smallpotatoes

Have you ever watched the movie "We're the Millers"?  The movie is about a drug dealer who convinces a group of strangers to pretend to be his family so he can smuggle drugs across the Mexican border. There's a scene that has since become a meme, in which one of the family members realizes the others were being paid to participate in the family trip.  If you have never seen the movie, the joke is that everyone else knows something that he doesn't. Similar to how I felt when I first started this course  As I read some of the blogs, I'm impressed by how everyone connects concepts to their own experiences. In a way, I felt like I was playing catch-up, like wait a minute ... y'all knew we were learning on these platforms?  Before this course, I wouldn't have described social media as a learning space. Instead, it was a place for me to connect with my colleagues, keep up with old friends, and, honestly, doom scroll. Many of the platforms I had joined served...

I'm about to put you on ...  If you haven't already (even if you don't live locally), you should join the Tallahassee Foodies group on Facebook.  In fact, it is one of the best resources recommended to me since moving to Tallahassee.  I have used it to collect  information about restaurants and food-related events locally. Members share information about new restaurants and experiences, and they also ask for recommendations. This has also led me to the Tallahassee foodies webpage, which  curates information for local foodies. On the webpage, members and visitors can find information about local cooking clubs and food events, with the webpage serving as a knowledge broker for the community.  At first, I viewed the group as just a place that shared information, but I've come to realize it builds community. In Revitalizing Traditional Malay Kuih Through Facebook: A Study of Online Culinary Knowledge Sharing , researchers found that Facebook suppor...

Food is at the center of my universe.   I love everything about food. Food can be experienced through all five senses. You can hear the sizzle of a juicy steak hitting a hot cast-iron skillet. You can see the deep brown crust forming as the steak caramelizes and develops a beautiful sear. You can feel the meat's tenderness beneath your fork. You can smell the aroma of the garlic, butter, herbs, and seasonings as they fill the kitchen. And, most importantly, you can taste it, and don't get me started on the five tastes. You may be wondering where I am going with this. This is a blog about my experience with social media. Well, we are transitioning into one of my favorite things to learn about on social media platforms: Food! So many platforms offer space to share recipes, cooking techniques, and more, but for me, TikTok was my app of choice.  TikTok made it easy for me to fall in love with creators as they shared their knowledge, experiences, and culture.  A few of my...

Black content creators play a big role in shaping culture on platforms like TikTok. Even though they don't always receive credit, they are still the ones driving many social media trends. Creators like Tabitha Brown, Keith Lee, and BlameitonKway have built large audiences through food, storytelling, humor, and cultural commentary. Yes, their content is entertaining, but it also shapes trends and how people interact with food, lifestyle, and everyday content online. A report from  Rolling Stone   noted that Black creators are often the originators of viral trends but don’t always get credit as those trends spread to larger audiences. Black creators can shape what goes viral, and still not be acknowledged. This is represented when videos get reposted without credit or when a trend is renamed by a different creator in an effort to claim ownership. So even though Black creators are clearly shaping a lot of what we see online, they don’t always stay connected to their work once it ...

It's me, Hi, I'm the problem, it's me. I am holding my own hand when I say this. I AM THE PROBLEM (not really, but it helps if the story has character development)! Now let's break this down. I have come to the realization that I am a professional lurker. I spent the last few months mostly away from social media. It often creates a lot of stress for me because of the time I spend doomscrolling. However, Reddit has me ready to risk it all, ready to rejoin society, like maybe those other platforms aren't that bad.  I mean, they really may not be. Let's break this down further: Facebook  Pro: allowed me to connect with people I hadn't spoken with in years.  Con: That friend ... or Ex ...  that I probably shouldn't have ever reconnected with is now in my inbox. Instagram Pro: I get to see pictures and videos about really cool places and people from around  the world  Con: I rarely get to see the bad angles, and I've only seen pictures that show the best ...

 I loathe badges Drop The Mic Obama Mic Drop GIF from Drop The Mic Obama GIFs Now it's only fair that I give you some insight into my disdain for badging.  I wasn't familiar with badging until my most recent role. At first introduction, I thought the concept was really cool. However, in practice, I quickly noticed a flaw. There was no industry recognition for the badges my team created. While our primary badge(s) are widely used, I've found that our stakeholders are often unsure how to leverage them.  This week has challenged my stance and frustration with badging. As I learn more about design principles and their value to learners, I'm starting to second-guess my stance. My frustration may be an indication of my own misunderstanding of the badge's purpose and its value. P.S. If you're reading this I finally figured out how to embed a gif.