This is such an interesting topic. I really had to think about it for a few minutes and I'm still not a 100% convinced on the value of self-branding in an "official" sense. Everything we do online becomes a part of our brand- be it your professional comment on your company's profile or a really bad joke on your friend's photo. So no matter what, you are branding yourself on a daily basis, it just won't show up on your professional portfolio (or, so you think).
If we're strictly talking about self-branding for yourself vs self-branding for an organization, I 100% believe it should add value to yourself. Even IF you self-brand in the eyes of the organization you work for, it will follow you to every job you decide to do. So just being aware of how wide your scope can go, is enough to make a choice on which self-branding you choose to do.
I don't believe online privacy exists. However, I do believe that it is YOUR choice to be on social media at all. I understand this nation-wide panic about sharing information and "where does this information go?!" or "why can people use my information w/o my permission?", but there is a fine line between blaming the big corporations for using your info and posting ANY information online. Once something is on the internet, it is 100% impossible to ever take it off- even if it only existed for 10 seconds. So I say to stick to your guns and stand by all of your actions- whether you think they are private or not. It's not easy at all (maybe even impossible sometimes), but it's better than living in a world where you're scared of technological progression.
I also think it has a positive impact on our society, but I personally don't like it. It seems contradictory, but I'm still living in the times where I feel like going to a bar and meeting someone has a charm that online dating doesn't. However, you can connect with people on a whole different level digitally. This can either be beneficial (you can be yourself) or not (you can pretend to be someone you're not). I feel like the dangers of online dating are also higher than 'personal dating', because of exactly that: you don't know who you're talking to until you meet... And that can already be too late.
So I'm torn, but I feel like the success of online dating speaks for itself. Obviously it's doing something right, because most of my friends are on Tinder and I'm the odd one out. Online dating just creeps me out, but I'm sure that might change over time.
I am also not an avid participant in either of them, but I can see benefits in both. I imagine eSports lack that collective enthusiasm to cheering on particular teammates or yelling at the referee that conventional sporting events have, but there is still collectivity and competitiveness in eSports (albeit a more passive one).
The danger level is also relatively lower with eSports (I would imagine)... I can't really imagine someone hurting (or even fatally injuring) another person for liking one player more than the other, while in conventional sporting events, there is a weird sort of guarantee that some kind of fight will/might happen. So one might be "safer" and more passive, but the other gives more of an active sense of togetherness.
I think this is very well put and helped me form my opinion about the subject. My first instinct was an immediate "ABSOLUTELY NOT", but that's because of the circumstances we have been fed by media. Looking at it from the above perspective, I can't help but agree. Fighting poverty is the first in beating this.
Retail therapy will always be around and I think physical shops add to the experience- even if it's just window shopping or running your hands over all these different materials. Also, traditional retail shops do much more than just sell products- they sell an image, provide a place for people to hang out (have you ever gone to the city "just to walk around with friends" instead of buy anything?), support culture (or go against it!) and they can put a city on the map. Antwerpen, New York, Amsterdam- all these cities are predominantly known for their shopping (at least, amongst most women). By taking this away, you take away a large chunk of what makes these famous cities "famous". With the progress of e-commerce traditional shops might lessen, but they will never be extinct. Or, at least, I really hope not.
Agreed! We are becoming hyper-aware of what goes on behind closed doors of some of the largest corporations (with the help of transparency laws and a few brave souls) and this awareness is leading to a higher demand of sustainable products, brands and an overall lifestyle. People are willing to cut back on other expenses to support the corporations who adopt a more environmentally-friendly approach and it is 100% the way of the future. At the same time, greed and corruption is also reaching new heights. So there will always be counter-offers from companies that promise you the world if you sell your soul to them. Because it's "easier" / "cheaper" / "more durable"- all these words that humans are suckers for and buy into every time.
So as much as I believe sustainable businesses are the answer to the environmental downfall, I fear for how bad the counter-party is going to become to "keep the balance".
I believe so... Digital communication can be as powerful as face-to-face, but people are also really good at abusing its possibilities (i.e. trolls and bullies that hide behind anonymity). I prefer face-to-face, but digital communication allows for much more wiggle more when it comes to response time and choosing your words carefully. So I would say that for business, digital is more useful. For personal, I believe face-to-face has more benefits as you can build a MUCH stronger bond than through a screen.
I think this is a very well put statement against it. "It is highly unethical to destroy someone's lifetime achievement just that so other people will get rich on their backs" sums it up pretty nicely, I would say. Too many people think lives are disposable or they see humans as a "collective unit". They think that by sacrificing a few lives, they can save many more, but there is a limit.
I agree that an attractive image is not enough. We are being injected by SO MANY brands through media on a daily basis that "just" an attractive image is not enough anymore. However, I don't think it's impossible. Some creative content is so out of left field and out of the box that I might 'like' a page just to get more of that kind of content. But then it wouldn't be as much about the brand as their creativity.
I have seen a few people try to promote a product or app through Vine and it's horrible. Mostly they're rushed and don't get the message across. However, I have seen some people use Vine very, very well. It is a creative challenge to get ANY message across in 6 seconds so I don't think it's impossible to work as an advertising medium. But, for now, I think it works great for entertainment value, but not for selling a product.
I think privacy has become a bit of a luxury (which is a pity on its own), it can also be in the eye of the beholder. If you have nothing to hide- the NSA shouldn't be a threat. But I also truly believe that ignorance is bliss. By staying ignorant (like a lot of people choose to), you can just go on living in your own little bubble where you believe what you would like to believe about privacy. And I don't think there is anything wrong with that.
Yes! I definitely think that by adding the international aspect (if done right!) can be a huge benefit to future job prospects. Even just teaching how to write and speak in proper English can broaden the scope of job opportunities, because it is not just limited to local businesses or companies. Language is very, very powerful so next to all the internationally oriented courses, just giving class in English can give a significant advantage.
I think both have their pros and cons. On a larger scale, the food produced by multinationals are cheaper and thus make it more affordable for those who normally couldn't afford food produced by smaller holders. I agree that there is a health and moral risk tied to supporting multinationals, but looking at it from a bigger picture, it can be more beneficial to those who normally wouldn't be able to afford it. It's a vicious circle, because by supporting multinationals, we're putting the smaller ones out of business, thus raising the prices for locally owned business and thus becoming even less reachable for the less fortunate.
Very well put! Hiding behind social media or taking a passive role in it definitely contributes to the whole social-media-asocial thing.
This is a tough one, because I can see it from both sides. For people with social anxiety, for example, social media is a great way for them to meet new people without having to sacrifice parts of themselves. However, for the majority, social media can be all-consuming. An addiction that takes over offline life and subconsciously forces people to be on their phone all the time. So yes, it makes people way less social, because physical interaction becomes a nuisance and they miss out on real life connections that will last MUCH longer than their online life will.
As someone who is building an "online life" through a blog and a Facebook page, I have to fully agree with this statement. Yes, we have to be careful with what we put online, but to state that our online life is our "real life" is very scary and, even more, inaccurate. Employers will do a Google check, no matter what, so even IF they come across photos of you half baked, on a sofa, dirty dancing with a colleague from 2007, BACK IT UP. If you can stand by your online (and offline!) choices, it should not affect your chances of getting the job (provided you get invited for an interview).
