1-2 Blog: A Day In The Life of Alyssa

 Websites and applications that I visit most often are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch and LinkedIn. Facebook is a website that I use to stay in contact with my friends and family back in Massachusetts, ever since I moved to Florida back in July 2020. I don’t use Facebook for much other than keeping in contact with them, but I do enjoy memes that I find on there from time to time. When using Instagram, I am usually viewing trending topics and celebrity gossip. I often find posts and videos from tv shows and movies that I’m interested in, and sometimes I may find new products that I am interested in trying. I usually use YouTube as a source of music playlists that I listen to while doing homework or relaxing. I am also a fan of using YouTube for tutorial videos when I am making DIY projects at home. Twitch is mainly when I have downtime at home and want to watch gameplay for either new games I’m interested in or watching gamers play nostalgic games from my childhood. I enjoy seeing others play games because they often look at aspects of the game I had never thought of before. Last, I often use LinkedIn to network with others in the same field, or even others in other fields. I have found many relatable and useful posts and connections on LinkedIn that have helped me find professional work and my current job in the medical cannabis industry.

I often find that Facebook has the most negative reactions from me because the algorithm it has often shares offensive or upsetting posts. Especially now that the Roe v. Wade has been overturned, I find most of the posts on that platform are depressing and appear to be set up to make people argue with each other. I usually have positive reactions with Twitch and YouTube because I can specifically search for videos and music that I know I will enjoy viewing or listening to. I feel most of my needs are being met when I utilize these websites and applications because I continue to go back to them almost on a daily basis.

I receive a lot of emails from companies and most of it ends up in my junk folder because they often send me so many that I do not open. The ones that I do end up opening, are usually companies offering BOGO deals or promoting a discount I can use for their products. Just the other day I received an email from Crumbl cookies with a deal to get a discount off of catering, and I ended up utilizing it to bring cookies to my workplace as a thank you and morale boost to my coworkers. I personally get drawn in when emails state they only do these types of deals for certain individuals. Whether they actually do this for certain individuals or not, I still get drawn in.

Digital marketing is all around us and is used in various ways, even if we don’t notice it. We are always being marketed to. Often, I find that if I simply talk about a product I want to purchase or look at, it pops up on my phone. If I type something in Google search, it will suddenly begin appearing on many websites and applications I use. I find it a bit scary sometimes.