Social Media and Relationships

I recently read an article on the effects social media has on couples' relationships.  Basically, they surveyed about 24,000 couples and determined if more or less social media interaction between the two people was beneficial or not.  The results determined the more social media interaction the more likely there will be a level of dissatisfaction between the couple.  Shocking.

This whole situation is comical to me.  In this case, if you're contacting your significant other on three different social media platforms plus text then obviously someone's going to feel suffocated. My generation is especially guilty of this.  What's wrong with not communicating with your boyfriend or girlfriend, say, for more than two or three hours? It's annoying maintaining a constant stream of interaction because within 30 minutes it's just mindless bantering.  Some people can't fathom the silence though.  I don't envy those people.

Personal relationships

I recently read an article on personal relationships and how they can positively affect your life.  I found the article as an extension of an assignment on the importance of relationships in public relations.  Beyond PR, however, I found it interesting how personal relationships actually have physical and mental health effects.  I knew that positive relationships make people happier and more productive  but studies also show things like your immune system being better, blood pressure lower and you live longer.

I tend to get paranoid about random things like this.  I try to be a health conscientious person on a regular basis but this adds an entirely different element to being healthy.  I could seriously see myself assigning health values to everyone in my life in terms of my relationship with them.  I might not ever look at people the same again.

ISIS vs. The World

If you pay any attention at all to the news you'll notice that ISIS is continually isolating themselves from the rest of the world by committing a series of barbaric events then posting it for the world to see.  The most common form of protest ISIS uses is the beheading of hostages they capture from other nations and most recently they burned a Jordanian pilot alive.  

I know despise the U.S.'s presence in their country and have a right to; after all, we're only there to exploit them for their resources.  However, by brutally murdering these people their relationships with the rest of the world has turned to hatred.  For every person that is killed each country has vowed to strike back.  Overall, I wonder what their endgame is because nothing they have done has convinced others to give into their demands.

MCJ 203 Roommates

I posted last time about how my roommate of three or four years moved to the coast which left me to find a new place to live which included new people.  I just moved into a house with two guys I have always known of but never considered living with them.  I ended my last post mentioning how awkward it is beginning new relationships with people -- this is one of those times.  Unfortunately, I live with them so it's kind of perpetually awkward at this point.

So far, however, they seem like cool people that I could have a lot in common with.  It's very similar to putting yourself out there after a breakup.  Once you've lived with the same person for four years your social skills get dull.  So, that's my personal relationship status right now -- just brushing up basic relationship building skills.

MCJ 203 Relationship Post 3

Right now I am interning at United Way and the Hattiesburg Convention Commission.  On top of that I am going to school and working at a local bar called Keg and Barrel.  With so much going on I have started to develop a lot of new relationships with many different people.  Recently, I was fortunate enough to meet the brewmaster of Southern Prohibition Beer who inquired into my education and background.  After about a 20 minute conversation he told me to call him once I graduated for a job.  That would be amazing.

I've also been single now for about two or three months.  I'm finally starting to get back out there and meet other people.  I always forget how weird it is coming out of a relationship and having to put yourself out there once again after being comfortable for an extended period of time.  I think that feeling sums up establishing new relationships in general; there's always that awkward initial phase where both people are unsure of each other.  I don't like that.

MCJ 203 - Mayor vs. City Council

I wanted to use this post to talk about the strained relationship that exists between Hattiesburg mayor Johnny Dupree and the city council.  Hattiesburg politics have been a hot-button issue ever since Johnny Dupree's controversial victory over Dave Ware.  Now we are in the midst of more drama that stems from Dupree submitting his nominations for certain vacant positions within Hattiesburg.  This has left the city council with no choice but to file a lawsuit that will ultimately force Mayor Dupree to fill the vacancies.

This is a classic example of a professional relationship gone wrong.  Any professionalism that existed between the two parties is long gone.  Both are airing one another's dirty laundry publicly which is a blatant indicator that productivity has come to a stand-still.  For the sake of Hattiesburg, let's hope the future holds more accountable professionals who know how to work through adversity.

MCJ 203 Relationships Introduction

My name is Reagan McKinley and I am to blog about "relationships" for the remainder of the semester. Relationships are important for a number of reasons whether they are personal or professional.  Personal relationships provide people with love and comfort which every human being needs to survive and carry out a happy existence.  Professional relationships primarily depend on one's ability to work with another whether love and comfort exists at all in order to be successful.

My perspective on relationships has also begun to change within the last year or so. As shallow as this sounds, I'm just now realizing how much effort it takes to make a relationship successful. A recent breakup left me with that realization the hard way.  I also started interning this semester at United way and the Hattiesburg Convention Commission for my public relations degree.  Needless to say my professional relationships are of the utmost importance to me right now.