Reflection

Having almost completed GNML Online Program, I am going to reflect on some platforms that were part of my experience with GNML. If anything mentioned here somehow relates to you too, comment on the post please!
To start with, Blogger was not only the most rewarding but also the most exciting platform to work with. My social campaign blog is the representation of the 'Grandparents to Conquer the World' idea as a whole, the reflection of all the steps made and all the experience gathered to get closer to accomplishing the goal. What also makes working with Blogger extremely enjoyable is personalization settings that give my blog some sense of uniqueness. Finally, to some extent Blogger combines all the other social networks thanks to embedded Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles.
The biggest challenge for me was creating a LinkedIn profile, simply because I was totally unfamiliar with this social network before I started working with it. LinkedIn is well-known, although not very commonly used by my peers in Ukraine. This can be explained by the fact that it's major purpose is to connect employees and employers, rather than friends. Due to the lack of knowledge about how this network functions, it was hard to figure out how to use it. Eventually, however, I successfully completed the assignment.
How am I going to apply my new social media skills in the future? First of all, I am going to continue  the work on my social campaign through posting pictures, generating and sharing ideas, learning from other people's experience, seeking more support for the campaign. Secondly, it is important for me to share my knowledge of social platforms with other people - my friends, parents, teachers. So I may decide to give presentations on how social media can assist people in promoting their ideas, or start an after-school course based on the experience gained with GNML. In any case, there will be plenty of opportunities for me to use the skills I acquired thanks to Global New Media Lab.

My final campaign

What I value Blogger most for is that it provides a true opportunity to have an honest 'conversation' with people interested in your ideas because the entire concept of this social platform is essentially based on the ability to share your inner thoughts and this doesn't make you feel exposed to the whole world because Blogger is almost like an online diary, and this enables you to talk to your subscribers on a totally different, more personal level. Therefore I am going to continue using this social platform to evoke deep feelings about the issue my social campaign revolves around and encourage logical reasoning through being persuasive in a direct communication with people all over the world who would be willing to support me.

Twitter is an amazing social platform, and actually one of the most widely used in Ukraine. With only 140 characters' posts Twitter users need to be extremely focused on the subject of their message. This may appear to be a complication, but in fact it helps us, social campaigns leaders, aim more precisely at our followers and thus find the 'right' people to invest their time and trust into our social campaigns. So, using Twitter I am going to spread the world about what is already done and what needs to be done regarding my social issue through well-formulated posts that would clearly state what kind of help would be appreciated.

Among all the other social platforms, YouTube allows the most creativity in the way information is presented.  With bright images and catchy phrases it is easy to address convincing messages using YouTube. Because of this I believe it to be one of the most popular social networks. Besides publishing new videos demonstrating progress of my social campaign, I am going to make sure my YouTube videos are embedded in my blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages because YouTube alone can hardly guarantee any success for my campaign unless it is a part of a bigger system - the Social Media for the Social Change system.

Facebook is most likely going to become the key tool in my social campaign because of the number of users it covers. Although it is not the major social platform in Ukraine (Russian-originating 'VKontakte' is), it doesn't mean I won't be able to reach people in my community. Moreover, since it enables me to reach volunteers in other countries and share my ideas with the entire world, those who my campaign aims at (the elderly of my hometown) will eventually benefit even more! So, in general, with the help of Facebook tools I am going to learn and teach about the social issue I am concerned about.

Instagram will assist me in telling stories of the old people I am going to work with through pictures and videos. Images, yes, images rather than words, are more successful in conveying people's emotions and feelings. That's the reason why I am going to use Instagram for the purpose of arising more sympathy towards the elderly, and this will hopefully lead to more understanding of their needs.

My LinkedIn account is designed to help me establish connections with people with certain amount of influence, who will be interested in the 'Grandparents to Conquer the World' social campaign  and willing to support me financially. Unfortunately, such a global issue as negligence towards the elderly cannot be resolved by determination of a single person. Therefore I am going to put a lot of effort and try to 'get connected' with whoever I believe might use their influence to help me improve conditions of life for the elderly. Say, connections with major politicians can result in some progress for my social campaign on the legislative level. Obviously, I am going to take work on my LinkedIn profile very seriously.

Eating healthy - living healthy!

Coming through my Google Alerts is this amazing article about healthy eating tips for those at the age of... The article gives some useful pieces of advice about what to eat and HOW to eat to stay healthy when your organism is getting older. I believe that aging people should have an opportunity to learn about what conditions their bodies are undergoing in this time in their lives, and how to deal with that. I guess we can organize classes for the elderly interested in this topic - taking care of their well-being as they are aging. This topic can go along with exercising and other healthy life style choices, such as healthy sleeping and stress management (although the elderly seem not to experience much stress, except for economic concerns). So this is the idea. How do you thing it can be implemented? I would be glad to see your answers in the comments!

Let's get connected on LinkedIn!

Hello, friends and colleagues. Please come connect with me on my new LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=401749047&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Job search after 60? Yes, 'cause it's time to enjoy your life!

'It is challenging to keep motivated when work seems unavailable.' Natalie Caine has a few suggestions of how to stay busy doing something you enjoy! I found this article very useful for both younger generations struggling with job search and older people trying to get involved into fun activities. I believe the ideas expressed in the article perfectly meet the purpose of the social campaign 'Grandparents to Conquer the World'. I am anxious to start implementing them!

Active... More active!

The article that stroke my eye a couple of days ago is a very true evidence that old people CAN and DO live active lives. Furthermore, they sometimes even lack time for favorite activities! "Grandparents are often portrayed as retired, grey-haired people who have plenty of time of their hands. However,a new survey examining the contribution grandparents in Sheffield make towards the lives of children and young people has unveiled a different story." Read more...

View me on YouTube!

I have created the introduction video to my social campaign on YouTube. Hope it will be helpful, making the purpose of my 'Grandparents to Conquer the World' social campaign more understandable. Enjoy the video!