Tag: social media

  • Feminism and Its Many Perspectives

    Feminism and Its Many Perspectives

    When you ask people what they think feminism means, you will likely get a variety of answers. Some may say it means a feminist is a woman who can do anything that a guy can do, while some may say a woman who is happily single.

    Such definitions sometimes hit a moot point, however, and are entirely generalized. If a woman can’t do hard labor, does that mean she can’t be a feminist? And what about women who are leading blissful lives with their male partners? Does this mean they can’t be feminists?

    People that are active on social media tend to have a lot of opinions of what feminism is, and what it means to be a feminist. In our digital age, there is a lot of attention paid to how women are illustrated and portrayed on and off the internet, causing many debates and discussions to commence around the world.

    One thing that is not arguable, is that feminism encourages women to speak their minds and be themselves. Being a feminist also means supporting the rights of women, whether it is concerning their reproductive system, or the ability to speak up when threatened by violence or other means.

    A good thing to do is to stop putting the term “feminism” in a box. The media has an incredible influence on young people, and it tends to confuse the masses. Feminism may mean different things to people, but it absolutely means equal rights for both genders in work, home and beyond. Whatever your beliefs are, be supportive of other women, regardless of the differences in beliefs and opinions. Just be your own individual and always make the best effort to achieve your dreams and ambitions. Feminism is about togetherness, so let’s get together!

    SOURCES:

    http://feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/feministteacher.html

    http://www.genderandeducation.com/issues/why-is-feminism-a-%E2%80%9Cdirty-word%E2%80%9D-among-teenage-girls/

    http://lipmag.com/opinion/why-teenage-girls-need-feminism/

    http://elitedaily.com/women/thats-just-like-rules-feminism-5-instances-support-fellow-women/872867/

  • How Does Social Media Impact You?

    How Does Social Media Impact You?

    Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, social media is a great way to connect with people around the world. These networks allow you to meet new people as well as re-connect with people you haven’t talked to in a while. Sharing pictures and updates can even make you feel closer to people near and far. These networks also allow for a venue of discussion about recent hot topics and news stories. As social beings, social media allows us to fulfill our natural desire to connect with people despite our busy schedules. While all of these things may seem positive, there is also quite a bit of negativity associated with social media. It is therefore important to be aware of these aspects in both your professional and personal lives.

    What a lot of people don’t realize is how social media can affect you and your job search. Any type of social media profile you create is a direct reflection of yourself. You are choosing to show people who you are and anything you post affects the way people are going to view you. These social media profiles can contribute to your reputation. They either help you maintain a good one or create a bad one. If you decide to maintain a professional social media account then it can be used in a positive way by you promoting yourself and your skill set. If you are trying to start a business, you could use social media outlets as free marketing venues.

    A practice that a lot of companies have been involved in recently is searching the social media profiles of potential employees to get a better idea of who they are. This is especially important to keep in mind when you are searching and applying for jobs. You don’t want employers to see pictures of you partying or doing inappropriate things. It may be hard to believe, but employers may view you as a liability to their company and that your behaviour on these social media websites could compromise their public image. This is why it is extremely important to maintain professional social media profiles. Despite social media having privacy settings there are still ways for companies to get around these, so proceed with caution.

    However, social media also has the ability to help you network with future employers. It gives you the opportunity to learn about different opportunities. It can even help you learn about these opportunities before the greater public learns about them, giving you an edge above the competition. An important website that many people use in order to expand their network of employers is LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows you to post your resume online and connect with employers in your field. It is a great resource for finding job opportunities.

    So make sure you think twice about the things you decide to post on your social media profiles. It could be the difference between landing a job you really want or missing out on an opportunity!

     

  • Social Media: An Employer’s Reference

    Social Media: An Employer’s Reference

    Pretend, for a moment, that you have never actually met yourself. You are an owner of a prosperous dog-sitting company that has a reputation for serving customers with the highest level of professionalism. You market your company with the promise that every dog will be cared for by responsible, respectful employees who will give the dogs the very best of care. Because of that promise, you attract many loyal customers and you try to take extra care when you hire new employees so you find someone you can trust who will be reliable and mature enough to do the job. When you receive a number of applications from students who want to work for your company, you immediately go online to try to learn more about the potential candidates. When you Google your name, what kind of information do you find?

    The term “social media” refers to the ways in which people create, share and exchange information and ideas online and through networks. It’s a form of social interaction that more and more employers are tapping into to get a sense of who the people are that are applying to work for them.

    Now return to your present perspective and think about what you have shared online. Is your name attached to the photos of you dancing on the table at last weekend’s huge spring break party? Is your face recognizable in the video your friend posted of students who are underage and under the influence? Such images might cause an employer to immediately throw out your application. That’s why it’s important to construct your online presence with care and make use of the privacy tools that many social networking sites provide.

    Here is a list of five of the most popular social media websites used by many students and a brief explanation of what they offer:

    Facebook: Allows users to create a personal profile, add other users as friends and exchange private and public messages. Facebook currently has over one billion active users.

    Twitter: A micro-blogging site that enables users to send and read “tweets,” which are little text-like messages that cannot exceed 140 characters. Twitter has over 500 million registered users and generates more than 340 million tweets a day.

    LinkedIn: A social, yet professional networking site for people in professional occupations. LinkedIn has over 200 million registered users.

    Pinterest: A pinboard-style photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage image collections according to a theme of their choosing. Pinterest has about 12 million users and is growing fast.

    Instagram: An online photo-sharing and social networking service that allows users to take pictures and instantly apply digital filters to them. They can then share the finished product with the 90 million other monthly users.

    These are just a handful of hundreds of other sites that share information in similar ways and provide your potential employers with a chance to judge you based on what they see online. It’s time to refine your online presence and ensure you are presenting the best possible picture of yourself to the world.