More CommTrends

Organizational Social Media

Imagine that you just landed an amazing communication internship - congratulations! On your first day, your boss and coworkers all smile and welcome you to the office with open arms and a basket of cookies. All seems perfect, until they hand you your first assignment: maintaining the organization's social media account. Sure, you've handled your own Instagram and Facebook posts since middle school, but has college prepared you to take on an organization's page? From one intern to another, here are three specifics to watch out for when crossing into organizational social media.

Talk, Alexa, To Me

The Internet has exploded with news on Amazon's Alexa and Echo devices. The new smart-home technology has begun shaping America into a voice-activated society. Unfortunately for Amazon, while the company does dominate the industry, it doesn't own the whole market. Both Microsoft and Google have jumped on the bandwagon to develop their own systems. Each of the three products, however, targets a different audience.

TV Show Theme Songs

From generation to generation, the theme songs from our favorite television shows make us want to sing along, dance, and re-watch the episodes we enjoy. As time passes, the style of television theme songs changes as well. These songs convey the tone and theme of the shows.

Disney vs. Netflix: The streaming service battle

One form of media that has taken the world by storm is streaming service. Binge-watching did not exist before streaming services came into existence.

How to Combat Technology Depression Through Communication

Since technology is not going away any time soon, what can be done to avoid depression brought on by technology?

Email Etiquette Tips for the Workplace Newcomer and the Seasoned Pro

Emails are a big part of the professional world, which makes email etiquette a necessary skill to learn for those entering it. For those looking to better your basic emailing skills, read "Email Distinction 101": Part 1 and Part 2. On the other hand, some of us have been sending professional emails for such a long time that it has become second nature. But even email pros occasionally make mistakes. Here are 5 email etiquette tips that will benefit both the workplace newcomer and the seasoned pro.

Need Help? Just Post About It

For the past decade, social media has taken the world by storm. According to one study, the average American adult spends over five hours each week on social media (Casey, 2016). One of the benefits of social media is that it allows users to stay up-to-date with the news as well as what is occurring in their friends' lives. The most popular topics to recently take over social media are Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

J-Term Pastimes in the COMMunity

Students love using J-Term to recuperate from the typical busyness of the 15-credit semester. Here are some favorite J-Term activities and pastimes of a few members of the COMMunity.

Christmas Communicates Music of Hope

Throughout the year, people can turn on the radio and confidently expect to find a breakup song or two. For months, ego-boosting songs like Meghan Trainor's "No" and Daya's "Sit Still, Look Pretty" instill deep self-confidence over heartbreak within the listener. But for at least one month of the year, the entire melodic focus switches. Instead of hearing the songs of the downtrodden or intentionally hardened, listeners' ears fill with songs of hope and joy.

Communicating the Outdoors: Company Puts Action Behind Hashtag Branding

In an effort to stop Black Friday's encroachment on Thanksgiving, a few stores plan to lock their doors this coming Thursday. Among these nonconformists stand IKEA, Petco and Staples, all of whom refuse to open before Black Friday dawns.

However, only one store has made the decision to close on Black Friday as well