THE DARK SIDE OF THE CYBER WORLD

The Internet is a tool designed to let people communicate easily with each other. It is a space to share thoughts, beliefs and make connections that could potentially give us a job.

But not every person knows how to properly use the Internet. Nowadays, employers are looking at our personal sites to see what we think and what we say in the cyber world.

Sites like Twitter are designed to keep people updated on what is happening around the world. We learn from politics to culture to entertainment. But what about when you decide to share your deepest thoughts without really thinking. Could it have a negative impact in your professional life?

A report done by tbk Creative, a web design and social marketing agency from Toronto, shows that Hamilton and Brantford are the two most vulgar cities on Twitter. The group decided to combine tweets from Canada’s largest cities that included the city’s name and the vulgar term “F&@K, SH*T, and DA#%IT”

Andrew Schiestel is the chief of WOW, projects at tbk Creative and he decided to gather over 1,000,000 tweets with the goal of learning where the practice of vulgarity happens most in Canada on Twitter.

“Not every tweet came from the city or its citizens, but instead were simply tweets that mentioned the city name and the vulgar word," said Andrew.

Hamilton was ranked in second place, with 0.90% following Brampton on first place with 1.41% and ahead of London in third place with 0.70%

In an interview on “AM980’s McArthur in the Morning” Schiestel talked about his report.

The study only showed results on Twitter, but what about sites like Facebook?

“Social networking websites like Facebook are designed for you to authentically share your life, from pictures, to your timelines, to the events you attend. Twitter was originally designed to share what you were doing or thinking about,” said Schiestel

So does this mean sites like Twitter are making people more vulgar?

“I don’t think so, I think social media is making people more themselves. In a professional setting few people swear, it would be inappropriate. In a personal setting things change. The issue is that your professional contacts can also see your most personal thoughts when you publish them publicly through these social media channels, and many times people’s thoughts aren’t pretty. I think it is making people express their most inner thoughts more frequently. Both the good and the ugly.”

Dr. Alex Sévigny from the Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia at McMaster University teaches business how to use social media more effectively.

“I don’t think sites like Twitter are making people more vulgar, I think it’s making people more accountable for what they do. It’s making people responsible for their behaviour online, because everything you say on twitter can be easily view by others.”

Making a decision before you post anything online can really make a difference. Being careful about what you are saying can help protect or damage your reputation for the thousands of people who might look at your profile.

STAYING FIT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS

When winter arrives, one of the first questions that comes to mind is how to stay fit when it’s -20 Degrees outside. It is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise every day.

However for some people winter is an absolutely break from the gym or anything that involves exercising. And this is a mistake many Canadians make when instead they should be preparing themselves for the upcoming summer.

Some people think the only way to exercise is to go to the gym, but there are many things a person can do to stay fit. During the winter months, people make the excuse that because its cold and snowing they rather stay home, but while at home you can use that extra time to make a routine of different exercises that can be performed everyday.

Lisa La Mantia is a high school dance teacher, but even with her tight schedule, she makes sure she dedicates time to herself, to feel and look better; and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is her first priority.

“First, let me start by saying there is no one in the world that hates winter more than me. It’s painful to me, not just uncomfortable, painful. I feel it in my bones. I have Mediterranean blood and after 30 years of Canadian winters I still am not used to it. I do not like to go outside in the winter if I don’t have to, and I know how difficult it is to get out of bed early on dark cold mornings and go to the gym.  For this reason I set up a small space in my basement, with an exercise mat, medicine ball and some hand weights, anywhere from 5 – 10 pounds.   It makes it easier to start my day off this way because I don’t need to leave the house and go out into the cold until after my workout and shower when I am feeling energized and able to tackle the day.”

And so you may be wondering what exercises can we do at home. It’s like going to the gym; you can do the same thing with just a few tools.

“I am traditionally a cardio person. I love to move around a lot and feel the blood pumping, however recently I have come to recognize the importance of strength training to keep my body strong and able to sustain the work I put it through.

For me I have found interval training the best. It combines cardio exercises with strength training in small minute to two-minute intervals.  I really like that idea because I don’t have to count reps or anything. I just do as many controlled exercises as I can do in the time frame. It is great to see your endurance and strength build up over time.”

Most dancers and athletes cannot afford to let the winter months take their toll because exercising is part of their lives. And yes there is the temptation to sit on the couch under a blanket, or stay nestled in bed but maintaining a good exercise and nutrition routine even if you are not a professional dancer or athlete is very important. You are not only developing a stronger body but you are becoming healthier in every single aspect and the result is a happier life.