Social media changes so much in a week that it can be hard to keep up. Check back every Friday for our roundup of stories we think you should know about in our Social Media Snap.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been all about #royalbabywatch this week. With Kate Middleton’s due date looming dangerously close, how can you not scour the Internet for any tidbit of information about the future king or queen? Fortunately for you, there are some people out there who are a little less royal baby-crazed than I am. You can thank all of those crazy people for keeping the social media world going, allowing me to present to you all of this lovely news. (If it were up to me, this week’s Social Media Snap would simply be an analysis of potential royal baby names. I think Princess Richelle has a nice ring to it.)
- As of Monday, Facebook’s graph search will be available to all Facebook users in the US. This kind of makes those of us that signed up on the ridiculously long waiting list several months back look a little silly. No shame.
- Another announcement came from Facebook Land this week. Instagram announced that it would start allowing users to embed photos and videos from their computers. Meanwhile, Vine (Twitter’s video app) has allowed users to embed videos since March. Point goes to Twitter. Better step up your game, Facebook.
- Hello everyone. My name is Richelle, and I suffer from FOMO. There, I said it. FOMO, or “Fear of Missing Out” is an affliction suffered by many 20-somethings that causes anxiety when declining a social invitation or, worse, not being invited to that awesome rager last weekend. Research has now found a link between social media use and increased feelings of FOMO. Shocking! But not really.
- Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all of the social media and email accounts you have? I certainly do. A website called MyLife.com, which helps users streamline and organize their online lives, recently conducted a survey of users to determine how many social media accounts each person has, which ones are their favorites, and so on. Not surprisingly, email and Facebook came out on top.
- What happens on Facebook doesn’t always stay on Facebook. There’s been much debate lately about freedom of speech on social media and the consequences that result from poorly thought out status updates. We’ve seen a number of people lose their jobs, and even be arrested, for things they post on social media. Do you think freedom of speech should extend to our online presence?
- Speaking of regrettable Facebook statuses, researchers have looked into what kind of social media updates make people cringe the second after they hit “Post”. “The most common Facebook regrets revolve around sensitive topics like alcohol, sex, politics, religion or ‘emotional content.’” I say if you wouldn’t want your grandma to see it, you probably shouldn’t be posting it for everyone else.
- As I’m sure many of you know, the George Zimmerman trial has been garnering a lot of attention this week. Much of the attention surrounding the trial, though, has come from social media. From people posting their thoughts with #ZimmermanTrial, to witnesses posting Tweets about their testimony, social media has definitely infiltrated the Zimmerman trial.
- Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to predict if your YouTube video will become the next viral hit? Now, you can! Sort of. Researchers at UCLA have recently identified the part of the brain that determines how to share something and with whom, the Temporo-Parietal Junction. This part of the brain lights up when we see something worth sharing, before we even decide to share it. Look out world, you’ve found your next YouTube sensation!
- Speaking of YouTube sensations, this week Justin Timberlake got into some hot water with his music video for “Tunnel Vision”. Originally, YouTube planned on banning it because of the full on nudity in the video. YouTube later decided not to ban it because although they have explicit rules against nudity, a spokesperson claimed that nudity is a-okay if used in an educational, documentary, or artistic context. Really? JT’s music video is artistic? If you say so.
- Last Monday, Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch created quite the stir on Twitter with the Tweet, "How many of you have a photograph of the single best moment of your life? If so, what a gift." Many people responded with their actual photos, leading Mashable to create a roundup of some of the best ones. I can’t pick a favorite. They are all precious.
I know, that was a lot. But now that that’s done, back to #royalbabywatch! Here’s a little teaser to help you imagine what the royal birth will be like. Enjoy!
Happy weekend,
@Richellem09