social media
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You’re Probably Sharing a Lot More Info on Facebook Than You Know
Because of the news that the Donald Trump campaign’s data-management firm used Facebook to acquire personal information from millions of Americans, people are taking a long look at their social media settings. But while online security is important for everyone, internet privacy is even more important for black people. Part of the reason the FBI…
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Why You Should Never Address Non-MFing Factors
One of my favorite disses of all time is “non-motherfucking factor.” It’s just so rude. The ancient Mayans attribute the black popularization of the saying to Evelyn Lozada in all of her Basketball Wives glory. She uttered the statement to Tami Roman during what I can only imagine was one of the many riveting conversations…
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Twitter Stole From Me and They Can Steal From You, Too
The morning of March 2, the powers that be at Twitter robbed me of my intellectual property and community with little explanation and no avenue for redress. It started with a diss. I don’t remember the topic that brought me the misfortune of having dog whistle racism in my Twitter mentions, but I do remember…
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Judge of Characters: George Washington Took Teeth From the Mouths of Slaves
I’ve always been taught that the first president of the United States of America had wooden teeth because his gums were not fertile ground for strong, pearly whites. It was just common knowledge. But recently, writer Michael Coard revealed something that’s widely unknown: Washington’s dentures were made not of wood but of elephant/walrus tusks and,…
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Top 7 Moments From BET’s Social Awards ’18
Social media has come a long way since Black Planet backgrounds and MySpace top eights, and BET’s first-ever Social Awards ’18, held this weekend in Atlanta, were further evidence of that. A hashtag can spawn a movement, and the right Instagram status can make you a star. BET’s Social Awards ’18, hosted by comedian Michael…
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How to Get Away With Harassment on Twitter
I’ve utilized social media for over 25 years, way before it was referred to as “social media.” From AOL chatrooms to IRC (internet relay chat), I’ve seen the internet evolve over a quarter of a century. But much hasn’t changed in terms of its being a fount of knowledge, as well as a cesspool of…
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Breaking Up With Social Media Is an Act of Self-Care
I deactivated my Twitter and Facebook three months ago. I told myself it was because I needed to concentrate on writing, and social media provided too many opportunities to distract and distance myself from the work. I’m compulsive and obsessive by nature, so once I’m into something, it takes a lot of work not to…
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The Only Thing Worse Than a ‘Pick Me’ Is Bragging About Being a ‘He Picked Me for Less’
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and with it, a flurry of marriage proposals will flood your social media timelines. Be ready. Your Facebook cousins ended 2017 in grand style with an argument about rings, which they will surely resurrect. An alleged Kay Jewelers ad for a $24.99 engagement ring had married and single women…
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10 New Year’s Resolutions Everybody Sucks at Keeping That Have Nothing to Do With Losing Weight
New Year’s resolutions are fun. They’re also notoriously hard to sustain, and ultimately we only come up with them because other people do and we hate it when we’re at dinner and going around the table and we don’t have shit to say. So here are things many of us say that we know aren’t…
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Watch: Rhoda ‘On the Scene’ Young Talks Internet Fame and Going Viral
Hopefully you’re not sleeping under a rock, because if you are, you may have missed the greatest thing on the internet since Sweet Brown, Antoine Dodson or the Bella Noche girls. Rhoda Young, a Norfolk, Va., resident, is on a mission to always be “on the scene in this bitch.” Earlier this month, Young posted…
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