Crossing the Finish Line

Looking forward from today, I believe I will use the experiences given with social media to improve my career and hopefully spread the word of my passion to the rest of the world. With practical applications for social media I will be able to logically and effectively use social media to benefit the child life community as a whole.  In the beginning of this journey, I never imagined social media in business to be such a benefit for collaboration.  I think social media has come a very long way when it comes to businesses. I have proudly helped improve my father's company's social media pages to benefit them more than it has been. I taught my father about how to post, and what to post.  Also, he learned why purpose matters in social media.  I believe continuing with him will help his business overall.

I think my future goal of applying social media to child life in order to spread awareness is very attainable, but will require a large amount of work.  In my child life internship I have to have a major final project, and social media will be a large option for me when choosing my project.

The semester overall has been very informational and fun. It will be interesting to incorporate what I have learned into my future, and hopefully make a difference in my career and others'.

Fire up Chips! 

"From Below"

From working with Central Michigan Manufacturing Association, I've learned that there are many opportunities with a high school or college degree within the manufacturing world.  Interesting enough, in chapter 8 of Who Owns the Future, Jaron Lanier points out the key question of the future of manufacturing, "How much will be automated?" In other words, how many jobs are going to be taken by technology as manufacturing progresses as a technological field?  My guess: MOST.  The CMMA is fighting to get people interested in the manufacturing field, while technology is slowly working against it.  Similar to the medical field.  There will always be people to program the robots, or what have you, but that eliminates a large percentage of employees.  This is already in progress! Look at a milling programmer.  In the past, that person carved out each piece of that part to form a part or mold.  Now, a person sits in front of a computer and tells a machine what to shape.  The benefit of this is the accuracy, and milling programmers are not in high demand.  What happens when it continues up the line and the programmer isn't needed because the original draft can be updated without any assistance from a human hand?  This is the vicious cycle.

In my opinion, we as a country need to think about where technology is going.  But of course more important things like marriage rights are keeping the government busy. A whole story in itself, but point made.  It would be a brilliant success if it was calculated out as to how the continuous elimination of jobs through the use of technology is going to effect our economy.  Guarantee the percentage of the richest grows while the rest of us begin our journey to poverty.  I honestly believe that these developers get caught up in having the next newest technology that they do not think twice on what it will do to society as a whole.

Yet again, we live in a world of "me, me, me!"

Fire Up!

I Wish Jaron Lanier Could Come to Class

Maybe if Jaron Lanier came and spoke for our class I would understand him a bit more.  His sentence structure and overall philosophy is a bit over my head.  Chapters 2-4 of Who Owns the Future? constantly go back to how technology is like the middle class.  What I get from this is that technology is  very complex, like the economy.  Which is absolutely a fact.  When I think of technology in relation to the economy, I think of the fact that economy has everything to do with who has what technology.  Your economic status has everything to do with whether you have a tablet, smartphone, laptop, etc. or if you have to go to the library to use the internet for free.  Or you can be the 1% of the population that can afford the Google Glass.  Technology is available to most of the world, but depending on where you are or how much money you have, you're limited yet again.  Who has the fastest wifi? People who pay for it individually.  Who has the newest iPad whenever a new edition comes out.  The Kardashian's (or some other ridiculously rich family).  Maybe this isn't what Lanier was getting at, but every time I saw the word middle class all I could think is the reality of how attainable, or unattainable technology is based on how much money you have.

All the world strives for is technology.

Yay Teen Advocacy!

Well, after hours of decision making, I finally decided to concentrate my final project on the use of social media for hospitalized teenagers.  Most people do not realize how hard it is to be a teen in the hospital.  Not only are children's hospitals decorated for a 2 year old, but they provide no room for independence, privacy, and psychological growth.  How is a teen supposed to become comfortable with themselves when they're constantly being poked and prodded?  Well, teens find comfort and support through social media, like a comfort blanket.    I'm no Prezi queen, and I'm fighting a cold, but here it is! Hope you learn a bunch and fall in love with teen advocacy like me :)

Teen Advocacy Through Social Media

Talk About Morals

Social Media and morals just aren't flowing together anymore.  Especially when you combine that with nosy news reporters and journalists.  I found an article posted by my university's newspaper CMlife that  broke my heart.  Not because it's such a touching story, but because it is so heartless and unimportant to the general population.

Kelly Markatos was a CMU student who died a sudden death at the young age of 22.  The tragedy hit the university hard, and many of my friends as well.  How is it that the world mixed with technology can be so cruel that they feel the need to exploit her disease to the world?  Personal satisfaction.  Nosy people.  That's why.  People today are information hungry and it makes them act like animals.

This reminds me of all of the massacre stories, like Sandy Hook Elementary.  Kelly's family, and all victims families have to live through their loss every day.  Opening the wounds months later to satisfy the interest of uninvolved parties is beyond sickening!  Let families heal! Without technology, people wouldn't have this desire to be informed on such horrible events and thrive off knowing details that do not effect their life whatsoever.

Sometimes I think technology is a horrible thing.  Especially in situations like this.  My prayers go out to the family and friends of young Kelly.  What a horrible addition to their already difficult holiday season.

Fire Up and keep your nose in your own business!

Please, No Robots, Thanks!

Jaron Lanier loves his futuristic predictions.  And boy oh boy do I hope he is wrong about this one!  The idea of robots is kind of cool, if you're the laziest person ever.  I'm sorry, but what exactly would be the purpose of living at all if robots are going to do it all for us? Yes, yes he says "They [humans] will remain essential for the technology will rely on data that has to come from people, but it isn't decided yet if they'll be valued in terms that lead to wealth" (Who Owns the Future). In this section he is referring to surgeons.  Well, sorry Sir Jaron, but although non invasive surgeries sound more appealing, when it comes down to it, I want a human performing the surgery on me that will save my life.  You know, something with a beating heart and a working brain?  I understand the importance of many robots used today, but if surgeons are concentrating on learning how to do things through the robots, when are they learning about hands-on for when Mr. Robot breaks? YIKES!  It sounds to me like surgical residents are looking for a 10 year residency in order to cover all the bases, human and robot.

Topics like this make me think of, yes another childish movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! (The one with Johnny Depp) Mr. Bucket lost his job to robots.  Then he was hired back as the guy to fix the robots.  What a world would that be? Not one I would be all too happy about.  Another movie reference - iRobot pops into my head immediately as well. Robot take over? No, thanks!

Yes, technology is incredible and I love it.  However, I think our purpose on this earth is more than "providing the data that makes the networked realization of any technology better and cheaper." There are reasons people are born with gifts, for example, the ability to logically, safely, and professionally cut into someone's body and save their life.  I don't think a future surgeon's dream is to teach a robot.

Finally. I have to touch on the fact that my future career expresses the need to be honest with patients young and old.  Unless you have a robot-crazed 10 year old boy, I'm almost confident every child would have higher anxiety thinking some metal thing is going to cut into his/her body. That would be a whole new world of coping strategies for the Child Life world.

Fiiiire up! (It's finals week!)

A Tech Savvy Holiday Season

What does every child, teen, adult, even grandparent want for Christmas? Technology. I want a cell phone, I want a kindle, I want an iPad! In the season of want, people will even change these into needs. Oh I need the new iPhone 5c because my iPhone 4 works fine but it's not as light weight and it's not colorful. No, your phone works fine and just because your contract is up and there is a new pink iPhone out doesn't mean you need it. 

Now don't get me wrong, my "Christmas list" consists of a few wants, but I'm pretty sure socks and snow boots are more of a need than wanting a new piece of technology. Maybe my issue is I have a lot of technology already, but I got them overtime and rarely as a Christmas gift. That is what is sickening to me, the ability people have to make Christmas about receiving as many things that they want that they can't afford throughout the rest of the year. 

My take on gifts is that you should give. Give when you find something someone needs or maybe even wants during anytime of the year. Give as an appreciation to someone, and don't do it just because it is Christmas time. Christmas has the ability to bring people together, so enjoy the time, love and laughter. Save some money or donate the money you were going to spend on that new iPad to a family in need, or a charity. Make this season about giving, not receiving. Maybe even cut your list down to more needs and less wants.

I find myself disappointed in people around me, even my own family sometimes. I think society needs to take a step back and look at Christmas differently. It is time we teach our children not to expect a tree full of gifts when they wake up. Stop preaching about the season of giving if all you do is teach your children to want, want, want.

Fire up and think about it! 🔥👆

A Roadmap to Awareness

The Social Organization puts a huge emphasis on purpose throughout chapters 5 and 6.  Purpose needs to be more than just "to spread the word about ______".  The purpose of using social media technologies needs to be in depth, and have the ability to change or continue over time.

Take Child Life, for example.  There are countless areas that Child Life is involved in.  The overall purpose of the Child Life specialist? To help children and families overcome the most difficult time of their lives.  Well hello, that's a lot to cover! Is that how we're going to describe the need for Child Life in hospitals over social media? Absolutely not! There needs to be purpose and these purposes will be around forever as each new parent, doctor, nurse, person hears about Child Life.  Brainstorming is where this comes into play.  Here are very few ideas on what a purpose of a post, website, or collaboration would be:

• Teen Advocacy in children's hospitals that are decorated for young children
• Pain management/distraction
• Use of technology
• Individual stories reflecting on the CCLS

There are endless options on what to post about.  Collaborating, on the other hand, needs a consistent topic.  The same examples above can be used, but the collaboration would be continuous.  For example, if a collaborative technology was used strictly for child life specialists, they could share the ideas their hospital is coming up with, what pain management techniques are working for different types of children etc.  Also, a parent collaboration for support and information on disease, hospital secrets, and so on, can be shared.  

What a great example of how a CCLS can utilize a purpose roadmap - make a blog to help current or future child life specialists! 

A purpose roadmap will provide who the participants are, what motivates them to collaborate, how they interact, and potentially what they are collaborating about.  It would allow for growth of the social media environment to discuss new purposes, or add on to existing ones. Building a purpose road map has the following steps:

1. Preparation
2. Defining the community
3. Brainstorming purposes
4. Evaluating and organizing purposes
5. Documenting the purpose roadmap

With a successful road map, there will be sustained value overtime, providing solid footing to become a successful collaborating community.

Fire Up on the road to success!

PS: This girl's blog is downright amazing -  she forms connections to other blogs about child life and she attracts many types of people from parent to future child life specialist to a medical professional. Check it out here!

Social Media to the MAX

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, Netflix, Netflix.  THIS was my morning. On this lazy Saturday filled with procrastination on any and all work I need to complete for the week, I sat, and sat, on social media. Yes, I am pathetic.  However, I must say it was quite refreshing pretending I had no responsibilities in the world (other than shooting awake at 7:30 thinking I needed to be at work).

I woke up, devastated that I didn't charge my phone last night. Yes, the worst thing to happen when you plan to lay right next to the charger for the next 6 hours.  I think I was being a little dramatic since I was up way earlier than I planned to be. Anyway, I checked my social media apps until my phone was on 1% and dreaded rolling over to plug it in.  At this point, I watched Grey's Anatomy for 3 hours.  The worst part was, I was on social media while I was watching my favorite show.  There really is no satisfaction in just enjoying your show is there? I blame my stressful week of presentations keeping me away from my precious Netflix.

After running to the store and making myself presentable to the world (sadly, in that order) I sat on Vine for a half hour. Yikes! I did get a lot of good laughs though, I seriously suggest a Vine session anytime you need to smile.  Now presentable, off my couch, and doing school work, I am checking Snapchat. Oh, the shame!

Let's just say that monitoring my use of social media was done on a pretty pathetic day in my life.  But, it's reality for you! When we have a minute (or 360 minutes) I enjoy using mindless social media apps and technology to allow myself to relax and have absolutely no care in the world besides freaking out to Grey's wondering who's gonna die next!

I do have to stick up for myself here quickly though, because I really don't text all that much.  I find it to be so forced these days, to talk to people constantly with no real purpose. Actually, I haven't done that in years, but my point is that while I improve in some areas, I may overuse others.  I realize that the hours I did nothing could have been used for more productive things, but sometimes you just need a day off!

Time to fire up and get some work done!

24 really busy hours.

24 hours without technology was not a difficult task.  Really, it was a bit irritating at the most.  No technology ended up having to be no phone, social media, or use of technology outside school and work. Although a few hours were spent writing papers and doing other online homework, I did not break any rules.  My strategy may have been a form of cheating, I gave my phone over to my roommate for the day. I honestly don't know if I would have had the ability to stay off my phone. Maybe because I wanted to be connected, but also because checking my phone is a habit.  Searching my pockets or purse for my phone has become habitual over the years. 

I noticed throughout the day that I wanted to talk to people. I had things to talk to my mom about, and also friends.  Some of which were important, and others not so important.  I felt uncomfortable when I went to meet my coworkers for dinner and had no idea when someone had arrived, or how many people to put in for the table. The inconvenience of not talking to people when I felt I needed to was irritating. 

On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the absence of social media.  No Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter was a relief, a breath of fresh air. It makes me think about deleting it all. And although I do not know if that will happen, it will continue to be a thought in my mind as the class progresses. I completed a large amount of homework, which I know would not have been completed had I not been doing this experiment. Yay me, and yay school!

Overall, a day without technology made me feel good! I can go without constantly being connected to people, and feel good about it. I know that social media is just a way to fulfill some emptiness in me and a way to make me feel, well, social. I encourage you to try it.

Fire up! But don't fire up the apps, computer, and phone. Enjoy those around you.

Fill Me Up

I went to church this morning.  I used to go to church on a regular basis, but over the years my church visits have been very irregular.  It was refreshing to be back in that environment, but what shocked me was the 5 minute video we watched about technology and social media, along with other things like food, shopping, etc. being what "fills people up" temporarily. The "emptiness" we feel the need to fill up every day with social media and technology is real.  We reach for our phones in any moment of discomfort and hide in technology when we're feeling sad. That temporary fill of whatever emptiness is inside of us satisfied for just a bit before the next spell of emptiness pours on us.

I'm interested to see what I am using to fill my emptiness and help with my discomfort while I'm off technology for 24 hours.  I am also interested in seeing how I feel afterwards.  Will I be counting down the seconds to bury myself in another episode of Grey's Anatomy? Or, will I be enjoying my space from the cyber world, catching up on homework and having concentrated conversations with my roommates.

The video hit home when it pointed out that the world relies on technology to fill a hole.  It is true; I see it, and I do it.  I wish I could be less reliable on social media to fill me up when I am feeling down.  Sometimes, I learn the hard way and realize that social media has its ways of tearing me down even more. I'm glad my eyes were opened to a new way of looking at the way we use technology and what motives we have behind the excessive use.

Fire Up!

PS: Thor: The Dark World was SO GOOD!

24 Whole Hours?!

I love technology.  I use it every day.  Honestly, I cannot imagine being my age 10 years ago and not having the ability to do the things technology allows me to do.  While talking to my cousin, who also happens to be a close friend and 11 years older than me, I realized that life was possible without the constant connections and communication that I have today.  I am a people person.  I love staying connected with people. Or at least knowing I can be connected with anyone within a matter of seconds.   I'm not a huge texter, I would rather talk on the phone, but I do not do that very often either.  I sit on social media for a pathetic amount of hours reading up on people that 1) I don't like, 2) don't care about or 3) do like and care about, but not to the point where I need to know each aspect of their life.  I'm the type of person who is content with a few great friends rather than a lot of good ones.  Social media keeps me up on those "good" friends that really, without social media, we would not be connected at all.
My cousin allowed me to understand that his generation lived, communicated, and succeeded without what we have now.  Not that technology is bad, but I am ashamed at how much I rely on it.  I do not want to rely on technology like I do.

Since I love so much communication, I get very nervous when I don't have it.  I do not like driving without a phone, as I feel that if I were in an emergency, I couldn't contact people.  I do not like to go anywhere without my phone for the same reason.  I am terrified of getting lost, being left behind, and missing out on important details.

For class, I am going to give up my phone, iPad, and computer for 24 hours other than for school or work purposes.  I will not check social media, I will not watch Netflix, TV, play games, or anything other than email/online homework.  I am going to live like my cousin did when he was in college.  I am going to do this by giving my technology to my roommate, who will only give it back to me if I need it for school purposes.  As a precaution, because of my admitted paranoia, I am going to have her keep my phone on her so that in any emergency call from a family member, I can be contacted.  This is a test.  Can I survive a day without feigning for technology? I'll report back later.


Fire Up!

Morbark

Morbark is a world class manufacturing company that produces high-performance equipment for forestry, recycling, sawmill, biomass, landscaping/irrigation, and tree care.  Their facility is 1.1 million square feet and is incredible.  Luckily, I was involved in a tour of the facility.  It involved a lot of walking, some protective gear, and a lot of information.

I was fascinated by the machinery and processes used in the Morbark facility.  From nothing, they make huge, functioning, dangerous machinery that has the ability to destroy materials in a matter of seconds.  I have a friend who is involved in manufacturing, and have always wanted to see the facility and machinery he works with.  Although he is a CNC programmer and works in a very, very small facility, the ability to see the types of things manufacturing companies are capable of gave me a clear picture of how talented he really is.

Morbark seems to be a very organized, smooth working company.  Each employee I saw was diligently working on their part, no matter how small, to make the big picture come together.  My favorite part of the tour was the huge piece of metal that was incased in a room with sound reducing insulation.  Machines work to carve out pieces of that metal and I relate it to the CNC milling that I am familiar with.  I've seen machines carve out metal (only in videos) to make precise details, and I imagine the same happening with this piece of metal.

The negative side of the tour involved my personality, and my health.  As a person who likes to move, likes change in projects, and likes to communicate with people while working, the factory would not be a place for me to work.  Also, as a person who is prone to headaches and migraines, the factory would end up triggering them and I would be unable to concentrate or work for that matter.  The smells, sounds, and lights triggered headaches while I was on an hour long tour, I cannot imagine spending my days in the factory.

Overall, I am thankful for the experience at Morbark.  Although my field is not involved in manufacturing directly, it was an experience many people should have.  The manufacturing field does fit many types of personalities, and has opportunities to move up in the company, which is a great aspect.  Morbark is impressive, and now I can understand where manufacturers come from when they say that people can be successful with or without a college education.

Fire up.

iPad Technology in Child Life

Its quite apparent that my life spun into chaos, and my blog became low priority.  However, my thoughts have not even begun to stop on topics we are dealing with in class, and in my personal life.  I learned through a project I was assigned one of my passions in child life is stronger than I originally thought.  I gave a technology presentation on iPad/tablet use in child life.  Through research and practice, I learned how much I love, and will use iPad technology when I am a CCLS.

Distracton. First off, in any human being, distraction is a tool that works.  With physical pain, emotional pain, any kind of pain, being distracted causes our brains to focus on something other than what we are feeling.  No, it does not eliminate the pain.  However, in children, it has almost that effect.  Distraction on iPads can be through television shows, games, videos, or education.  Since apps are available for any age, infants through teens can easily be distracted.  Sometimes children cannot be distracted and physically interact with the device, so a video, movie, or moving image may be used.  Other occasions allow the child to interact.  This is where a game, educational app, or even just controlling the device on their own is appropriate.  Next time you go get your blood drawn, put on a YouTube video, check social media, or engage in a phone conversation.  Distract yourself and fully engage, then see how much you feel that needle prick.

Preparation. Preparing children for procedures and tests is essential.  Yes, children in the past have gone through procedures with no preparation and survived.  But think, if we could help children understand why they have to be poked and prodded, how it works, and why it happens to them and not their brother/sister, don't you think they would be better off psychologically? Children are smarter than society lets people believe.  They can comprehend what happens to their body, as long as we explain it in terms they understand, and take time explaining it.  Luckily, child life specialists can use iPad technology for preparation before or during the child's visit.  There are apps that hospitals have made that include videos taking children step by step through procedures like a blood draw, casting, CT scanning, etc.  The child can watch as many times as they'd like, and an adult can talk them through using developmentally appropriate terminology. Adults want to understand what will happen when they undergo a procedure, now imagine a child in a terrifyingly unfamiliar place, not knowing what is going to happen to them. Prepare them. Inform them.

Relaxation. Hospitals are stressful.  There's beeping, crying, yelling, rushing, death, and illness.  No one likes hospitals. To children, hospitals are unfamiliar territory.  Between strange people in their faces, machines, tools, and the environment all together, its no question that a hospital is a highly stressful environment for kids.  The iPad can be used in many ways to calm children.  Distraction and preparation are relaxing in themselves.  Apps involving music, visual and sound apps, even FaceTime will allow children to relax.  Over all the beeping and medical talk, a child's favorite song can change their mood immediately.  Reducing stress is essential in the hospital environment.

Overall, iPads can have huge effects on children's reaction to and experiences in the hospital.  Distraction, preparation, and relaxation are important for each and every child's hospital experience.

Here is a video example of a child being distracted during a procedure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkID_TF8n0s

Fire up!

You want to be a what?

Any person who is directly or indirectly involved with Child Life is responsible for spreading the word.  Becoming a social organization is not easy, but community collaboration is the only way that it can be largely successful.  Chapter 3 and 4 of The Social Organization speak on these two topics.  Social media has a history of failing within companies and organizations, but that is mostly because it is not being utilized properly.  Many view social media as self sufficient, a "provide-and-pray" approach is used according to TSO.  Many children's hospitals use social media to talk about child life within their hospital.  This is a great way to be a social organization, but expanding out to the general public to show the importance, and benefits of having a child life specialist is critical to their growth.

It is important that social media is used separately, with different purposes inside and outside of the hospital.  Within the hospital, it is important to use social media technologies to allow patients, families, medical professionals, and other involved parties see give opinions on improvements, or a place to give praise.  Outside of the hospital, social media can be used to spread the word to every parent, future parent, social worker, teacher, so that they are knowledgeable and can be a resource for when children have to experience the medical world.  There need to be spotlight videos of miraculous stories in which the Child Life Specialist made a difference in different kinds of development.  This is where community collaboration comes in.

Community collaboration is not the place to talk about deep controversial issues, improvements or an analysis of the system.  It is a place to share open information about the positive outcome of child life, talk about what can be offered, and independently share its purpose.  Since child life is not a medical process, community collaboration is suitable.  The culture of the child life profession is based off the belief that this service is a need in medical facilities.  If these services became a norm, the culture would be accepted more by physicians, families, and skeptics.

I believe child life specialists have a combination of a flippant and formulating attitude.  Social media is being used positively within most children's hospitals, but when it comes to community and awareness, there is a lack of communication between hospitals and the rest of the world.

I hope to one day say "I want to be a Child Life Specialist" and not receive looks like this:

Fire Up!

More like the Jettsons

The first chapter of The New Digital Age by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen left me more irritated than anything.  The only images running through my mind were of The Jettsons and Meet the Robinsons.  Think of how out-of-this-world The Jettsons world seemed, much of it is still out of reach for today's technology, as is traveling by bubbles in Meet the Robinsons.

As amazing as some of these technological ideas the authors have, I picture our society failing because of many of them.  What would people do to make a living if most of the jobs are done by robots?  What happens when auto pilot fails in vehicles while the "driver" is sitting in the back seat? An implant in my nose that warns me when there's unhealthy germs in the air? We might as well live in a bubble.  All of the medical technology explained ways to keep people alive.  Death is horribly hard, but people aren't  supposed to live forever!  We're not supposed to be able to re-grow limbs like a lizard! The average life span is already high. Yes, we would love to spend countless years with our loved ones, however there's a point where its cruel and probably a bit scary to see grandma like that.

 Majority of our society would use huge technological advances like described in this chapter to allow for more laziness.  In comes Wall-e; obese people floating in chairs that take them where they want to go, and technology doing every ounce of work for them down to brushing teeth.

The sad part is, half of the technology they speak of is on its way! I'm already saddened by my generation, myself included, at how much we rely on technology.  How am I going to learn to survive on my own if technology is constantly living my life for me?  Sure, it'd be great if a hologram could be at a kids soccer game while you're really at work. NO! Are you kidding me? Priorities, people.  It's called time management.

The only technology idea I truly enjoyed while reading this chapter is the idea of a bed that massages me awake.  Yes, please.

Fire Up! But hurry, soon something might just do it for you!

How can we make this work?

Wow.  Chapter 2 of The Social Organization: How to Use Social Media to Tap the Collective Genius of your Customers and Employees by Anthony J. Bradley and Mark P. McDonald made me want to get involved with companies immediately.  My first instinct after reading the chapter which takes you through the six principles of mass collaboration as well as the fundamental cycle of collaboration was, "I've got to call my dad!"

As a business owner, my father is always looking for new ideas and ways to spread word about what he's doing.  In reading this book, I'm finding that there is so much more they could be doing with social media! I'm hoping he takes my advice and picks up this book so that we can work together to help his company grow!

Here's a diagram of the components of mass collaboration which broadly shows what needs to be used effectively to have successful mass collaboration.  The principles and fundamental cycle go further into detail on each area of the diagram.

The first page of chapter 2 grabbed my attention immediately - "Social media enables mass collaboration, in which a large and diverse group of people who may have no preexisting connections pursues a mutual purpose that creates value." When I relate this to child life and the Child Life Council, I imagine how forming a social organization within the child life and medical community could allow the field to explode! I'm sickened by seeing children that are held back because of a prolonged hospital stay, physically, cognitively, and emotionally! If we could spread the word of child life to more people, more people would be advocates for child life, more parents would be aware, and more hospitals would put efforts into having child life.

The struggle with child life is that it is not a billable service in the hospital.  It is not viewed as a service that is necessary because it does not provide benefits along the lines of saving lives, healing, etc.  But as an advocate for child life, I see it differently.  In the long run, child life has major effects.  Imagine an infant, diseased and hospitalized for months.  That infant may be held occasionally by a parent or nurse,  fed, changed, etc. But child life specialists not only work with the infant, but the family on ensuring that child is getting the developmental attention he or she needs. This includes building the necessary muscles, sensory development, cognitive development, and relational development with that child's family and loved ones.  If this child survives, they have a higher chance of being on track with the developmental norms because of the work of a child life specialist.  That IS important. By forming a social organization within the child life council, child life could expand and benefit greatly.  The way to share this is to get people who have experienced what child life specialists can do, first hand, to get on board.

This leads me into the second difficulty to overcome. Getting parents and patients on board is difficult because approaching a parent after or even while their child is sick in the hospital can be hit or miss.  It would be a decision made over time by the child life specialist to ask the family to get on board as an advocate of child life and be involved enough to make it a successful social organization.

Overall, I think this is very possible.  I believe it is possible for any organization to become a social organization, it just won't happen overnight; the expectation of our society.

Fire up!

A little extreme, don't you think?

Sometimes when I'm reading I wonder where the ideas these authors have come from. But then I think further, and realize that anything is possible.  All of these ideas about the Internet taking over the world seem out of this world, but that's the point isn't it? When I was born, only 21 years ago, the world would have thought the technology we have is out of this world. So, how can we say anything is impossible?

Jaron Lanier, author of "You are not a Gadget" has a very logical view of how technology can effect our lives and take us over. In a way, I agree with him. I admit that I, along with most of my generation, am addicted to social media.  I love checking my phone to see updates and find myself irritated if there aren't enough updates to keep me occupied at one time.  How can we rely on something so impersonal for communication? Jaron's book has a way of pointing out very vividly that we have to take control now, before we lose it all together.

"The New Digital Age" brings me to the same conclusion.  The way Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen describe technology and how it continues to develop at an unbelievable pace proves that anything is possible.  They describe our technology being antiques in the future, and it is hard to picture what more they can do. But technology has proven it has no limits in ability and power.  It is hard to admit that these technological addictions can be just a harmful as any other form of an addiction, but I believe it will continue to prove that it is.

Well, that's all for tonight. I've got a lot of thinking to do on this topic!

Fire Up!

Child Life Council - A Social Organization

In reading chapter 1 of The Social Organization by Anthony J. Bradley and Mark P. McDonald I've tried comparing the Child Life Council to examples in the book.

I find that the Child Life Council is most like the Schwab Trading Company.  The way the company uses social media to effectively spread information about what they do, as well as what is happening within the company makes them a very social organization. The Child Life Council does the same in the sense of showing what child life specialists are doing around the country to better children's experiences while ill.  The Child Life Council could improve as a social organization by finding ways to spread the word about the importance of child life outside of the hospital.  Social media is a cheap way of doing so. If more child life specialists, nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals used the power of social media to spread the word, child life could have the potential to blow up and have more support than ever. 

Overall, I think the Child Life Council could benefit greatly from more social media use in and out of the child life and medical community.  Awareness is key, and the only way to spread the word is real people sharing real stories.

Brainstorming ideas and finding solutions for spreading the word about child life will be a process I share with you through this journey.

Fire Up!

From really really high up...

From the 40th floor of a beautiful Chicago apartment, (just visiting) I'm Claire Kittle. My goal is to express my opinions on the issues about social media, technology and social organizations that are presented to me in readings.  I will also give my "two cents" on how to find solutions to these issues.  

First I'll tell you a bit about me! 

I am a student at Central Michigan University studying early childhood development.  My dream is to become a certified child life specialist with extra certifications in infant massage, and car seat safety! Child life specialists work with the psychosocial development of children in the hospital.  I want to make a difference in these fighting children's lives and make sure each day is as positive and fun as possible! 

So, child development. Why do I care about the issue of social media? Well, I am working towards an applied business practices minor. So far, I have learned about communication in and out of the business world, and have grown as a person and a student with the help of my business classes. 

A few more important things:

I love reading, giraffes, shopping, and The Big Bang Theory. 

I look forward to sharing this blogging journey with you!

Fire Up!