#SocialNowisms

There are only three weeks left of my time as an undergrad. As a mass communications major and English minor, I can honestly tell you that I didn’t spend hours upon hours hunched over assigned readings. Nor did I ever burst into tears because I had twelve more pages to go in an essay. I may never be able claim to be an expert on Freudian theory or Wilde’s witticisms, but I can say that I made time for the important things in life (e.g. going out with friends, playing the Sims 3 and annually re-reading the Harry Potter series).

Here’s this week’s #SocialNowism: With all of today’s resources, college students don’t need to read all of the pages assigned by their professors, or stress over a 10-15 page paper. You may be wondering how one manages to get a degree without cracking open, or even purchasing, half of his textbooks, but it’s easy. Here’s how:

Google is your best friend:

(ATTN: If you have taught me English in the past, please do not read any further). My motto has always been, “when in doubt, Google it out.” Professors seem to forget that we’re taking other classes besides theirs, so they might ask you to read an entire novel by the next class. When this happens, I’m like: 

This works especially well in English classes: Just look up the summary of the novel and find one significant symbol or motif, and then make sure to relate it to a phallic object or feminism (you can make ANYTHING about phallic objects or feminism). The professor will call on you and you’ll be like, “Janie’s braid in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is blatantly described in phallic terms – making it a symbol of power. It represents her refusal to be dominated by men (i.e. her power over men).” Then you look at your professor and say: 

Reward yourself:

When I’m working on a paper, I have a special trick to keep myself from bashing my head on my desk. After completing one full page, I reward myself by picking up my phone and playing Angry Birds or Draw Something. I like to think that these are ways to juice up the right side of my brain, so I can get super creative in my writing. This also lets your friends know you’re still alive – especially when you draw a really good picture on Draw Something of Beyonce doing the “Single Ladies” dance.

Time management:

Download Wunderlist or Evernote to your phone and computer, and make to-do lists – for EVERYTHING. This way, when you check something off as done, you get instant gratification – which is amazing.

But seriously…

Some say we, as young folks, have too many distractions; I say we have more ways to de-stress ourselves. So don’t let school get you down – it’s only stressful if you make it that way.

Watching TV is a lot different in 2012. Popcorn and a cordless phone (to call my friends when something juicy happened, of course) used to be my favorite TV-watching partners in crime. Now, however, my smart phone and laptop have risen to the occasion.

In middle school, I used to watch Grey’s Anatomy, and if something insane would happen, I’d call my best friend in the middle of a commercial to fervently vent about it then hang-up when Seattle Grace popped back on the screen. This was how I was able to connect with friends during shows I liked.

The SocialNowism: Many of us now engage with friends while via social media tools while watching TV (e.g. GetGlue, Twtter, etc).

For those of you who haven’t checked out GetGlue, get on it! It’s kind of like Foursquare, but instead of checking into places you’ve been, you check into shows you’re watching. With this app, you can also comment along with thousands of viewers who are just as obsessed with a show as you are (which is nice when your family or roommates aren’t really into your show). Like Foursquare, you’re also able to collect badges for your achievements, which can be fun.

On Twitter, it’s really easy to follow a live-stream of people’s reactions to shows. It’s also fun because quirky, hilarious hashtags start to pop up as well. One of my favorite Twit-vents occurred during last week’s episode of Mad Men, when Betty’s weight-gain was revealed! Viewers, myself included, were surprised to see a much larger Betty Francis chomping on Bugles whilst on the couch. During the show, hashtags like #BettyBodyDouble and #FBF (Fat Betty Francis) emerged. Needless to say it was hilarious because, for many Mad Men fans, Betty has always been the cold, skinny mean girl.

Skinny, bugle-eating mean girls aside, I recommend you jump on the bandwagon with this SocialNowism for a more interactive, entertaining experience during your favorite shows – if you haven’t already, of course. 

When I was little, my great-grandmother used to make the best banana bread ever. Now don’t come telling me that you know someone who can make it better, because trust me, you don’t. Sadly my great-grandmother passed away a couple of years ago, and her banana bread legacy left with her, since she never wrote down the recipe (it was all from memory).

I haven’t had good banana bread since then – my standards are high. I’ve even attempting searching online for a recipe that is remotely close to my great-grandmother’s. That brings to me the #SocialNowism: With the mass amounts of recipes available online, some are not as good as they look and none can replace an original.

Sometimes while I’m browsing Pinterest, I see recipe’s that look good, but I have to ask myself, are they really? Did someone else’s mother, grandmother or great-grandmother perfect it? I mean I have found some recipe’s that are pretty good (one of them was a triple-layer brownie, Oreo and chocolate-chip cookie casserole that surely clogged my arteries).

Basically, in this day and age, recipes aren’t simply passed down from family member to family member, or recommended from a favorite cookbook. Millions of variations are now at our fingertips, so it’s our job to use discretion and decide what really is worth the time commitment.

Do you guys have any favorite family recipe’s that you’ve been trying to replicate online? 

“In two-hundred feet, turn left. Your destination will be on the right.” – We’re not used to going anywhere, I mean ANYWHERE, without hearing a robot lady recite directions such as these out of tiny speakers.

Remember when driving didn’t involve punching an address into a GPS advice? In order to get from point A to point B, you had to actually look at a map, and find your way. In the process, you got the chance to explore and truly experience a new place.

The #SocialNowism:

We are now so reliant on our GPS devices that we rarely enjoy the art of getting lost. Yes, I say art, because sometimes getting lost can be surprisingly fun. As long as you’re not in a huge hurry, you may appreciate the sites you encounter on the road less “GPS’ed.”

Why It’s Fun:

One Sunday, a friend and I were trying to make it over to Stony Point Mall, in Richmond. I’ve lived in Richmond throughout college, however, getting across the area is still difficult for me without a GPS.

To challenge myself, I wanted to make it to Stony Point without electronic assistance.

The road I chose was in the general direction of the mall, but I had never gone this way. As we drove, million-dollar mansions, huge estates and outrageous cars flew by us. It was awesome. I had to be careful not to rubber-neck too much, because that typically doesn’t illicit safe driving. We even stopped at a delicious café on the way.

There was an ulterior motive to my little experiment. Even though I’ve been in Richmond for a couple of years, I still feel new to the city. The best way to get to know a city is to explore, and if you have a little device constantly telling you where to go, you miss out on the experience of discovering something new. 

I tend to get a lot of my work done at coffee shops. The chatter of conversations, nutty aromas and clinking of silverware work in tandem to produce a creative buzz (no pun intended). It’s especially nice in the spring when the windows are open and there’s a gentle breeze.

However, I’ve come to notice that it’s a lot quieter in coffee shops as of recent. Java drinkers often fail to bring friends to chat with, much less a book. Coffee’s new companion is, of course, the laptop.

Perhaps I’m calling the kettle black, because I’m using a laptop in a coffee shop at this very moment.  The sad fact is, I can remember going to shops when I was younger, and seeing friends chatting back-and-forth and people casually reading while discretely people-watching. Now I just see everyone chained to their screen by the leash that is headphones.

OK, you caught me – I’m venting, letting off steam if you will (that pun was intended). As guilty I am of this #SocialNowism, I do miss the atmosphere that laptops deleted (I’m on a roll today).

This may be a short entry, but the point is simple: enjoy the scenery around you, don’t get sucked into your computer screen.

On a more buzz-worthy note: For those of you who enjoy coffee as much as me, check out my friend Alexis’ blog RVACoffeeSnob for some great tips about coffee houses in Richmond (and beyond). 

The Before:

Remember when you were in the elementary school, and you went through the gamut of playground courtships? Of course, each boyfriend or girlfriend lasted for a week or so, and handholding was as far as the partnership got.

Fast-forward to high school, when your friends were dating people left and right. By this time it was most likely called “going out” (at least on the East Coast), and everyone in your school knew who belonged to whom.

The #SocialNowism:

Skip to now: Relationships are not official until they are Facebook Official. 

Facebook has been a huge part of my college years, and in terms of relationships, it has become the virtual Member’s Only jacket. This sacred pairing of two virtual profiles brings along the weight of responsibility. To those in their early twenties, relationships are considered serious when they reach the level of being “Facebook Official.” Many people I know spend months debating the right time to become Facebook Official.  

Not too long ago a friend of mine, Jonathan, decided to go “Facebook Official” with his girlfriend. It was a big decision for them, because both believed their personal lives weren’t everyone’s business. Soon after the union was made Facebook Official, Jonathan’s friends decided to hack his Facebook page – this is a common prank (think back to prank calling in the 90s). Jonathan’s friends did many things to his profile, including changing his relationship status to “Single,” which, as all Facebook junkies know, puts a sad broken heart icon on his wall.

The moment the broken heart icon appeared on Jonathan’s page, he was getting bombarded with comments like, “Are you OK? What happened? Etc.” Inquiring about a break-up is one of the many protocols that friends of the romantic parties must follow.

The Social Protocols:

Whenever I’m scrolling through my mini-feed, and see a friend is “♥ In a relationship” with someone else, I say to myself, “Oh s#*&, this is serious.” I then proceed to do three things (and I know a lot of people my age who do the same):

1. I check out my friend’s new significant other. Do I know them? Do they look crazy? What’s their major? Etc, etc.
2. If I’m a good friend, I’m obligated to like the update – this is protocol (this way if they make it all the way to marriage, I can say that I was the first to like their “♥ In a relationship” update).
3. Again, if I’m a good friend, I HAVE to leave a comment saying something along the lines of, “Coffee soon, you have to give me the details!”

Thoughts…

 It’s like the sixteenth century, when a King and Queen consummated their marriage in front of an audience (we don’t need to go into the saucy details). Except, of course, our version is G-Rated and the audience consists of hundreds instead of dozens. Once the holy union has been consummated via Facebook, the two parties involved are absolutely hands-off (this is Zuckerberg’s law).

What are your thoughts on the concept of being Facebook Official? Should it be as serious as it is?