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What Two Teenagers and a School Project Taught Me About Life

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     My new favorite play that I read in my Introduction to Theater course is I and You by Lauren Gunderson. It's so memorable because it deals so much about how important human interaction is, one's identity, and how our lives can change because of something as powerful as art. Gunderson, as a playwright known for writing things that are women-centered, scientific, and based on history, uses I and You to develop a story that is simple within its setting yet rich in idea.      The whole play takes place in a single room and deals with only two characters: Caroline, a teenager bedridden by illness, and Anthony, a classmate who comes to work on a school project. The two are as different as possible at the start—Caroline is kind of sarcastic and withdrawn, and Anthony is a social and highly driven person. But as the play goes on, you start to see how much they have in common, and how they both need to open themselves up to one another in order to learn about t...
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Scrolling Through Time: The Rise of Social Media

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     It’s hard to imagine life without social media. From scanning Instagram over lunch to swiping through TikToks before bed, social media is life. But things weren't always that way. Social media has progressed from simple status updates to a complex and powerful tool that drives the way we communicate, exchange information and do business.      Social media started early in the 2000s with websites like MySpace and Friendster. These initial websites allowed users to create profiles, upload photos and connect friends. Facebook came along in 2004 and was an instant global platform from its humble beginnings as a college networking site. Twitter came along in 2006, offering another channel for communicating short ideas and information. Time, though, brought new uses in the shape of Instagram in 2010 and TikTok in 2016, each with its own revolutionary means of influencing people's uses and attitudes toward social media.      What’s amazing is h...
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Medina Madness Part Two

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     I had such a fun weekend! After work on Friday, I drove to Medina to visit my girlfriend, Katelynn. I got there at around 10 p.m. and her two brothers wanted to go to Sheetz, which, if you don't know, is like a gas station mixed with a fast food restaurant. So, Katelynn drove the four of us, and we got food. I got a sampler where I got to pick three different appetizers in one box. I picked boneless wings, mac and cheese bites and mozzarella sticks. We all came back to the house and ate, and it was so good. Well, really good for it technically being gas station food. After that, Katelynn and I talked and hung out for a few hours before falling asleep.      We got up around noon on Saturday and made waffles and coffee. We talked and ate breakfast until she had to get ready for work. When she left, I got a shower and got ready for the day before heading out to check a few stores for Pokémon cards, and, of course, no one had anything. So I then went to Ma...
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Social Media 101

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     Social media wasn't always a means of posting selfies and stalking our high school crushes. But after reading Michelle Charello's Essentials of Social Media Marketing, it's clear there's more going on behind the feed. From branding to analytics, the initial 12 chapters dissect the big brand moves being made online—and trust me, it's more calculated than people think. Chapter 1: So, What Even Is Social Media Marketing?      The book begins by stating social media marketing is more than being present online—it's building relationships, brand loyalty and concrete goals. Companies use platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to do everything from selling products to managing customer service. It's not a matter of posting haphazardly; it's a full-fledged strategy. Chapter 2: Knowing Your Audience (Seriously, Know Them)      Prior to a brand ever posting a meme, it needs to know whom it's talking to first. This chapter breaks down the nee...
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My Papa

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     As many of you may know from my blogs from the past two weeks, my grandpa just recently passed away on April 8. I know this might not be what people want to read about, but he was a huge part of my life and his death has really been taking a toll on me. I wish I had something more fun to write about, but this has consumed my life for the past couple of weeks. Since I don't know what else to talk about, I'm just going to talk about my Papa.      When I think of my Papa, I remember things like his sarcasm and his funny little sayings, like if you burped, he would say, “Did you get any on ya?” or “Bring it up again and we’ll vote on it.” I remember his crazy metaphors that nobody understood — or at least as a kid, I didn’t understand. Like, “I need to go see a man about a horse.” I’m sorry, what? What does that even mean? I knew that he was the guy to go to if you needed help with your grass, but also the guy whose grass you were afraid to step on. I also...
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You’re the Product

     The first time I ever saw The Social Dilemma on Netflix, I was expecting yet another documentary that bashed social media as the root of all evil in the world. What actually resonated with me, though, wasn’t necessarily that these sites are addictive or bad for our mental states — it was that if you’re not paying for it, then you’re the product. That actually put me in perspective.      We all realize that social media is “free,” but the documentary made it very clear that it’s really not free in the least. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are businesses. They make money by selling ads. So, essentially, what they’re doing is selling our attention to advertisers. Every time we scroll, pause on a video, like a post or even just briefly hover over something, that data is collected and used to keep us on the app longer. The longer we’re on the app, the more ads we get to see and the more money they make. The algorithm is smarter than you think    ...
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TikTok Tips for Brands

     TikTok has quickly become one of the most powerful platforms for marketing today. With over a billion monthly active users and an algorithm built around content discovery, it offers brands a unique chance to reach massive audiences — especially younger ones. As a college freshman studying marketing, I’ve been learning how platforms like TikTok are reshaping the way brands connect with people. Chapter 11 of Essentials of Social Media Marketing is where it breaks down specifically how brands can effectively utilize TikTok. The bottom line? TikTok success lies in genuine, innovative content — not in conventional advertisements.      TikTok has its own culture as well, and users are not hesitant to swipe away content that feels fake or overly promotional. To succeed, brands need to take a read on what's trending, how folks engage with content and what feels native to the platform.      For example, language learning app Duolingo has garnered...
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