Social Media Saves Lifes

I recently read an article that really got my attention, "Auburn man hopes social media can help with life-saving kidney donation." We understand how well our social networks have connected us, but this is a bizarre case.

Essentially, Nate Puckett needs a new kidney. With so much life to live, the 32 year old is shackled to a dialysis machine to keep his body alive. A genetic disorder attacked Puckett's kidneys as a boy, at 14 he received his first life-saving cadaver kidney. Doctors say Puckett took amazing care of his gift making his donor kidney last for 18 years, until it, too, gave out. The member of Nate's family are not matches. He's on the transplant list, but the average wait is five years.

Nate's mom was loosing hope until she met Lori Howard. Howard's husband, Jason, needed a very similar transplant, took to social media, and received a transplant within 6 weeks. So far over 60,000 people have heard Nate's story. People are calling Nate and asking how they can help/get tested. Check out his Do "NATE" Facebook page to learn more and see if YOU can be a donor! Do "NATE" Page . Overall, social media is every where and used is so many different facets...even to save a life!

'Crying Jordan'

Although there is a lot to say about the nail-biter NCAA Men's College Basketball Championship game, the talk of the night was significantly focused on MJ. Michael Jordan knew when he showed up in his Carolina Blue last Monday that he ran the risk of a social media fiasco.

And as we predicted, a social media fiasco sky-rocketed. After the Villanova Wildcats finished with an incredible 3-point shot for the title, North Carolina fans were at a loss for words. Until a meme perfectly mirrored the entire sentiment of the Tar Heel nation. We don't know who the initial social media genius was, but the photo created an internet phenomenon. The original photo is from MJ's 2009 Hall of Fame induction speech which showed an extremely vulnerable side of Jordan. The meme was seen across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and countless of other platforms. The meme called for creative and clever photo-shoppers everywhere.



I've searched and searched the web for the top 5 best 'crying jordan' memes...enjoy!

And of course, the most recent 'crying jordan'

UGA Bug Dawgs

This semester I am completely getting out of my comfort zone...with bugs!!! I am currently enrolled in ENTO 3300S, which is a service learning class. As college aged students, we get to go out into the community and create a connection. We are connecting The University of Georgia to Athens, GA through bugs!

Currently our class has a massive presence on social media. Every time we go to an event, we have to post a photo/video to a social media account. This not only proves to the class what we are doing, but also represents the opportunities to take a service learning class like this! This class is more than a grade or a test, it is a chance to get a glimpse to the community we live in.

Our entomology class doesn't just use social media, but the internet as well. Even though we are suppose to know a majority of things we are presenting, there are always so much more to know about bugs. During a majority of our community experiences, we use our cell phones to look up different facts and information.

Without social media and the web, this class wouldn't have the same experiences or the same impacts.  I am proud of be a member of UGA Bug Dawgs and everything we are doing throughout the community.

Southwest more like Southworst

This weekend I flew Southwest for the first time from Atlanta to Washington D.C. for a school trip. When arriving in D.C. there was one thing missing...my bag.

On Southwest Airlines, bags fly free. Your first and second checked bag will leave you with no costs (depending on the weight and sizing). Southwest believes that their lack of bag fees keeps them a step above their competitors. BUT what if your service doesn't follow through...what are you going to do?

So I did what I knew best, I tweeted Southwest...and I got my friends to help me too. Immediately I received a response from "Daniel", my new cyber friend. "Daniel" was sweet, friendly, and attempted to be helpful. However when it is all said and done, there was no trace of the bag. Everyone I talked to from Southwest was extremely kind and wanted to help me. They trained their customer service to the best extent. I can only imagine how many upset customer phone calls they receive a day. 

Currently, the bag is still MIA. Southwest has called me every single day to remind me. I am ~optimistic~ that it will turn up soon. The biggest lesson this experience has taught me is how important online customer service is. Southwest replied to every tweet and direct message with a calm and caring attitude! Customer Service matters and despite loosing my bag, Southwest can pride themselves on that. 

Social Media...The New Diet

ESPNW is the featuring the ultimate "Motivational Monday" with Meka Ford's extreme weight loss.

With an army of 4 million strong, Ford dropped 130 pounds in just 17 months!!! 4 million being the number of "followers" the 23-year-old gained through this incredible transformation. The overflow of love and support followed Meka on all realms of social media including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as she took on this daunting task. Although she attributes the initial weight loss to 60-day Insanity workout program, the power of social media pushed her to new extremes. Ford says those YouTube comments continue to inspire her today, especially teenagers, stating that "I can sympathize with them because I used to be an unhappy, fat teenager." Check out her Instagram Account !! And the video below which has received over 4 million views!

Check out this awesome article by Fitness Magazine!

"5 Ways Social Media Can Help You Lose Weight" !

We currently live in a society with a culture full of body image issues, selfies, and comparisons galore. It is sometimes difficult to feel the love and know your true worth when it is lost in cyberspace. But how cool it is to see a story where encouragement comes into play for a young woman to push her through this journey. I believe we should use our social media powers for good. I believe we should use these outlets to empower one another for our abilities we've been blessed with. I believe we can ignite change in a generation from attributing worth to the amount of 'likes' to attributing worth to what lies inside a person.

Today my blog serves as a challenge for YOU! I challenge you to use your hashtags, your comments, and your 'likes' for good! We ARE given an opportunity everyday to have an impact  on others. Make someone else feel loved, encouraged, or just down right AWESOME!

KANYE WEST: maybe do less?

Kanye is somehow ALWAYS in the social scene. The Chicago rapper loves to stir up the drama any way he can. From twitter fights, to dropping albums, to pleading for money, to putting down T-Swift...Kanye is always up in our grill. Kanye is to social media as air is to humans...constant and necessary. 

In honor of his boastful social media posts...nothing says "Happy Monday" like Kanye's Top Three Most Profound Social Media Moments

Number One: Wiz Khalifa vs. Kanye duke it out in a twitter battle

Life lesson #1...don't mess with Kanye. Wiz challenged Kanye in a feud centered around an album title...yes an album title. Miscommunication, a lot of attention and 30 tweets later, K switched gears and commended Wiz saying "I think you dress cool" before deleting all of the tweets. Unfortunately for Kanye, there is this thing called taking a screenshot and this Twitter battle will live on forever. 

Number Two: The infamous 2009 VMA Interruption

We all know it. We won't forget. In 2009, Kanye hijacked the microphone from Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech for "Best Female Video" saying "Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, Imma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time." Stars all over took Swift's side on social media to stand up for the then 20 year old. The day after, "Taylor Swift", "Beyonce", "VMAs" and "Kanye" were all trending on twitter and will forever be remembered. 

Number Three: The most recent plea for money from Mark Zuckerberg

Kanye just can't get out of the spotlight. This past week, K has claimed that he is $53 million in debt and wants $1 billion from Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg using his outlet of choice...Twitter. And sadly, this doesn't seem too odd for the rapper. 

Wanna stay tune to all the drama?
Follow Yeezus on Twitter: kanyewest 

#SB50 IS HERE!

In honor of Super Bowl 50, let the celebration begin of a night full of newsworthy commercials, exciting half-time performances (#tbt to SB2004), oh yeah and football...here are the best ways to stay #connected.

1) Who to Follow

• Of course the Official Superbowl Host Committee: Superbowl 50
• NFL LIVE Snapchat Story is a MUST! (open your snapchat camera, press and hold to scan and you're good to go!) 
• All of the incredible performances tonight! 
• LadyGaga - Coldplay - Queen B - BrunoMars
• Play by play updates offered by following the NFL on twitter right here NFL-Twitter
• Spotify has created the perfect Super Bowl party mix for your own party → TheBigGame2016Playlist 

2) Give me the facts!

• Where?!
• Despite popular belief that the Super Bowl game is being played in San Francisco, The Panthers and Broncos will actually kick off from Levi's Stadium in Santa, Clara California (about 45 miles south of San Francisco).
• Who?!
• The Veteran vs. The Rookie...13 year age gap that is!
• Peyton Manning from the Denver Broncos and Cam Newton representing the North Carolina Panthers will be going head-to-to tonight 6pm E.T.
• Help me sound smart at my Super Bowl Party!
• This is the first time in NFL history that two No. 1 overall draft picks will start against each in a Super Bowl.
• Peyton was the No.1 pick in 1998
• Cam Newton was the No.1 pick in 2011
• Broncos coach Gary Kubiak is the first coach to take a team to the Super Bowl that he also played for!
• Cubic played for the Broncos 1983-1991
• Evan Mathis, Broncos guard, was drafted by the Panthers in 2005.
• He'll be the only player on the field tonight who's played for both teams.

3) COMMERCIALS, COMMERCIALS, COMMERCIALS

• CBS will be posting this year's most shocking, hilarious, and everything in-between commercials throughout the game!
•  Commercials
• Watch your favorites over and over and over again! But until then, let's celebrate some of the best commercials of 2015!

Happy Watching!