social – Page 7

Ways to be neighborly and keep social distancing

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19, HEALTH & WELLNESS

Ways to be neighborly and keep social distancing

“Won’t you be my neighbor?” Fred Rogers sang this song upwards of 900 times during 31 seasons of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” But how is being a good neighbor possible during this time of quarantines and social distancing? Tracy Kirby Harbold, executive director of the Upper Arlington Community Foundation in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, said its Good Neighbor Fund has experienced an increase in monetary donations and gift cards in the past month. “People want to do something to help neighbors,” said Harbold, pointing out that about 33,000 live in the community. “We will pay rent, car payments, insurance, back bills ... whatever is the need.” She added, “The silver lining in this is that people are looking at their neighbors and asking how they can help them. They are checking on seni...

Social media fuels wave of coronavirus misinformation as users focus on popularity, not accuracy

6Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19, SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media fuels wave of coronavirus misinformation as users focus on popularity, not accuracy

Over the past few weeks, misinformation about the new coronavirus pandemic has been spreading across social media at an alarming rate. One video that went viral claimed breathing hot air from a hair dryer could treat COVID-19. A Twitter post touted injecting vitamin C to the bloodstream to treat the viral disease. Other threads hyped unfounded claims that vaping organic oregano oil is effective against the virus, as is using colloidal silver. The sheer number of false and sometimes dangerous claims is worrying, as is the way people are unintentionally spreading them in ever wider circles. In the face of this previously unknown virus, millions of people have been turning to social media platforms in an attempt to stay informed about the latest developments and connected to friends and fam...

Social media companies are taking steps to tamp down coronavirus misinformation – but they can do more

30Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19, SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media companies are taking steps to tamp down coronavirus misinformation – but they can do more

As we practice social distancing, our embrace of social media gets only tighter. The major social media platforms have emerged as the critical information purveyors for influencing the choices people make during the expanding pandemic. There’s also reason for worry: the World Health Organization is concerned about an “infodemic,” a glut of accurate and inaccurate information about COVID-19. The social media companies have been pilloried in recent years for practicing “surveillance capitalism” and being a societal menace. The pandemic could be their moment of redemption. How are they rising to this challenge? Surprisingly, Facebook, which had earned the reputation of being the least trusted tech company in recent years, has led with the strongest, most consistent actions during the unfold...

We are all humanitarian negotiators now: 3 steps for planning your ‘please take social distancing seriously’ conversation

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19

We are all humanitarian negotiators now: 3 steps for planning your ‘please take social distancing seriously’ conversation

See if this sounds familiar. You have an older relative whom you believe to be at a serious health risk if they catch the coronavirus. You call, try to persuade them to take social distancing seriously. But your arguments fail to resonate. You both get angry and hang up, locked in a stalemate. The bad news is that these conversations are as important to get right as they are frustrating. The good news is that you – perhaps without realizing it – have stepped into a field that has already generated a great deal of useful wisdom. You have become a humanitarian negotiator. In my work at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, a research and education center aimed at advancing the science and practice of humanitarian response, I researched emergency relief responders who – every day, all acro...

6 things you can do to cope with boredom at a time of social distancing

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SOCIETY

6 things you can do to cope with boredom at a time of social distancing

More and more of us are staying home in an attempt to slow down the spreading coronavirus. But being stuck at home can lead to boredom. Boredom is a signal that we’re not meaningfully engaged with the world. It tells us to stop what we’re doing, and do it better – or to do something else. But, as a social psychologist who studies boredom, I know that people don’t always make the best choices when bored. So if you’re stuck at home, dutifully practicing your social distancing, how do you keep boredom away? About boredom We can feel bored even with jobs and activities that appear to be meaningful. For example, researchers have found anesthesiologists and air traffic controllers find themselves bored on the job. What this research reveals is that just because something is objectively meanin...

Video: Why social distancing is one of the best tools we have to fight the coronavirus

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19, HEALTH & WELLNESS, VIDEO REELS

Video: Why social distancing is one of the best tools we have to fight the coronavirus

Social distancing is a tool public health officials recommend to slow the spread of a disease that is being passed from person to person. Social distancing is a tool public health officials recommend to slow the spread of a disease that is being passed from person to person. The Conversation US, CC BY This video is based on an article written by Thomas Perls, professor of Medicine at Boston University. Simply put, it means that people stay far enough away from each other so that the coronavirus – or any pathogen – cannot spread from one person to another. It helps us reduce the rate of new infections, so that new cases are spread over time and the medical care system does not get overwhelmed. Watch the video to find out more about what social distancing is, and why it’s one of the best ...

Poets Of Color Carry Pushing For Social Change In Their Communities.

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Poets Of Color Carry Pushing For Social Change In Their Communities.

Most often in the United States, when poetry is discussed, what comes to mind for many is the works of Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, T.S. Eliot, even Emily Dickinson. These are referred to as the “classics.” While their works have influenced much of American culture, the works of poets of color have championed revolutionary change, many through social justice movements. Poets such as Joy Harjo, Khalil Gibran, Gloria Anzaldua, Suji Kwock Kim, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Maya Angelou. Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American woman to publish a book of poetry, and was born into slavery, yet many do not know her name. Even when we look globally, many poets were key revolutionaries in the Sandinista National Liberation Front against the Somoza regime and United States oc...

How To Use Social Media For Branding Like A Celebrity

26Feb

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BUSINESS, SOCIAL MEDIA

How To Use Social Media For Branding Like A Celebrity

Being a celebrity is a never ending task. The fame and fortune that come with this status require constant effort to maintain. As a celebrity, it is very important to maintain one's brand. The brand is what makes people keep talking about you and thus making you a celebrity. As such, a celebrity should maintain their brand. One of the tools that they can use to accomplish this is social media. There are many platforms for celebrity branding. They include YouTube, Facebook Groups and LinkedIn Groups. Read on to learn how to become a celebrity in your niche with the assistance of social media. They use social media accounts to treat their fans like friends To build their brands, celebrities using social media to get closer to their friends. The celebrities use their accounts to speak to th...

Malicious bots and trolls spread vaccine misinformation – now social media companies are fighting back

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SOCIAL MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY

Malicious bots and trolls spread vaccine misinformation – now social media companies are fighting back

Social media have become one of the preeminent ways of disseminating accurate information about vaccines. However, a lot of the vaccine information propagated across social media in the United States has been inaccurate or misleading. At a time when vaccine-preventable diseases are on the rise, vaccine misinformation has become a cause of concern to public health officials. At least half of parents of young children report having encountered negative messages about vaccines on social media. Alexander Dummer/Unsplash, CC BY A 2018 study showed that a lot of anti-vaccine information is generated by malicious automated programs – known as bots – and online trolls. In a striking parallel with the 2016 presidential campaign and the 2018 midterm elections, some vaccine misinformation on America...

12Feb

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

LIFESTYLE

Why people post ‘couple photos’ as their social media profile pictures

As you scroll through your Facebook news feed, you see it: Your friend has posted a new profile picture. But instead of a picture of just your friend, it’s a couple photo – a picture of your friend and their romantic partner. “Why would someone choose that as their profile picture?” you wonder. We are social psychology researchers interested in understanding people’s behavior in close relationships and on social media. Our research and that of other scholars provides insight into why people use these types of “I’m part of a couple!” displays on social media. Choosing profile photos that include their romantic partner, posting their relationship status and mentioning their partner in their updates can all be signs of how people feel in their relationship – and may send an important messag...