My first breakup happened the summer before grade nine. I answered a late-night phone call from my best friend, who told me matter-of-factly that I didn’t have the social capital needed for her attempt to launch herself amongst the popular girls. We could, she offered, still hang out outside of school, but lunchtimes discussing weird […]
Social Media
Posted inNews + Opinion
15 of the best Instagram backdrops in Halifax
Congratulations on moving to a city rich with nautical history, lush trees and so many craft breweries it borders on unnecessary. Bars and booze aside, sometimes the east coast gets an undeserved rap of being boring with nothing to do. That is far from the truth. Not only are there tons of events and new […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Lessons in scholarly social media
Nowadays, students may look at hashtagged keywords or 280 characters to learn about a school event, versus checking bulletin boards or even email, causing universities to re-evaluate communication methods. “Social media is so important when it comes to connecting with students because you really need to go where they are,” says Kate Elliot, a social […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Misinformation mine: Facebook shuts down Halifax man’s pro-Trump trade
For the past three years, Nicholas Kingsland has made his income sharing hyper-partisan news stories about American politics on social media. His livelihood involves spreading polarizing content across multiple Facebook pages to an easily riled, mostly right-wing audience—generating revenue by sharing links and driving high volumes of traffic to other websites. But Kingsland isn’t mining this […]
Posted inArts + Music
The Matter of Scaachi Koul
An evening with Scaachi Koul Sunday, October 29, 7pm Paul O’Regan Hall, Halifax Central Library, 5440 Spring Garden Road $20 “It was funny and sad.” That’s how Scaachi Koul’s mother reacted after reading Koul’s book, One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. Although short, it’s an accurate review. In this […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Masuma Khan isn’t letting Dal off the hook after complaint withdrawal
And then the glare of public attention around the whole Masuma Khan discipline case got to be too much for Dalhousie University. The school’s vice provost, Arig al Shaibah, this afternoon posted an “Important message” formally announcing that the complaint against Khan has been withdrawn. The full message is here, but the bottom line comes […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Past social media posts claim two more political candidates
Deleting your social media accounts is the secret to a happier, more fulfilling life, but it’s also particularly important if running for public office. Case in point, this week on the provincial campaign trail two more political candidates were betrayed by their timelines. On Monday evening, NDP candidate Bill McEwen withdrew from the race for […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Don’t @ me: Why Halifax police are turning to social media to improve public relations
The day before Valentine’s Day, during a severe snowfall, the @HfxRegPolice Twitter account sent out a reminder to residents that it’s illegal to walk on the street. “No, that’s not what the law says at all,” responded Ben Wedge, a transportation advocate and former member of Halifax’s Crosswalk Safety Advisory Committee. “If you could leave […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The Halifax student behind @Trump_Regrets
[Image-1] “I heartily recommend taking a look at @Trump_Regrets,” writes billionaire tech investor Chris Sacca to his 1.7 million followers on Twitter. “It’s cheaper than therapy.” Countless hot takes have been ignited since November trying to understand how the hell Donald Trump became president of the United States of America. Halifax student Erica Baguma was […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Government officials get social media tips at UNSM conference
[Image-1] Life in the digital age means it’s user beware on the social network front. It also means local governments must use the benefits of social media to connect with their communities. Social media is the new town crier in terms of notifying the citizenry, said a Town of Bridgewater staffer to delegates at the […]
Posted inArts + Music
How to fake a banging NYE on social media
It could happen to any one of us, nobody is safe—you decide you’re staying in for the holidays and then #FOMO rears its ugly head and the next thing you know you’re viciously thumbing through Instagram wishing all your so-called friends hadn’t deserted you Kevin McCallister style. I mean, a real friend would force you […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Closure and the social media accounts of the dead
[Image-1] Over the years, the Facebook community has grown exponentially, and, as life runs its course on all of us, people keep dying. More and more posthumous profiles continue to haunt cyberspace. Whether it’s creepy or comforting, we are the first generation to ever have to deal with it. Twenty-four-year-old Alex Walker lives in Halifax, […]