The Power of the Meme

            Now that I am wrapping my Business of Social Media class, my Google search shows only minor differenced than it did earlier in the semester. I blame my initial care for how others see me on the Internet for that reason. The only thing lacking is all the photos I discovered from my early college career that I was not so fond of. Other than that, I am proud of my Google search!

            However, this concern of what your Google search says about me got me thinking of how early one most be concerned about what comes up when then Google their name. This is a popular discussion regarding children of reality stars. When parents put their children on the Internet, the child has no control over what their parents say or show. What if a viral photo of a child goes viral, only to haunt that child for years down the road? They have no control over that.

I’ve always thought about who ‘meme stars’ actually are in real life. For example, this photo of this young teenage boy has been broadcasted in nearly every corner of the Internet. 

Where did this boy come from and how did this image become so popular? I wonder if this will affect him later in life when searching for a job. After all, we do not know his name but we recognize him. Meme’s almost seem to never go away. With cameras attached to the majority of American’s hands via their smart phones, everyone is a snap shot away from becoming the next Internet sensation, whether they like it or not. It is an uncomfortable feeling, really. Much like Alex From Target. You never know how one Tweet from a pre-teen in Great Britain can land you a spot on The Ellen DeGeneres show later that week.

Positive Tweets Only!

Similarly to LinkedIn, I started my professional Twitter a little over a year ago. I was working in Public Relations and was in fear that the business I was working with would Google my name and views my weird sense of humor first thing. I then debuted my professional Twitter profile as a place where I could still feature bits of my odd humor while also still commenting on stories I see in the media, new movies I have seen, or anything I wouldn’t mind sharing with someone who could possibly be hiring me.

I do think that Twitter is a different sphere than, say LinkedIn. Popular Twitter pages are rarely strictly informational. Popular Twitter pages include interaction with their audience and humor in places you would normally not expect. For example, Taco Bell figured that since their main demographic is young adults and teenagers, they would make their name known in places where young adults and teens hang out- Twitter. Their Tweets are often engaging and bring up popular media stories. Their most popular tactic is going along with how people consider Taco Bell to be their ‘significant other’.  The more they play that up, the more popular they become!

I don’t think Twitter is necessarily a place where you should be completely serious all the time. Twitter is a chance for oneself to showcase their personality. LinkedIn is a place to be serious because that is how it is set up to be. As long as a keep a genuinely positive Twitter page, I will be satisfied with how people look at me. I want to use my Twitter to let people know what I care about in today’s popular media, what I thought about the latest movie or award show, and talk to businesses about my experiences at their store.

How The Internet Will Get You A Job

I have been a huge fan and supported of LinkedIn since I first joined some four years ago. Ever since I was first introduced to the Internet, I was always careful on how others perceived me. The act of ‘Googling’ myself because almost a hobby of mine. Typing the name Ellen Banach into Google made me excited for what would come up. As I was actively involved in theater in High School, I was always proud of what came up. ‘This is how I want to be known’, I thought to myself. So once I discovered LinkedIn, where I could show people what I was involved in and be known for doing what I do professionally, I was extremely intrigued.

After the LinkedIn lecture in class, I was still satisfied with how my profile looked, but I never digged into what LinkedIn could possibly do for me. Since I am graduating in less than a month, the only thing on my mind is what on earth I will be doing post graduation. Looking for jobs has become almost a full time job, and LinkedIn has been extremely useful. The website lists possible jobs I could be interested in, how many people have applied, and if I have any possible connections with someone working for the company. Although I personally enjoy person-to-person networking, this feature takes the anxiety of the networking sensation and makes it more tangible for those who may not be confident in networking socially. This is also a great feature because all of your information and connections are placed on your profile, so it reduces how many different applications you need to fill out providing all the same information. It is effective for both sides of the party. I have also noticed that some larger companies will allow you to import your LinkedIn profile to their application process to again speed up the process.