Social Media – MeisterPlanet

#TechTuesday – Social Apps Your Teens Use

Teens will always find ways to use technology to socialize. Once upon a time, it was party lines, then chat rooms, and now apps.

In this week’s #TechTuesday episode on WTAM 1100 Newsradio, Bill Wills and I discuss a recent New York Times article on the range of new social media apps teens are using, including video messaging and anonymous sharing networks.

For parents who are not sure where to start with online safe behavior, I recommend bookmarking SafeKids.com and ConnectSafely.org.

In particular, consider printing out family contracts for online safety as a way to discuss the topic with kids and teens and ensure everyone understands rules and boundaries for their online behavior.

Every parent will have different approaches to their kids, but it’s important that you have these discussions early so that you can keep an ongoing communication about topics like cyberbullying and other unsafe behavior or threads online.

Hulk Hogan vs Streisand Effect

Recent news around Hulk Hogan’s sex tape once again demonstrates the unintended consequences described by the Streisand Effect.

It’s amazing how often the Streisand Effect impacts both celebrities and organizations. For example, consider the recent news around Hulk Hogan.

Back in 2012, unknown people were shopping around a sex tape of wrestler Hulk Hogan. Never ones to be above petty gossip around washed up celebrities, the Gawker site released a small, edited portion of the tape to prove it existed and reap millions of clicks.

By 2015, the mainstream public had completely forgotten about it, and Hogan was working for the WWE, making money well past his prime.

So what happened next? The Streisand Effect stuck. Wikipedia defines this as the “phenomenon whereby an attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of information has the unintended consequence of publicizing the information more widely, usually facilitated by the Internet.” Named for how Barbra Streisand’s 2003 attempts to suppress photos of her mansion actually increasing interest in them.

Back in 2015, the mainstream public had pretty much forgotten about Hogan’s sex tape, and he was back to performing in the WWE, which is pretty impressive for a 61 year old. However, this all came crashing down when Hogan decided to file a $100 million privacy lawsuit against Gawker years late.

The lawsuit immediately turned the existence of that tape from a forgotten minor scandal to top story, and immediately increased interest in the original tape. This new interest caused the full tape being released by the people who originally sold it to Gawker.

This new, full version includes a long, racist rant that caused the WWE to not only end their partnership with Hogan, but strip any and all references to him from their site and media.

Even worse for Hogan, the sudden interest in the full tape, along with the public reaction around his racist rants, may end up being the best defense against Hogan’s case according to Fortune.

If ever there was a lesson to be learned in social media, it’s “don’t discount the Streisand Effect”.

WTAM 1100 – Social Media 101

WTAM 1100 – Geek Squad – June 4th, 2012

Social media grows ever day, but it is important to remember that there are other networks beyond just Twitter and Facebook. Linkedin, Pintrest and Instagram are also examples of social networks used by an increasing number of people, especially in the older generation.

I had a chance to speak to Bob Frantz on Cleveland’s WTAM 1100 Newsradio about “Social Media 101” this morning.

Huffington Post, AARP, and Geek Squad

The Huffington Post has an article up about the Geek Squad and AARP combining forces to bring technology support services to AARP members.

I had a chance to speak to the author about our Geek Squad Online Support contributions to this partnership.

The article also serves as a start for the HuffPo’s series of technology tips for seniors. For the first segment, Geek Squad’s 8 tips for taking advantage of social media.