Benefits of Unplugging

Smartphones are our best friends and our worst enemies. They allow us to answer important emails on the go, remind us of meetings, and let us share on social media from just about anywhere. But they can also be a source of stress, constantly connecting us to work. We all know public relations is not a 9 to 5 job, a client crisis or PR emergency could happen at any moment, but it’s even less so thanks to our mobile devices eternally in the palm of our hand. So turn off that phone, sit back, relax, and check out these benefits of occasionally going off the grid.

More free time. As PR practitioners, it’s important to be up to date with what’s trending on social media. But think of how much time you waste continually scrolling and refreshing your news feeds only to see the same content over and over. Use those five minutes here and there more wisely to do something offline, like starting that book you've been hearing so much about.

More sleep. Putting your phone on airplane mode, or better yet turning it off altogether, allows you a good night’s sleep without the interruption of a text or update. This will also eliminate that awful habit most of us have of lying in bed continually refreshing our news feeds which always keeps us up later than expected. Staring at that bright screen at night suppresses your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone which regulates sleep.

Less stress. This one’s a given. Stepping away from your phone every once in a while will give you the opportunity to relax and get your mind off of school work and office work. You’ll be better equipped to deal with that to-do list if you’re not seconds away from a mental breakdown.

So as much as we love our smartphones and the access they give us to, well, just about everything, it’s important to give yourself the time you need away from the screen. 

Tech Giants Let NSA Collect User Data

In a world where technology is king and data leak scandals are prevalent, we never truly know who could potentially collect our user data. We blindly put our trust into technology companies, whose privacy policies that we never actually read, without skipping a beat. 

That is why it should be no surprise that tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo knew of the existence of the Internet surveillance program PRISM.  According to the NSA's top lawyer, quoted in a recent Mashable article, these companies complied with the government order however they just didn't know it was called that. This revelation comes after months of repeated — and very similar —denials by the tech companies.

As it turned out, the NSA can't just press a button and read a target's emails. The NSA has to get a Section 702 order (which refers to the part of the law which serves as its legal basis) and then the companies comply with it, delivering the data in different ways.

To put this is a PR perspective, it’s a disturbing thought that something you post for a client on Facebook or something you search for on Google while at work could cause three SUVs to materialize in your front yard while six plainclothes police officers fan out to case the joint and ask you a few questions. Sensitive client information should only be used while in private web browsing mode. 

What is your opinion on this recent government scandal? We want to know!

Brand Integrity: Tumblr + Yahoo!

My personal Tumblr feed went crazy over the weekend when rumors of Yahoo! Buying the popular micro blogging site first hit the web. Monday morning, Tumblr user’s worst fears were realized and the buy became official; Yahoo! Is now the new owner of Tumblr. The deal is expected to close towards the end of 2013, and David Carp the current Tumblr CEO will maintain his position.

Tumblr users were outraged, some even threatening to delete their blogs and leave Tumblr for good. Tumblr, because it is such a small and personal blogging community, is known for being a haven for creatives. The liberal use of movie and television clips to make GIFS and the posting of explicit images are definitely a few of Tumblr's trademarks that many fear will disappear under Yahoo!’s supervision. Many Tumblr users fear that, their favorite blogging site will never be the same again.

Do users have the right to feel this way? Absolutely! Time and time again we have watched larger, more lucrative brands come in and completely makeover a smaller brand. When the focus becomes less on maintaining the integrity of the brand and more on dollar signs and advertising gains, it is easy for a once popular brand to become unrecognizable to previous users. Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer has promised “not to screw it up” when it comes to the acquisition, and says that Yahoo! plans to grow and brand Tumblr separately of itself. While this hasn't been Yahoo!’s way of doing things in the past, it seems like Mayer has learned from past mistakes, and that Tumblr won’t be turing purple anytime soon.

Do you have a Tumblr blog; will the Yahoo! acquisiton impact you at all? Do you think Yahoo! will maintain the integrity of Tumblr’s brand? Share your thoughts!