Signal Spring 2019 Newsletter

www.alliancecom.net 13 Snapchat, and Instagram—also have a function that allows you to make voice or video calls. 3. Keeping up with news and sports Facebook and Twitter both enable you to follow news and sports outlets you trust to get up-to-the-minute information about what’s going on in your community, state, nation, and world. Doing so helps you stay informed and can give you a starting point for civic engagement. It can also keep you safer, as is the case with alerts about severe weather or other local emergencies. 4. Getting support for health issues On Twitter or Facebook, you can follow organizations like the National Institutes for Health or Mayo Clinic for general health information. Additionally, Facebook has support groups for many types of physical and mental health issues. You can join these groups to communicate with others who may be facing the same challenges as you or someone you love. Just be sure to check with other reputable sources and your doctor before acting on anything you read in these groups. 5. Pursuing hobbies and interests In addition to health-related groups, Facebook has groups of virtually every variety including ones for hobbies such as reading, gardening, travel, sports, and more. If you find one that looks interest- ing, make sure it’s a good fit by spending some time “lurking” (reading but not participating) there before you add your own comments or responses. Instagram is a great place to follow hobby-related accounts, such as Expedia for travelers. 6. Learning technology skills Learning how to use social media sites like Twitter and Facebook can translate into general technology knowledge, since the actions you take on these sites are common to many others. Learning how to post, attach photos or links, like or comment on others’ posts, and connect with other users are all skills you can use on many sites online. 7. Getting discounts and deals Many retail outlets offer special deals for their followers on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media outlets. If you fol- low them regularly, you’ll find discounts not available to everyone. Some sites, like Groupon, are even designed specifi- cally for offering coupons and provide commentary from other users about the products or services featured. 8. Being entertained Laughter is the best medicine, and that also goes for people who are perfectly healthy! Get a good chuckle from a friend’s comment, a funny cat video, or a hilarious meme. Social media also offers options for playing games, reading amusing articles, sharing favorite memories, and following your favorite musicians, actors, and other entertainers. How to Start Your Own Group on Facebook You don’t have to wait to find the perfect social media interest group to join. Facebook makes it easy to start your own! For example, you could start a group for your book club to keep in touch between meetings. Here’s how: 1. From your home page, select Groups in the left column. 2. At the top of the page, click Create Group . 3. In the Create New Group box: a. Type in a name for your group. b. Enter friends who you want to join the group. c. Select whether you want the group to be Public, Closed, or Secret. d. When you’re done, click Create . 4. Now you’ll see a page that looks similar to your own Facebook profile. Personalize it by uploading a banner photo and writing your first post. 5. As members join, use the Write Post button in the right column to welcome them. 6. Use the buttons within the new post area to add photos, create events, andmore.