Decoding a Killer through Social Media

The death of a young child is one of the most heart-wrenching for people to cope with. This becomes even more difficult when the death is because of violence, especially by his or her own peers.

School shootings are happening more and more often in America. This type of violence is heartbreaking and incredibly difficult for people to understand. The most logical way to begin to understand is by asking, "Why?" However, the reasons anyone decides to kill, especially children, will never be fully understood.

When school shootings are carried out by children themselves, the media often turns immediately to social media. The generation of children in middle school and high school today post everything on social media, including every thought, feeling, and action. This helps tap into that lingering question of "why?".

For the recent school shooting in Seattle, Washington, shooter Jaylen Fryberg's social media accounts were blasted all over the news. By utilizing social media, the media was able to see that Fryberg was depressed and had a distorted outlook on his recent breakup. This helped answer the "why" in choosing his targets.

While social media can be a useful tool in looking into the mindset of a killer, it prompts a terrifying realization. Since the shooting, Fryberg's final Tweets have been retweeted thousands of times, spreading his messages of anger and hate.

By giving these hateful people attention, almost glorifying them, it shows other people with similar thoughts and feelings that killing is the answer to their problems. The only solution I see in this problem is by focusing the media's attention in memorializing those lost instead of trying to decode the motives of a killer.

Apple Pay: A Wallet in Your Hand

Apple just released their newest innovation. With Apple Pay, iPhone users can link their credit cards to their phone and pay quickly and easily.

The most enticing aspect of this idea is the security. If a user's phone is lost or stolen, the "Find My iPhone" feature can help them locate it. Even better than that, the phone can be locked down or swiped clean from anywhere, so thieves won't obtain the user's information.

Like any new idea, the reactions have varied.

My opinion is that Apple Pay is a great idea. Will it take awhile to really take off? Yes. Will it eventually take off? Yes. Society is always looking for new ways to make things easier, faster, and more convenient. Apple Pay is the solution.

Yik Yak: A Bully's Platform

When it comes to the internet, everyone knows nothing is ever deleted. This makes it very easy for anyone's most embarrassing moments, pictures, and mistakes to be forever archived for the world to see. At the time, that drunken picture or angry Tweet may have seemed like a good idea, but as time goes on, the regret usually sets in. But what if your social media image isn't in your own hands but someone else's?

The University of South Dakota has already faced something similar to this. With the Facebook site "USD Confessions", people submit their anonymous posts, which are later posted on the page for anyone to view. However, the administrator for the site is able to reject posts that are too over-the-top or shorten the names of mean or crude ones to somewhat protect the victim of the post.

The newest craze is an app called "Yik Yak". This app is created so anyone in a certain geographical location can post anything to a public wall. These topics could include someone's best pickup lines or discussions on the weather... Or worse.

The problem that immediately arose was the abuse of the anonymity. What was originally supposed to be a fun and innocent way for college students to communicate has become a public forum for bullies to take out their aggression. Anyone can use this site to completely destroy someone's reputation or credibility. To remind everyone, once something is online, it's there forever. One simple post can seriously damage someone's future. Luckily, I have not been a victim of Yik Yak yet, but it's popularity is still on the rise.

Two more unknown problems have come from the site's creation. First, instead of being used solely by college students, the site has trickled down into high schools and middle schools. As many of us remember, middle school is full of enough bullies. Adding an aspect of anonymity will only add fuel to the fire. Secondly, the safety of campuses all across the nation is being tested through the site. Already in its short life, the site has been used for death threats against students and bomb threats against schools as stated in this website.

What's the solution? Ridding the internet and phones of these anonymous sites is a first step. Someone with strong opinions should not be able to hide behind an app. The world is full of enough bullies. By giving bullies such a convenient platform to unleash their ridicule, we are only inviting more negativity and peer pressure into our society.

Break Through the Clutter

What makes good advertising? According to Forbes, the best advertising is what captures the reader's attention. Most of the time, this means using humor, having a memorable character, or writing a catchy tagline.

Advertisers today are beginning to use technology to enhance their consumers' experiences. An example of this is Showtime's use of an app that vibrates during the most intense moments of their shows. So, is this a move in the right direction?

I think utilizing technology to advertise is an amazing use of resources. This brings us back to the original purpose of advertising: to capture the reader's attention. By using technology instead of the typical print or television advertisement, companies would definitely "break through the clutter" and leave a lasting impression on their audience.

Is Dressing for Success a Dying Art?

In the past, workwear always meant dressing for success. Today, less and less professionals feel the need to dress up for their day-to-day jobs, which is discussed in this article.

However, I am a firm believer in all the cheesy cliches. I am one of those people who says if you dress well, you feel well, so you do well. Why shouldn't the same apply to your career?

Of course there are always exceptions to this rule. There are three major types of careers in my opinion, similarly to the article linked above, where the way you dress should differ:

1. Secluded desk jobs: For them, most of their day involves working with the same people, without much contact to others outside the office. Therefore, what they wear to work should be comfortable, and is not necessarily as much about appearance.

2. Office workers: By working with others, these people should dress up for work, looking like they put some thought and care into their appearance. After all, if you care about your appearance, others will take you more seriously.

3. Public faces: Dressing for success is most important in this group of people. People who are directly related to the public should always look as professional as possible. The main reason for this is because they are not only representing themselves but also representing their company as a whole.

Like this article from Forbes explains, the way you dress is just another way to communicate with your audience, and since we are in Public Relations, these littlest forms of communication our the foundation of our career field.