My Kid Will Be The Only One. Again.

I suppose I should sit down with my daughter right now and explain that she has a mean mom who will not let her do the things all the other kids do.  She might as well get used to it, because she's going to hear a lot of "No" in her lifetime.
 
This article from Forbes outlines Disney's purchase of a social network for kids called Togetherville.  The network allows parents to establish accounts using an adult's Facebook account and then establishing log-ins and controls for the child(ren).

This just does not feel right to me.  It's not that I'm against my daughter using a social network.  That's inevitable.  However, I want her to learn to make real-world relationships before she focuses on virtual-world relationships.  I want her to swing, run around playing tag, play with Playdough, read books--actually do something.

There's a lot out "there" about childhood obesity and children getting too much screen time.  I don't think Togetherville is going to improve those trends.  I think kids are paying the price because it's easier for parents to plop them in front of a screen and say "it's educational so it's okay".  The video clip, above, does a great job of showing active kids, but there's nothing active about using these social tools as a child. 

One more thing, doesn't this seem like the next perfect avenue for Cyberbullying?

Blogging About Blogs

This feels a little strange to do, but I'm writing today about the change in blogs and blogging behavior.  I feel a little funny about posting this, because I'm going to make the case in class that blogs are still highly valuable.

I think the point from this NY Times article is about how all social media continues to reflect our changing behaviors.  New tools necessitate adaptation.  We are using social networks for the shorthanded stuff, and still using blogs to deliver a greater volume of original content and thought.  Not everything fits in a soundbite or 140 characters.

I also think there is a lot to be said for the interaction that can occur between social networks and blogs.  I read a lot of blogs on a variety of different topics.  A few of those writers I follow on Twitter, but not all.  There some people I want an occasional check-in with, but not a constant stream of information.  In other instances, there are people that I found first on Twitter or Facebook before I jumped to their blogs.  I like the ability to have different streams of information in different channels.

P.S. Thanks to Dr. Ed Bond for forwarding this link to me!

NBA Social Media All Stars

In class last Tuesday we talked about the NBA and it's terrific use of social media.  This post from Ogilvy calls out specific "Social Media All-Stars" . 

I love seeing what players are doing with their personal brands and connections.  Good stuff.

Personal Branding and Twitter

This is kind of a funny column from Joe Posnanski. (Yes, my husband saved this for my class.) 

Athletes are very active on Twitter as are many celebrities.  Twitter has been used to announce professional news (LeBron James) and personal news (Lance Armstrong). 

From Famecount today:

How do you think athlete/celebrity Tweeting helps build personal branding?  Is it as effective if there is a ghost Tweeter involved?  What celebrity types do you follow?  Why?

Which Comes First?

Not chicken or egg, but tweet or blog?  This post by Best Blogging Tips Online is an interesting comparison of different bloggers and how they got started.  Some started with a blog and use Twitter to promote what they are writing.  Another started on Twitter and then expanded their Twitter relationships through the blog. 

What say you?  Are you Tweeting your blog or blogging your Tweets?

Super Bowl Stats

Here's an interesting wrap up of the Super Bowl in social media. 

This can't be good...

Sometimes it seems as though the speed of social media marketing makes us forget who we are, what we represent, and the implications of what we say.  It's easy to throw out a Tweet or FB post and then realize much later that someone might take offense or misunderstand what has been said. 
In our personal life, such occurrences can put a damper on a friendship or lower the respect someone has for us.  For organizations, such poorly thought out remarks can have long-lasting negative impacts on the brand.  Read this post from Scott Monty about recent Tweets from Kenneth Cole.  When I first read with KC wrote it seemed very callous and opportunistic.

Your turn...
Do you think fans of the brand will notice?  Will it change how they view KC products?  Are there any ethical implications in this instance?