The Future of Social Media

The Present

Snapchat is killin’ it right now.

Every morning, I wake up, check out the new Snapchat filters, and laugh my ass off for about half an hour. I’ve been doing this thing where I create characters out of the filters, and the feedback has been pretty good.

Here’s Jonathin:

The best thing about Snapchat is that everything is temporary. Ten seconds and the photo is gone forever. It gives you more freedom to do what you want. With Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, it’s tough to be genuine because what you post is there either until you decide to delete it or until the end of time. Everybody can see what you’re posting, and that can hinder creative freedom.

With Snapchat, I can send my buddies anything I want. My Snapchat story reflects exactly who I am, and not just the online representation of myself.

And it’s not to say my Snapchat is filled with entirely unprofessional content (although judging by the photo above, I’ve kind of dug myself a hole in that regard). My Snapchat stories are supposed to be fun and entertaining, and I think that is the difference between Snapchat and other social media platforms. Snapchat doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The Future

LinkedIn is going to rule. Just kidding, that’d suck.

In about fifteen years, every social media platform we know will either be dead, or be a very different version of what it is now. I’m sorry to say it, but I think even Snapchat is doomed.

Some people don’t like to admit it, but if things don’t change often, they just get old. People love to complain when social media changes at all. For example, Instagram is currently in the process of changing its timeline system, and people are pissed. But in reality, Instagram and every other social media platform need to implement something new every so often to keep things interesting, even if people are mad for a little bit. Yeah, maybe changing the chronological order of posts isn’t a great change, but they have to do something to avoid the whole ‘Myspace disaster.’ The old saying ‘if it ain’t broke’ doesn’t apply to social media in my opinion.

This is why Snapchat released filters. This is why Facebook released more options for the ‘Like’ button. This is why Twitter will probably increase the number of characters you can use in a Tweet.

The future is change. Everything will change. I’m not sure how, but it’s just how social media has worked in the past, and it’s how social media will work in the future. There will be new platforms to post on and new ways to share the things you like.

Just riffing here, but I think an emoji based platform is on its way. I don’t know what it will look like, but it just seems logical. I barely even use words anymore. I’d write this entire blog post in emojis, but I actually want people to read it. I’m just saying though, it’s possible.

That’s my rant for the day. Here’s Boromir tossing you some Snapchat insight.

Add me on Snapchat if you want to see stupidity at its finest: roganchahine

 

Review Time: Reservations

My entire experience at the Rachel Browne Theatre was confusing.

I didn’t know what to expect from the Theatre Projects Manitoba performance of Reservations, so I went in blind. The play was split into two shorter plays, separated by a 15 minute intermission.

I usually enjoy live theatre. The plays I see don’t have to be particularly groundbreaking, but I’d like them to have clear substance and good performances.

Reservations delivered in the acting department. All three actors were great, bringing plenty of emotion and dedication to their performances. They all really understood the issues raised in the play and it seemed like they had some sort of attachment to what was going on.

As you might have realized, this review has been quite vague so far. I bet you’re wanting to know what the play was about. Well, to be honest, I don’t really know.

That’s the major downside to Reservations. Through the actors’ performances, it’s obvious that the aboriginal issues being raised are important ones, but I never quite grasped the substance of the issues. I didn’t understand the context because the writing was muddled up by jargon and incredibly boring plots.

The first play consisted of a daughter arguing with her father about the inheritance of her father’s farm. And then it just ended.

The second play tackled something about a privileged white couple not wanting to let their aboriginal foster children become more cultured by visiting their biological parents’ reserves. It’s a very surface explanation of the play, but that’s what I got out of it.

The last half hour of the second play (which was an hour long in itself) just felt like a lecture, which is fine… if you’re at a lecture. If I wanted to be talked at for 30 minutes, I would’ve paid for that. But I didn’t. I went to a play. I would’ve liked to see a play.

I’m not sure if I didn’t understand the play because I stopped listening or because I just couldn’t comprehend it.

Regardless, other than the performances, Reservations just wasn’t an interesting play to me. It focussed too hard on sending a message rather than entertaining the audience, and I think there needs to be a balance between the two in order to send a clear message, which for me, it didn’t.

The talkback at the end of the play wasn’t helpful either. Writer and actor Steven Ratzlaff didn’t provide any clarifying or thoughtful answers to any of the questions. It seemed like the entire crew just wanted to get a drink in their hand, and after about ten minutes of a meaningless Q and A period, that’s exactly what they did.

I wish could say I had a fantastic Tuesday night at the theatre, but it all ended up being pretty disappointing.

A Short Quest to Dauphin

Yesterday, a few of the boys and I took a nice little trip up to Dauphin for a school assignment. And you know what, the drive was wonderful.

I usually hate driving anywhere somewhat close to Winnipeg because there is nothing to look at – the prairies, ladies and gentlemen. That being said, I’ve never actually gone anywhere north of Winnipeg, but judging by the east, south, and western areas around our great city, my hopes weren’t exactly high for this quest.

But I was pleasantly surprised. There were some fantastic views, especially in the Minnedosa area. Out of all the Explore Manitoba Attraction signs, I thought these hills needed one the most.

We made it to Dauphin in just under four hours. We did a few interviews, checked out the Countryfest grounds, went into an Extra Foods just to look around, and we ate at an A&W. And thats pretty much a day in the life of a person from Dauphin. It’s a nice place, but there isn’t much to do there.

After a few hours of taking photos with train cabooses and beaver statues, we made our way back home. We stopped by the #exploremb red chairs just outside of Dauphin and took a few photos.

Here’s me diving down a snowy hill.

Worth it.

Moral of the story: Even if you don’t have much to do or see in Dauphin, the drive is worth the trip.

See you next week, friends.

 

Go to Sleep!

I like being busy. When I have too much free time on my hands, I feel useless.

School has kind of been kicking my ass lately, but in the best way. Every day I have something to strive for, even if it’s finishing some tiny assignment worth nothing. My work load is especially encouraging since everything I’m doing is either really fun or really interesting.

That being said, my sleep schedule is all over the place right now. Up until Thursday, I think I only had about 10 hours of sleep this week. Sometimes in Creative Communications, work comes before sleep, and there is a lot of work. That’s just the way it is almost every night.

But Thursday night… Thursday night was glorious. You want to know why?

A full 8 hour sleep. 8 hours! 8 HOURS!

When I woke up, I sang My Heart Will Go On by Céline Dion for an hour straight.

It’s insane what a good night’s sleep can do for you. Coffee? No thank you, I’ll take a nap instead.

When I woke up after that 8 hour sleep, I felt like Jimmy Neutron. I was way smarter than I was the night before, and I was still pretty dumb! Imagine what a full night’s sleep can do for a smart person!

The point of this blog post is more for my fellow CreCommers, but if you’re working toward something, and you’re losing sleep over it, listen up. I know we have a whole bunch of work to do, and it gets pretty stressful at times, but you have to remember why you’re here, what you’re working toward, and the value of sleep. An all-nighter here and there can be necessary, but you’re doing more harm than good by constantly disregarding sleep.

I know this whole “get some sleep” advice is easier said than done. But it just shows the importance of time management. I’ve recently started doing this thing where I don’t wait till the last minute to get my work done. It’s a whole new world out there.

So here’s my advice to you: GO TO BED.

See you next week.

Good Tunez

I’ve been doing this new thing where I accept any type of music for what it is. This means that I’ve been developing the musical taste of a 12-year old girl. Now, J-Biebz is my homie and One Direction couldn’t be more philosophical.

Not to sound like a tool here, but I’ve always had a pretty good taste in music. I’ve been to Osheaga twice and Lollapalooza once, and the lineups were all great. In the last few years though, I’ve started to become one of those douchey music snobs that only likes what’s supposed to be good.

Alt-J is a great band, so is Phoenix, and so is the Arctic Monkeys. But a few months ago, if you brought up Justin Bieber’s name in conversation, I’d kick you off a really high bridge and not even feel that bad about it.

But now, I would feel pretty bad about kicking you off a bridge, regardless of what you said about Justin Bieber. “What Do You Mean?” came out in late August last year, and the sound waves accidentally entered my ears on the drive to school one day. I’m going to be honest, I was grooving pretty hard. And now I’m going to be even more honest – “What Do You Mean?” by Justin Bieber is an absolute treasure of a tune.

That’s when I decided to broaden my horizons when it comes to music, which is a strange concept because I went from listening to off-the-grid, indie music, to the more mainstream, poppy stuff. Usually it’s the other way around.

One Direction entered my life, and my heart around the same time, and I’m genuinely upset that they immediately went on a year-long hiatus. I just wish I could’ve seen Harry, Niall, Louis, and Liam strut their stuff on-stage.

But anyways, I’ve made a point of broadening the types of music I listen to and trying to accept all kinds of music. I find that being a snob just closes so many doors to good music, even if it’s by One Direction. It’s also made me a more positive person. Being overly skeptical isn’t a good look on anyone.

Beards R Us

Festival du Voyageur might as well be called Beard-ival du Voya-beard… well maybe it shouldn’t, but the point is, you see a lot of beards around Winnipeg this time of year. It’s only fitting that the festival incorporates a Beard Growing Contest. From short beards to long beards, from curly beards to straight beards, they all have a place. On Friday, Feb. 19, beard growers and enthusiasts made their way down to CCFM (Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain) to show off the hairs growing off their chinny-chin-chins. Participants competed in four separate categories – the Clean Shaven Category, the Novelty Category, the Voyageur Beard Category, and the Open Category. Each beard was different in its own way, and if I’m being completely honest, each beard made me equally jealous.

Tom White (left) and Derek Lahey (right) sell Manitoba Facial Hair Club t-shirts and beard oil before the competition begins on Feb. 19, 2016./ROGAN CHAHINE

Beard Growing Contest MC Gabriel Gosselin introduces the judges before the competition begins on Feb. 19, 2016./ROGAN CHAHINE

Contestants for the wild and woolly Voyageur Beard Category lineup on-stage to be judged on Feb. 19, 2016./ROGAN CHAHINE

Contest judge Holly Hui strokes Rob Kennedy’s beard while choosing a winner for the wild and woolly Voyageur Beard Category on Feb. 19, 2016./ROGAN CHAHINE

Gabriel Gosselin interviews Novelty Category contestant Anthony Domienik about the amount of product he uses to keep his beard stiff and shapely on Feb. 19, 2016./ROGAN CHAHINE

Clean Shaven Category winner Michael Toogood and contest judge Kitty Berns celebrate on-stage on Feb. 19, 2016./ROGAN CHAHINE

Laure Moody flicks on her beard as the lights go down for Celtic-rock band Dust Rhinos to close out the contest on Feb. 19, 2016./ROGAN CHAHINE

Not Fit for Fitness

The only time the gym is a wonderful place is when it’s opposite day.

In other words, the gym sucks.

I could talk about the types of people that go to the gym (and I have a lot to say on that topic), or the atrocious gym etiquette you’ll almost always see at any gym you go to. But let’s talk about me for now. I don’t like the gym because I have to work too hard for essentially no reward.

Yeah, it’s cool when you see your pecs shooting out of your chest, but really, how long does that fascination last? I’m never going to be able to lift a semi-truck, so what’s the point of having a massive chest other the cosmetic appeal?

Are improved aesthetics supposed to be the only motivators here? Am I missing something?

If I could potentially reach Superman status, then yes, I’d put myself through the torture of lifting stuff up and putting stuff down, but I can’t.

Is there a difference between lifting one sandbag at a time and lifting three? Nope, not to me. For human beings, there is a certain threshold of strength that we can reach, and honestly, even strongest man in the world can’t lift enough for the work that he or she puts in. I long to lift giraffes and elephants and horses and whales. Huge ones. Can I ever get to that point just simply working out? Nope, never.

Point is, working out sucks because I’ll never be able to lift huge animals. I don’t see the appeal. That’s it.

Leicester is More

I’m a huge English Premier League fan. Specifically, I support Chelsea FC, who is currently having their worst season in ages. The players aren’t performing as well as they should be, and one of the most successful managers in the club’s history was fired a few weeks ago.

I’m obviously still a die-hard Chelsea fan, but lets face it, watching them play right now is like binge watching Downton Abbey.

So right now, I’m hopping on the bandwagon and backing Leicester City, who is having an amazing season, to win the title. Not only are they first place in the league, but they are exceeding everyone’s expectations by playing the most exciting football in the Premier League. Just look at Vardy’s goal against Liverpool earlier this week!

Absolute stunner…

Both Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez are in amazing form, and watching them play is jaw-dropping.

The fact the Leicester City should not be doing this well also adds to the excitement. Last season, the struggled to stay in the Premier League. Now, they’re fighting to retain the top spot, and they’re pulling it off.

It’s such a pleasure watching Leicester City play because it’s literally history in the making. Vardy already broke the Premier League record for goals in successive games, scoring 11 in 11.

My prediction? Leicester’s winning the league. And by the way, if that happens, you’re going to want to be in England. It’s going to be insane.

 

Me and My Millennium Falcon

My car is today’s Millennium Falcon.

Why?

Well for one, I resemble a young Harrison Ford and when I’m cruising around with my buddies, I force them to make the Chewbacca noise over and over again.

Secondly, in the winter time, my car is the biggest piece of junk the galaxy has ever seen. It’s actually even worse than the Millennium Falcon – there is no light-speed functionality, and Volkswagen refuses to install blaster guns on the hood. I tried to tell them about TIE Fighter attacks. No dice.

You know when it snows and everybody on planet earth forgets how to drive? I’m that guy, but I’m going to be straight with you, it’s not my fault. For some reason my car goes into full panic mode and instead of driving, it curls up into a little ball and refuses to move.

One millimetre of snow? I’m not going anywhere. I’d rather hop on a Tauntaun and gallop through the Hoth tundra.

But hey, I just paid $35 to fill up the tank and that’ll last me about two weeks. There’s always an upside people. The car may not move on the sight of snow, and I may look like a huge bitch driving it, but I don’t pay that much for gas.

Buy a Volkswagen Rabbit. Here’s me with mine. Haven’t washed it in weeks.

The Adventures of Hipster-Man and Dr. Mainstream

You know when Peter Parker starts realizing he’s Spider-Man? That’s me, but instead of turning into Spider-Man, I’m turning into a hipster.

In case you haven’t noticed, that’s not even close to being the same thing.

Hipster-Man would have some merit in the super hero universe though. He’d have the ability to ride the sound waves of shitty folk music and shoot chick peas out of his wrists. His arch nemesis? Dr. Mainstream! He once tortured Hipster-Man by strapping him to a chair, making him binge watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians and playing Ariana Grande’s debut album front-to-back.

Marvel, I think you’ve found your next hit!

Anyways, the sound wave-riding, chick pea-shooting hipster has yet to come out for me, but it’s on its way. Look at this:

Tea? Check. Beanie? Check. Plaid shirt? Check. Bonus marks for the stupid face.

Could this photo be any more hipster?

Maybe if you put a tub of hummus and some veggies in front of me, or threw a sepia filter over the photo, but it’s still pretty hipster nonetheless.

I’ll never be full-hipster though. I’ll never wear those thick-rimmed glasses because my vision is doing alright. And if you ever see me wearing glasses solely as a fashion statement, please tweet at me using the hashtag #YouArentCool.

But other than that, give it a few weeks. Pretty sure I’ll be a vegan at that point.

Until then, I hope you can let out your inner hipster. Maybe we can go for some tofu sushi or something.