“…five times more teens suffer from depression and anxiety than teens who grew up during the Great Depression.” Teens today are suffering from a self-centered, materialistic mindset which is being thrust upon them from all directions.  Many teens feel left out if they do not have the latest technology, the most popular brand of clothing, or the money to purchase the latest gadgets.  This need for all the hottest things is causing a lot of anxiety and depression in teens.  Teens often confuse who they are with what they have.  The things they have gives them a feeling of greater self-worth; if they are not able to have the latest technology or the hottest clothes, there tends to be a lower self-worth.  Parents can help to combat this trend, called Affluenza by experts, by setting limits and just saying, “no.”  Having the teen work to save up his or her own money to purchase the item teaches responsibility and the value of a dollar—if it means that much, they should be willing to spend their own money on it.  Eating dinner as a family regularly can help to solve many of these problems, even drug and alcohol use and sexual activity.
Questions to Consider:

1. How does this epidemic in teens carry over to the adult world?
2. How much of an influence do peers have on perceived needs?
3. Do adults provide a bad example for “Affluenza,” buying into materialism with fashionable clothes and new technology?
4. Family dinners can help prevent these teenage issues, but what if the behavior has already started? Can this family time help stop the behavior?
5. How does the idea of family dinners translate into adult life, trying to overcome “Affluenza”?

Memorable Quotes:

1. “And that need for the newest and latest, experts say, is one of the reasons behind much of today’s anxiety and depression.”
2. “Experts call the obsession “Affluenza” – and even during the recession, many teens still suffer from it.”
3. “Numerous studies show that kids who regularly eat dinner with their families are better students, happier, healthier people and less likely to smoke, drink or use drugs.”
4. “Researchers found that the more frequently kids ate with their parents, the less likely they were to smoke, drink, use marijuana or show signs of depression.”

Application:
Are we becoming too wrapped up in the need for the “next big thing?” We all like to have nice things and to feel like we can afford to treat ourselves, but there comes a point when these things stop being bonuses and start becoming necessities. Gone are the days when simply having a camera phone made you cool–now, buying the black iPhone right before the new white one came out is a tragedy. We give ourselves anxiety and depression by becoming too invested in having the next and the new. Can we get back to the days when these things just made us a bit happier if we could have them, rather than launching us into depression when we cannot have them? Maybe we can’t change the world, but we can change our own mindsets. And, who knows? Your new-found peace and acceptance just might rub off on someone next to you. Maybe we can change the world, after all. Invite your friends over for a “family dinner”–play board games and leave the iPads at home.

Original Article: Generation “Me”

Facebook chat and other instant messaging services are super convenient and a great way to keep in touch. But have you ever thought about what your “chat lingo” is really saying? It may even be sending a message you don’t want to be sent. Depending on the circumstance, chat lingo is completely fine. Go ahead and ask your brother “wassup” and “ROFL” with your best friend, but you may want to take a couple steps up the grammar ladder if you’re contacting anyone you’re involved with professionally–customers, employers, etc.

“Successful businesses in social media act more like Dale Carnegie and less like David Ogilvy. Listening first, selling second.”

Social media is a broad term that includes a vast array of tools, channels and sites. A short list of the most popular channels is listed below. If you’re new to social media, try starting with some of these channels or the sites recommended. Some of today’s most popular channels are listed below. An important thing to remember is it’s not just about what you use, it’s about how you use it. If you use social media effectively, it can be a powerful tool for you and your business.

Social Networks (such as Facebook)

Microblogs  (such as Twitter)

Blogs

Video Sharing Web Sites (such as YouTube)

Photo Sharing Sites (such as Flickr)

Podcasts (audio and video)

Wikis (such as Wikipedia)

The list is constantly growing and changing–we’ll keep you posted if anything new and exciting comes up that we think you should know about. Stay tuned, and happy networking!

The final piece of your blog post puzzle should be a call to action. Here’s where it’s okay to sell yourself a little bit. Perhaps you set up a problem a reader may have in the body of your post–here’s where you offer the solution. It could be something as simple as “Give us a call for more information,” or offering services to solve a problem. If you haven’t introduced your company or service yet in the post, now would be the time to do so. For example, let’s say I’m blogging for InSights and was trying to attract new customers. Perhaps in my post I set up a problem: you, as the reader, just don’t quite understand social media. Maybe you use it, maybe you don’t yet, but in the course of my post I’ve made it clear that you’re not getting as much out of it as you could be. Here’s an example of what a call to action might look like:

If you’re looking to make the most out of social media for your small business, contact the InSights Group today. We’re always happy to help.

See, wasn’t that easy?

If you’re operating with the latest version of facebook, you probably have pictures of yourself, tagged by you or your friends at the top of your page, right? Are there any not tagged by you that maybe you don’t want on the front of your page?
Those CAN be removed without you being untagged from the picture. Go up to your page, and put your cursor over the picture, and a little ‘x’ will appear in the upper right hand corner. Click it. Are you sure you want to hide this photo? Yes. Voila! You’re still tagged in the picture but now it’s not posted right on your page.