’d never be able to tell this looking at behind the scenes footage and interviews. This also aids the less serious, more human side of things people are looking for from the content they consume these days. Celebrities have been made to feel more accessible than ever before through social media and by showing the more lighthearted, “what’s going on in between takes?” side of things, particularly in a show that deals a lot with darker, heavier, subject matter, people are able to better relate to and feel a deeper sense of connection to the production.

Here’s some of the aforementioned behind-the-scenes photos:

all images belong to @shadowandbone on Instagram

Building on the previous point of cast chemistry, something that’s stood out pretty significantly to me is the nature of the press junkets the cast has been doing. Firstly, the format of interviews they’ve leaned into is highly effective. When I typically watch interviews for TV shows and movies, the best ones are almost always the ones where the cast themselves are given sole control of the interview. When a moderator or interviewer is introduced, there seems to be a greater sense of awkwardness and just general reservation that isn’t there when it’s the cast alone. This makes sense of course, as the cast is already well-acquainted with each other and so there is a greater sense of comfort and lessened sense of inhibition. This is where a lot of that authenticity comes in, as you get the sense that this is what their time together might look like on a day-to-day basis, with call-backs to past memories together, and even inside jokes referenced. It really drives home the point that this cast has immense chemistry with one another. Another big thing is the topics of these interviews. They’re making sure to do a lot of upbeat, fun prompts, with things like “try not to laugh”, “who knows who best”, “guess the emoji”, reading thirst Tweets, and more. These scenarios readily open the door for them to just have a good time and be silly from the get-go, again giving fans a greater sense of the personality behind the screen and deepening the impression of the bond between castmates.

The third thing that they’ve done a great job of, both on the cast’s part and the social media team’s part, is knowing and listening to their audience. Again, because there is already a whole series of books telling this story, fans want to feel like the actors portraying their favourite characters know what their characters are all about. This is especially important in this scenario due to the very intricately woven plotlines and serious topics that, despite being set in a fantasy world, are all too real for many fans on even some level. Luckily, this is another topic that the cast has heavily focused on during press. Cleverly, the Netflix has released several videos of the actors watching and commenting on select significant scenes for their characters across their social media platforms. In hearing these discussions, it is clear these actors have done their research. They have a deep grasp of the nuances of their characters beyond what has been touched upon on screen, making it clear that they have read the books, and diligently at that. Again, as a huge fan, I can vouch for this. And if you don’t want to take my word for it, check out the comments from other fans under this video. On this note, the social media accounts for the series as well have been very perceptive to what fans want and posting as such. And again, have a good grasp of the characters and the books and have spun this knowledge into engagement with their audience. They even had a popular content creator who has taken on this sort of role of spokesperson for fans of the series to host the official premiere of the show, flying her out to Los Angeles and having her do a social media takeover on the official Shadow and Bone Instagram account. And again, the people running the social media also know not to take themselves to seriously, participating in the “fangirling” for lack of a better word, that is constantly going on.

The following is a list of just recent Tweets and posts Retweeted by the official Shadow and Bone Twitter as examples:

All in all, it’s clear that the Shadow and Bone marketing team knows how to set things up for success. Their strategies have been highlighting everything we tend to look for as fans, and thus this is a great look at social media monitoring and marketing done right. I’d highly recommend the first two videos I linked for a look at some more specific examples of their smart moves, but more than that, I’d recommend that you go stream Shadow and Bone on Netflix (not sponsored, though I wish it was).

Twitter

Fan or not, Shadow & Bone can teach us all a lesson when it comes to social media: https://tinyurl.com/yc58v4cy

#socialmedia #shadowandbone

Facebook

Netflix’s Shadow and Bone- a crash course in social media marketing: https://tinyurl.com/yc58v4cy

Growing Up In a Digital World; The Safety of Our Children

Image via Tima Miroshnichenko

Growing Up Gen-Z

Social media has now been around for decades, and new platforms are constantly being introduced. But with social media, and internet use, being so prominent for so long now, we have generations of children that have had their whole lives documented online. Many Gen-Z have grown up with their whole lives documented as this generation was born around the time social media first emerged. Teen Vogue writes, “It’s commonplace for young people of this generation to have their triumphs and travails documented on the Internet, with a digital footprint that follows them from platform to platform over the years.” This is often without any consent of their own. Social media became a tool to be able to share with friends and family, especially those living far away. However, with the exponential growth of social media there is a larger conversation about consequences as well.

Potential Risks

The full depth of what the risks are when sharing children online is not fully known yet. It is something that is starting to be studied and adults are now speaking out to their own experiences from when they were children. One risk is the idea that it robs children of their privacy. Strangers can learn information about them that the children might not want them to know. And once that information is out there, it cannot be easily revoked. Another issue is children who are influencers themselves. There are currently no laws in most countries protecting these types of children. This could result in some parents exploiting children in hopes to make money off it. Of course, a central risk is safety. People can gain access to information such as your children’s school, their activities, and places they frequent. Putting their physical safety at risk. A child could be recognized in public by a stranger. Their safety may be even further at risk when you realize that it frequents risk of exposing children to hacking, identity theft, and pedophilia.

This only scratches the surface of risks associated with children and social media. The potential risks can all be studied and are immense topics to delve into on their own right. These are starting to be studied, researched, and written about by professionals which is allowing for some of the current knowledge to be more widely known. While it may seem harmless enough to share your children online, many parents are starting to consider the implications and adjust what they are posting and who is able to view it.

Parenting as an Influencer

Sarah Nicole Landry (The Bird’s Papaya) and her family.

Influencer Sarah Nicole Landry is a Canadian mom who shares about working, motherhood, body positivity and general lifestyle content. She shares her four children online as well, but for the ones who are old enough to consent she allows them the choice of what she shares. This results in one of the older children being shown much less, however, because of this and respecting her children’s boundaries, she gets accused of favoritism for not showing them the same amount. This gives the children the chance to consent and to for the parents to have honest conversations with them about what social media means and the consequences. They can give or retract consent at any point and not only does this teach powerful messages about the implications of social media, but it also teaches important lessons about consent in general.

Alternatively, popular TikToker Kody Elyse has taken a different choice and will not show her children’s faces online at all. While originally she did share them as part of her platform, she has since taken down all content of her children and is vigilant about preserving their privacy going forward. Her account is focused on lifestyle, fashion, makeup and parenting. She is still able to share parenting and single-mom content without showing her children. Kodye even shared that after her children’s school information was shared online, she decided to re-evaluate how her life as a social media influencer is affecting their safety. Kodye’s children are younger than Sarah’s (other than Sarah’s youngest) and she is still able to protect them while teenagers are not going to be able to fully escape social media. This brings forward a conversation on what we expect from those in the public eye. Many feel they are entitled to parts of influencers lives, including seeing their children. I do not feel anybody, influencers included, should feel obliged or required to share their children and family life online. It is becoming more common to see influencers and other well-known people shielding their children from the public eye.

Where To Go From Here

Ultimately I think it is up to each parent to decide for themselves, but I do think more information is needed around the possible consequences so that parents, and anyone with children in their lives, are able to make the most informed decision possible. This is obviously part of a much wider conversation and much, such as the long-term effects of growing up on social media, is still largely unknown.

Did you grow up having your life shared online by a parent? How did this affect you? If you are a parent yourself or plan to become one, what factors will influence your decision to share your children online and what steps will you take to ensure their safety?

Video on the risks of “Sharenting”


Promotional Posts;

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Children at risk! Why sharing your children on your social media platforms can have horrifying consequences. Read what to consider when sharing here –> http://bit.ly/3GgZ6ds

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Is TikTok The New Shopping Channel?

So, I have a confession to make and it is something I have tried to ignore for years but it is an addiction. TikTok’s show up on my For You Page saying how possibly a product a creator has used has changed their life and I need to try it . Then I am scrolling on Amazon or a random online store to try and find that exact product so I could join the bandwagon of trying the newest addiction. I fell a victim of trying some of these products that TikTok advertised to me because it is so easy to access the newest trends with the introduction of linking websites or amazon wish lists of creators favorite items.

Popcorn better then Cineplex?!

Ecolution Patented Micro-Pop Microwave Popcorn Popper. Picture: Amazon Australia.

The first product I knew I had to give a try was this silicone popcorn maker. I saw this early 2020 maybe because the algorithm heard me mention that I was craving movie style popcorn and microwaved bags were not doing the trick . I found countless reviews for this product while using the hashtag, #PopcornMaker that also had over 119 million views! The idea behind this device is you can measure your kernels using the lid due to a measuring cup in the lid but while the popcorn is popping, you can add butter to the top of the lid and while the kernels cook, the butter drips down so every kernel gets an even amount of butter. If I had to rate this item, it would be a 6/10. It works great but there are so simple issues I have with the product. The first thing would be the safety hazard of the steam because when it comes out of the microwave? it is so hot that I have almost burned myself at least four times so if you were planning to purchase this for a child , I recommend supervision while using this product So, the main question you might have is the taste worth it? Honestly its good but it doesn’t replace the salty butter taste from the theatre but how did i fix that? you can BUY BOTTLES OF POPCORN BUTTER. I don’t think the price is fair because it is quite expensive for the device but if you were to pull this out at sleepovers? You would be the coolest kid in school! Want to check this out? use this link 🙂https://rb.gy/zaeh

Weighted Hula Hoop

Salfur Iron Weighted Hula Hoop. Picture: Amazon Australia.

This item is something that I did not think I would enjoy but now has become something that I use in my daily routine. The weighted hula hoop is connected by little inch markers that has a weight that spins around the outside evenly distributing weight so it works out you core, back and even butt. I love this product because the idea of working out can seem exhausting and not enjoyable but, even using this for 3o minutes is equal to you running for an hour! I can watch Netflix and workout which is amazing . I would rate this product a 8/10 because it gave me an opportunity to fall in love with working out, you don’t even get the sore feeling after working out and it is such a small item that storing it after use does not take up any extra space. Check out this item and start your new workout journey!https://tinyurl.com/3djuz6ne

What are some products TikTok made you want to buy?

Check out The top two items TikTok made me buy http://Facebook

Did TikTok make you wanna buy these?! Check out this blog! http://twitter