Has Facebook Gone Too Far?!

People are curiously questioning whether Facebook is secretly eavesdropping on their personal conversations. Regardless if this is for advertising purposes... has Facebook gone too far??

Some claim that they believe Facebook can hear their private conversations because advertisements are so personally targeted towards things that they claim they haven't even searched yet. Who knows what our smartphones are actually capable of doing?

In 2016, reports revealed that Facebook generated $5.38 billion in revenue- with $5.2 billion of it being from advertising. Therefore, accuracy of advertisements is critical in targeting consumers and creating effective posts. The means they use to achieve this accuracy might be unknown to us as consumers.

However, Facebook issued a statement denying the claims and affirm that they are not listening in for advertisement or any other reasons.

They might "claim" that they aren't listening, but the real question is: do you believe it?

Regardless, it's always better to be safe than sorry, and just in case here is how to disable microphone access on the Facebook app:

1. Click on the Settings app
2. Scroll down to "Facebook"
3. Click on the Settings option 
4. Switch Microphone to off

Out With the Old...And In With the New

I find myself consistently trying to keep up with the new "slang" that seems to be updated way to often... so I thought I'd start to make a list to keep track.

Here is a list of some words that have taken on a completely new meaning thanks to social media:

1. "Poke"

• Old Definition: jab or prod (someone or something), especially with one's finger.
• New Definition: a way to attract the attention of another person on Facebook by using the ‘poke’ facility (usually randomly by someone you haven't talked to in a few years).

2.  "Feed"

• Old Definition: give food to.
• New Definition: a place to go in order to see what people in your social circle are posting/doing with their life that you in reality don't care much about. 

3. "Friend"

• Old Definition: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection in person. 
• New Definition: a person you met once at a bar and decided to add on social media in order to get a better follower ratio. 

4. "Tweet"

• Old Definition: the chirp of a small or young bird
• New Definition: a posting (usually of an irrelevant opinion or rant) made on the social media website Twitter that is limited to 140 characters- thankfully. 

5. "Tag"

• Old Definition: a children's game in which one chases the rest, and anyone who is touched then becomes the pursuer. 
• New Definition: a way to link someone to an embarrassing photo on Facebook or Instagram in order for them to be attached to it forever whether they like it or not. 

With the fast pace lifestyle of the internet, I'm sure there are even more meanings being created right now. Is there really anyone that can keep up with all these absurd new meanings??? 

Catfishing: Don't take the BAIT!

Catfish (v.): an individual who sets up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes 

With the accessibility and ease to what almost feels like an unlimited amount of social media sites, there are a variety of ways for cruel people to make fake accounts and bully online today. 

One of these ways includes catfishing.

Who are these catfishers? People that are...

• Compulsive liars 
• Addicted to fantasy
• May have a history of abuse
• Have a feeling of being unloved or unwanted
• May desire to hurt others
• Possible self-esteem issues

Possible motivations include:

• Revenge
• Loneliness
• Curiosity 
• Boredom

Over the last decade in the US, the percentage of people that know someone who has dated online has increased drastically from 11% to 42%. Also, the percentage of people that know someone who has met their partner online has increased from 15% to 29% in the last decade as well.

What does this mean? This gives a lot more opportunities for catfishing online. 

Studies show that women are 50% more likely to lie about themselves on social media. 

Another study shows that 1 out of every 10 dating profiles are fake. 

How to avoid the bait: 

• If they seem too good to be true, then they probably are!!! 
• Look out for glamorous professions
• Be cautious of the random people who start communication with you online
• Check for mutual friends

Red flags:

• Have dramatic reasons for not meeting in person
• Keep you on the hook with the promise of meeting later
• Give excuses of why they can't use webcam or send pictures

Today, Nev Schulman hosts the MTV show "Catfish" in order to help others discover the true identity of their online romances after he was personally catfished. He popularized the term "catfishing."

If you are out there on these online dating websites, be careful and don't get "hooked" or you might end up on MTV!

Nick...Fourth Time's the Charm?

Social media buzzed with comments during the Bachelor's dramatic 3-hour Finale. After making it to the finale of two previous seasons of the Bachelorette, America spent all their time wondering if Nick Viall would ever find love??? 

As we all tuned in on our televisions Monday night, we couldn't help but think: would the woman of Nick's dreams say yes as he got down on one knee, or would she leave him heartbroken and standing alone at the altar AGAIN?! Or even worse, would Nick choose nobody and voluntarily be standing at the altar alone in the end??

The possibilities are endless... 

As I promised myself I wouldn't waste three hours of my Monday night watching Nick's treacherous acting skills, I found myself still glued to the TV at 10:59PM.

Although America spent every aching moment wondering, our minds were finally put at ease when we found out Nick did in fact find love with Vanessa...well at least we thought. 

On the "After the Final Rose" episode, which premieres the newly engaged couple for the first time, viewers couldn't help but question the tension between the "happily" engaged couple. And of course, Twitter exploded with memes and tweets to acknowledge it. 

Even, past bachelors and bachelorettes were commenting on the awkwardness.

Others just made jokes about Nick's final choice.

 

As Chris Harrison would say..."It was one of the most dramatic seasons of the Bachelor YET!"

Queen B Slays Once Again

While most of us are just hoping to merely hit enough likes on Instagram so a numerical number shows up, Beyonce has just stolen the spot as the most liked Instagram photo of all time.

As Queen B announces her pregnancy with twins, she captions the Instagram photo, "We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. - The Carters." 

With 10.5 million likes and 519 thousand comments, Beyonce has far surpassed Selena Gomez, who last held the title with 6.5 million likes and 273 thousand comments. 

And of course... with Queen B's jaw dropping news, social media channels blew up with some unforgettable memes. 

This is gonna be a hard one to top, Kimye. 

How Much Do Celebrities Actually Make for Taking A Selfie, Typing #ad, and Pressing Share?

Have you ever wondered how much a celebrity gets paid to endorse a product by posting a picture on Instagram?

According to Captiv8 research, the following was discovered:

For an individual with three to seven million followers, he/she can charge (on average)...

• $187,500 for a post on YouTube
• $75,000 for a post on Instagram or Snapchat
• $30,000 for a post on Twitter. 

For a person with 50,000 to 500,000 followers, he/she can charge (on average)...

• $2,500 for a post on YouTube
• $1,000 for a post on Instagram or Snapchat
• $400 for a post on Twitter. 

Now...with that in context, take a celebrity like Kim Kardashian West who has 92 million followers.

Kim, who is far from average, definitely got paid many more zeros than that. 

The bottom line- celebrity endorsements are powerful forces for brands, but you will have to pay the big bucks for them!

Welcome back, Bieber!!

*cue the piercing teenage screams*

February 3, 2017... A day to mark down in history... A day the world was changed... A day that gave people a new purpose to live... A day that will never be forgotten... The day Justin Bieber returned to Instagram.

For all the Beliebers out there, Justin Bieber has finally reactivated his Instagram account after being absent for a whopping 22 weeks. The heartbreaking time apart has made fans anxious for the Bieb's return of his countless shirtless selfies shared on social media.

One thing is for sure...Bieber fever is at an all time high since the superstar came back on Instagram to share his T-Mobile Super Bowl ad by captioning, "Let me see your #unlimitedmoves."

The post has over 6.7 million views and 1.8 million likes with fans leaving comment after comment of heart emojis.

A Super Bowl ad commercial has been a dream of Justin's for a few years showing from a tweet he posted back in 2015. 

We're glad your dream came true Justin, but we are even more happy you're back.
Now don't try to leave us again, okay?