Human Rights Advocates take to Social Media

If you have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or use any other forms of social media, you have probably seen the red and pink equal sign that has been taking social media by storm

This sign has been popular recently because of the Supreme Court meeting this past week regarding the future of gay marriage, specifically Proposition 8. People on both sides of the issue have taken to social media in order to express their thoughts and beliefs on what they believe should happen in regards to these widely disputed issues.

Facebook users have changed their profile pictures to the popular symbol in order to draw attention to the issue, while Instagram users have been posting the picture to their feeds. Despite criticism from others many who say the symbol will have little to no effect on the overall outcome of the issue, there is no doubt that the symbol has caused social media users everywhere to question what the sign is and the meaning behind it. People are talking about the issues more openly, which was obviously the goal and intention behind the symbol all along. 

Changing the Way We Work

Blogger Vala Afshar discusses different ways social media has changed the way we operate in our everyday lives. After interviewing Jacob Morgan, author of the best-selling book The Collaborative Organization, and owner of a strategy consulting firm, Chess Media Group, Afshar summarizes the "Five Ways Social Media Has Forever Changed the Way We Work," and how what Morgan has learned about five important ways social media has enabled us to deal more effectively with issues in society and the workplace.

1. Collective Intelligence- When companies or individuals are unable to solve problems, they can post their questions to social media sites in order to obtain advice or answers to whatever questions they may have. 

2. Serendipity- Information can become even more valuable when organizations share what they have learned with others via social media. Morgan gives an example of a Lowe's Home improvement employee who was able to share a demo of what she doing at one store with others, which eventually led to increase in sales for the product and other stories across the country. The demo helped bring in over a million dollars in extra revenue. 

3. Easy to Find People and Information-  Morgan has implemented a series of collaboration tools and strategies within his consulting firm in order to decrease the duplicated content seen by his employees day to day. Since 25-30 percent of employees spend their work hours reading and looking at a ridiculous amount of duplicated content, this means a lot of wasted time. Morgan says this self-sufficient strategy is more empowering for employees and allows for less time spent e-mailing.

4. Anyone can be a Leader and Employees have a Choice- Social media allows all employees to have a voice, not just the executives and CEO's of companies. People can share their ideas for anyone within the company and elsewhere to see and read. 

5. Transparency and Flatness- Social media allows for a change to the typical hierarchy and structure of most businesses and organizations. Employees can use social media to voice how they are feeling, what they are working on, who they are meeting with, and what is happening within the company. Managers and entry-level employees can communicate with one another and bridge the gap there once was in organizational structures. 

All of these practices have allowed for more efficient businesses practices, and with the way technology is headed, our reliance on social media for quick and improved business will only continue to grow and evolve. 

Reacting Positively: The Jennifer Lawrence Fall

By now, most of us who have television, internet, or any access to social media, are familiar with Jennifer Lawrence's big fall prior to receiving her Oscar for "Best Actress," this past week. "The Fall Heard Around The World," as many bloggers and social media guru's have been referring to it, caused a social media uproar the moment it occurred. Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar moment was the second most tweeted about event during the Oscars, with 71,600 tweets (most which pertained to her fall). After getting up, Jennifer Lawrence graciously accepted her award, and even laughed and made fun of herself. 

Flash forward to the day after the Oscars and social media is blowing up with Jennifer Lawrence mentions, tweets, memes, pictures, and trending videos on both Facebook and YouTube. After the Oscars ended, Jennifer Lawrence did an interview backstage where she answered questions of all sorts from interviewers about everything from what she did to get ready prior to the Oscars, to her "Award Winning Fall." This backstage footage video was one of the most popular videos trending after the Oscars. Would this video have been as popular if people were not already on YouTube searching for links to the video of her fall? Probably not. Throughout the video, Lawrence's honest, down-to-earth personality, really shines, giving fans (as well as those who might not even know who she is at all), a glimpse into the person behind the celebrity.

 Because Lawrence handled the situation gracefully, she was able to turn an unfortunate mishap into one which boosted her social media popularity among fans and people of all ages. Had she handled the situation poorly, or reacted inadequately, the situation might have had a detrimental effect on her reputation or likability. This event just goes to show us how fast people take to social media when blunders like this occur, and how a celebrity's reaction can make or break their reputation thereafter.