Christina Chaey recently placed the following people on her list of religious rockstars on Twitter: Pope Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) Joel Osteen (@JoelOsteen) Joyce Meyer (@JoyceMeyer) Jesse Jackson, Sr. (@RevJJackson) Reverend Run (@RevRunWisdom) Rick Warren (@RickWarren) Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (@RabbiShmuley) So What? My immediate response to reading this list was to see how many of the religious Read More …
Winning a Re-Tweet Award (#0893)
Earlier this month I attended the 18th Annual Sloan Consortium International Conference on Online Learning. When I checked in at the registration area, I was pleased to see an advertisement for a Twitter contest. The instructions were simple: the tweet using the conference hashtag (#aln12) that received the most retweets would be win the contest. Since I planned to tweet, I kept the flier. With nearly 3,000 people attending the conference, I didn't think I would be a Read More …
Elders + Social Media (#0856)
While senior centers, assisted living facilities, and organizations focused on mature adults have been providing computing classes for years, many have recently added "how to" sessions on Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. Julie Andrews recently wrote about some of the benefits older adults experience when they use social media, including increased connectivity to family and friends. So What? Church is a community. It should also be concerned with connecting people to one Read More …
My First 3 Years on Twitter (#0853)
I just completed my first three years on Twitter. As I have done at the end of prior years (year two / year one), I took some time to review my experience and to ponder future possibilities. According to Tweet Grader, I earned an A (93 out of 100). Tweet Grader also provided me data about trends in the number of people I am following as well as the number who are following me. As the chart below illustrates, over the last two years both groups have grown considerably. Reflecting Read More …
Social Media Benefits the Homeless (#0833)
A recent study conducted by Art Jipson, a sociologist and criminologist at the University of Dayton, found that "social media . . . tear down economic and geographic barriers to help homeless people connect to their families and support networks." More specifically, Jipson learned that homeless people leverage free services like Facebook and Twitter to find food, shelter and job services, and to keep up with family and friends. All they need is a smart phone or public library Read More …
Religious Engagement via Social Media (#0824)
While America remains a country with high levels of belief in God, most Americans are not talking about religious matters via social media. According to a recent (July 2012) survey of 1,026 American adults: 13% have downloaded a religious podcast of a sermon or listened to a sermon online 11% have posted status updates about being in church 10% have used a cell phone to take pictures or record video during worship 6% belong to one or more religious groups on Facebook 5% Read More …
Pastoral Engagement on Twitter (#0788)
Bo Emerson's recent article explores how pastors are using Twitter to engage their congregations while also reaching much larger audiences. Twitter executive Claire Diaz-Ortiz found that "religious leaders were completely punching above their weight on Twitter" and "were super-engaged." For example, Joyce Meyer has far fewer followers than Lady Gaga (26 million and 1 million respectively), yet Meyer has a greater impact. So What? While the article focuses on notable Christian Read More …
Celebrating Social Media Day (#0776)
Today (June 30) is Mashable's third annual Social Media Day. Several cities (including Tampa) have officially joined the celebration. Individuals can participate by participating in one of over 400 meetups and/or joining the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #smday ( to view the live stream of tweets simply click here). So What? Social media is changing the way we connect with each other. It is a frequent topic here at sowhatfaith: 15% of all posts are Read More …
Goodbye Facebook – Hello Twitter (#0775)
People's social media usage habits while working are changing. According to the latest research by Palo Alto Networks, during the last six months (November 2011 to May 2012) the percentage of time workers spent on social networking sites shifted: Facebook: down 17% (from 54% to 37%) Twitter: up 10% (from 11% to 21%) Tumblr: up 9% (from 1% to 10%) So What? In only six months, the percentage of time people spent using Twitter at work doubled and the percentage of time they spent Read More …
Review of Viral (#0743)
Meet the Author Leonard Sweet is the E. Stanley Jones professor of evangelism at Drew University and visiting distinguished professor of Evangelism at George Fox University, was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America, and continues to write and speak prophetically about the church. An ordained United Methodist pastor, Sweet has authored over 20 books and 600 articles, and is perhaps best known for his forward thinking ideas about the church. For Read More …