#when i say igeneralize

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 17th March

Yes, I am back! Took a break then found myself wanting to get back to this project, so here I am. I can't promise reliability, but I can promise some wild tunes that you probably have never listened to before, so there's that? Today's contenders couldn't be more different:

A Blossom Fell - Nat King Cole (peaked at Number 3)

Igenerally like Nat King Cole. He has a lovely, smooth voice, and he sells melancholy well. So I'm quite hopeful for A Blossom Fell!

It starts pretty, all smooth strings, and delicate lyrics: A blossom fell from off a tree / It settled softly on the lips you turned to me. How delightful.

Except, it's subverted immediately as we learn that The gypsies say and I know why / "A falling Blossom only touches lips that lie." And sure enough, Nat soon sees his love kissing another person!

He then proceeds to be correctly melodramatic about it for the rest of the song, singing about how love is dead, and all that jazz. We also get the very effective repetition in the I thought you loved me, you said you loved me line, which really convinces you that he just doesn't get what happened. And Nat does work up some passion for this bit, to be fair, but then he shifts back into the softer, smoother mode he started in, and overall result is a lowkey vibe, that's more regretful than angry or critical.

The trumpet solo, particularly, is rich and sad and somehow sounds like it should be in a Disney film, and Nat's voice when he comes back in, along with the gorgeous strings and little plinky notes, does nothing to dispel that impression. He's just so smooth about it all. Heartbreak has never sounded so pretty.

We've got a Big Old Ending, after that, but not a huge one. It's fine and quite pleasant, and I actually think Nat could have sold it more, but as it is, it sells the same sort of restraint that Nat's been showing for the whole thing.

Mobile - Ray Burns (4)

I can't remember if I have seen Ray Burns yet, but I'm choosing to assume that the title is about Mobile, Alabama, and that this might be a country song? I can't work out why else you'd have a song called Mobile, but I might be wrong.

Ooooh, we're starting in a big band swing mode, with some blasts on trumpets. This is promising.

Aaaaa, it is indeed a song about Mobile, Alabama, a town I know very little about. But it's literally a song about the town's growth into a place where people play jazz! So not a country song at all, a jazzy song!

Immediately I am won over by the backing singers' "Where's that?" interjections, and Ray's scene-setting spiel at the start, explaining how They saw a swallow building his nest; / I guess they figured he knew best, / So they built his town around him / And they called it Mobile. (Where's that?)

We then get some mythologising about the people of Mobile, and about how They took a swampland, heavy with steam, / They added people with a dream, / And that dream became a heaven / By the name of Mobile. Which is some cool wordsmithing, even if I don't entirely buy into the idea that anything can be "heavy with steam". Steam is not heavy. Also, swamps are gassy, not steamy. Oh well.

We add a little piano as we start getting lyrics about how the town got big enough to have a trombone and a piano player, which is some nice sound painting - we're hearing the city develop as Ray sings about it.

And then it all turns a bit tourism ad as Ray implores you:  No use your wondrin' where you should go / It's on the Gulf of Mexico / Where the southern belles are ringin' / And the climate's ideal, / It's a honeysuckle heaven / By the name of Mobile. Which, admittedly, sounds great. I now wish to visit Mobile, so job done, I guess.

We also get some vocal backing as the song repeats itself to an end. It's all a little bit Andrews Sisters, that kind of tight vocal jazz group style. I appreciate it.

I feel like this was sponsored by Mobile's tourist board! Or it certainly would be embraced by tbe tourist board today. It must have sounded impossibly exotic to Brits in 1955, very few of whom probably would ever go to Mobile. I mean, it still does today, I don't think many Brits I know have been or are actually planning on going - it's just not a super well-known destination for us. Which, if Ray is to be believed, is a shame!

What a charming forgotten oddity, glad I heard this. This is what thenproject is good for!

Well, I liked both of these songs, but one surprised and charmed me more than the other, so the winner today's gotta be that one. More songs about places, please!

Favourite song of the bunch: Mobile

[stephanidftba]

And people tried to put us down when iTunes bumped a post-Cold War sound.

My generation sat the mecca of malls, Times Square, I'm there, Viacom installs.

So we hit the net while the Trade Center fell, New York met Hollywood, we ran like hell.

No Vietnam for us, yo, Iraq it's on. So who agreed upon this cowboy Genghis Khan?

The choice made, baby. Hey, we'd take it back, logged in, dropped out, MTV took track.

They sold it back to us and claimed no correlation. The iMac, iPod, iGeneration.

And I'm waiting for the day we can get out. The world is ours, that's the story no doubt. (No doubt!)

Want to be more info super highway traffic, want to be more than a walking demographic!

"Hey! You're part of it." Talking about the iGeneration.

"Yeah! You're part of it." Talking about my iGeneration.

See the iGeneration knew organization meant optimization and unification,

When imagination gave participation in creation of culture a manifestation.

The Berlin Wall fell and out we came, the post-Cold War kids laid claim to AIM.

LOL, OMG, yo, BRB. Space, colon, dash, closed parenthesis.

We sat at our laptops and typed away, and found that we each had something to say.

Web-logged our fears, our hopes and dreams. Individuated by digital means.

Fiber optic lenses, DVD, Coca Cola, Disney and Mickey D's.

Flat mass culture, the norm that took hold, I hope I die before I get sold.

"Hey! You're part of it." Talking about the iGeneration.

"Yeah! You're part of it." Talking about my iGeneration.

This is the I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T ge-ne-ra-tion, see?

This is the I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T ge-ne-ra-tion, see?

"Hey! You're part of it." Talking about the iGeneration.

"Yeah! You're part of it." Talking about my iGeneration.

[juanitasupreme]

I mean this in the most respectful way i can, but what is cleopatra’s ethnicity then? I thought she came from a greek dynasty🤔 but if thats not correct pls answer

The things is that we don't know how she looked like and white people (always them🙄) to come scream "She was greek blablabla". Yes her father Ptolémée xii was macédonien this is very true,he may have some spices in his background too (persian or others in him)  but even if he was 100%, well we have no idea of who was Cleopatra mother 🤷🏽‍♀️. At this moment right here claming that Cleopatra was white as factual become fishy. Without scientifical or visual évidences we are going nowhere.

What History told us most of the times about Cleopatra is that she wasnt that cute (selon le canon de beauté de l'époque bien évidemment) but she was an extremly smart person (a genius if you ask me), she was a Queen 💁🏽‍♀️ capital Q. Her character lies more in her qualities and capacities as a leader than what we are debating about today.

This part of the world at that time was cosmopolitan, so comming with your white certitude of 2020 don't make that calling Cleopatra white for a fact valid because we don't even know.

One of the problem of guessing Cleopatra ethnicity is that a lot of people approached the subject with a strong eurocentric point of view of nowadays. The world had much diversity back then. I feel like white people have a hard to grasp that she may have not be fully white or what being white mean during our ages. We all know that medias have been whitewashing the world and history for themless (aka white people). The incertitude of cleopatra make it easier to play on this ambiguous whitewashing (they never cared about the background of what egyptians looked like back then anyway). I would love for white people to come down from their white pride and stfu for one minute from Cleopatra's ethnicity debate.

[haikyuu-and-more-haikyuu]

If you haven't done Ushijima yet, could you do him?

Thanks for the ask :D

do I like them: At first I didn’t really mind him. For me, he was just another player that was an obstacle for karasuno. But when we got into S3 and later in the story and really got to know him- i fell for him. That bean is too cute and good. 

5 good qualities: Confident in his abilities on the court and a good player Believes in his team even thought it doesn't seem like it at times.  Since he is so blunt, his compliments and support is 100% genuine He got into a school that is popular among high school students with high standards. Although our bean is awards at times; i believe he is school-smart too and also good in volleyball (he didnt just get into that school because of his skills) Cares about his team and does tell them what they need to work on after he graduates (i think it was in an ova episode)

3 bad qualities: Too blunt to a fault Takes everything literally, so he doesn't understand jokes Awkward bonus+ read the ads in a magazine just because they’re a part of it too.  favourite episode/etc: In the ova, when Ushijima gave all his kohai’s constructive cristism on what they needed to work on and what they were already good at. Through S3 Ushijima had been painted a little as this too stoic captain that barley did anything wrong and didn’t care too much about his team (especially compared to daichi in this instance) but we really got to see that he had an eye out for each of them and gave them all his honest opinion on how they could carry the team further without the third years support. 

otp: Ushijima x Tendou. I also securely like Ushijima x Yamaguchi

brotp: Iwaizumi and Ushijima. The last few arcs of the manga opened many doors for us. And we got unphotogenic aces as a gift (✿◠‿◠)  And also Kageyama and Ushijima. I imagine them finding it calming that they are on the same team and just as socially constipated as the other one (and food driven)

ot3: Noting I have really looked into, since Igenerally doesn’t really look up ot3-ships. But I could imagine something with two other captain that has vastly different personalities than him. 

notp: Nothing. I dont mind other ships. 

best quote: I got good... because I was lucky. Even if I wasn't lucky, I think I still would have worked just as hard. But... thank you for protecting my gift... Dad. and..

if I were to borrow tendou’s words..”I’m starting to get into it.”

head canon: Tendou gave Ushijima best friends bracelet as a joke after they graduated from high school. Ushijima was honest about that he wouldn't really wear it because of volleyball and that he wasn’t a jewellery guy. Tendou didn’t really expect him to do so. But Ushijima took tendou’s gift seriously and has it around his drinking bottle as a good luck charm during practice and matches. Whenever someone ask if it’s from a secret admirer, Ushijima says that it is from his best friend Tendou. 

Bonus+ He and Kageyama bonded at first with taking about food and what they wanted to eat <3 

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

All Gen Zers have been born

Generation Z is over, probably has been for a year or two; the oldest Gen Zers are in college now.  Post-Z kids are already being born as we speak.

Each generation lasts around 15 to 20 years.  The Baby Boom lasted from 1945 to the early 60s.  Gen Xers were born from the early 60s to 1980-ish.  Millennials were from 1980-ish to the mid-to-late 90s.  Gen Z began in the mid-to-late 90s and probably ended in the late 2010s.

I’d say Gen Z ended in 2016 or 2017.  They’re pretty significant years, they definitely feel like a boundary between then and now, before and after.

When I was growing up, nobody had a name for post-Gen X.  The term Millennial didn’t become ubiquitous until the last ten years or so.  “Gen Z” is equally new, which implies that Millennials were Gen Y, though nobody calls them that.

We haven’t even come up with a name for post-Gen Z yet.  If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say they’re probably gonna be called the iGeneration, or the eGeneration, though eGeneration would be a more fitting term for Millennials or Gen Z; the e- prefix was big in the 90s and early 00s, but not so much anymore.  That said, it’s the Baby Boomers and Gen Xer who will be coming up with the nicknames, so they’d probably call post-Zers something stupid like that.  

[yournotamillennialstuff-blog]

The In-Betweeners

Do you remember the simpler times? When there were no smartphones to dictate your life, when playing outside was the only acceptable way to spend an afternoon, and MySpace was the only social media that mattered? Do you still remember your AIM screen name, use semi colons and parentheses as emojis, and what it was like to dramatically slap your cell phone shut after a heated argument?  

Well, then congratulations! You're a millennial! Or, well, you're not. 

Thanks to the Pew Research Center, the highly debated argument about the age range for actual millennials has been solved. "Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial, and anyone born from 1997 onward is part of a new generation," Michael Dimock wrote in January.

So, if you don't fall into that age range;

welcome to the next generation. 

Anything after millennials, otherwise known as Generation Y, is Generation Z, who have been dubbed the iGeneration. These "kids" are infamous for being the generation obsessed with social media: everyone older than them is worried that real life society will die with this generation because they can't get off their damn phones. They grew up with iPads and spent their afternoons indoors, on Facebook, tagging each other in those "Which type of friend are you?" photos.

And yet, somewhere between 1997 and 2000 there lies a gray area. These kids know what it's like to play outside, to enjoy fresh air, and what it was like to not have smartphones. But they were hitting their tween years when Facebook took off and the iPhone came out. While they didn't necessarily grow up with these now-staples, they were introduced to them at a relatively young age. If you can relate, then guess what? You're an in betweener. Meaning, of course, you're somewhere between a millennial and an iGen. Maybe AIM was on it's way out by the time you finally convinced your parents to let you have an account, and you also just missed the MySpace window. But it wasn't like you were playing on an iPad after school let out. You didn't grow up with social media. It was probably big when you were in middle school, and you really weren't all that concerned with it: all you were really focused on was how the hell you were going to keep your Tamagotchi alive for more than a week this incarnation. Being stuck in this in between stage of generations means that people are constantly making assumptions about you: either they mistake you for a millennial, or they classify you with the other iGens, even though the youngest of that generation, according to Pew Research Center, were born in 2012. I don't know about the rest of you, but it feels like 2012 was a year ago. The thought of someone in my own supposed "generation" being born in 2012, when I was a high school freshman, makes even my ripe 21 year old self feel old. So, we non-millennials and barely iGens exist in limbo where no one, not even ourselves, know what they hell we are. Do we lump ourselves with the qualities of millennial life that seem to fit our childhoods? Or, go by what the dates say and accept our iGen status.

I say labels suck, and might as well live in the in between.

As long as the rest of the world doesn't know where to put us, anyone who doesn't feel like they belong in millennial or iGen should welcome themselves to the gray area. But, then, learn to live outside it.Barely being part of either generation gives us the chance to forge our own paths without the shackles and baggage that comes with being associated to either demographic. Take the best of both and step into a version of yourself that isn't worried about a label, or being part of a group. Because growing up is about stepping out on your own and being your own person.There is a certain comfort in being part of something, and there's nothing wrong with that. But accepting that sometimes there is no definite answer to the question of "where do I belong?" could be what changes your life. Putting yourself in a box is limiting. It means that you need to conform to certain standards. Being in the gray area means things are fuzzy, just like life. Life doesn't conform, and neither do the people who fall in between.So step into the gray area, and then step outside it. Get ready for the real world without the weight of a generation on your shoulders. The in between generation is about to come of age, and the real world sure as hell isn't ready for what we're about to bring to the table: bitterness and self-doubt, along with some pretty fascinating world views. Hopefully.

[calamity-guild]

The other night, Ari and I were trying to come up with a solid timeline of how/when things happen in The Venture Bros. For fun mostly, since the show doesn’t really marry itself to the idea of a set time setting at all. TAKE THIS ALL AS A GRAIN OF SALT, THIS IS VERY HALF-ASSED. (I’ve also not seen the new episode of season 7 so something can easily throw a fuckin rock in this stupid write up lol)

The problem that arises is that canonical years are brought up to mark specific events, but the years only operate in relation to, in the case of season 1 still, the present year being 2003.

An example of this is that season 1 came out during that year IRL, and within that season we learn that Doc is 43 (as stated twice within the season). We learn that Gargantua-1 is built in 1970 or so, thus making young Doc around 10 years old when it was built. In relation to the year of the show’s premier, this is easy to follow and makes plenty of sense.

But AFTER season 1 is where things sort of enter this “meta” time period.

As stated within the season 2 premier episode, we learn that a single month has passed between seasons. This begins to throw off the IRL year relation to the actual show, they’re still in 2003 and will remain in 2003 for a while.

To measure the time between the next few seasons, I based it off the boys. At the start of season 2, it’s stated by Myra that the boys are 19 years old while the clones, as stated by Dean, are 16. The initial ages do not matter when determining what year season 6/7 takes place in, so we’ll focus on the clone’s ages instead. (The initial ages can help determine the ages of some other characters but that’s a dif story entirely).

By the time of season 6/7, the boys are LIKELY 17 or 18, considering they are college aged. 18 seems more accurate given that a single years time wouldn’t really make sense given that the episodes like Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel and What Color Is Your Greensuit seem to hint at taking a few months out of the timeline. SO, the year is likely 2005!

One thing that does bargan a question is the technological advances between season 1-7 (with season 1 discussing “faxing” and what not and season 7 having iPhones-like technology) and with that I’ll just say Blame It All JJ.

JJ Kickstarted the iGeneration and went so ham with it that they went from clunky Apple Computers to skinny iPhones within just 2 years and everyone just sorta accepted it because it’s all in metatime and nothing is real!!

Anyway! Welcome to 2005!

[maiosx]

RALLY 4.5 IS CONCLUDED

Holololive's ERROR series has been completed Apple stock is at a midpoint between 3T and 2T at 150 uncertain what the future will be. Rushia is returning as @AmemiyaNazuna tomorrow I appreciate all the communication between the creators and hope to return for Rally 5.5 For never knowing the future ahead of us, please don't burn your bridges and you will become stronger together. Recently, Steve Jobs was awarded the medal of freedom, the highest honor given to any person, and I'd like to thank all of you by saying we are all in different parts of our lives, we all know different things but, when we come together that's when we all set aside our differences and show the world who we are. You are the most talented people I have ever met and I would continue to pursue the old generations tyranny with fire until the youth wouldnt suffer because of their policy makings to benefit corporations workers firstly knowing the end beneficiary is they/them, ourselves if we weren't the artists, or creators guiding society through the loops of life. Every generation has come and gone but our generation, the iGeneration was the first to make a dent in the world so big it caused all industries to shift to their highest potentials. We are facing the worst problems we've ever had but together I know we can solve them.

[catblanketed]

people who are arguing that millennials and the igeneration are the most progressive generation usually have such a narrow scope of history. they mean “more progressive than baby boomers”, basically, and even that isn’t really true.

what even are the issues that mark someone as progressive? being pro abortion? saying “i have privilege”? there’s not even a conclusive definition of what progressive is, and from where are we progressing.

there have been people fighting for gay rights for a long time now, before the baby boomers were born. there were people arguing for the humanity of slaves during the slave trade. there were people who criticized colombus when he was living. and yet the same issues exist. there’s still homophobia. there’s still racism and there’s still slavery in most parts of the world (but most progressives just love hershey’s chocolate too much to give it up, even if it uses beans harvested by a slave!!), there’s still violence against indigenous people, there’s still violence against women.

are we progressing? it is easy to point fingers at baby boomers instead of ourselves and our own generation. it’s a nice idea to think that we aren’t like the rest, but technology enabling us to see what is happening all over the world doesn’t mean our ideologies or laws or whatever are progressing. we may have more awareness, but that doesn’t mean shit. saying “i have white privilege” doesn’t mean shit. it’s the bare minimum to recognize, yet millennials and the 2000s babies think that recognizing that there are power structures makes them the Most Progressive Generations Yet 

[rongasm]

Am I a millennial if I'm 17?? I'm a little confused

There's for sure dispute about when the cut-off for millennials is, but the most strongly agreed upon cut-off, culturally, is 1997. Some people say the early 2000s, but I kinda feel like if you have zero recollection of 9/11 or what America was like before that, you're probably not a millennial. There's also an argument that millennials end right after 1995. So, with that in mind, you're definitely not generation X. You're Generation Y, the "iGeneration," or the "post-millennials," as they're called. In conclusion... no, probably not, but it depends on who you're talking to.

[epean-blogs]

𝙂𝙀𝙉 𝙕    &     𝙊𝙉𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙀 𝘿𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂

By: E.M.Y.

Generation Z or shortly called “Gen Z” according to Tech Target (Rouse.M. 1999 – 2019) is the demographic cohort following Generation Y, also known as the Millennials or the Millennial Generation; other names suggested for this cohort includes iGeneration (iGen), Gen Tech, Gen Wii, Net Gen, Digital Natives and Plurals.  The dates given for Generation Z ranges from the mid-1990s through the second decade of this century, although precise years vary according to the source. At over two billion individuals, Generation Z is the most populous generational cohort of all time.  In common with Millennials, Generation Z is comfortable with technologies that are fairly recent for older generations, and Gen Z has grown up in the current environment of ubiquitous mobile communication

Photo by: Getty of: https://www.yourtango.com

The evolution of the technology is consciously growing and because of that, many inventions are made in order to make the life of man easier.  One of that is the way of “Dating”. In today’s generation which is what they called “Generation Z”, the dating process becomes easier because of the help of the social media dating apps and internet, since in today’s world, people are getting hooked and interested in using social media in order to connect with other people, to know the trend, and also to communicate with others.

Online dating according to (2019. Bobology.com) is (also known as Internet dating), is a way for people to find and contact each other through the Internet to arrange a date, usually with the goal of developing a personal and romantic relationship.  So as far as I’ve seen in today’s generation, many people especially teenagers are using online dating app in order to find a girlfriend or boyfriend, or for others, they use dating app not to find some serious relationship but just to have a “fling”. In terms of online dating, by now (2019) these are the top five best dating application used by the people in dating online:

Top 1

Bumble

Bumble is basically Tinder for women... and on a timer.  Bumble requires women to message first and if the guy doesn't message back within 24 hours, he loses the potential match. Because that's the one thing my love life was really missing... arbitrary time limits. 

Top 2

Tinder

Whether you're looking for a hookup or an LTR (long-term relationship), Tinder has you covered.  It's basically the first stop for those entering the dating world. If you want to play the odds when it comes to online dating, you probably need to be swiping where everyone's swiping. 

 Top 3

OkCupid

OkCupid, how you confuse me. I have friends who've met spouses through OkCupid. My last serious relationship came from OkCupid. In fact, I've been on OkCupid, on and off, for roughly the last 11 years. Profiles are much more in-depth than most dating sites, and if you answer a seemingly endless series of questions, they will spit out a reasonable Match/Enemy percentage ratio on profiles to help you gauge compatibility. 

Top 4

Hinge

Hinge focuses on common connections that you and a potential partner share on Facebook, which is great if you trust the judgment of your friends and family. Of course, some of us are trying to meet new people, far removed from our everyday lives. (Hinge may have gotten the hint, since you no longer need Facebook to sign up.) The app also asks questions to help you match with better connections, which can be a plus for serious relationship seekers.     

Top 5

Coffee Meets Bagel

Coffee Meets Bagel hopes to offer users better quality matches by sending curated matches, or "Bagels," each day at noon. They suggest ice breakers for first messages and the profiles are more in-depth than Tinder. For people who like a little extra hand-holding, CMB isn't the worst option.  However, I felt the app was confusing to use; too many features and too many gimmicks. I shouldn't have to lookup online tutorials to figure out how to use a dating app. And why call matches Bagels?

For more visit this link which is my source for this-à  https://www.cnet.com/pictures/best-dating-apps/6/

Photo: from the https://www.therampageonline.com

The life of Generation Z depends on using mobile phones, internet, and social media and the advance technology, that’s why from what I see, many people tend to scroll and scroll on their phone and look for what is new.  And since online dating is a trend #findingmyBoo as they said, many teenagers from Gen Z are being encouraged to use dating app. These are the pros and cons of online dating according to DR Lurve (2019) retrieved from (https://sporteluxe.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-online-dating/)

PROS:

Chat in your pjs

One of the advantages of online dating is you can skip the hours of getting ready and instead get into your dressing gown, put on a face mask and watch Netflix while you scroll through potential lovers. This year which is 2019 is considered a magical time because you hardly need to leave your couch to potentially find a date—saving you time, money and energy on someone who you isn’t a great match for you, even if your Aunt thinks otherwise.

 Choose your preference

Thanks to advancements within dating apps, you can put filters in place so traits you desire in a potential lover will be top priority in your search.  Being able to filter your preferred age, height, gender and location can help you find a match faster since filtering is something you just can’t achieve in real life.

Skip the awkward silence

Meeting people for the first time in social situations can have its share of awkward silences and downing drinks just to aide your anxiety.  The beauty of the safety (inter)net is interacting with others without the panic sweats.  You can meet people you’d never encounter in your own circle or take a chance by talking to someone you do know, but have never had the courage to privately speak to in person.

 Say yes to guilt-free dating

Since most dating apps are free, it becomes easier than ever to find dates. Due to the number of potential partners you can find, having them all in one or two apps can make life less complicated when trying to find ‘the one’. Being able to message multiple people can help you narrow down who you want to meet and who you want to delete. And don’t feel guilty for chatting with others, it’s highly likely that every person you chat with is doing the same thing as you! While all these advantages are fantastic and make meeting someone more convenient, there can be some detrimental downsides to online dating that you need to be aware of before swiping right.

Cons:

Photo: From the https://www.consultingcompanys.com/pros-cons-online-dating/

Online communication

Communicating with a prospective partner through a screen can be less stimulating and intimate than talking in face-to-face, this can also have an impact on how your relationship progresses. If the person you’re talking to is more comfortable chatting online than conversing with you over dinner, it might be time to move on.  A relationship cannot survive without proper communication and the both of you being comfortable in each other’s company. Keep an eye out for those who say ‘I love talking to you’ but constantly flake on catching up.

Beware of catfishes

People have the opportunity to be anyone they want to be behind the walls of the internet. Through your phone you might perceive them as genuine and funny, perhaps someone you could hold a conversation with over drinks, but once you meet, they turn out to be quite creepy with your fight or flight mode ready to take action. When meeting someone unfamiliar, make sure a friend or family member knows who, when and where you’re meeting, safety is extremely important in these circumstances.

Choose your apps wisely.

Different apps have different purposes, but the main goal is to find a partner—or so you would think. Sites like eHarmony and RSVP have a higher respectability rate than Tinder and Bumble (as found in a 2017 study), so what does that mean for those looking for a long-term relationship? With Tinder boasting 26+ million matches per day worldwide, people that have it, along with Bumble, may say they’re looking for a relationship, but you’ll have to take that with a pinch of salt.  While some people may genuinely be looking for their perfect ‘one’, others will be searching for their perfect ‘one night stand’—keep your heart open but not on your sleeve.

Many teenagers in generation Z wants a “Quick and easy way” on getting things. That’s why many of them are getting interested on using dating application, because getting a girlfriend or boyfriend is easier when you are using a dating app. Don’t forget that the best date to have is the typical date like watching movies, eating together, etc.  Lastly, all I can say is that choose wisely and date wisely.

SOURCES:

https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Generation-Z

https://www.cnet.com/pictures/best-dating-apps/6/

https://www.bobology.com/public/What-is-Online-Dating.cfm

PICTURE SOURCES:

https://sporteluxe.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-online-dating/

https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/best-dating-apps

https://www.consultingcompanys.com/pros-cons-online-

https://www.therampageonline.com

https://www.yourtango.com

[williamexchange]

5 Essential Strategies for Marketing to Generation Z

Everyone talks about what makes millennials tick or how to market to them, so we forget they’re old news. Sure, we'll still need to market to millenials for years to come, but it's time to start focusing on Generation Z.

At first glance, millennials and Gen Z might seem very similar. But if you look a little deeper, you start to see the subtle differences between the two generations—and these subtle differences are important to us marketers.

If you want to build your Gen Z customer base, then read on to learn the five ways you can successfully tweak your digital marketing strategy to tailor it for this younger audience. Here's a preview of our top five strategies for marketing to Generation Z:

Sell experiences, not products

Video, video, video

Rethink that major influencer campaign

Engage with customers

Highlight your dedication to privacy

Who are Generation Z?

Before we can even begin to think about creating a digital marketing strategy, we first need to define Generation Z.

Also referred to as the iGeneration, Generation Z covers anyone who was born between 1995 to the mid 2000s, and this demographic makes up 32% of the global population. Digitally savvy, they grew up with mobiles and iPads, and they don’t remember a time before the internet—unlike millennials.

The attention span of a Gen Zer is just eight seconds—that’s four seconds less than their millennial counterparts. So first impressions really do count. You either grab their attention in that short space of time, or you’ll be forgotten forever.

If your target market is Generation Z, then try these five strategies to increase brand awareness, leads, and sales.

1. Sell experiences, not products

Members of Gen Z aren’t interested in hard sells. Because they’ve grown up with the internet, they’re immune to obvious marketing campaigns. They don’t want to hear about why your product is so amazing; they want to know how it will benefit them. More specifically, what experience will your product bring them?

According to Mention, 25% of what you sell is your product. The additional 75% is the intangible feeling that comes with said product.

Think about Brandy Melville. You’d never know they were Italian, given the chilled, California vibes they project, but that’s because they’re really good at selling the experiences their clothes bring.

Sure, their clothes are cheap, cute, and come in one size only (a UK 6-8). But why do Gen Zers buy into their brand? Because they, too, will have access to that all-American lifestyle projected across Brandy Melville’s marketing channels. Just take a look at their Instagram, featuring Insta models at the beach or on endless US road trips, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

2. Video, video, video

Video content is key. A Google Survey revealed that YouTube is the first platform Generation Z turn to when they want to be cheered up or entertained.

But that’s not the only thing they use YouTube for. With 85% of teenagers actively using the platform, 80% do so to expand their knowledge, and 68% to improve or gain new skills. Other respondents said they used it to take a break from life’s stresses and deepen real-life connections, so ultimately there’s no end of use for YouTube.

With Gen Z a captive audience on YouTube, it’s the perfect place to hook them in—but it’s crucial you get it right.

Take Red Bull as an example. With over 8 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, Red Bull has several playlists, including a series called Red Bull Travel Vlogs. Collaborating with vloggers, Red Bull regularly posts active lifestyle videos with everything from skydiving over Lake Tahoe to base jumping the Italian Alps.

Remember my previous point of selling experiences and not products? Red Bull is a prime example. Never do these videos ever show a can of Red Bull, but the YouTube channel hints that if you buy the products, you too will have the drive and energy to travel the world, doing all of those adventurous, crazy things the vloggers do.

And YouTube isn’t the only place for video content: Instagram is huge, especially with Instagram Stories, and your website needs video content, too.

3. Rethink that major influencer campaign

In 2018, it was predicted that brands would spend $1.8 billion on Instagram influencers, with more than 14.5 million sponsored posts, and counting.

Sponsored posts could cost your business anywhere between £35 and £700,000, depending on who you collaborate with.

The top influencers of 2019 are Cristiano Ronaldo, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, but for the majority of brands, collaborating with a celebrity is highly unlikely—and that’s not a bad thing.

If you do want to go down the influencer route, then opt for micro-influencers instead. Defined as anyone who has a following of between 1,000 and 100,000 on social media, micro-influencers actually drive more engagement than their celebrity counterparts because Gen Z can relate to them. Stats show that once you’ve gained more than 100,000 followers, engagement levels tend to drop (and we’ll talk about how Gen Zers feel about engagement in just a minute).

Micro-influencers drive 60% higher engagement levels and 22.2% more weekly conversions—in addition to being 6.7x more cost efficient per engagement compared to influencers with larger followings.

And if you’re continuing with your carefully curated, staged images on Instagram, then think again. While millennials bought into the perfectly placed lattes and poses by aesthetically-pleasing walls, Gen Z are ditching brands that showcase this in favour of a more unfiltered, messier approach.

One brand using micro-influencers on social, is e.l.f. Cosmetics through their Beautyscape campaign. These events enable influencers to meet with each other, try out the latest products and learn new beauty techniques, which they share with their followers on Instagram, of course.

4. Engage with customers

We’re all aware of the importance reviews plays in building brand trust, but this is absolutely crucial if your target market is Generation Z.

In fact, 76% of Gen Zers have stated they want brands to respond to feedback and view this responsiveness as key to determining the authenticity of a brand.

41% of this generation read at least five online reviews before making a purchase, and they share twice as much positive feedback than negative—so you want to build your number of reviews.

However, obtaining those reviews is just one step—you need to reply to them. If it’s positive feedback, then tailor your response so potential customers can see it’s not just a one-size-fits-all reply.

It goes without saying you should respond to negative feedback, too; you need to show readers that you have acknowledged the issue and are doing everything you can to resolve it.

Twitter remains a top place for complaints, and ASOS has mastered it by creating a separate account so customers know where they can get a response—that doesn’t ruin the business’s official account.

5. Highlight your dedication to privacy

Research from NGen found that 88% of Gen Zers agreed with the statement: “Protecting my privacy is very important to me.”

A survey by IBM found that less than a third of teens are comfortable with sharing their personal details online, aside from contact information and purchase history. Yet, that same study found that 61% said they’d feel better sharing this personal information, if they trusted the brand would securely protect it.

So, if you’re targeting a Gen Z audience, take note of this. When you ask to collect information, do so with transparency, and openly highlight your commitment to ensuring their data remains safe and secure.

Boost brand loyalty by marketing to Gen Z

While millennials and Generation Z might seem similar, if you scratch the surface, and you’ll see there is more than what meets the eye.

If your target market includes the younger of the two generations, then by tweaking your digital marketing strategy to incorporate the tips above, you can boost brand trust and loyalty with your Gen Z audience.

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[schawaynaraie]

I made the decision to walk away from my full time job. I was dealing with some VERY toxic personalities and going to Human Resources resulted in management placing a target on my back. I had been with this company for over 15 years, working hours that were difficult to fill. I felt like God had spoken to me to leave years prior but I was afraid of what my next would look like. I was being bullied and harassed. I was stressed all of the time. My way out was to finish my graduate degree and start doing some independent work to build my resume. I’ve helped people establish businesses through consulting. I’ve worked with nonprofit organizations to develop programs. I’ve started my own journey as a business owner. I’ve worked with youth programs as a mentor and program developer. I’ve started a singing career and went back to my old career paths. I totally get why Generation Z or iGeneration are not loyal to a company but to themselves and their own growth. They are fearless and I love it! I decided to work for a couple of organizations until I figured out my next. I didn’t realize that my next would be sooooo rewarding. I’m thankful to the many people that allowed me to cry out to them and the advice that was given from the many people that wanted to see me better. I’m in a better position than I thought that I could be in and this is JUST the beginning. I wanted the people that treated me horribly to have to suffer but I finally rejoiced in the fact that God knew that my potential wasn’t being tapped into and that I was just dying there. I now have free time to spend with family and friends and I’ve not missed a bill being paid, which was my major concern. I went on a faith journey and I would literally tell people in the past how proud I was of them for making that step and choosing “them” and how I was too afraid to do what they had done. I can proudly say that I’ve taken a major “Faith-walk” and the blessings that I’ve experienced so far are priceless. I would speak how God will make your enemies a footstool. It’s crazy when you’re living in it. #MakingFaithDecisions #SchawaynaRaieJourney2019 #NewMusicBeingWritten #BookToo https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt78oj_HvAX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1szilivsw5jve

[superspunarticle]

The ABCs of Connecting With Generation Z

SEO tips and tutorials.

Content Marketing Institute presented your next contribution. I normally look forward to looking at 1 of their articles as they’re pretty informative. I think you will get something out of it.

It’s time to put away your avocado toast jokes and shore up your social consciousness, folks. Generation Z consumers have arrived, and they are forcing companies to rethink the terms of marketing relationships.

Born between 1995 and 2012 (though the precise years vary depending on the source), the post-millennial generation has begun to cross the threshold of adulthood and is poised to take over the workforce and the marketplace in the next few years. We’ve all heard the stories about how challenging it will be to forge strong bonds with this distracted and discerning demographic; industry pundits cite perceived short attention spans, disinterest in brand messaging, and general disregard for impersonal experiences as compelling reasons for marketers to regroup and refine their content strategies.

But how many of these broad characterizations are accurate – and which of this generation’s confirmed traits should content marketers focus on in their outreach efforts? Let’s take a look.

It’s their party (and they’ll buy if they want to)

Here’s what the generational research and anecdotal observations are telling us: Born with one foot firmly in the digital age and the other rooted in old-school values, members of this pivotal demographic group expect greater transparency, accountability, and personal validation from every online experience they choose to engage in.

Gen Z expects greater transparency & personal validation from every online experience, says @joderama. Click To Tweet

Why? Well, it should come as no surprise that a demographic colloquially called the “iGeneration” expects to see their personal needs and interests reflected in the experiences marketers create to engage them.

Further, if their high usage of social networks like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch are any indication, social status and community mean a lot to them; they are more likely to seek content opportunities endorsed by their idols and influential peers (or which enable some form of collaboration with them). Need proof? Just 24 hours after Taylor Swift urged her 112 million-strong Instagram fan base to vote for Democrats in the mid-term elections, nonpartisan voter advocacy group Vote.org registered a whopping 65,000 new voters. Now that’s the power of persuasion.

Of course, the right branded content can still make it onto their radar; any extra effort it may take to produce and position such experiences is worth it, considering how much economic power this audience segment wields in the marketplace. According to Barkley’s Gen Z Insights Center, Gen Z already has up to $143 billion in direct buying power with the potential to impact more than $665 billion in family spending. Furthermore, this group is projected to make up 40% of consumers by 2020.

Gen Z is projected to make up to 40% of consumers by 2020 via @barkleyus. Click To Tweet

What will make a content experience more likely to click with these smart, savvy, and socially responsible digital natives? Read on for some helpful perspectives and ideas.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Road Map to Success: Content Distribution Essentials That Win Eyeballs

What to expect when you’re connecting

In his recent Content Marketing World presentation on the subject of Generation Z, FutureCast President Jeff Fromm characterized this demographic group as “old souls in young bodies.” While they are digital, social, and mobile to the core, he says, their values are more strongly aligned with their baby boomer counterparts than those of the generation that came directly before them (millennials).

For example, though they don’t remember a time when all the world’s information wasn’t available to them in exchange for a little personal information, they have seen firsthand what can happen when you disclose private data without a thorough understanding of how that data might be used – or misused (Cambridge Analytica and the Equifax data breach are two examples that come to mind). As a result, they may be more reluctant to swap personal details for access to brand content unless your brand provides full transparency on what they are signing up for and what the risks and benefits are.

A 2017 Salesforce report, Trends in Customer Trust, supports this assumption, finding that among millennials and Gen Z 91% are more likely to trust companies with their personal information if they receive a clear explanation on how its use will deliver a better experience.

Consider: Marketers should cultivate a reputation of reliability they can trade on before expecting Gen Z to engage with and take action on content – a goal that Robert Rose has succinctly summarized: “You must win every moment of trust to win the moment of truth.”

You must win every moment of trust to win the moment of truth, says @Robert_Rose. Click To Tweet

Trust exists on a time clock

In his CMWorld presentation, however, Jeff, the man who wrote the book on marketing to Gen Z (literally) reminded marketers that any initial trust earned with this audience may be fickle and fleeting. Calling it “the trust trap,” he contends that brands can’t give lip service to the concept of trust; they need to build it over time, demonstrate their worthiness of it in tangible ways, and continually reinforce its worth to make a lasting impact on Gen Z’s perceptions and purchase behaviors.

One Gen Z favorite mastering the art of sustaining a value proposition is Ben and Jerry’s. Take its YouTube channel, for example. Among its videos that introduce new ice cream flavors, dairy-free products, and special recipes, entire playlists are devoted to raising awareness of important issues like marriage equality, climate justice, and getting a second chance in life – all of which feed fans’ love of ice cream while speaking to the credo that Ben and Jerry’s is a brand that’s “made of something more.”

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: If Your Content Doesn’t Have This, the Majority Won’t Trust It [Research]

Let’s get “phygital”

Despite being raised in an environment of unprecedented digital connectivity, Generation Z is no stranger to feeling alone in the world. In fact, according to a 2018 research report conducted by Cigna, it may be the loneliest of all generations, with more than 50% reportedly experiencing feelings of social isolation.

But while their millennial brethren turn to online social networking to fulfill their need for human interaction, those in Gen Z may be more interested in filling that void with a new content construct: unique and differentiated experiences that bridge their physical and digital worlds.

Taking a “phygital” approach to customer engagement might just be the answer to marketers’ prayers when it comes to creating meaningful, content-driven experiences craved by Gen Z audiences. For example, Marketing Week recently offered a glimpse of how retailers like Caspar and Nike are delivering on shoppers’ heightened expectations for customized service by launching pop-up stores and augmented reality features that merge the benefits of their online and offline shopping environments.

Read: Marketing Lifehacks for Engaging Generation Z

Consider: According to cultural mythologist John Bucher, those in Gen Z likely gravitate toward these blended experiences because they allow them to experience something that’s hard to come by in their world: a chance to live in the “now.”

In his presentation on immersive storytelling at Content Marketing World, John asserted that the pressures of today’s tech-driven, always-on lifestyles have disrupted the natural sense of time and place. Because people have become conditioned to constantly monitor multiple sources of informational input at once, they are losing the ability to fully experience or process any one of them in isolation, or, in Bucher’s words: “We don’t hold space for the full realm of human emotion anymore.”

However, by creating immersive, multisensory, and mixed-reality content experiences – such as VR-powered video games, pop-up museums, escape rooms, and micro-theme parks – brands can counteract this detachment by removing external distractions while consumers are participating: “You put on a VR headset and you have no choice but to be fully present in the moment.”

Brands counteract detachment by creating immersive, multisensory content experiences, says @joderama. Click To Tweet

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

How Brands Use Pop-Up Experiences to Make a Lasting Impression

How Content Can Ring Up a Better Retail Experience

So shines a good deed in a weary world

Beyond data transparency, message consistency, and experience tactility, another quality Gen Z values in brand affinity decisions is a commitment to social causes like environmental protection, equal rights, and philanthropy. According to the aforementioned Trends in Trust data, 54% of consumers say demonstrated social responsibility strengthens their trust in a company.

Yet, according to Jeff, contributing to meaningful causes may earn Gen Z’s respect, but it may not be enough to earn their long-term business. As he sees it, the purpose space is so crowded that brands need to take their commitment to social responsibility to the next level – a concept he refers to as “purpose plus.”

Brands need to take social responsibility to next level – purpose plus – to attract Gen Z, says @JeffFromm. Click To Tweet

Consider: Naturally, content is an excellent technique for discussing important social issues that align with your brand’s core values. And its potential impact can increase exponentially when your business is willing to take a strong stance in support of those issues.

Nike’s Just Do It campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick is a perfect example of this practice in action (Patagonia’s Bears Ears documentary is another). The brand risked alienating its more socially conservative customers, but the decision to align its content with its core values seems to have paid off (at least, so far): According to MarketWatch, after a brief initial dip, Nike’s online sales skyrocketed, and the company’s stock valuation experienced a surge, as well.

Read: 3 Purpose-Driven Marketing Lessons From Innovative Brands

Clear the path to personal growth

Even if they aren’t completely accurate, some of the commonly held stereotypes about Gen Z’s engagement preferences may be rooted in reality (affinity for avocado, notwithstanding). And though a recent Forbes article cautions against generational reductionism (i.e., subscribing to broad behavioral stereotypes that are based on decontextualized data points) on the whole, it also offers some insights that may help marketers craft the authentic, personally resonant content experiences Gen Z seems to crave.

One interesting point the article raises is, “Generation Z has come of age in the shadow of millennials who prize hyper-competence (or at least the appearance of it), which … has manifested in a strong desire to learn.” The article goes on to explain that, more than the preceding generation, this group seeks opportunities to add or sharpen their skills.

Members of Gen Z seek opportunities to add or sharpen their skills via @Forbes. @joderama Click To Tweet

With this in mind, marketers may want to emphasize educational content – like product demos, online training courses, or process tutorials – that rewards their curiosity and helps them level up their competency in a relevant area of interest.

For example, through its Today at Apple program, the ubiquitous tech brand offers in-depth technical training sessions at its 495 retail stores. While these 30- to 90-minute classes are primarily focused on Mac-centric topics – like how to edit video using Apple’s proprietary tool sets – the skills participants learn can be applied to their broader life goals – like furthering a career in design or programming or impressing their friends with pro-quality videos on social media.

Read: Education as a Marketing Strategy: 8 Brands Doing Online Classes and More

Content conclusion

One thing about Gen Z – or any other generation – is that the best way to learn who they are and what content experiences they want brands to provide is to spend some time engaging with them on a personal level. Deploying an audience survey through email; sparking a community discussion on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter; organizing a focus group; or even just asking Gen Z coworkers for their ideas and opinions are a few ways you can gain valuable, real-world insights to inform your content efforts.

Before you think about adding your brand’s voice to the constant stream of conversations already whizzing across their screens, make sure you put in the time to listen to what Gen Z consumers have to say for themselves.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Road Map to Success: Creating the Content of Your Audience’s Dreams

Miss the Content Marketing World sessions described above? Get access to all the 2018 presentations with an on-demand video access. Order today!

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

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[virginiamurrayblog]

A Week in the Life of an Edmonton Teen—as Seen Through Her Phone

Photo illustration: Ka Lee and Joel Louzado

There has been a lot of hand-wringing about teenagers’ cellphone use in recent months, from stories of Silicon Valley employees who restrict their own kids’ access to technology to op-eds about how to tell if your kid is addicted to their phone; a recent report even found that 74% of American millennials and Gen Zers (the generation born between 1995 and 2010) interact with each other via cellphone more than they do in person.

We’re not into fear-mongering here at FLARE, especially since plenty of adults are pretty into their phones, too—according to a 2016 report by Pew Research Centre, 67% of Canadian adults report owning a smartphone and an additional 16% have a cellphone that isn’t a smartphone. But it’s true that Gen Zers, also known as the iGeneration, have developed new, technology-specific ways of thinking that are, TBH, lost on us. From Instagram thread accounts and finstas to the vast and cryptic ways they use Snapchat and the impressive speed with which they learn to command any new form of social media, it got us wondering what teenagers are *actually* doing on their phones all day.

So, to find out, we asked one 17-year-old to let us into her world (read, smartphone) for an entire week. Meet T’kira McFarlane, a Grade 12 student, cheerleader and soccer player who lives with her mom and younger brother in Edmonton. She got her first cell phone on her 10th birthday and now she says she doesn’t know what she’d do without it.

Here’s what one week on McFarlane’s phone looks like.

Name: T’kira McFarlane Age: 17 Grade: 12 Location: Edmonton Instagram Followers: 1,387 Finstagram Followers: 101 Average amount of Instagram likes per photo: 250 Snapchat Score: 355,678 Phone: iPhone 8

Day One

Snapchat: I Snapchat with friends, send Snapstreaks, take photos and videos and post what I am doing on my story for my friends to see. Snapchat and Instagram are my favourite apps. Most of my communication is through Snapchat. If I’m asking my friends how they’re doing—like what’s going on in their day—it’s not through their actual phone numbers, it’s through Snapchat.

Instagram: With Instagram, you get to see what your friends post and what they’re doing. And that’s where I get to post my pictures and all that stuff. I try to post like almost every week. Today, I look at nail, hair and makeup accounts and like and comment on friends’ photos.

A post shared by T'kira (@tkira.m) on Aug 6, 2018 at 8:45am PDT

When I was a little bit younger, my mom would go through my texts and my Snapchat and stuff. Since I got this new phone, she hasn’t, but my Instagram is not on private so she can just see it whenever she wants. It kinda affects what I post, because I know my family can see it, and like everyone can see it. But I think it affects it in a good way, so I’m not posting anything that shouldn’t be posted.

Safari: While on Instagram, I find @theslumflower’s #SaggyBoobsMatter movement, so I search it up because my boobs tend to sag too. My friends and my family make fun of me because I’m so young and they say I have grandma boobs, so this movement gives me more confidence.

Facebook Messenger: I only use Messenger to talk to my family. Actually, Facebook is the app that I use the least.

Apple Photos: I use Photos all the time to go through pics, edit and delete them or just find photos to post on Instagram. I like it because you can crop pictures to edit them—I don’t usually put any filters on them. For filters, most people use Snapchat or VSCO. I don’t like to add anything to [mine].

Other apps used today: FaceTime

Day Two

YouTube: One of my friends is three-quarters deaf, so today I use YouTube to search up the ASL alphabet and common phrases. When I met her almost a year ago, I told her that I wanted to learn sign language. I’ve learned through her and through YouTube videos, so whenever we’re at parties and we’re out or it’s loud, we’ll sign to each other. Plus it’s kind of a secret code because no one else knows it, so if we want to talk about someone, we can.

Netflix: I only watch TV and movies on Netflix. The account’s shared with my brother, my mom, my grandma and my uncle. Right now I’ve been watching Alex Strangelove, Star and Switched at Birth (for the second time) because I love learning from the sign language in it.

Other apps used today: Snapchat, Instagram, Safari, Phone, Pic Collage

Day Three

Google Play: For music, it’s either Apple Music, Spotify or Google Play. I use Google Play the most. Today I listen to Nicki Minaj’s new album. I’m literally the biggest fan. I’ve listen to Nicki since I was 11 or 12. The first CD that I ever got was one of hers. I didn’t really like some of her new songs on Queen—I thought she could do a little bit better. But then there were other songs where she did really good. I liked “Barbie Dreams” and “LLC”… but  not “Chun Swae.”

Instagram: I am looking at pictures of tattoos—I want one so badly. I also like and comment on pics. Sometimes I like photos just because I like them. Other times, if I want someone to notice me or follow me back on their account, I’ll like old photos of theirs so that they can see I’m liking old photos of theirs, and then they’ll probably do the same or follow me.

Snapchat: I post about my cousin leaving for college in the US and a picture of a new outfit on my story and send my streaks to people. I have a lot of streaks with my friends from school and work and just people that I’ve met before just going out and stuff.

When I have streaks and people want to start streaks with me, I put purple hearts in front of their names so I don’t forget to send to them. This just puts them all down at the bottom of my screen, so I go all the way down and all the people with the purple hearts I will click on and then snap them. It’s usually just pictures and videos of me and what I’m doing.

https://www.flare.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Edited-Video.mp4

Snapstreaks were just a thing that we all started to try and get. Like, people always try to get the highest number or when you hit 100, people will post on their story saying “100 streaks.” Lots of people try to get to big numbers like a year or 700… I once had a year-long streak with two people and then I lost it.

Notes: I use Apple Notes to write down websites, quotes and sayings I like to remember. I find quotes on other people’s Instagrams that they’ve posted, like this one: “Try to find another better than me… you’ll die trying.” I’m gonna use it because that’s just how I’m feeling.

I also write down my work schedule—this week I work six days. I hope I don’t have to work those hours during school, though, because I’ll have homework and cheer. I’m probably gonna look for another job because they’re gonna want me to work later hours.

Apple Maps: My friends and I are going to a café but we don’t know where it is, so I have to use Maps. I also need to find a Starbucks, so I search that up as well. I use Maps every day—I’d get lost all the time if I didn’t have it.

Other apps used today: Messages, Netflix, Camera, Photos, Starbucks app

Day Four

Snapchat: I’m having a get-together for my friend who’s in town for a visit. I want her to have a party and, because she left when we were really young, I’m getting all my elementary school friends so we can say hi to her before she leaves again. On the group chat, it’s just easier to tell all the people what’s happening—like, you could use Instagram for a group chat but Snapchat is more common. And with text group chats, everyone has to have an iPhone, but not everyone does.

Google Play: I listen to YG and Travis Scott’s new albums.

Tumblr: I like and repost pictures on Tumblr—and I make a new account because I just didn’t like my old one. A lot of people use Tumblr, but it’s up and down. People use Instagram more, and I do too, but if I get tired of it then I’ll go on Tumblr because it’s basically the same thing. I’ll usually post more aesthetic pictures.

FaceTime: After work, I FaceTime a friend I haven’t talked to in a while about how my day was at work.

Photos: Then I edit pictures and go through ones that I can post for my Instagram.

Other apps used today: Instagram, Messages, Camera, Netflix

Day Five

Safari: I’m still searching up tattoos that I want to get and what style I’d like.

Instagram: I post a picture on my spam (a.k.a. finsta) account. That’s on private. It has 101 followers who are all my close friends, people I know. Even people I know, sometimes I don’t let them follow me because I’m like, “I don’t know you that well.”

I mostly post baby pictures of me and funny stuff that my friends and I are doing. I repost other Instagram videos and pictures that are just my moods and stuff. It’s basically just to post stuff that you can’t post on your main account. That’s usually why people have finstas. There’s things that you want to post and you want everyone to see but you don’t want to post it on your main account because it’s not good enough.

To determine what is good enough, there are a bunch of things I look at: how clear my face is, what my hair looks like, the angles I have—like, does my face look more round or do I look more slim? I look at the quality of the picture—if a picture is really cute but the quality isn’t that nice, or it’s if it’s a silly picture and you look cute but you’re making a silly face, you wouldn’t post it.

Posting good photos matter because of the followers that I do have and the followers that I want to gain through what I post. If I post a lower quality picture, I’ll lose followers. My friend posts lower quality stuff and they only have like 700, 800 followers. That’s not a lot at all.

Safari: I search up the lyrics on Nicki Minaj’s new album.

YouTube: I watch music videos and back-to-school study hacks, mostly about writing notes to help memorize things because I have really bad memory. I’m excited for school and nervous at the same time because I know it’s going to be a lot of work and I’m gonna be stressed out again. But I’m excited to have it be my last year and graduate with all my friends.

Transit app: I find bus times for work.

Maps: Then I try to find busses to take. When I take the bus, I have to leave my house like an hour and a half earlier. I’ve only had to bus three or four times before because usually I get a ride or I walk. Last time I got an Uber.

Other apps used today: Snapchat, YouTube, Netflix, Google Play

Day Six

Snapchat: I send streaks and post pictures on my story. Usually, I’ll post a picture of myself if I think that I look good that day or who I’m hanging out with or what I’m doing, like if I’m at the restaurant or the mall. Or my food—I take lots of pictures of my food.

Safari: I look up prices of tattoos and the pain of them. My pain tolerance isn’t that high, so that’s what I’m nervous for. Later, I look up certain nail styles that I want for back to school. This girl who lives in Edmonton has her own home salon and I see a picture of this girl’s nails that she did that are light and dark purple. The middle finger says “Nike” with the checkmark on it and her ring finger says “Just Do It.” I want that so badly, but she’s booked up. I can’t get it later, though—you’re not allowed to have false nails during cheer season.

Instagram: I go through my photos and find an old video that my friend sent me of this woman talking about how girls don’t know their own self-worth and they go back to the wrong people or put themselves through wrong situations in relationships. I’ve been in that situation before and I can relate to it so I post it on my spam account. People comment relating to it and it gets 20 views.

YouTube: I watch my favourite YouTubers Jazz and Tae—they’re so funny, I love them so much. And then Rae and Brie. Every time I watch their videos, I laugh so hard. I also watch videos about DIY clothing.

Sephora App & Instagram: I look on Sephora for good skincare products to help clear up my skin. Instagram also has some threads that go through exactly what skincare products to buy, so I look on there. I also follow thread accounts for eating healthy and workout routines. I’d say I depend on threads pretty often, but if I’m looking for something specific then I’ll just search it up. Or people just tell me good things to use.

There’s so many things that I want to buy online, but I can’t because I don’t have a credit card—and it’s probably good right now, because otherwise I’d spend my whole paycheque online. My mom says that if I really want something online, I can buy it through her credit card and give her the money. But I plan to get one when I’m 18.

Other apps used today: Google Play, Netflix, Messages

Day Seven

Phone: I talk to my friend over the phone about a mutual friend who he likes and is starting to talk to. He has questions about our relationship and what he should do. I actually call him because on there, we can three-way call. Usually I call him and then our mutual friend. After that, I FaceTime another friend just to catch up.

Online Banking App: I ask my mom to send me money to go to the movies and she sends me $20. That’s a once in a while thing because now that I have a job she says, “You can pay for it yourself.” My friends and I watch The Spy Who Dumped Me. It was stupid but it was funny at the same time.

When I’m out with family and stuff, everyone asks me what I’d do without my phone. Last year I didn’t have a phone for most of the summer because it was broken. So I did live without a phone. It’s just a priority to me. I need it for communication, or I go on it when I’m bored, or when things are awkward. It’s just there now. But I get distracted really easily. When I’m doing homework, if my phone goes off, I’ll check it. And then, just having all the apps and all that social media stuff on there, you can waste a lot of time.

Other apps used today: Snapchat, Netflix, Google Play, Instagram, Maps

Related:

Just Kids? How Today’s Teenagers Became Our Role Models What Tumblr Taught Me About My Gender Identity Teenage Boys Are Slaying The Makeup Game—And I’m Salty “People Say You Are a Certain Way Because That’s What You Were like When You Were Five”

The post A Week in the Life of an Edmonton Teen—as Seen Through Her Phone appeared first on Flare.

A Week in the Life of an Edmonton Teen—as Seen Through Her Phone published first on https://wholesalescarvescity.tumblr.com/

[yuli-ban]

Anarchy in Prague/Belle Grand-Mär Megapost

See, now this is a megapost. The goth one was only about two unique pictures. This one has three.

Current theme song for Anarchy in Prague. Harkens back to the days when it was described as a “Stoner Rock Scott Pilgrim”. 

Drawn by @dalf

She’s 27 at the time the story starts. She is literally on the edge of being a Millennial (I’m one of those who thinks the cut-off between Millennials/Generation Y and iGeneration/Generation Z should be 2001, but some say it’s actually 1996).

Drawn by @alouissever 

If two people share a 1-Up, how would that work? Also, you can tell they’re getting close to 30 just by how stoned they look when, in fact, they’re trying to stay awake for New Year’s. I love this aspect of Anarchie, rambling about how Millennials are growing old and are no longer the dominant youth generation. In 2024 (which is 7 years away), there will be 40-something Millennials. I’ll be 30, holy fucking mother of fathers.

Drawn by @dalf

Muriel and Malfiore. Pan’s goth “girls”. Muriel’s, like, 28. However, Malfiore/Marie is 37. She’s still a Millennial, yo. 2024-37=1987. She’s a fucking ‘90s kid and she’s already growing some grays and finding the protoforms of what will one day become wrinkles.

Drawn by @alouissever

Arthur and his sister, Daria (yes, I know it was Darya; deal with it). Daria’s nonplussed about how childish Venus remains.

Drawn by @alouissever

I actually couldn’t find the bottom image for the longest time, so I think this is the first time I’ve posted it to Tumblr. See? It’s not all reposts. I kinda like how Venus looks like a ghost in the second picture, but Dalf forgot about the Saint Vitus logo! And yes, that’s a Pepper robot. I imagined that they might gain a bit more utility between now and 2024. Also, funny thing about Venus being a “hipster”. She’s actually not. She’s more of a moddie than a hipster. But since Arthur’s a hipster, she sometimes tries to be one ironically.

Drawn by @dalf

Arthur Tartakovsky, Venus’s ultra-hipster boyfriend. This was before he gained his ironic mustache. He used to be in an indie pop band in an earlier draft, but nowadays he’s still in an indie pop band. The actual change was his other hobby: before, he was a comic artist. Now he’s an indie game dev specializing in retro games and VR cyberpunk. The world of indie game devs can get hectic, especially in a tight job market. He has to deal with rival devs sabotaging each other and himself sometimes, which is why he developed electrokinetic powers.

Early sketches of the original trio. Only Venus has really changed visually. She was much less notable.

Drawn by @dalf

I already did the posts where @pan-pizza gets his nuts crushed. I see no reason why I should post them again other than to goad Pan into reblogging this megapost. Pan, do not  reblog this.

Drawn by @alouissever

Drawn/animated by @spookyfishcakes

Drawn by @nicolas-px-art

Early form of Malfiore. She always wears Ed’s clothes (a la Ed Edd n Eddy), but it was much more faithful in the earliest sketches. Just ask Alouisse-Ver. Also, she used to have Daria’s hairstyle.

Muriel’s first sketch, back before she had her top hat. I created her as a loveletter to Pan Pizza and his gothosexual tendencies; Malfiore was always going to be a part of the story.

Drawn by @alouissever

Anarchie’s still got a lotta stoner rock in it (Venus’s band and their scene mates are all either stoner rock or heavy rock), but even back in 2014 when I first created the story, I left some room for indie rock. Nowadays, they both take up an equal amount of space. If it ever becomes a movie or a cartoon, it’ll probably be the only one in history where the OST consists of Nebula, Kyuss, Radio Moscow, and Orange Goblin right alongside The Pillows, Kodaline, Arctic Monkeys, and Porno Mags. Radiohead one second, Pentagram the next.

And, for now, that’s all for Anarchie. I’ve yet to commission pictures of Kalo, Syd, Adamski, or Azura Meco, but those are coming. I’m just actually working on the story. Shocker, I know. Even I’m surprised. I just did a 30,000 word outline in about 10 days; the real rough draft should be finished by April.

And now for BGM, which is basically “Anarchie + Cyberdelic Pharmaceuticals”. The early posts here don’t show that off well, but the world will know...

Title card still pending.... I made that 3 yea— holy fuck, I made that three years ago?! How is it 2017 already? 

Pure stardream. It sounds like dreamrock, honestly. The moment I heard this, I knew I had found BGM’s BGM. No pun intended. It was either this or Stand Up. 

Belle. Belle Grand-Mär. British moddie, real name “Indira Elizabeth Jones”, elective mute, severe and antisocial, freeskating and freerunning traceause, yadayadayada. If Venus was a female Scott Pilgrim fused with Murdoc Niccals, Belle is Ramona Flowers + Haruko Haruhara + Ryuko Matoi + Garnet + a mime + Neku Sakuraba + a silent cartoon character. I’m glad I’m a writer. Try creating a silent character! You’d better have mastered visual emotion.

Aurora. Real name “Farideh Moradi”, Persian-Briton moddie, freerunning traceuse, Belle’s closest friend and whatnot. She literally got her name from the reference to the Aurora Borealis in A Flock of Seagull’s uber-80′s hit “I Ran (So Far Away)”. The 2020′s are basically the ‘80s with more cyberdelia, after all.

Bomb. Real name “Madeleine Violetta Dumont”, French moddie, actually dead and works as a psychokinetic grim reaper whenever she feels like it. Also Belle’s rival and foil. Freeskating traceuse. She was created in 2009 as the lead character in a story that was literally “JSRF: Jet Set Radio Future + The World Ends With You”. This is why she seems like someone badly took a character from each of those games and fused them together.

Drawn by @alouissever

Parov Stelar’s beautiful little electroswing track. It’s so 2020′s.  BGM has much more of a stardream atmosphere than the down-to-earth feel of Anarchie. There’s a lot more chiptune, dreamier rock, electrofunk, and whatnot. If you took the soundtrack to Super Mario Galaxy and Steven Universe, mixed it with the soundtrack to Jet Set Radio Future, and made it thrice as eclectic, you’d get something like BGM’s presumed BGM.

You may have noticed that all the characters for BGM thus far are moddies. That’s no mistake or coincidence— it’s a moddie story. It has a stronger character than Anarchie, to the point I can even call it when aspects of Anarchie “seem like something out of BGM”.  Moddies are already getting started, though no one’s yet calling them moddies. But you see how vaporwave’s gotten so big? How neon and pixel art is dominating Tumblr? Seapunk and dyed hair are everywhere, everyone loves hallucinogenics, and everyone loves the ‘80s once more. Major Lazer, for the fucking win. Right now, we say that these are signs of hipsterdom. But in the 2020s, we’re going to look back and realize what it really was— the birth of the moddies. We’ve not yet reached the moddies— we still need a Transhuman Be-In, cheaper OLEDs, and a Sgt. Pepper moment for electronic music (where people stop seeing it as purely dance music). And I don’t see anyone who owns a robot like Pepper or ASIMO yet either. And while luminescent hair is definitely a thing, it’s not yet become a common thing. Nor has leaving up Christmas lights all year, or being obsessed with bright primary colors.

But we’re getting there. And the thing that will trigger the final separation between post-hipsters and moddies isn’t a Transhuman Be-In, but simply time: us Millennials are indeed growing older. I was born in ‘94, and I’m 22 going on 23. Millennials brought back hipsterdom, but ‘10s hipsters suffered a brutal blow due to the loss of Bernie Sanders and the rise of Donald Trump. Our whole zeitgeist became fragile. Hence why people are looking for harder music instead of the previously comfortably twee indie pop and nu-folk. Being vintage and authentic hasn’t helped us one bit, and the kids— those younger than ourselves— don’t believe in our ideals. They just see a blizzard.  Some may mock the hair colors, but they secretly love it. They want something more than what Millennials are offering. They are loving several aspects of what’s big— aforementioned things like vaporwave, electronic music, dyed hair, cyberpunk revivalism, ‘80s and ‘90s love, etc.— but other aspects, they are eager to discard. There’s a strain of neo-futurism in the iGeneration, which isn’t surprising considering they were raised as something of a proto-cyborg generation.

And that’s the moddies in a nutshell. Kids who recognize they live in “The Future™” and wish to own it. They don’t just listen to electronic music because it’s cool; it also aids that whole sense of living in years that previous generations thought were purely sci-fi. They don’t see electronic music as just dance club/background music. They want electronic versions of prog rock and conscious hip hop. They’re more than happy to drop acid and fuck robots. They don’t love the obsession with a minimalist future with sterile colors— they want neon. Neon lights, neon paint, and a cyberdelic attitude. If that means making cities look like one giant rave, so be it. Because ha ha, they live in the Future.

You can forgive them for their incredible optimism; they’re just kids. And they want you to know it.