15 of the Dirtiest Pictures on the Internet

Just kidding. I’m not going to show you any dirty pictures. But I will send you to Virgin Mobile’s sponsored post on Buzzfeed if you want to check them out. Buzzfeed is a journalism site combined with funny lists, pop-culture, and a surprising amount of cat pictures.  They have hard-hitting news and articles involving cats in tubs. Founded by Jonah Peretti twelve years ago, Buzzfeed is known for creating material that goes viral, often getting millions of views. You’ll most likely find them in your news feed or in tweets. Peretti’s staff creates hundreds of posts a day applying theories of virality – and that has grabbed the attention of some major brands, including GE, Pepsi, VW, Virgin Mobile, and Nike. Buzzfeed is creating clickable ads that are just as appealing as their other posts, and changing the name of advertising in the process. They want people to want to share the posts they create. After all, when is the last time you saw your friend sharing a sponsored post for toothpaste?

In Andrew Rice’s article for New York Magazine, he writes about Buzzfeed‘s methods, “[Peretti] doesn’t care whether a post is produced by a journalist or sponsored by a brand, so long as it travels.” Peretti’s goal is to create custom-designed advertising posts that blend in with the content. He’s trying to tap into how people share things and why. Many advertisers are wondering how to really capitalize on the Internet’s potential. And banner ads just aren’t cutting it. “The present moment looks a lot like the early days of television,” states Buzzfeed‘s president Jon Steinberg. “Back then, traditional agencies couldn’t figure out the new medium, so the TV networks stepped into the void with branded content…the advertising industry has similarly failed to capitalize on the marketing potential of the Internet.”

Peretti’s strategy is an interesting one, especially since Buzzfeed’s creative process is still more of an art than a science. Success lies in human talent and creating “information and content that helps [consumers] promote their own identity.” They can’t guarantee to a brand that their content will go viral, but they can get pretty close.

As a writer and a marketer myself for Her Campus, I am often asked to create posts for brands. I like Peretti’s philosophy and tend to agree with him when he says “Some editorial content sucks, some ads are awesome, and for many readers this line is even more important than church and state.” The idea of sponsored posts is a thin one, and skeptics will argue that Buzzfeed‘s methods aren’t actually selling anything. But I beleive if you can get your consumer to interact with your post, to share it with their friends, and connect with the culture of the brand, you’ve done more than the Internet is currently doing. Peretti think the advertising industry is ripe for disruption and I’s have to agree.

Why the iPhone is Killing Creativity

We all love our smart phones. They’ve reinvented the way we see and interact with the world.  But I often find myself wanting to throw it at a wall for that same reason.  I check my iPhone out of boredom or during a pause in a class lecture. I scroll mindlessly through Facebook status’ and Instagram photos that  have little relevance to my life. Often times, I use it as a distraction. I try really, really hard not to be attached to my smartphone. But despite my love-hate relationship with my phone, it’s a gadget I can’t live without. However, all of my unnecessary engagements with my iPhone could be killing my creativity.

By constantly interacting with our smart phones  our minds are always engaged. While that may seem like a good thing, we’re not actually doing any real thinking during these times. In order to be creative, the mind needs time to wander. In other words, since we never get bored, we never get creative. Brian S. Hall at ReadWrite defines boredom as “as a creative pause where your mind can drift, which allows you to integrate your recent experiences into your present state of mind.” Boredom is necessary to expand your creative thinking, and smart phones are hindering that ability. “Spending so much time texting and updating, tweeting and watching, calling and playing at every free moment, from every location, never alone with our thoughts, never allowing our thoughts to drift, impacts our creativity, which in turn can limit our full potential.”

Fostering creativity  through boredom is even more relevant for children. According to Dr. Teresa Belton, kids who are using technology to learn and play are missing out on opportunities to use their creativity and imagination.

Instead of turning to our smart phones in times of boredom, try something new. Read a book, go for a walk, cook, just sit and think – little moments like these can have a bigger impact on your overall creativity than you can imagine. As for me, I won’t through my phone at the wall, but I am seriously considering a technology detox. It’s time to let my thoughts wander instead of my fingers on the screen.

The Other Isaac

“Young people are beginning to feel that science fiction is the kind of literature that a person interested in reality should be reading.”

When I came across this quote from the late Dr. Isaac Asimov – renowned scientist, author and creativity enthusiast – I was immediately intrigued by its meaning. Science, fictional or not, is all about exploring the future. And science fiction puts no limits on the possibilities the future holds. The make-believe worlds created in the pages are closer to reality than ever before. In order to make advances in society, the curiosity-driven thinking in science fiction books is just what young people need to come up with innovative solutions.

“Science fiction, of all the different forms of literature, is the one that most easily accepts the notion of change. Things are changing very quickly, and any kid who thinks about it knows that the world in which he or she will be a grown-up — which he or she will be helping to run — will be considerably different from this one,” says Dr. Asimov in his 1983 interview with Muppet Magazine.

Dr. Asimov believed advances in technology would free up more human thought to be put towards creative, pro-social endeavors. Thirty years later, this still holds true.  Science and creativity go hand in hand. Successful creatives will be able to merge the disciplines in order to strengthen their critical thinking and ability to innovate.

“Science does not purvey absolute truth, science is a mechanism,” says Dr. Asimov. “It’s a way of trying to improve your knowledge of nature, it’s a system for testing your thoughts against the universe and seeing whether they match.”

Creativity is also about trying to improve your knowledge, challenging yourself, and testing your thoughts, if not against the universe, at least among your peers or colleagues. Advertising is becoming fully integrated with digital platforms and interactive technology. In order to distinguish yourself from the competition it is important to embrace technology. I can remember the science fiction section in my local library, tucked away in a back corner, with old books and dusty covers. I think it’s time to bring those books out of hiding. There is always learning to be had, and science fiction has a lot more to offer than fantasy.