US now seeking social media details from all visa applicants

WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department is now requiring nearly all applicants for U.S. visas to submit their social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers. It’s a vast expansion of the Trump administration’s enhanced screening of potential immigrants and visitors. In a move that’s just taken effect after approval of the revised application forms, the department says it has updated its immigrant and nonimmigrant visa forms to request the additional information, including “social media identifiers,” from almost all U.S. applicants. The change, which was proposed in March 2018, is…

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Why Advergames Can Be Dominant On Social Media. Lessons from Popsockets

Popsockets, makers of those very helpful devices that employ an expandable, collapsible grip and stand to help us avoid tangling cords and dropping our phones, has introduced a new advergame on Facebook as part of its “Swappable PopGrips” campaign.  While it is ultimately just a simple concentration game, it has considerable visual appeal and has been very successful. Popsockets “Swappable Sockets” game UNDERTONE Before getting to the specifics of what has made the Popsockets game a hit I have to confess that I always enjoy the topic of advergames when…

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8 Quotes That Define The State Of Social Media Today

Social media logos: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc. GETTY Last month’s annual Social Media Marketing World in San Diego featured a bevy of top speakers, many of whom focused on connecting with customers as the key to successful marketing campaigns. Here are 8 quotes from 8 different speakers which drive home the point that now more than ever, customers are in charge of a company’s success or failure. “We trust each other more than ever. We trust brands less than ever.” – Jay Baer There has been a distinct power…

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The complicated truth about social media and body image

If you mindlessly scroll through Instagram or Facebook whenever you get a few seconds of downtime, you’re far from alone. But have you ever wondered how all those images of other people’s bodies – whether your friend’s holiday snap or a celebrity’s gym selfie – could be affecting how you view your own? Much has been made over the years about how mainstream media presents unrealistic beauty standards in the form of photoshopped celebrities or stick-thin fashion models. Now that influencers fill up our feeds, it’s easy to imagine that…

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SBI warns customers about fraudsters and fake social media accounts

New Delhi: State Bank of India (SBI) has advised its customers to interact with only verified and official handles of SBI to avoid fraud. In a recent tweet, SBI said: ‘Always check for the verified ‘tick’ sign before you follow, tag and interact with banking officials through their social media accounts.’ “Do not invest your time and money interacting with fake accounts on social media. Follow, tag and interact with only the verified, official handles of SBI, to ensure that your comments, complaints, and enquiries get adequately addressed and you are not scammed…

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Can social media really cause depression?

The notion that social media has a negative impact on mental well-being is widespread. The researchers who conducted a new long-term study, however, say that this might not be the case. A new study examined the role of social media in depression. The supposed effects of social media on young people sound drastic enough to make anyone switch off their cell phone. Some studies have indicated that young people can develop an addiction to social media. Meanwhile, other studies have linked this with poor sleep, poor self-esteem, and potentially poor mental health. However, new research…

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