How Obama Won the Social Media Battle in the 2012 Presidential Campaign

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The 2008 Obama Presidential campaign made history.  Not only was Obama the first African American to be elected president, but he was also the first presidential candidate to effectively use social media as a major campaign strategy. It’s easy to forget, given how ubiquitous social media is … [Read more...]

Social Media Doesn’t Have to Make Breaking Up Harder to Do

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Moving on emotionally after a break-up is hard, with or without social media.  But the easy access and speed of social media sites, like Facebook, can make it easier to torment yourself and harder to move on. When relationships don’t go as we expected, planned or hoped, we want to know why.  … [Read more...]

Sandy Hook Tragedy Sparks Social Media Avalanche

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The Sandy Hook tragedy has created an avalanche of response across social media.   The senseless violence has so outraged and shocked people that is has turned observers into advocates and supporters.  Whether it’s showing support, lobbying for gun control, promoting mental health  initiatives … [Read more...]

The Positive Side of Video Games: Part III

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Many people have the image of video games as socially isolating, if not psychologically addicting. Yet, like my friend Kristin demonstrated when she joined her son in the online game Wizard101 (see part 1), video games can connect families and friends across time and distances. In my last post, … [Read more...]

The Positive Side of Video Games: Part II

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Video games have been at the forefront of interactive media and continue to be a significant part of the participatory media environment. The thought of a video game still may strike horror into the hearts of many, but video games are just a digital manifestation of a very basic human behavior: … [Read more...]