Category Archives: Opinion
The Snapchat Phenomena: When Face-to-Face Communication Turned Wireless
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Has the text messaging era come to an end?
When texting at the dinner table was deemed to be rude, who would have thought posing for a “selfie” while biting into a burger would become the next biggest fad? Well, today the world of communicating has escalated to a whole other level.
While many people are still getting the hang of texting on the Iphone, people around the world are “snapping” pictures of themselves to friends in lieu of a text. Thus, creating a much more intimate way of communicating with one another. Rather than adding an emojicon to a text in order to convey emotions, Snapchat is able to express the physicality of communication through photos. Being able to share a specific moment face-to-face with someone across the country adds character and familiarity to communication, when text messages do not. Continue reading
1,425 Days and Counting
From Homecomings to Boulevarding to English 1301 and PerunaNet–come May 2014, I, as well as many of my peers across the nation will be pushed out of our warm, safe cocoon that is college and thrown out into the cold cruel world that is true adulthood. Where we have to be grown up and work for a living and over these last four years I have had the greatest opportunity to learn so much about myself as a human being and gain some great friends and knowledge that will be with me on that journey. It’s been 1,425 days and counting since I began my journey at SMU and I am both excited and terrified for it to end, but man have I loved every step of the way. Continue reading
My Time At SMU
My time at SMU has been one of the greatest 3 and a half-years of my life. While SMU originally didn’t seem like the obvious choice for me when choosing a college, it has been a choice that has brought me no regrets. Growing up in Pennsylvania, going to school in Texas was completely off my radar. I was hesitant to go to a school so far away from my friends and family, but when I visited the flawlessly beautiful campus and learned more about the school, stepping outside of my comfort zone and branching out into a new part of the country seemed worth the risk.
No risk I’ve taken has brought me such great rewards as choosing to go to SMU. At SMU I’ve made the greatest friends, made incredible memories and grown up as both a student and person. Coming into college, making new friends scared me. From pre-k through 12th grade I went to the same school and was lucky enough to grow up with the same group of friends that often knew me better than I knew myself. The thought of making as close of friends at SMU at the time seemed impossible. Fortunately I was wrong. The friends I made freshman year at SMU are still the friends that I spend my free nights with and the friends I go to when I need advice, even the boy that I started dating at the beginning of freshman year is still my boyfriend today. The friends that I’ve made at SMU are the friends that I have made my best memories with and they are friends that I will keep in touch with even if we end up on opposite sides of the country. Continue reading
Senior Year – Life of a Mustang
Wow, it feels strange and surreal in my senior year writing about my time here at SMU. Now I can officially say, “It seems like just yesterday I was moving into the dorms. Man, how time flies.” (Cheesy I know.) Continue reading
Music Programming Value Online Part II
There are plenty of music on-demand and curated radio streams out there, and the options continue growing. This is part II of multichannel providers as a music programming value proposition. Listen to Music Choice, AUPEO! and Sky.FM as options for multichannel streams, and Jazz Radio along with Hearts of Space for genre-specific audiences.
Music providers = Advertising and affiliate marketing opportunities
Restaurants Are Going Digital With Tablet Menus
We all knew this was going to happen eventually… the tablet menu. We would no longer have to flip through pasta stained menus, but now have the luxury of swiping with our index finger on a tablet to browse a menu.
1 in 3
On Tuesday of this week, SMU’s Temerlin Advertising Institute hosted the Exxon Mobile Series featuring a short documentary-like video produced by the Publicis Dallas called 1 in 3. The film is about the United States decaying middle class and how 1 in 3 families are living from paycheck to paycheck and how we as advertisers and communicators should not forget this group of people when it comes to marketing and creating products.
Communities by Hobby Make Ideal Niche Networks
Hobbies are a great way to become better rounded individuals and meet new people with interests alike. Communities by hobby make the ideal niche networks to find activities and the social web is a great place to connect to advice and know-how. Here is a selection of listening posts from impassioned hobbyists: REMcloud, Ravelry, Line-for-heaven, Dogster and Catster.
A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away.
Whisper App: Anonymity Prevention of Cyber Bullying
The mobile social media app, Whisper, allows users to express themselves anonymously and reveal secrets that they wouldn’t feel comfortable revealing behind a username or profile.
Users create a “whisper” by creating a personally styled card where they can write a secret that are displayed in front of pictures the user chooses. Users of the app are able to “like” and comment on whispers, however because there are no user profiles following a particular user is impossible.
Banksy NY A Social Media Art Exhibit
Mysterious British street artist Banksy known for his satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humor with graffiti done in a distinctive stenciling technique. Earlier this month, Banksy announced his one month residency in New York via his blog simply stating “For the next month Banksy will be attempting to host an entire show on the Streets of New York.” His exhibit “Better Out Than In” features artwork on buildings, statues, and live works of art. Banksy, debuts one piece of art a day and completes pieces late at night. Generating huge media attention and buzz, Banksy implemented social media to share his work through social media.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, Entertains With His Live Twitter Q&A Session
Ryanair, Europe’s low far airline is known for many things, their outspoken CEO, Michael O’Leary being just one of the many. Known for his outrageous behavior, such as dressing up as a French chambermaid and cursing at journalists, it comes as no surprise that when O’Leary took to Twitter last week for a live Q&A session, things got interesting.
Deep Ellum Brewing Company Under Fire
Deep Ellum Brewing Company put under fire earlier this week, when people attacked them for their new company truck. The truck, used as a marketing tool for their Dallas Blonde beer, said “Goes Down Easy” on the side. When the company posted a picture of their new truck on their Facebook page, followers became enraged.
Is Social Media Ruining Our Concert Experiences?
Is social media ruining our concert experiences? Musical artist thinks so.
If you are at a Beyonce concert and Beyonce tells you to “put that damn camera down”, you better put that damn camera down. The original purpose of seeing your favorite artist in concert was for that magical experience of seeing your favorite artist live. Today, social media makes us want to document the experience, and sometimes we are so into getting the perfect and clear shot we miss out on enjoying the live experience. Continue reading
Christmas Tech List
As Halloween approaches, it’s hard not to start thinking about Thanksgiving and inevitably it’s cousin Christmas, and all the goodies you would love to find under the Christmas tree. So I have compiled not just any old Christmas Wish List but a Christmas Tech List of all the cool digital gadgets that I and maybe you would love brimming out of the stocking this year! From TVs, to tablets, to apps and more!
Over-the-top marriage proposals- the new norm?
From an early age all girls dream of their wedding day. Who will be the lucky guy, what kind of dress will they wear, where will they get married? But until they meet Mr. Right, girls typically don’t fantasize about the marriage proposal itself. In the past all it really took was a loving speech and assuming one knee, but now the men of the millennial generation are delivering over-the-top marriage proposals and posting them for the world to see. Continue reading
Oreo Addictions Give Cocaine a Run for its Money
In a recent study at Connecticut College, researchers have found the scrumptious Oreo cookie snack to be just as addictive as cocaine, giving the expression “this ‘stuf’ is like crack” a whole new meaning. Neuroscience professor Joseph Schroeder and four undergraduate students used rats in two experiments to observe their behavior and brain activity when injected with drugs compared to when fed Oreos. Continue reading
Politicians and Tweeting
Celebrities Politicians and tweeting. Today, celebrities and tweeting is huge. Millions of people follow celebrities. For many different reasons. Sometimes, people follow celebrities because they curious what they are up to and sometimes it’s because they like to know about the latest styles and trends. However, lately, it has become a huge trend for politicians to start using Twitter and social media to get their information out.
Miley Cyrus: Superstar or Giant Publicity Stunt?
Over the span of this decade Miley Cyrus has transformed from a Disney Channel sweetheart, to emerging young adult singer, to now gracing the cover of every tabloid magazine as a “hot mess.” However is Miley’s rapid transformation from good girl to wild child a true display of character, or a giant publicity stunt?
Playing in Small Screens Near You: Skeumorph and The Parallax Effect
iOS6 nostalgic skeumorphism
iOS7 flatter than Texas
Owners of iPhone and iPad have been chatty in Apple-themed forums since iOS7 dropped. A source of complains about motion sickness, nausea, vertigo seemingly caused by the new parallax and zoom features in iOS7.
This week motion on-screen takes center stage. Let the carnival begin. Continue reading