One of the many things that have changed in the digital age is the way we grieve. Researching our book, Digital Legacy Plan, due out in March 2019, co-author Angela Crocker and I discovered some interesting research by professor Tony Walter, a sociologist from the U.K. who has written and taught widely on the social aspects of death, dying and loss. In his examination of online memorial
As I write this, I’m putting the finishing touches on a book manuscript. It will be sent to the editor in the morning, and following about a month of substantive edits, it will go into the hands of a copy editor to take care of things like commas and periods. After that, it will be readied for print. The book will be released in March 2019. I’ve had the privilege of co-writing the
Ah, October. Rainy days, autumn colors, cozy sweaters and fireplaces, and every four years, a plethora of election signs. Offline and online, local politicians are working hard to get their platforms out to voters. The sudden appearance of signs at the roadside and candidates at events rarely attended previously, mailboxes stuffed with brochures and flyers – all this tells us the race for
Reminder we are vulnerable to nature’s whims. It was late on Friday afternoon, and my neighbour Deborah, having just collected her grandson from daycare, noticed darkness looming in the sky. A storm had been predicted and she picked up the pace, pushing her grandson’s stroller just a little more hastily as clouds gathered overhead. By the time she made it the few short blocks from the
There is something nice about print. In the digital age, we regularly (if not constantly) find ourselves online consuming news, checking in on friends and family, participating in community discourse and accessing data and information. Everything we could possibly want to find out about it is literally at our fingertips. Simply typing the word “search” into Google, gave me more than a
There is nothing I love quite as much as a summer road trip. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the City of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. A family celebration was planned, so I took a couple of extra days on either end of the event to holiday and play tourist. Naturally, I posted about my journey across the Salish Sea on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Almost immediately, new followers
One of the great laments of the digital age is that we spend too much time on screens and devices. I can’t argue with that. For years, I have been advocating that we practice mindful digital habits. This advocacy springs from three sources. Firstly, I have a strong belief that a mindful life is a meaningful one. Taking time to pause and consider our choices and be present in our daily
The big news in the world of social media this week is the launch of IGTV, a feature that enables vertical, long-form videos on Instagram. It’s available in both the native Instagram app and a new standalone IGTV app. Until now, in addition to its beautiful and simple photo and video feed, Instagram users have been able to create short 15-second disappearing video in Instagram Stories, but
A quick Google search of “Father’s Day and social media” results in a long list of the best Father’s Day social media marketing ideas, Father’s Day posts your fans will love, and Twitter and Instagram tips for Father’s Day. It is fair to say that social media feeds on the day will be filled with both organic and paid content to help us celebrate and appreciate fathers and
What is our time worth? As I write this, I am sitting on the balcony of our sweet little condo in Scottsdale, Az. It is late May and the white-wing doves are nesting in the willow tree that shades my perch. They flap and coo, their throaty sounds a comforting burble. They are ground feeders and, tails flashing, the cote struts and pecks beneath the tree in the gravel alongside the cement