Gifts for the Social Media Geek

My birthday's in July.  Hint, hint.

Nerd Merit Badges

I love checking in on foursquare all day, every day.  Just like you guys, I'm obsessed with unlocking new badges.  Does this make me a geek? Abso-fucking-lutely.  Unfortunately I can't wear my geek badge with pride, until now.  Nerd merit badges are 1.5" with velcro backing so you can stick them pretty much anywhere.  They only have a limited number of foursquare badges currently but sign up for their email list and they'll email you when a new one comes out.  $5.99/badge. Get them at www.nerdmeritbadges.com

Craftsquatch Pillows

One of my friends, who happens to be a social media guru, just had a birthday recently.  What do you get the man who has everything? A facebook pillow of course! Justin of Craftsquatch hand makes these bad boys. I think it's a great way to spice up an otherwise boring analog couch.  Since they're made individually, it takes from 4-7 weeks between the time that you order them and when you get them. Totally worth the wait and not for procrastinators ;) $16.99-$27.99/pillow Get them at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Craftsquatch

Fail Whale Flair

What do you do when life gives you lemons? Make lemonade. What do you do when the fail whale shows up because twitter is down AGAIN!?! Celebrate it by wearing it on your chest! The women's shirt comes in 12 different colors ranging from $22.75-$32.35 depending on color.  You can get the fail whale on pretty much anything, mugs, mouse pads (ugh, who even uses those?), baby onesies. Check them out at http://www.zazzle.com/failwhale

YouTwittFace Thong

Yeah, I know. It's hard for me to decide which social networking website I love more.  Much like dating in New York, now you don't have to settle for just one.  I don't know why but I cracked up when I saw this thong.  Now just stick some foursquare buttons on it and you'll be ready to meet the nerd of your dreams.  Would that be Mark Zuckerberg? His single-mindedness of world domination is scary...and sexy at the same time.  I also love that you'd be insulting whoever ends up in that region.  The thong is $12 but you can get the logo on a variety of thing. Check the whole collection out here.

TwittaBling

Do you love Twitter? Like, a lot? Thank my friend V for this one. Get whatever twitter handle/trending topic you want on a necklace, bracelet, ring or earrings. What would I get? Probably #JustinBieber. Prices start at $49.95 for the necklaces and you can get them here.

Foursquare Badge Mania!

More actual foursquare badges? I know, I shit you not. 1" foursquare badges with pins on the back rather than velcro and at $18 for 20 of them? I don't even know where to put them! Maybe these can be the new currency and we can get rid of money? http://www.etsy.com/shop/memomade

"I love you more than _____" Card

The perfect social media gift has to come with the perfect social media card, right? I think this card is pretty self explanatory.  And honestly, if I love you more than I love facebook then that means I REALLY love you. $12.50/card http://www.etsy.com/shop/Storeyshop

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Facebook as a Wingman

I was talking to my friend the other night about the different uses of facebook.  I use it to catch up with friends and to reconnect with people I've lost touch with. Apparently he'll use it to scope out girls who are friends of friends. By "scope out" I mean he goes through their profile to see what their interests are and who the mutual friends are.  That way, if there's a party coming up, he can approach them and casually drop things into the conversation that he learned about them through facebook.


I can't decide if that's brilliant or a little creepy.  I'm all for things happening organically, but maybe this is better and easier to make a connection if you already know what they like.  However, it's one thing to choose things to discuss that you have in common.  It's another if you're pretending you like Justin Bieber because she started his facebook fan page.


You figure the idea is really the same as Match.com or JDate.  You sift out the things you find interesting about that person and decide whether or not you're going to talk to them.  Do you think that kills the romance?  Isn't the fun of starting something new and getting to know someone the fact that you're always in the discovery process?  I'm kind of undecided at this point because I do think we live in the age of efficiency.


Then again, I think maybe people tend to be more honest on their facebook page because most of their "friends" are actually people who know them in real life.  On Match and other dating websites, you're looking to put your best foot forward and sometimes people write profiles for the person he wants to be rather than the person he actually is.


Lesson Learned: If you're at a loss as to what to talk about with a girl, just reference Twilight, Glee, or Sex and the City and you're in.  Bieber forever.

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Anatomy of a Social Media Relationship

They don't call it "social" media for nothing. So you see a guy you think is worth following. Sure, he's kind of sexy in his avatar picture but you're not actually trying to pick him up.   So what's the natural progression of social media mediums for you to take it to the next step? Check out my nifty flow chart, may or may not be based on actual experiences ;)

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