Assignment #8 : Predictions

2020 will be the year of social media, or will it?

This year was supposed to be everyone's year. We're all graduating, moving off, getting married, having children, but corona ruined all of that for us. (thanks China) But, 2020 can still be the year for social media. There are a lot more options for us to have on social media. With people having to learn and adapt to social media through the time of the virus, people are enjoying how amazing technology is. 

Here are my predictions for some updates in technology

1. VR and AR adoption

Snapchat filters is one good example of how you can see and view locations and specific videos. Gen Z will mainly be the advocate for these technologies since according to the web index 22% is using Geofilters each month.  I think online stores will be excited with the virtual reality adaption.  

With AR adaption (augmented reality) some online stores can help customers try on virtual clothing versions before buying what they want. Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram should really consider exploring ways to implement AR into their marketing strategies. Or if you want to see how furniture would look in your house. 

2. Social Media CEO's

We all know how The Hype House is more or less like the CEO of Tik Tok. Well, now we need CEO's of each social media platform. There are so many things to understand how the formulas  work with social media. With social media CEO's, they can help other people understand 

3. Chatbots

When having an online business, a chatbot is something that is a necessity. Chatbots are created to help people get the answers they need when someone is not available. With this, you would not necessarily have to have someone always available. You could use it to make reservations anywhere, get a location, or answer simple questions. 

Hopefully all of these things will potentially be implemented this year. I think AR and VR would be a cool invention with social media. 

Assignment #7: Binge Watching

Did I Just Sit There For 7 Hours?

I do not really binge shows as much as I would like too. Sometimes I normally just watch the same shows over and over. Now with all the time I have, I might start binging more. When I do binge, I have to blink multiple times over and over to get my eyes readjusted to light after sitting in my dorm room with pitch black around me and nothing on except my TV and my LED lights. I've only binged a couple of shows here and there. Stranger Things, One Tree Hill, Grey's Anatomy (currently addicted now), and a few more.

The most recent show I binged watched was Tiger King. I hadn't planned on watching it until my friends told me too. They said they watched it in one day and I thought maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. 

It is no doubt one of the strongest contenders for most watchable TV show of the year, which is honestly kind of crazy. It has been ranked #1 on Netflix since it was released. There are seven episodes in the documentary ranging from 45-52 minutes long. You can watch the whole thing in a weekend, or sit there for 7 hours and keeping your eyes glued to the screen like I did. 

Within this series, it follows a man that loves the attention he receives with camera crews being there. His name is no other than Joe Exotic. He is the owner of a semi successful private zoo with the hundreds of tigers and other big cats. You think that is crazy? He also ran for President of the United States, then he ran for governor of Oklahoma (also got 19% of the votes), THEN this is the craziest part, he supposedly tried to hire someone to murder his arch nemesis. This woman was DEDICATED to shutting down his zoo; Carole Baskins. 

 

Joe Exotic is far from what you would picture him. He's a ball cap wearing, mullet having gay man who swaggers with a knee brace after getting mauled by one of his tigers, a weird southern drawl, some strange combination of fringe vests, chaps, and sparkly shirts. I promise you, you think you've seen everything until you watch this show

. 

When you are watching this show you think "wow, nothing more wild than this could happen," if you say that, you are far from right. This documentary goes by fast so you have to make sure you pay attention. You find out that Joe married two guys at once and  had a business partner that snuck baby cubs into a casino and then sleeps with the women. Each story gets stranger and stranger as time goes on. Then out of no where, it gets dark. It shows accounts of manipulative and abusive relationships, suicide, and Joe Exotic's hate campaign for Carole. He believes she killed her husband for his money and fed him to the tigers.   

If you want to watch all of this go down you definitely should and then you can understand all of the memes that are going around.  

Here's the trailer for the Netflix show.

Assigment #6 - Global Trends

Hi, I'm Your Number Neighbor

When you live on a street or in a subdivision, you normally know who your neighbor is. Sometimes, you get close to them and get to know them well and they eventually become some of your best friends or even family. 

Last year, someone on Twitter started a trend where you text your "number neighbor." It became the newest trend people where doing and it was definitely something different. But what exactly is that and how does it work? It is actually pretty simple to understand. The instigator texts someone with the same number as them, with the last digit being plus or minus one. For example, if your number is 234-567-8910 your number neighbors would be 234-567-8911 and 234-567-8909.

 

Once you have texted your "number neighbor", you then post the screenshots on social media platforms (mainly twitter) and let everyone see what goes down when you do this.

Some guy named "Ryan" started the trend in late July 2019. He posted his conversation with his "number neighbor" on twitter and ended up getting over 127k likes. 

Even celebrities began to get in on the fun. Bebe Rexha, a pop singer known for her hits "Meant to Be," "Call You Mine," and many more texted her number neighbor and then proceeded to post it on twitter.   

Sometimes the whole number neighbor scenario can be pretty funny. Other ties, it can turn for the worse. One woman in California reportedly filed a police report after she played along with the game, and then received death threats in response to the whole incident. 

All in all, I think the number neighbor trend was pretty cool. I texted mine and I never got a response :( But, it was worth a shot. You should consider texting your number neighbor. You never know. You could end up being best friends with them. 

Here are some examples of number neighbor text messages:

Assignment #5 : Surveillance and Law Enforcement

How Social Media Helps Law Enforcement

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest: For police departments social media is as valuable, if not more valuable, a resources than it is for traditional brands and businesses. This provides a platform police officers to share information quickly and respond to tips from people, and sometimes people are going to come forward about things they know over social media rather than in person. In 2013, they conducted a survey law enforcements use of social media. 

• 95.9 % of agencies surveyed they they use social media in some capacity
• The most common use of social media is for criminal investigations at 86.1%
• 80.4 % of agencies report that social media has helped solve crimes in their jurisdiction
• 73.1% of agencies state that social media has improved police-community relations in their jurisdiction

Social Media Makes Reporting Crime Easier

Facebook for example is just one of many ways law enforcement officials are gleaning evidence from social media to help them solve crimes. The police will sometimes create fake online identities to befriend suspects and view their private information.

From taunting police on social media to sharing crimes in real-time, people aren't exactly hiding behind black masks in dark alleys anymore. They're posting and sharing illegal activities all over the internet, sometimes before, during, and after the crime is committed. 

1. Selfies with Stolen Guns, Drugs, and Money on Instagram.

 A Florida teen was arrested on 142 felony charges after authorities found selfies of the man holding wads of cash, guns, and drugs. They found $250,000 worth of stolen jewelry, electronics, and firearms. 

2. Live-Streaming Drunk Driving

In 2016, a woman live-streamed drinking at several bars, got behind the wheel, and even told the viewers of her livestream "lets see if I can get a DUI." The people who were watching called 911 immediately. She failed a sobriety test and then refused to take a breath test.

3. Teen Crime Spree on Snapchat

In 2017, two Georgia teems were arrested after they shared video clips of themselves vandalizing a high school, several restaurants, and even jumping on a police car. The snapchat videos then showed them spraying customers on a patio of the local restaurant with the fire extinguishers that they stole from their high school. They were jailed with a $60,000 bond. 

4. Man Turns Himself in After A Facebook "Wanted" Post (MY favorite)

Sometimes when police stations post "wanted" posts on Facebook, they really do not plan on the the person they are looking for to actually turn themselves in. Well, it happened in Richland, Washington. Police issued a wanted request for Anthony Akers, 38, for Failure to Comply. 

The trend with law enforcement using social media sites to help investigations and criminal activity. I think it is smart on their part to have social media to help find people. I know whenever a child goes missing, it will have thousands of shares within hours to find the child. In a time where social media is prominent, law enforcement agencies across the country should get into having all forms of social media. 

Assignment #4 : Advertising Analysis

Tugging at the Heartstrings

I wish I would have known before the Super Bowl came on that I would have needed a tissue box when this commercial came on. It was a 90 second commercial and I started crying about the 15 second mark. No joke. The image below was me the whole time during this ad.  It also did not help that it was based on a true story of a Google employee's grandfather. (insert more tears when I found this out.)

This year during the Super Bowl there were many funny and heartfelt commercials. This year, Google told a very touching yet simple love story of an older man who wanted to keep the memory of his late wife alive. 

Google's tear-inducing ad was intended to show you how tech an help you remember your loved one's after they are gone. 

The ad was titled "Loretta," and throughout the commercial, it shows an elderly man telling his Google Assistant details he remembers about his wife. He talked about how much she hated his mustache and how she snorted when she laughed. 

Google then would reply with "Ok, I'll remember that."

"At 85, to an audience of millions, he'll be making his film debut," Lorraine Twohill, Google's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "We couldn't be happier for him." 

Even after it aired on Super Bowl Sunday, it had over 9.6 million views on YouTube.

In order to get google to remember things, you just have to say "Hey Google, remember that (thing to remember)".  For example you can say, "Hey Google, where are my keys?" and Google will tell you.

"Remember, Loretta loved going to Alaska and scallops," said the elderly man. "Remember, I'm the luckiest man in the world"

I feel like with this commercial, Google really out did themselves. I know so many people in the world could relate to wanting to keep the memory of their loved ones alive after they have passed on. I know whenever my Grandma passed away, my biggest fear was forgetting her memory or forgetting all the things we did together while I was growing up. I think that is exactly why I made such an emotional connection with the video. Twitter also took to the video the same way I did. 

Google also at the end of 2019, announced that eligible existing Premium users could get a Google Home Mini while supplies last. This was a way to introduce households to a new way to listen to music. They also made it to where the Individual and Family plans with premium accounts and they added students with premium accounts to the mix also. 

Assignment #3 : Product Review

Ventev Charging Accessories 

The mission statement of Ventev is "To create universal charging you can depend on. How we did it, was not so simple. To find a solution for all devices, across all platforms, we had to lead the way. And with the increased popularity of VR and 4k video streaming, we would need to provide consumers with more power than ever before. No small task."

Ventev is a company that is not really heard of. I had no idea about it until a guy that we knew signed a contract with them as one of their "athletes." He would always send us charger cords and wall ports and everything else you could think of to charge your phone. 

When you go to the website, there are different types of options to look at. There are cables, charginghubs, dashmounts, dashports, portable power, protection, wallports, and wireless.There are a number of different products Ventev has and I will be reviewing a couple of them. 

1. Chargesync alloy Apple Lighting Cable

This charger comes with the option of the 10ft and 4ft. I have the 10ft and have had it for over a year now and I have never had a problem with it. Most cords that I get from like Walmart of somewhere cheap only last a couple of months before I need a new one. It is $24.99 but it is completely worth that.  You can also choose from different colors such as cobalt, gold, jet black, rose, silver, and steel. If you want a reliable charger, I highly recommend purchasing this cord.

2. Ventev Global ChargingHub 300

This product has 4 AC prong configurations, and they are compatible in about 150 countries. There are four switches that are there to put the plug in the right form for whatever particular plug that you are working with. There are two USB ports for this adapter, so it is good for charging whatever needs to be charged. You can get it on their website for $34.99.

3.  Dashport rq2300 Car Charger Dual USB Port

I have two of these in my car which comes in handy, especially on road trips. You can charge four phones at once. It is made for a "quick charge." On their website it says it can charge devices up to 4x faster than the normal USB port and I 100% agree. Whenever I use the cord plus the USB port, my phone can go from 5% to like 85% in 15 minutes. This is also a product I high suggest purchasing. The only downfall of it, is because it charges your phone so much faster it takes a lot of juice out of your cigarette lighter. I have had to replace the bulbs in my car twice. You can get it for $34.99. 

All in all, Ventev is one of my favorite products to use. I have so much of their stuff and it is a very reliable company. Whenever you buy from them, you can also choose to have Limited Warranty and Lifetime Warranty on your devices. 

If you do not have any Ventev products, I highly suggest purchasing something from them. 

Assignment #2 : Programming Trends

To Binge or Not to Binge?

Most people's parents warned them about how TV will rot your brain, yet we still watch TV happily without a care in the world. It is crazy to think about the shows my parents group up watching compared to the things they show on TV now.

About summertime last year, I became the "typical girl" and started watching Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. I became completely consumed by the show. It had like 15 seasons and each season had about 24 episodes, each an hour long. I watched it every chance I could get. It literally took me a whole semester and a half to actually watch all the seasons. They were SOOO good. As soon as I watched one, I instantly started another. I did not know until researching this that Grey's Anatomy is a play on words. Apparently there is a book about human anatomy written by Henry Gray in 1858.

 It also helped that literally every guy doctor on there is unbelievably attractive. 10/10 for all of them. 

Grey's Anatomy is a series based off of the ABC Network and written by Shonda Rhymes. It is considered an American medical drama that began in 2005. This series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attending doctors as they develop into seasoned doctors while trying to maintain personal lives and relationships.

On Rotten Tomatoes, they listed Grey's has having an 81% audience score and they also had an 81% on the Tomatometer.

Grey's Anatomy is the longest running scripted primetime show that currently airs on ABC. 

Grey's Anatomy has also received numerous awards, including the Golden Glove Award for Best Television Series - Drama and a total of thirty-eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including two for Outstanding Drama Series.

Another series that I absolutley love and have to wait till every single Wednesday to watch is S.W.A.T.

S.W.A.T. is crime drama based off the 1975 tv series of the same name. The guys on this show are also very attractive. 

 I mainly started watching this show because of the main actor, Shemar Moore. I loved him on Criminal Minds, so I figured I would love him just as much on this show. Sergeant II Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson Jr., (Shemar Moore) is a Los Angeles native who was promoted to team leader in a blatant attempt to ease the tensions between the community and the LAPD. 

The last show that I watch every Thursday is Florabama Shore. This show documents eight young adults who live together during the summer in the Gulf Coast at Panama City Beach for the first two seasons and in the third season they decided to move the party to St. Petersburg, Florida. Throughout the show they are filmed partying, working, bonding together, fighting, and living in a new environment. It is basically like Jersey Shore except the Southern version.

It only gets a 40% average audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.