Do the Harlem Shake

Just in this past week alone, over 4,000 of Harlem Shake videos have been made per day. The 1980's 'Harlem Shake' dance has made a comeback, but will it last?  Here, at The University of Georgia, the Swim and Dive team made a Harlem Shake video and in one day it had over a million hits.  Not only did it go viral over the internet, but it made national news and was aired on The Today Show on NBC. The next day, our football team, basketball team and several groups of students had made their own versions of 'The Harlem Shake' and put it up on YouTube for the world to see. What is so crazy to me is that the actual song "Harlem Shake" by Baauer was made in 2012 and no one had really heard it but in one day after all these videos went viral, his song became the #1 selling song on iTunes this week. It just goes to show that social media has become such a major part of our daily lives, it can be so easy to start trends.

Every day this week I can't log on to my Facebook or check my Twitter without another 'Harlem Shake' video being shared or talked about from my friends.  It is just so amazing to me that in less than a week, such a huge following of people have become obsessed with this new trend of videos.  This past weekend while I was watching college basketball, Auburn fans were filming their own version of the 'Harlem Shake' during a timeout. It has become such a craze that I wonder if a university or college didn't make a video it would be frowned upon. I do think about how long the hype about these videos will last. To me it seems like this is a fad and after a few more days the videos will die out and something new will come along. In my generation we have such a short attention span that usually these trends don't last very long. I will however enjoy them while they last and see if anyone can top the UGA Swim and Dive's version of 'The Harlem Shake'.

Can Social Media Predict the Grammys?

It's awards season again and tonight is the night to celebrate great music and artists. Yes, the Grammys are here. Even if I couldn't watch it live on TV, I could probably just look at my Twitter feed and feel like I was watching it live. But, what if I didn't even care to watch it and just wanted to know the winners? Do I even need to watch to see who wins? Well, if the awards were based on popularity (which they almost all are) I could just see which artists have the most followers on twitter, likes on Facebook, and largest subscribers to their YouTube channels.  Due to all these social media platforms, artists are able to have a greater reach with the public. I can follow Rihanna on Instagram and see what she is doing or I can read her tweets to know what she is thinking. All of these different ways to connect with their fans has made artists become more popular.

These days, I don't have to wait till the 5 o'clock news to come on anymore to find out the next scandalous thing Chris Brown did, I can get updates from E! News at any minute of the day on my phone. The internet and this explosion of channels for me to be connected to my favorite artists have made it possible for musicians to have a career. Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen are great examples; if it wasn't for YouTube and the ability to share information online, their careers might not even be existent. Social media sites have made it easier for artists to sell their music and become increasingly popular.  So if I could predict the Grammys, I'd say that the higher number of Twitter followers and YouTube subscribers an artist has, they will be the winner. According to the marketing agency Activ8Social, Taylor Swift has the largest fan base on Facebook and the highest number of YouTube subscribers compared to her competition for Record of the Year. So will I be right in that Taylor Swift will win because of her popularity on the social web? Guess we will have to wait and see....

The Super Bowl is Here!

Tomorrow, one of the most watched sporting events will take place. Yes, thats right, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is not just about a football game anymore, its about the ads, the halftime show, and all that yummy food. In our modern day world where Twitter and Facebook have become an increasing important part of our daily lives, an event like the Super Bowl can mean big things! A few weeks ago when Beyonce announced that she will be performing the Pepsi Half-time Show, it went viral over all social networks within minutes. With all this crazy buzz about if she will perform with her former bandmates, Destiny's Child, or if she will announce dates of her new tour, it almost makes me wonder if her performance is bigger than the actual game? Not only her performance, but all the chatter over Twitter about the commercial ads! Brands, like Doritos, had a contest for one lucky person to direct and film their next commercial that would air during the Super Bowl. My personal favorite, the E-trade commercials with the talking baby, is what I am definitely looking forward to see what new one they come up with.  The Super Bowl is more that just a football game, it's a complete entertainment experience, and now with all of these social media outlets, we can all converse together about our favorite ads, if Beyonce's outfit was fierce enough, or how to make the perfect queso dip. According to Twitter, last year's Super Bowl drew more than 13 million tweets; and that was last year...I can only imagine what this years game will bring.

Another great thing about the Super Bowl, is the Super Bowl party.  Pinterest is the perfect way to get great ideas for your Super Bowl party.  Being able to share fun drink ideas, the perfect wing sauce, or the recipe to make a great dessert, is a great new way to interact on social media. With Pinterest, Instagram and all of these other new social platforms, communicating and sharing about each others Super Bowl experience has become so much easier and enjoyable. We can only wait and see how many tweets and Instagram photos will be posted regarding the Super Bowl, and i'm sure they will be record breaking.