Being Aware of Your Surroundings

I recently heard a speaker say, “you are the average of the 5 people with whom you most frequently you surround yourself.” Now, I’m not sure if the guy made it up or if it is a notion that most people are aware of, but it was the first time I had heard this and it really stuck a chord with me. I started to reflect on how I perceive myself, who I wish others to perceive me as, and how I perceive the people with whom I frequently surround myself. I’m pretty confident that there will always be a slight variation in how people wish to be perceived and how they actually are perceived. From the feedback of family and friends, I believe that my idea of who I am and who others see me as are fortunately not too dissimilar. Also, on reflection, I realize that the people with whom I frequently surround myself in my personal life are all people who have numerous qualities that I admire.

However, I became curious if my social media habits work in the same way. Platforms like Facebook allow people to keep connections with individuals from our past, many of whom we might have met once and may never see again in person. Yet Instagram connects us with people who we may have never met, but share common photo interests. Snapchat is more selective for our closest circles who won’t judge us for a silly snapshot and can be trusted not to screenshot a potentially embarrassing photo that could later be used for blackmail. LinkedIn allows for connections with people whom we might admire professionally or those with whom we seek to network. Twitter also allows connections with people whose opinions we admire, but are highly unlikely to ever meet, such as celebrities. 

It has become a common practice for companies to research prospective employees, and is not too difficult of a task with all of these platforms available to the public. It’s even not unheard of for companies to look into the social media platforms of the friends of their prospective employees. Which brings me back to an addition onto my initial reflection. Who are the people with whom I most frequently surround myself with on social media? Do they accurately reflect the type of person that I want to portray to an employer? Do my interactions on social media reflect the quality of interactions in my personal life? These are all concerns to keep in mind when accepting a connection on a social media platform. It might say more about an individual to others than most people will have previously considered. 

Behold the Future

Snapchat is currently in the process of developing an innovative feature that won’t come through the typical app update. Instead, you’ll get to experience it much more up-close and personal. It is a pair of glasses that can shoot and post short videos from the perspective of the wearer. According to a source from CNBC, each pair of the retro-style glasses will cost $129.99 and are being positioned in the market as a “toy” rather than an investment in a technology.

[Photo Credit: http://how2becool.com/snapchat-will-around-pretty-long-time/]

At the start of the year, a report revealed Snapchat’s acquisition of Seene, a 3-D capture company. The Snapchat company has released just enough information to get interest from the market, but is keeping quiet about the specifics. What is currently known, is that the glasses will allow for a 115-degree field of view which will be accessible on a user’s mobile app.

Instagram’s most recent updates include features similar to the Snapchat app, and have users wondering if their aim is to take Snapchat out of the market. It will be interesting to see if Instagram will take further actions in response to this latest technological development from Snapchat, or if they have already been quietly working on a similar production.

The CNBC article quotes Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch who states that the “virtual, augmented, and ‘mixed reality’ [market] has the long-term potential to capture two-thirds of our leisure time, and 50 percent of our leisure dollars.” This would be a huge market sector for Snapchat to capture if their product is successful.

These glasses will certainly be something you’ll have to see to believe! ;)

Click here to read more from the full CNBC article.

Selfie for Breakfast

Holiday Inn Express distinguished themselves at the UGA vs. Tennessee game this past Saturday in Athens. Partnering with the SEC, the Holiday Inn Express parked their “Pancake Selfie” van on Myers, a popular tailgate location for UGA students. Interested fans formed a line in front of the van to find out more about the “pancake selfie” buzz. Holiday Inn Express employees passed out cards with instructions and each card had an associated “room number” which associated the guest to their personalized pancake. Those with an iPhone were able to connect through the van’s wifi to take a picture on their own phone, and those without an iPhone used a provided camera. Once the picture was taken, guests waited for their “room number” to be called to receive a pancake with their face on it. Pancakes without pictures were printed from machines in front of the van for guests waiting on their selfie pancake, and syrup, napkins, and plastic cutlery were provided. Waiting guests also had the option to try on virtual reality vision googles and headphones. The experience showed a video of Bob Riggle, spokesperson for the Holiday Inn Express advertisements, wearing raingear in a shower. After a guest received their selfie pancake, they were instructed to post a picture with “#PancakeSelfie” in order to be entered to win a sweepstakes offering.

The Pancake Selfie campaign was launched in 2015 and has been sweeping the nation ever since. One minute is all it takes for the pancake selfie machines to print a picture on a pancake. The high-tech and innovative concept has engaged guests both in person with a delicious breakfast, and digitally through their hashtag.

You can “track the truck” on the Holiday Inn Express website to find out where the next stop will be!