Technology is making us vain

Technology is making us vain and lose touch with the present. Last week, I was sitting at the beach and watched a couple stroll by. As soon as the girl passed me, she handed her boyfriend her phone and I watched her pose for no less than ten photos-- each shot was followed by her snatching the phone back from him, some intense scrutinizing, then head shaking, and then her handing him the phone back to take another, with a slightly different pose, snatch, scrutinize, repeat. Her demeanor was one that I would expect from Kim Kardashian, not a random couple on vacation walking down the beach. But alas, even halfway across the world, technology is making us vain. 

Oxford dictionary re-emphasized this with their 2013 word of the year, “selfie”. Really OXFORD? (I guess I should be happy it wasn’t “twerking” but still.) Their choice exemplifies my point. Quoting their blog, the word of the year must, “demonstrate some kind of prominence over the preceding year”. They go on to defend their selection by stating, “It seems like everyone who is anyone has posted a selfie somewhere on the Internet. If it is good enough for the Obamas or The Pope, then it is good enough for Word of the Year.” (http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/11/word-of-the-year-2013-winner/). (It seems that selfies may only be good enough for one of the Obamas...)

Fig.1 President Obama taking a selfie

(I think Michelle is on my side.) Just because the camera on my phone is better than my actual camera does not mean that every single "special" moment should be recorded because the phone is handy. It’s kind of sad that most people don’t take pictures anymore to share with their mom or their spouse, but instead are compelled to immediately share on a social media channel. I even caught myself having to say, “no let’s keep this picture for us, not them" (them being my 500 friends on Facebook).

Not only is technology making us vain but it hinders enjoyment of the moment. Being present is a slowly fading art. Think about the last time you went to a concert and the band played everyone's favorite song. How many people around you scrambled to find their phone and then stood there with their phone above their head, as still as they could be, recording the song? How many people were dancing? Regardless of the numbers, you tell me, who was having more fun?

While awesome in so many aspects, technology is, unfortunately, sucking the consciousness out of our lives and making us more self absorbed. Instead of savoring moments, we're recording them, so that our brains don't have to remember what we did last night. Social media capital is king. Will we eventually evolve to no longer needing our short-term or long-term brain functions because so much of our lives have been captured by a smartphone? I certainly hope not. At least for now, before you dig into your purse or pocket to find your phone, consider just enjoying the moment. Like boxes full of photographs, how many times are you really going to go back and look at your "perfect" pose on the beach or watch the ten videos you took at the concert last night? 

Tweeting: Less Annoying, More Evolved

People use social media as a tool for self-reflection and sharing, but sometimes people are overly reflective or dramatic because they're seeking attention or validation. We all have that friend who posts a new picture of her cat every day or writes status updates like "Wow such a bad day, I just want to crawl under a rock". Twitter's design is different from other types of social media because while it allows the user to share, it is also demands they be concise. The 140 character limit inherently eliminates some of the nuisances I find in social media, like over-sharing about your kid's first poop or uninformed ramblings about politics.

Fig.1 Political ramblings on Facebook

Don't get me wrong, sharing opinions, updates on your kid, and pictures of your cat do contribute to online identity construction, and helps you stay in touch with friends, but broadcasting to your worldwide fan base where you had dinner last night ultimately doesn't tell anyone much more than how much money you're willing to spend on a steak.

Twitter allows you to actively tweet, or simply consume, without having to reciprocate (and without the negative connotation of being a Facebook stalker, or, my new favorite term--an "Insta-voyeur"). The news feed allows you to quickly see what's going on without accidentally seeing the bloody chicken picture your random friend's friend reposted on behalf of PETA. You have the option of expanding the #lookathisbloodychickenlovePETA tweet, but, luckily, you're not inundated with the visual when browsing. [Note: this feature has changed a bit since date of publishing.]

Fig. 2 Live chick commentary

Also, Twitter's framework reifies the evolution of linguistics in our tech-forward culture, that is, the trend toward briefer communications. We don’t speak in long-winded sonnets or use verbose language anymore. Quite the converse is true these days, with acronyms often replacing whole phrases (ROTFL). Everything, from our attention spans to the time it takes to fly transatlantic, is becoming shorter and faster. By design, Twitter supports the evolution of language towards a concise, categorical, linguistic culture while filtering out those things that are annoying about social media.

3 Lessons Learned about MOOC Development

Over the past year, I have worked on the development team for three different MOOCS (massive open online courses) at Google (Mapping with Google, Introduction to Web Accessibility, and Advanced Power Searching). (The opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Google, Inc.) Each MOOC was different and I learned quite a bit about online course development and instructional design. I’d like to share my top three lessons learned about MOOC development.

1. Students love recognition. Even if its just a simple pdf that says, "Congratulations!", people really like to have a tangible record of their work they can print out and hang on their refrigerator. We had a number of students sharing pictures of their certificates on our course’s Google+ community and it was great to see how excited students were about completing the course. We ensured that our instructional design focused on student recognition because there is a high correlation between positive reinforcement and academic achievement (Haydon and Musti-Rao, Diedrich). For example, in addition to earning a certificate at the end of the course, we designed our MOOC communities to be interactive so that course teaching assistants could support and cheer students on.

2. MOOCs can contribute a great deal of data about human learning behaviors that sheds light on how people think and behave. There are so many questions about how people learn that can be investigated by MOOCs and applied to online learning and instructional design. For example, how much time do students spend watching videos? Is there an ideal video length irregardless of topic? I hope that the large MOOC providers, like Udacity and Coursera, ask and answer these types of questions, given their abundance of course offerings. Edx has published one article, so far, discussing some initial data analysis from their “Circuits and Electronics” MOOC. Additionally, an instructional designer from my department at Google published an article on the Google Research blog discussing some of our findings from the first few courses we developed. Sharing knowledge gleaned about patterns of student learning will enhance the future of online education.

Fig.1 I wonder how this whole "brain" thing works

3. Keep a record of what worked and what didn't. Of course, there are things you can't learn until you experience them, but since MOOC development is a somewhat objective process, there are some elements that will stay the same. Keeping a record will help the next person understand some of the hoops that they're probably going to have to jump through and probably save some time. Document while you go, as much as you can: retrospective reflections, tips and tricks, important time frames, workflows, etc. Even if the course was a complete success there can always be improvements in the content or the processes if you’re going to host it again. And don’t forget about the students. I guarantee you they have something to say. Record your student’s feedback. Make sure you reference these notes before starting a new project.

The TRUTH About Mercury Poisoning: A Survivor's Girlfriend Reveals All

An article was published earlier this week in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) (a peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the National Institutes of Health & various other government agencies) stating “that limiting seafood intake during pregnancy may have a limited impact on prenatal blood mercury levels”. Several media outlets took this information and ran with it, publishing articles titled, “Concerns over mercury levels in fish maybe unfounded” and “Consumption of fish may have little effect on mercury levels in pregnant women”.

These news groups are missing a crucial detail in their reports citing EHP's research: the data referenced in the study was collected twenty years. EHP analyzed data gathered by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a study that evaluated blood samples and diets of pregnant women in the United Kingdom between 1991-1992, to see how certain lifestyle factors affected offspring. Twenty years ago, mercury levels found in fish, were far lower than what is found in our environment today. Present day, agricultural run-off and other pollutants have tainted our waterways and affected our food chain. There is much evidence to suggest that mercury levels are high in fish and even non-pregnant people should avoid eating too much fish. Though eating fish does provide nutrients that other types of food don’t provide, eating too much of the wrong type of fish could also turn you into a zombie (or make you act like one).

Fig.1 Sushi-a dinner delight or a secret killer?

I make these statements refuting the claim that concerns over mercury levels in fish are “unfounded” because I have personal experience with this topic. Earlier this year, my boyfriend, someone I eat with frequently, got mercury poisoning. He stopped eating meat, to be “healthier”, and supplemented his diet with fish (purchased at places like Whole Foods or the local fish market). All of a sudden he started feeling unwell, with symptoms like massive headaches, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and (zombie-like) mood swings. After several rounds of doctor visits and every sort of test possible, a simple blood test revealed high levels of mercury. A "normal" mercury level is less than 10 and his were in the mid-20s. If mercury poisoning had such a major affect on the health of a hyper-fit yoga instructor, I can’t imagine how it could affect pregnant women.

So the burning questions... How much fish can I eat before I start acting like a zombie? And do certain fish have higher levels of mercury than others? The quantity and frequency of fish that is safe to consume depends upon species, location, and fish size. Ahi tuna, one of the main species of fish found on restaurant menus and grocer’s ice beds, has one of the highest levels of mercury. (http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/sources.asp)

Fig.2 List of fish with high levels of mercury from the Monterey Bay Aquarium

A number of seafood watch agencies, aquariums, and natural resource agencies measure mercury levels in fish and publish reports detailing which fish are ok to eat and in what quantities. Two good resources are:

1. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s website—you can even print out pocket guides or get an app for your phone. (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx)
2. Office of environmental health hazard assessment—you can search levels of mercury in fish by location, so if you fish or like to buy locally-sourced fish, this is a great resource. (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/fish.html)

Mercury poisoning is a very real health threat. Be diligent when choosing fish to cook or eat. And if you tend to eat a lot of sushi or if fish is your main source of protein, get your mercury levels tested.  

Why Airlines Need to Clean Up Their Sites

In an attempt to book my holiday airline travels today, I went to several airline sites only to be overwhelmed by the busy-ness of their home pages. I think they intend to cram as much information into the top half of your screen as they can fit. There are distracting pictures that cycle, multiple dialogue boxes, credit card offers, and little boxes with text irrelevant to me booking a flight (click here to view "upgrade fee changes"). All I want to do is book a trip to Baltimore, but where do I go first? I could log in, or read about the travel rewards program, or view the company’s quarterly earnings, or apply for their credit card, or check the weather in Maui or look at their Facebook page (which would then lead to me become totally distracted because I have six new notifications) and then maybe, if I remember, book a flight.

I compared the UI's (user interfaces) and the user experience of booking a flight (usually the main goal when navigating to an airline home page) from the homepage of three different airlines: United Airlines, American Airlines, and Virgin America. Out of these, American Airlines offers the best experience.

Fig.1 American Airline home page 

American Airlines has a straightforward UI that guides the user to exactly what it is you’re trying to do—book a flight! The clean layout first shows you where to enter your mileage account and password on the left, then, to the right you can put in your destination and search for your flight. Their three cycling graphics have images with uncomplicated, non-essential messages so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on something important if I don’t catch the whole thing. The look is palatable (unlike airline food) and the images move slowly enough that I can glance at them if I like. Flight deals and other brand marketing appears way below the fold so if the user has to apply for a credit card, it’s still apparent how to do so, without taking their engagement off of the main goal.

Compare the clean look and feel of American Airlines home page to Virgin America and United Airlines.

fig.2 Virgin America home page

 fig. 3 United Airlines home page 

Both of these sites are too busy. Even with limited colors schemes, they pack their page with more information than needed. If you’re browsing airline home pages for deals on a cheap flight, it's great to see a list of discounted flights listed on the homepage. But let's get real, this information usually reaches you first in an email from the airline or via a discount travel website like kayak.com or orbitz.com. Your day-to-day target audience is less likely to be impressed with advertisements for sunny beach getaways. And please explain to me why I should be concerned about your Q2 earnings while I'm planning my travel?

It’s more likely, especially with the holidays coming up, that people want to do one thing: book a flight. So why crowd more options than that on the experience your user has with the site? Throwing pictures of the in-seat entertainment system is not going to make or break my decision to book a flight in the age of ipads and smartphone. Nor is directing me to your YouTube channel. Airlines should maximize on supplemental marketing later on, once the user has already committed to booking a flight, rather than creating an overly distracting home page. The clean and clear UI award goes to American Airlines! Keep it simple.

Man-terest: how do men use Pinterest

It is often cited that women use Pinterest primarily to plan out their next bedroom remodel or the color scheme of their wedding. While this is not entirely incorrect, I know lots of women who use it for other purposes, like shoe designers who find inspiration and track new trends, artists who promote their handiwork, and hair stylists who create Pinterest boards to give their clients options. How men use Pinterest is not often cited. This article explores this gender gap to see if and how men use Pinterest.

Pinterest's home page has a white background with red and gray lettering--pretty gender neutral, except maybe the font which is italicized. Once logged in, you can see pins from people you follow (if you follow anyone) and also a random assortment of new pins. At the top left side of the screen, there is a square to click on that reveals a list of 35 links to various pinning categories.

Fig.1 Pinterest home page with category box pulled down

Of these 35 categories, I found seven (20%) to be male-centric: Cars & Motorcycles, Geek, Men’s Fashion, Products, Sports, Tattoos, & Technology. I qualified these as male-centric because they are industries that tend to be dominated by men, both in work and for pleasure.

I analyzed the proportion of items pinned by men and women in each of these categories by going down the page for several minutes and counting the number of pins made male, female, and gender neutral pinners. Tattoos, Technology, and Products had a very low proportion of pins by male users compared to female users. The ratio got a little bit closer when I looked at Men’s Fashion, Sports, and Geek. Of these seven, the category with the highest ratio of male to female pinners was Cars & Motorcycles.

Fig.2 Example of male to female ratio of pins in Tattoos category

I wasn’t too surprised to find this category dominated by men, but it made me wonder... If six out of the seven topics I deduced would have a significant male presence on Pinterest, where are the men? Are there really that few men using Pinterest?  Maybe I was wrong in my classification and mens' pins are hiding in some unexpected category... Does DIY & Crafts secretly house pins displaying ideas for backyard construction projects? Maybe I should analyze the History category because I know a ton of guys who love the History Channel. I looked through several more categories and still could not find a significant male presence.

So WHERE are the men on Pinterest???!!!!???

I went back to the Cars & Motorcycle page and clicked on a random man’s profile to see if maybe some of his pins would shed light on this mystery. It became clear within seconds that Pinterest displayed his passion in life—he had over 150 boards dedicated to different brands of cars.

I continued individual spot-checking in this manner, and, after seeing way too many ferraris, concluded:

Men pin gadgets, cell phones, and renderings of new product designs. I found a number of boards that were reminiscent of a Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue.

Fig. 3 An example of man's Pinterest board displaying gadgets

Men pin strategies like, “Why Instagram is good for your business", information like “the top 100 tech blogs of 2013”, and infographics that show “the anatomy of Sangria”. They’re even pinning information about how to use Pinterest in their business or tips on how to home-brew.

 Fig. 4 Example of men pinning infographics

Men pin their achievements-- pictures they took rather than pictures from other people’s sites or memes they created.

Men use Pinterest in an analytical and objective sense, whereas, women tend to use it in a more subjective fashion.

Men post graphics with words, rather than writing an explanation underneath of the image.

When men pin, they pin things they’re proud of—their car, their designs, and their pictures of the sunset.

So how can this analysis work in the favor of Pinterest and men? What can Pinterest do to attract mens’ interests and more participation? First off, they could add a few visually-oriented categories  like "memes" or "infographics". They could also add more business-oriented categories that would encompass themes men are pinning like marketing or strategies. How about a construction projects category?  Or take the category theme one step further and be able to see what people are pinning in different places around the world.  I bet Silicon Valley-based pins would look very different from Malibu pins (especially if men are posting to these categories).  Lastly, they could look into providing a real-life networking space for pinners—some sort of online/offline community that connects people who pin similar things. A ferrari-enthusiast club would probably go over well. Pinterest offers its users, of all genders, a tabula rasa to foster creativity and innovation.

Fashion Week Targets Housewives

New York's Fashion week is not just about the skinniest model this year. I was pleasantly surprised by their home page because it prominently displayed Tracy Reese, an African American designer. Hooray for the promotion of diversity in high fashion—at least on its websites (which is unfortunately as close to Fashion Week as I can get this year.)

Fig.1 Tracy Reese highlighted on NY Fashion Week's site

I even saw Target’s logo splash across the screen after a Michael Kors ad!  Housewives can finally feel like they're part of the show!

Fig.2 Target on Fashionweek.com

Maybe designers and modeling agencies are finally realizing that to be fashionable you don’t have to be starved. And that more color (as in a variety of skin tones) and some mid-range price fashion options is going to attract consumers, since they're a part of the population of well (and not everyone has an $2,000.00 to blow on a belt). It was refreshing to see a multicultural fashion week and marketing leveraged from high-fashion and lux to more mid-range, every-day consumers.