Christmas Season

December has finally arrived, which means Christmas is coming.  Christmas is probably one of my favorite holidays.  It is one holiday where a majority of people celebrate and decorate their homes.  At my house, we have a Christmas tree along with a train surrounding it.  We put up a few decorations throughout our living room including a manger scene in the front window.

One thing I really enjoy about the holiday decorating is the light displays.  Many people decorate their houses and many parks put up a display.  Every year my family walks through a path decorated in a variety of lights.  Organizations can enter their individual display into a contest for the chance to win a prize when the competition is officially over.  It’s always interesting to see the creativity and time put into the unique displays. 

With Christmas coming, finals are approaching and the semester will be ending.  I am excited to finish the semester and spend a little time with family.  Christmas is a great time to catch up with family and friends while enjoying the holiday atmosphere.  In addition, I love the Christmas cookies that only get baked once a year.  Overall, I love the various aspects of the holiday season and cannot wait to be home again for Christmas.

Facebook Improves Again

Facebook is continually looking for ways to keep the user happy and using the social media tool.  In this technological age, people want to engage in real-time.  Facebook is adopting this strategy by introducing live videos.  These live videos allow people to see what you are doing in the current moment.  Users can now show instantaneously what they are doing in their life.  For instance, users can stream the places they visit or simply share their thoughts with their friends. 

Currently, this is being introduced slowly though iPhone users specifically in the United States.  While broadcasting, the number of live viewers will be displayed along with the names of your friends.  In addition, you can subscribe and get alerts when the next broadcast goes live.  I am looking forward to seeing this new addition to Facebook.  I think it will resemble Snapchat to an extent, but will allow videos to be longer and kept.  In addition, the videos are live and allow you to feel like you are in the moment experiencing everything with your friend.

Facebook is also adding a new collage feature.  You can use the photos you take and create a scrolling, moving collage.  By utilizing this new update, people will be able to put together a story of their adventure.  Overall, I want to see how this change impacts how people post pictures to Facebook.  With this new feature, people will be able to understand and follow the journey of their friends.  Facebook is continually trying to keep up with changing society.  I am looking forward to seeing these improvements in the future on my individual feed.

Books Completed

Throughout my social media class at Ohio Northern University, I have read a few books.  Each book looked at the various aspects of social media and the importance of utilizing this tool.  Social media is a growing topic and is becoming very prevalent in society today.  After looking at the books we utilized for class, “Real-Time Marketing & PR” by David Meerman Scott was probably my favorite.

While reading this book, you learn the importance of using social media in real-time.  People are constantly using technology so it’s imperative to respond with speed and accuracy.  This book gives great examples to illustrate this point like the incident with United Airlines.  Because of the examples given, I was able to understand the concepts and make connections throughout reading. 

Many textbooks I use for college are simply a reference guide due to the complexity of the language.  However, this book is easy to follow and gives practical advice for anyone wanting to utilize social media.  Graphics are used when applicable which also led to a fast and easy read.  Overall, I enjoyed this book the best.  It gives great insight into the social media world and the importance of speed and accuracy in this technological age.