'You Tube' To The Rescue

We like to feel that we 'know it all'. Just observe anyone who refuses to stop and ask for directions, lol. OK, maybe that's not fair, but I remember when I was a kid (in the dark ages before computers and cell phones) when my dad would rather drive around in circles for an hour instead of stopping and asking for directions. For some reason it was if to ask for directions he had to turn in his 'man card'. Who knew that egos could be so fragile?

Life is so much easier these days. We have cell phones with GPS, we have onscreen navigation built right in to our vehicle's dashboard, and we have portable Garmin systems. We really don't have any excuse to get lost; leaving our pride intact.

If we don't know how to do something, the answer lies only a few clicks away. Here's my 'case & point' examples. Recently I stayed with my son and daughter-in-law to care for my new granddaughter for a week. The night I got there I asked for the basic 411 tutorial; where are the diapers, changes of clothing, bottles, burp cloths, the house phone, the TV remote control, the WiFi password, and the spare house key. Just the basic necessities to get me started - in time I would find the food, the dishes, and the silverware drawer.

My son informed me as he headed off to work the next morning that they left the car seat base in the garage just in case I wanted to go somewhere with my granddaughter. Unless it was an emergency I didn't have any reason to leave. I was enjoying the 1-on-1 cuddle time with her. However, by midweek the weather had improved and the sun had come out. A perfect afternoon for a stroll around the neighborhood with the baby stroller. One big problem. I studied the stroller in the garage from every angle, tried every latch, and every handle ... I could NOT figure out how to open the stroller. Seriously, it couldn't be that hard. I'd seen moms do it in the parking lot one-handed. Google to the rescue!! I checked the make and model, grabbed my cell phone, and typed in 'How do you open a 'blah-blah-blah' stroller.' Instantly I was connected with a handy dandy You Tube video and discovered the 'hidden' handle that released the stroller. We were on our way! Woohoo!

Two days later I thought I would help them out and tidy up the house and empty the trash. The diaper pail was full! Oh no! Here we go again. How do I open the lid? Answer ... grab my cell phone and ask Google for help. I felt like such a hip grandma. So accomplished. Later my daughter-in-law informed me that it took her 3 tries before she finally emptied the diaper pail as well. 

So much had changed in the 20 years since I cared for an infant. Technology had made some great improvements; the car seat, the stroller, the diaper pail, and 'yes' ... even the You Tube videos that explain how to use them.

Life is good! Life is about progress! Life is about protecting your pride!

When is the last time Google and a You Tube video came to your rescue?

Social Media: Is It For You?

Today I attended a workshop at the Macomb Regional Community Media Lab in Clinton Twp., MI, hosted by the Macomb Daily. Sometimes, no matter your age, it can be overwhelming and nerve wracking to go back to school; whether you're in high school, starting college, or attending a media workshop at the age of 50. Today's topic of discussion was 'Contributing Community Content'. The first 20 minutes or so focused on preparing press releases for businesses, non-profits, fundraisers, events, etc. I do this all the time in my job as a church administrative associate. We constantly host community events like vacation bible school, CARE parenting series', and health and wellness workshops - which I've promoted for nearly 12 years. For a moment I listened, got some great ideas on how to better convey my messages AND thought I was pretty tech savvy. That feeling of confidence quickly diminished as they moved on to the next topic of social media.

Yes, I am active on Facebook; I actually have two Facebook pages - one personal and one for this blog. I may not use Twitter or You Tube, but I do know that when you 'tweet' your followers are called 'tweeps' and there are various kinds of videos you can post like Vines that run for 6 seconds. Then my head began to swim as they started dropping big words like RebelMouse, Tout, Hoot Suite, and bit.ly. RebelMouse is a site that allows you to bring all your social network feeds together in one place. I don't think I'm ready for that since I only use Facebook and have my blog. Tout, on the other hand, fascinates me. Tout lets you create 15 second videos; great for giving a shout out to a reader, introducing a new blog entry, or sharing a quick review of a product you just tried. The good part is I can create Tout videos right on my laptop using the web cam (since I don't have an IPhone). Hoot Suite is another site that allows you to schedule your posts to your social sites, kind of time saving if you're only available to work on your sites in the morning but would prefer that your posts showed up at various times throughout the day. Then there's bit.ly. It's a site that lets you shorten your URL addresses so that when you post a link to articles and photos your URL is more direct and catchy.

For me, the great thing about the Macomb Regional Community Media Lab is its convenience and the free professional instruction it makes available to the community. What a great concept. They offer one-on-one sessions, as well as a variety of workshops. They've been a life savor to me as I've been learning about the different options that are available. When you consider using social media you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. How much time do I want to invest in my social networking? What do I hope to gain by using the various sites? 

There's a old saying that talks about 'picking your battles', for me social media is about 'choosing my challenges'. My plan is to attend as many workshops and one-on-one sessions as possible and take away at least one goal from each session. It's important to keep growing, no matter what your age is.

What's your favorite source of social media and why? I'd love to know. Is it You Tube, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat? Perhaps you use something I haven't even mentioned.