Facebook and Breastfeeding December 31, 2008

I stumbled upon an interesting TIME article this morning about Facebook vs. breastfeeders.  I sent a quick tweet out onto Twitter, and I’m afraid I could have possibly been misunderstood.  My quick 140 character message of “Why put your breastfeeding pics on FB anyway?” could, upon first glance, be interpreted in two ways:

That I support Facebook’s ban on the pictures

That I don’t support breastfeeding

Actually, neither assumption is right.  And I’m going to direct those people who responded to my tweet to this post, as I can lay out my argument much better in this format than in 140 characters.

While I understand the blanket rule that leads to the deletion of pictures by Facebook, I think it’s a shame that pictures of a woman feeding her child are lumped in with risqué pictures that are the result of too much alcohol or too little modesty.  I also wholly support breastfeeding and plan to practice it when I have a child.  My argument stems not from the issue of breastfeeding itself or from Facebook’s categorization of pictures, but from my view of Facebook as a social entity.

I am an early adopter of Facebook, having started it when it was only open to college students with an .edu email address.  Students posted any and all pictures without discretion; they left questionable messages as wall posts, and “poking” someone was a form of sexual flirting.  Since then, Facebook has grown to include everyone from my father to a friend’s 6-year-old little boy.  The site has become quite a player in the social media scene, as I’ve explored before.  But it’s this early use of Facebook that I can’t reconcile when it comes to posting breastfeeding pictures.  I have plenty of friends who post pictures of their children or their pregnancies because they want to share their lives through these portals.  It’s just not for me.  I don’t want to include pictures of my innocent, precious child on a website that includes “30 Reasons a Girl Should Call It A Night” or “I F*cking Like Drinking”.  Yes, I post pictures of my family, but the truly personal ones, as I’m sure most breastfeeding pictures would be, are not posted on this social networking site built around drunken nights and foolish decisions.  There are plenty of other photo sharing sites that can store your photos for family and friends to see—Shutterfly, Flickr and Webshots.

I’m also not judging people who post their most personal pictures on Facebook.  Just as I choose to not share certain parts of my life, others are choosing to put it all out there.  That’s a personal decision, and not mine to judge.  As I write this, I’m beginning to understand that I’m not really arguing for or against any one argument.  I just wanted to clear the air and make sure not to offend people.  I don’t mind ruffling a few feathers when my opinion is clear, but I’d hate for someone to be miffed over an opinion that doesn’t exist.

Maybe I’m just not ready to give up all of my privacy to the increasingly digital world into which we are evolving.  As much as I use Facebook to keep up with friends spread over the miles, there are still moments that I would like to keep personal.

Hello, 2009! December 30, 2008

It’s been a while since I last posted.  First, I took a self-imposed vacation from any computer-related activity during my Christmas break in NC.  I was very excited when I got back to work, thinking that surely there would be great news to report upon my return.

Not so.  It’s been quite a slow week.  I know, it is the end of the year, and most people are busy planning their New Year’s Eve parties, not making news.

So now I’m forced to share my New Year’s resolutions.  This way, I will feel more inclined to keep them.  If I tell all of you what I plan to tackle in the next year, then I will hold myself accountable in 2009.

Resolution #1:  Learn to knit.

Resolution #2:  Make yoga a regular part of my exercise routine.

Resolution #3:  Watch less TV.

Resolution #4:  Eliminate refined sugar from my diet.

I’m sure I’ll make more.  I like to create many small, reachable goals that I can continually work on throughout the year, as opposed to a major, utopian goal.  I know that some people think that resolutions are just a way to set yourself up to fail, or that they’re pointless, but I like the idea of starting over.  New Year’s is one of my favorite holidays, because anyone can wipe the slate clean and start new.  I know that logically, I could do this any time of the year; but to do it on January 1st, and to give myself a year to reach my goals is very empowering.  Not to mention that by creating small, fun, sometimes pointless goals gives me the chance to always learn something new, and to learn about myself in the process.
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What are your New Year’s resolutions?  If you don’t make them, then tell me why…

 

Customer Service=Common Sense December 18, 2008

In these tough economic times, it’s getting pretty hard to compete with companies on price.  So, on what other level can you compete?  As a consumer, I would say one of the top qualities I look for in a brand is customer service.  I have publicly said before that I will never give money to United Airlines again, as they have some of the most horrible service imaginable.  Another brand with which I have no experience but have heard horror stories about is Dell.  According to some, their customer service is non-existent; to others, it is in adequate.

 

Dell has listened to its customers, and as a solution, they are now offering “American” customer service representatives who speak clear English.  This service comes with a price of $13/month for current computer users and $99/year for new customers.

 

Dell is a prime example of a company who listens and responds to what their market is saying, but is clueless when it comes to a smart response.  Why should customer service come with a price?  Service should be one of the top priorities of any business.  After my fiasco with United, I am now prepared to pay higher ticket prices to airline companies who pay attention and respond to me as a valued customer.  I have also taken to driving a little further to a grocery store because the one that is closest to my house is full of employees (aka kids who need gas money) who would rather discuss what happened in gym class than help me with my groceries.  The last straw was when one of the teenyboppers told my boyfriend that he should teach me how to eat healthier foods.  What is she, a bagger or a nutritionist?

 

And if you think that I’m just hard to please, think again.  Customer service ranks high in satisfaction surveys.  To me, it’s just common sense.  Think about how you feel when you walk into a business seeking help.  Do you want someone who is tired, cranky and difficult, or someone who is focused, polite and efficient?  Dell has even more unique considerations, as most of their customer service representatives are over the phone.  It’s not about wanting to speak to an “American.”  It’s about a person who is having problems with a computer, who is frustrated and confused and needs help.  If a person is computer-repair illiterate (like me), it’s hard enough to know what’s going on right in front of me.  I need to be able to understand the person I’m speaking to, because even in the clearest of English, it’s still going to sound like Latin to me.  Providing clear and easy customer service to computer owners should be a no-brainer for Dell.  It shouldn’t cost money for people to use it—they’ve already invested in your product by purchasing the computer in the first place.  It’s not rocket science; it’s customer service.

 

And by the way, I did just have a fantastic customer service experience with Verizon.  I switched my service over to them earlier this week.  It wasn’t supposed to be active until Sunday, giving me another few days with my current provider.  Somehow, a port change request went through, and I lost service to both of my phones as my number was lost out there in wireless land.  I called the salesperson who helped me set up the account (he was already at home…oops!), and he spent his evening helping me figure out what went wrong.  Not only that, but they had it fixed by midday.  They were accommodating, helpful and clear on everything they were doing.  See, I told you that I’m not hard to please…I don’t expect fireworks and hugs; I just want what I pay for.

Treadmills, Bikes, Weights…Marketing? December 14, 2008

UPDATE:  This post came up at work, and a co-worker said that it reminded him of Dodgeball (you know, the gym that they were making fun of??).  Here are some Dodgeball quotes.  Take a look at these and then watch the video.  What do you think?

~ Here at Globo Gym we understand that ugliness and fatness are genetic disorders, much like baldness or necrophilia, and it’s only your fault if you don’t hate yourself enough to do something about it.~

~ Of course you’ll still be you in a legal sense, but think of it as a thinner, more attractive, better you than you could ever become without us.~

~ And with our competitively priced on-site cosmetic surgery, we can turn that Frankenstein you see in the mirror every morning into a Franken “Fine”.~

~ Here at Globo Gym, WE’RE BETTER THAN YOU! And we know it!~

In just a few short weeks, we will all be celebrating New Year’s Eve, which will inevitably lead to the traditional resolutions to lose weight, get in shape, eat better, etc.  When choosing a gym, how do you determine whether or not it’s right for you?  Is it the weight equipment, the age of the machines, the perks like saunas and whirlpools, or is it the…marketing?  Yes, marketing.  While I have never directly chosen a gym based on how it markets itself, there is a new one in town that I will never consider joining.  I’ll never even walk through the door, and it’s all because of the message they have sent out as part of their marketing campaign.

 

I was driving to work last week when I noticed workers putting up a new billboard on a busy corner in town.  It was definitely eye-catching–a close-up of a man’s hairy chest with a single website: www.nomoremanboobsmissoula.com.  So immediately, I had to check out the website.  It’s a video of a girl in a bath towel, admiring herself in the mirror and berating men for being overweight and ugly.  According to her, these men should get into the gym and rectify their situation of being overweight and unattractive.  Even if they do, however, they will still not be good enough for her.

 

The billboard is hilarious, and it’s definitely garnered a lot of attention.  I have had several friends ask if I’ve seen the new billboard on South and Russell.  Good job, marketing team.  You’ve created awareness in the consumer’s mind, and you’ve directed them to your website.  But do you have to result to insults to get people through the door?

 

Gyms are full of staff who are supposed to help people get into shape and feel better about themselves.  Nutritionists help reshape notions about portion control, water intake and food issues.  Personal trainers guide gym newbies through a program to increase strength and fitness levels.  These people come together to improve the quality of life for their clients.  None of these people use negative reinforcement to motivate their clients.  So why associate those attitudes with your establishment at all?

 

Here are a few ideals tied to the marketing strategies of different gyms that are more positive:

Strength 

Support

Education

 

I’ve worked out at several different gyms over the years.  The ones I’ve stuck with are less worried about your appearance, your dating capabilities and your man boobs and more focused on nutrition, encouragement and self-esteem.

 

How Private is Your Private Life? December 3, 2008

Facebook has 120 million users; Twitter has over 3 million users.  There are countless blogs floating around the Internet, and numerous photo sharing sites.  Our private lives are suddenly becoming more and more public thanks to social media.  But are we becoming too comfortable?

 

 I’m going to take what I consider to be the most appalling example of this and start from there.  Facebook has a group called 30 Reasons A Girl Should Call It A Night.  It’s full of girls in various stages of undress, making out with friends (and perhaps strangers?), heaving into toilets…many, many things that I wouldn’t want the world to know I was doing. 

 

I feel old as I write this post, having only graduated from college a little over 2 years ago and already finding this group more troubling rather than entertaining.  I had my fair share of crazy nights, filled with too much alcohol and lots of cameras.  There were pictures taken of me that I found funny at the time, but most are now untagged (if they were taken by friends) or completely taken down (if added by me).  I know what these pictures symbolize—a great memory between friends, a hysterical story to be shared over and over again; it’s a form of cataloguing memories from the college years, which some say are the best years of your life (I could beg to differ on that too, but that’s an entirely different post in and of itself).  BUT, with more and more people and businesses becoming involved with Facebook, posting drunken pictures is becoming a more dangerous practice.  Employers are checking out potential hires’ pages and pictures; parents are seeing a side to their kids that they’d probably rather forget; and those people in the pictures are having to do a lot of explaining. 

 

Let’s move on to the issue of blogging about our personal lives.  Emily Gould is probably the best example of this, having been burned by the blogging site that employed her.  Many other people have blogs on which they unload personal messages.

 

 The question remains—are we becoming too comfortable pouring our personal lives into an arena to be viewed and critiqued by others?  A few unfortunate souls have seen the ramifications of social media overload:

 

Teachers in trouble over Facebook profiles

Joshua Lipton

Victoria Lindsay

Megan Meier’s suicide and the subsequent trial

 

 

There are so many more that it would take me forever to list.  People are arrested, stalked, bullied and passed over for jobs based on what they put on their social profiles. 

 

 Don’t get me wrong.  I use Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and I’m obviously extremely involved with social media, given my marketing job and my blogging hobby.  I do think, however, that there are some basic rules to follow regarding what you show to the rest of the world.  No direct addresses, full names, and other personal information should be shared.  Photos should be approved by a discriminating eye.  Would you want your parents to see that?  No?  Then don’t tag it.  Would that piece of information hurt you personally or professionally?  Yes?  Then don’t share it except with friends (real friends, not virtual ones).