Rift Fournier...

With so much experience, it is hard to listen to Rift and not be in awe of what he has accomplished.

Jill was right when she said Rift was a great motivational speaker. Although he sat with a piece of paper filled with topics Jill thought he ought to talk about, he spoke freely and openly to us.

Of the numerous topics that filled Rift's discussion, he seemed to place a lot of emphasis on the word passion. "Do something you are passionate about," he told us with conviction in his voice. Although he jokes and is very laid back, Rift was adamant about that statement.

The mention of passion and Rift's comment about the inevitability of changing majors got me to thinking. Am I really happy with the path I've chosen in school? I am ready to take on some form of the communications world when I graduate? Do I have passion?

I found the answer while I listened to Rift speak about his experiences in the writing world. He was persistent. So much so that his first writing job was a yield by a man who just wanted to be left alone. Rift's somewhat obnoxious, but memorable behaviors were his lead into the world of writing.

I would like to think that if I wanted something bad enough I would find a way to make it happen. I would also like to think that is passion.

As Rift continued talking about all the things he'd done I could hear the fondness in his voice. I can hear the same tone (maybe a little more excitement) in my own voice when I talk about the things i've learned while pursuing a degree in communications. I feel the same way about what I want to do as Rift proclaimed to have felt about writing. Would I send forget-me-not's to a potential employer? Possibly (that's pretty catchy, Rift!), but it's more than just a simple gesture. It made him stand out. It showed his passion.

If I took anything away from Mr. Fournier's talk on Wednesday, it is the knowledge that I know iIm in the right place doing what I KNOW I want to do.

Social Media

I partake in social media almost everyday. We all do. It’s not just Facebook or Myspace as many of us first imagined. And it’s not just blogs and Twitter.

Social media ranges from social networking sites, like the above mentioned, to reference sites like Wikipedia and even entertainment found in games like Second Life. There is a long list of social media that has only recently expanded. Social media is seeing a shift from the way we once gathered information through monologues into a dialogue in which the information gatherers directly communicate with the information providers.

We are now forming relationships with social media. These relationships can be business or personal. We are able comment on someone else’s blog or blog our own thoughts. Blogging our own thoughts is what the video ‘Social Media in Plain English’ refers to as ‘making our own flavors’.

Not only are we able to create, we are able to learn from others just like us with their reviews and ratings. It is easier for us to find what we want with websites like MouthShut.com and Yahoo! Answers. This idea of feedback and dialogues did not always exist. According to an article in Business Week, the social media has significantly expanded in the last three years and is what they consider “nourished by users.” In the article, they discuss how consumers are using blogs to communicate and refer to them as ‘the most explosive out break in the information world since the internet itself.’

Social media can be broken into sections. These sections include communication, collaboration, multi-media, reviews, and entertainment.

Communication refers to the nine million blogs currently out there, the micro-blogging sites like Twitter, and the social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. These are all user interactive and in most cases a dialogue can be created.

Collaboration sites include Wikipedia in which the users submit content, or StumbleUpon where users can rate sites. This is taken directly from the websites ‘about us’ section: "StumbleUpon uses / ratings to form collaborative opinions on website quality." They directly refer to themselves a collaborative form of social media.

Multi-media consists of sites like YouTube, Flickr, and imeem that are created to provide a platform designed for sharing. Users are able to upload videos to YouTube to share with the world. Flickr allows you to upload photos and video that can either be shared with everyone or kept private. imeem is a site that supports viral content sharing like videos and music and is completely free to users.

Sites with the purpose of informing through reviews would be Mouthshut.com and eopinions.com. These sites allow users to review topics ranging from airlines to washing machines.

Entertainment in social media can be found in games like Second Life or World of Warcraft in which the players are connecting to other players through the internet. This connection allows for a dialogue between the players.

Everywhere we turn, we are taking part in social media. Whether it is commenting on a friends picture on Facebook or Tweeting our whereabouts to all our followers (uh, how cult like does that sound?) we are all participating.

generation diva..

I've seen the shows. The ones where the mothers teach their five year old daughters that big hair, a spray on tan, and a cheesy smile will win the hearts of the judges everytime. So, it's not hard for me to believe that the girls who grow up listening to this and even the young girls that watch these shows see that making adjustments to your physical appearance will help you win the hearts of those around you.

When I was eight, I don't even think I knew what mascara was. I'm twenty now and i'm lucky if I get out of the house in the morning with moisturizer on. Sure, i'll get an occasional pedicure or manicure, but no way do I spend $50 on a haircut. I find this article unbelievable, but at the same time I don't know how I didn't see this coming.

I first find it unbelievable that a parent is going to say alright to their 13 year old daughter getting highlights that cost $150 or starting a weekly pedicure habit that is sure to put a dent in daddy's wallet. Who are these parents that are paying to support their tweens outrageously expensive beauty habits?

Then I give myself one of those "oh, duh" nudges and think that this was bound to happen. There is so much in the media that is focused on targeting the 13 - 19 age group that I wondered how I missed it. Every magazine you look at or television show you watch has some gorgeous face all over it, a face touched up to perfection.

Its unavoidable. And what's scarier is that it's becoming more attainable.

The article talks about Dr. Alan Gold, President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, who says that 14% of Botox users are in the age range of 19 - 34. Seriously? Do people even have enough wrinkles at 34 to justify Botox or do they just like not having the ability to make facial expressions?

We see how the media is affecting young girls, but is there anyway to put a stop to it? Dove is doing the best they can with their 'campaign for real beauty'.

Take a look at a few of the videos put out by dove: