Keeping up Appearances

Nice topic Layla. Ahem!

• How do I keep up with what’s trending in design?
• What measures do I take to stay up-to-date on technology?
• How do I adjust and keep fresh with tech?”

I was a late bloomer with most technologies. I got my first cell phone when I was 18. I got my first smart phone in 2012. I didn’t join Facebook until 2007. I was late to the party with Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, PayPal, Snapchat, Fantasy Football, still calling when texting was officially the primary method of communication, my career, you name it. Call me a Luddite, but with each emerging technology, my initial reaction is usually, do we really need that? Why do I need Instagram when Facebook already lets me post pictures? Why do I need Snapchat when Instagram lets me post pictures on which I can actually go back and reminisce? How much time must I spend creating new profiles? Isn't it a bit narcissistic to constantly self-promote and project this ideal persona? When will the madness stop?

But then everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves with these new toys and I feel like I’m missing something. So I try it. Mustn't get left behind! I dabble in all of them to see what the hype is about, but the most important thing to me is my professional development. If it's not contributing something positive to my life, it's a waste of time. I’ve been doing my best to streamline these technologies in a way that “checks all the boxes” to get me promoted:

• Deleted all incriminating evidence from Facebook. Facebook is pretty much dead anyway, unless you count birthday reminders and event planning.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things...on Facebook.” - Ghandi

• Googled ways to build my Twitter following. My buddy thought it would be a good idea to purchase followers on my behalf without informing me. I got 2500 followers in 10 minutes. It was the strangest feeling. I thought my phone would explode. I felt exposed. Where are all these followers coming from??? 
• Spiffied up the LinkedIn profile. Took all the restaurants off of there. Put on a suit (just the top) and spent 15 minutes trying to take the perfect head shot selfie. 
• Put it all together on Behance. If Adobe is going to tax me $30/month, I may as well take advantage of the bells and whistles, at least until I’ve learned how to code my own website.
• I still have my fun with Instagram by following things I find funny. I won't post anything obscene, or even "like" things that I wouldn't want my parents or an employer to see, but I am guilty of following some low-brow pages and they are hilarious. Just this morning I found a rather clever page where guys imitate basic you know whats. Tip: Click on the pictures and read the ridiculous hashtags for the full effect.

Do I listen to any podcasts? No. Not yet.

It's tough to find time to read up on what's trending in design. I spend the better portion of my waking hours looking at screens, whether I'm at work, doing homework, watching tv, or looking at my phone. I want to rest my eyes whenever possible before I go blind. If I get the opportunity to talk to someone about design, that's ideal, because I can absorb information in a new way. It can't all be taken in through the eyes. Try to get all the senses involved. Drive past H&S bakery. Eat a Ferrero Rocher. Listen to Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee at full volume.