Computer Gaming Makes Kids Smarter!

This is a fascinating TED Talk by Gabe Zichermann that argues that video games are improving kids problem-solving skills, strengthening the skill of multi-tasking, and increasing decision-making abilities.

The common narrative with video games, is that most parent’s feel their kids spend too much time on them and that they don’t offer anything but entertainment. As detailed in the above video, this might be the furthest thing from the truth. Similar to the use of other technology, when it comes to gaming there is a sweet spot.

It is important to remember to take in information from different sources and think critically about it. This is a great topic that hits home for a lot of different people. This is not to deny the validity of playing video games as a compulsion being detrimental. It is to assert that the issue is far more complex and nuanced. So it warrants careful consideration when deciding what, where, when, how, and why we integrate computer games into our lives. … Read More

Why Do People Prefer Texting Vs. A Phone Call?

Not so long ago, a cell phone was the most innovative technology in the world. The ability to open a mobile phone and make a call anytime anywhere was surprising. Lately, we’ve gone through a regression point. People avoid making calls. Why is that, and what does it replace?

People want to send text messages

Although voice calls are unlikely to become extinct soon, people, which make up an overwhelming share of the mobile market, prefer not to speak on the phone. More specifically, they prefer the text message.

According to a recent OpenMarket survey, when given the option between making a call and sending text messages from their mobile phone, 75% of People decided to send text messages instead of talking.

People prefer corporate SMS messages rather than phone calls that they find intrusive. According to Nielsen data from a few years ago, the monthly average of the minutes used by People dropped from around 1,200 per month in 2008 to 900 minutes per month in 2010. Over the same period, SMS messages from adolescents aged 18 to 24 more than doubled, from just 600 a month to about 1,400 messages a month.

For more than eight years, People have been increasingly turning their backs on calls and preferred to send text messages. If you have a business that can be primarily dominated by the idea of ​​Baby Boomer, the affinity to text messaging may seem bizarre. After all, phone calls are quick and easy.

However, you must move away from your prejudices and think about them from the perspective of your customers. People are unique and know precisely what they want, and what they like is to send text messages. For moving forward, it is advisable to move in that direction.

Four reasons why People love SMS

Before delving into how you can tailor your marketing strategies to address the popularity of text messaging, take a look at why people have fallen in love with text messaging. You need to understand the logic behind this preference so that you can target the right people with the most effective marketing strategies.

Comfort and ease of use

People are about simplicity and usability. This generation has grown with more technology than any previous one. They are keen to think about which technology offers maximum comfort, and the simple answer is SMS.

It is not so much that the millennia feel a strong dislike when talking on the phone. They still talk to each other, but they would instead do it with their parents and close friends. It is not a way of communicating positively with the interaction with the brand. Instead, they feel that unwanted profession calls are nothing more than a nuisance to sellers on the phone.

Easy to notice

Phone calls can be hard to remember for people. “When did you say we should meet?” “Was it 113 or 131?” “What is the cost of the ticket?” Hours after a phone call, such details disappear. With text messages, however, everyone has a transcription of the conversation that can be easily retrieved. One person can come back and see that the schedule of a meeting is at 5:30, the address of the person is 113, or the tickets are for $25. The recipient has less to remember everything.

Less exhausting

Text messages are less tiring than phone calls. It is possible that the latter may require the person to present the answers at this point or to recall the specific questions they would like to ask. On the contrary, a text message gives the recipient time to think and respond in their own time. It is an organized experience that requires less general pressure.

Companies answering machine

Because People prefer not to answer calls from numbers they do not know, most company calls have no answer. Therefore, companies sometimes leave a voice message. And the People hate the answering machine.

Voice messages take too long to recover and to understand each other. They are impersonal, intrusive and sometimes confused. Worse, if the recipient on the answering machine has needed information, such as an address, a callback number, etc., the person must write the information on a piece of paper. With an SMS, essential data has already been in black and white so that the recipient can see and use it. That’s why SMS surpasses voicemails for the majority of people.

How can companies react?

Does this raise the question as a company of how to respond appropriately to people and their preference for texting? The only sensible answer is to fulfill their desire through marketing strategies that highlight the text of the conversation.

According to our research, 75% of people find it useful to receive text messages as reminders of appointments, payments, deliveries, promotions, and surveys. Almost two customers in three millennia would like to receive product offers and coupons. More than half think it’s wise to receive texts related to account activity, order notes, and other general reminders.

You may not be familiar with text messaging, but it’s not something you can ignore if you hope to win millennia by the way you like it best. SMS is a powerful marketing channel and businesses need to respond by adopting strategies that benefit from text messaging and the many benefits of using this technology.… Read More

Dating In A Digital World

If you are single and haven’t tried online dating you are really late to the party. Even though it seems like just yesterday that a couple would share that they had met through a website or app and receive confused stares, this is now commonplace for singles looking to connect with potential partners. Of course, as with any technological disruption, looking for love on the internet has it’s own challenges and we will get to those in a bit.

The New Normal

In today’s world ideas and behaviors deemed weird pervade into the mainstream and become accepted norms in the blink of an eye. When online dating was new it came with a negative stigma for a lot of people. Common views were that it was too unnatural or that if you needed to go to the internet to find dates you lacked some social skills that hindered you from finding love the same way people have always done it. However, anyone with critical thinking skills could see beyond this and now even those without them can. Finding love online really is the new normal and it continues to become more prominent in cultures across the globe. Online dating isn’t limited to long term relationships either, people are are finding every type of romantic relationship you can imagine with new niches popping up every day.

There’s An App For That!

If you want to give online dating a try, it is easy. It is also easy to waste a lot of time. Do your research and find the right website app or both. There are also matchmaking services that can get pricey, but do a lot of the work for you. You can download popular apps like Tinder and Bumble or go with an online service like Match.com or eharmony. These will put you in a pool with singles looking for all types of relationships from hooking up, dating casually, or serious long term relationships. You can filter your searches to match what you want. If you are strictly looking for casual encounters, you may want to look toward hookup sites as they are populated by users looking specifically for that. You will have to create a profile and after that you are off to the races.

Tread Carefully

For the uninitiated online dating pools can be scary waters. Ideally you can find the partner and arrangement you want while avoiding the fakes and faux pas. Just know that catfishing is a thing and what to look out for. As with any new technology there are predatory people that look to exploit it. Also, just like any social interaction there are expected norms. These can vary across different platforms so it helps to become familiar with the styles and ways members interact on different apps or websites. Sometimes this will be explicit and sometimes it will take some trial and error on your part.

Have Fun

Ultimately dating, as challenging as it is, is supposed to be fun. Meeting someone new and developing a connection is refreshing and exciting. Taking this pursuit online allows people to do this much more efficiently when utilized correctly. Online dating also expands people’s net. Whereas singles in the past were limited to proximity and social network, the only limitations now are set by the individual. We are big advocates of online dating and encourage anyone who is on the fence to give it a try. … Read More