ByJustin Cox
I asked Pierce Brown at a book signing what it took to complete the fifth book in his Red Rising series, Dark Age. He answered, “cutting it down from about 1,100 pages in editing” At 800 pages published, the book is a massively dark and complex penultimate issue of his six-part series. Recently, Pierce shared…
ByJustin Cox
Pew Research reports two-thirds of American’s think social media harms the country. There are many similar studies, all pointing to social media destroying our lives. Social media is not inherently good or bad; it’s a tool. Like a simple hammer, Twitter or Instagram bend to the will of the user. Sure, the networks are filled…
ByJustin Cox
I bought a selfie ring light over the weekend. It’s an inexpensive thing that clips on your phone and provides better lighting for pictures. The $14.99 it set me back isn’t a hefty price, but I’m questioning the life choices that brought me to this moment. Let’s rewind. I never understood selfies. Taking pictures of…
ByJustin Cox
Did I name Pete Souza’s book, The Way I See It, about President Obama? The answer is: it’s complicated. I do have a cameo in the documentary.
ByJustin Cox
Did the coronavirus force us into an authentic form of social media? Five years ago, Essena O’Neill, an Australian teenager, earned $2,000 per post on Instagram. More than 600,000 followers looked at O’Neill for advice and inspiration. Then she abruptly quit social media. Deleting over 2,000 pictures, O’Neill said social media was “contrived perfection made to…
ByJustin Cox
Earlier this summer, a high school senior interviewed me about the pandemic. One of their questions asked if the coronavirus proves governments should fund STEM/scientific research over the arts, particularly in schools. Here’s how I answered: This pandemic is proving the vital need for STEM research and scientific funding. These areas are crucial investments at…
ByJustin Cox
Social distancing is the latest phrase to enter the global lexicon. Epidemiologists agree avoiding people is the only tool we have to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. People are more isolated and lonely than ever. Social distancing, while vital, will cut people off from their communities, friends, neighbors, and families. So how…
ByJustin Cox
Since it’s a Thursday, and since the New York Times decided to tackle the subject, it’s time to hate on Medium again. Such a pain, always having to complain about products and services I love… In the NY Times article, Ev Williams — founder of Medium — asserts that the internet is broken. “I think the internet is broken….
ByJustin Cox
The gamification of our lives has conditioned us to care about things like leaderboards and hearts and little badges on our Twitter accounts.
ByJustin Cox
How Instagram and the #fafatl hashtag created the Free Art Friday scavenger hunt throughout Atlanta for free, original works of art.