I'm not a gamer by any definition. I've got an Xbox, the Sims 3 collection and I had a GameBoy growing up (of course) but playing video games is usually something I do on a rainy day when I'm feeling a bit lazy. You would assume that I would have no interest in the Oculus Rift - but I see its potential stretching far beyond the gaming industry.

I had the pleasure of wearing the Oculus Rift last year, as part of a project I'm embarking on (shh, it's a secret!). I 'walked' around a stunning Spanish villa, and explored its gardens. I could hear the waves crashing and the log fire crackling. It was amazing, I just wanted to be there.

I wanted to be there.

Taking a look around a holiday villa before stumping up any cash would definitely put my mind at ease. You could even wander around the local area, and get a feel for the place. What an incredible way to sell a holiday! It made me think about all the different uses the Oculus Rift could have. How about being able to see an architects vision for your dream home in virtual reality? Or even just see what your new kitchen installation could look like? It sounds a bit mundane, but this could be a great sales tool to get customers excited.

It could even benefit non-profits - Heritage organisations are always looking for ways to bring history to life, especially with the younger generation. Exploring a Tudor castle for yourself is amazing - being told about one isn't.

These are just a few of my ideas, but I haven't so much as touched the surface. The Oculus Rift is an fantastic invention and it could change the gaming industry - but I think it is a piece of technology that is capable of so much more.


This article was written by me, and posted on Lightbox

I get it; it's not that you're addicted to technology, but you would really rather not be without it. It's ok, I'm in denial too (we all are). Luckily, the Lizard Squad hacks shut down Facebook and Instagram for just an hour, and any subsequent attacks aren't likely to be for too long.  

However, If the thought of being without Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat for any portion of time strikes you with fear - they are your 'go-to' apps after all - then you'd better have something ready to fill the space they'll leave in your life, right? 

Instead of spending time communicating with others, why not do something for you? There are some great apps out there that help you do just that. Spend some time with my top five and feel better for it.

  

Headspace  

 

I rave about Headspace at every opportunity. It's a mindfulness and meditation app. It comes with meditation packages (including emergency meditation for when you're really losing it), mindfulness videos and podcasts from its founder, Andy Puddicombe. Mindfulness was the buzzword of 2014, but is it just a phase? I don't think so. Its potential benefits to the general public have even been discussed in parliament. With meditation podcasts starting at only five minutes long, there's no reason not to give it a go. Try it for a fortnight and like me, you'll be glad you did. 

Wunderlist 

 

I can't believe I only found this a week ago. It's a to-do list app - it sounds so simple, but trust me, it is brilliant. You can date, add notes, files and sub-lists into each task, and have as many lists as you want. Ok, so it all sounds really boring and sensible, but you'll feel much better for using it. As somebody who is used to carrying round various pieces of scrap paper with to-dos written on them, it is a relief to have it all in one place. 

TED  

 

So, apparently there are still people who don't know what TED is. If you are one of those people, that needs to change. Download TED. I'm not going to tell you about it, just download it. 

Duolingo 

 

What is not to love about Duolingo? It's a free language app. It's smart, cute and only teaches you what you can handle. It doesn't let you level up to harder classes until you're comfortable, and you can always level back down. It teaches you pronunciation as well as spelling, so you'll fit right in with the locals. I always regretted not paying attention in French class. It's great to have the chance to try again, and I can learn whenever and wherever I want. 

Pocket 

 

I read a lot online, and my Favourites was filling up rapidly with articles I wanted to read again later. Saving them to Pocket makes things a lot easier - they're all in one place and they are much easier to find than in a exhaustive list of web addresses. You can attach a Pocket button to your browser (on your PC, tablet and phone) so you can quickly add an article to your pocket. Oh, and it automatically saves them for reading offline! 

Facebook's 'Say Thanks' campaign appeared on my feed this week. Giving users the opportunity to show appreciation and gratitude to the ones they love. Type facebook.com/thanks into your address bar and see for yourself. Look, it's created a video for your best friend (assuming your best friend is the person you interact with the most) using photos of the pair of you. You can make a few customisations, but it's pretty much all done and dusted within one minute. How efficient! How quick, easy and utterly soulless.

Facebook has many friendship enhancing features. I can talk to friends and family across the world, share photos with those I love and organise chat groups with my favourite group of people (it can be hard to get everyone in the same room at the same time!). But this attempt at creating a digital connection is even more hollow that the infamous MySpace 'Top Friends' list.

'Say Thanks' gives us a glimpse into the horrifyingly efficient future they have planned for us. Making communication effortless is great - but it's something gratitude should never be.

I have been known to indulge in the hassle-free communication technology has to offer. I find it so easy to express myself to my friends in a message, but they'll be the first to tell you that I find this to be an impossible task face to face. I don't do hugging, or touching of any kind - but I use the canny blowing kiss emoji like it's going out of fashion.

You might argue that this is a good thing, it gives people like me a medium to express ourselves. To an extent, I agree. But there is actually nothing wrong with me - I'm perfectly emotional and confident and capable of communicating. Online methods are simply an escape route. I am able to harness technology and run away from affection I find inconvenient- but affection is necessary for a strong friendship. I've been given the option of an easy way out, and shamefully, I've took it.

However, even for me, 'Say Thanks' is a step too far. Cut and paste photos of your friends on to paper (with pritt stick, not ctrl + v) and sprinkle it in glitter and stuff. Buy your mates flowers and haribo or whatever they like. Bake them a cake, for crying out loud. It might look totally overcooked and look horrendous (not clean cut and slick like a pre-made Facebook video) but it's the thought that counts. That's gratitude.

You've got the degree. Where is the job?

You've spent your whole academic life being told that a degree is what will get you THAT job. The dream job. A car, a mortgage. Your parents will be proud of you and you'll be made for life. Except you can't even find a job. You're handing out CVs on the high street like you're sixteen again and you start to wonder if all that studying was worth anything.

Trawling job sites is only making you feel worse. 'Unpaid internship', 'You'll be paid £20 a day', '£5 an hour', 'Unpaid, but we'll compensate you for travel', and everybody's favourite, 'You must have 5 years experience working in a similar role'*

The truth is that that job is out there. Just maybe not right now. Nearly 40% of graduates are job hunting 6 months after graduating, so it isn't just you, I promise. In the meantime, here are some tips to get you by:

*They are all real examples, by the way. Oh, and I missed out the one where they were expecting you to pay them a few hundred to work for them for a couple of weeks. Seriously.

1. Stay open minded

I know that you've probably left university with a job in mind. Or maybe an idea of the kind of company you want to work for, or your dream job title. Most people reading this have probably known what they've wanted to do since they were six years old, and have studied tirelessly for fifteen years to get there.

Except you're not there. In fact, you've done everything you were told to do, and that job doesn't even seem to exist.

I know, I've been there. You panic. You think, "If I don't do [enter ideal job], what will I do? Am I any good at anything else...this is all I know!"

Chill out. Step one, you might have to put that dream job on hold for a second. Instead, apply for all sorts of jobs! Anything that you think might interest you (note: this is how I found the job I'm in now)! You have nothing to lose when you apply for a job, the worst they can say is no, so just go for it!

Remember, many of the skills you learnt at university are more transferable than you think. I didn't imagine that a journalism degree would lead to a marketing job. I didn't even know I wanted a marketing job. Try to relax, and don't be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone. It'll probably be the making of you.

2. Do whatever you need to to get by

Money matters. Not everybody has the financial ability to 'wait' for the ideal job, or go on a six month unpaid internship (I have strong feelings about internships of that nature...I'll be writing about this soon!). If you need a job, take it.

There is no shame is minimum wage unskilled work. None. I've never been paid more than minimum wage (my intern position is min. wage). I've worked unskilled jobs since I was fifteen, and work of any kind looks great on your CV, as it teaches you the kind of lessons that university can't. I'm confident, assertive, quick, professional and emotionally unshakeable because of some of my most undignified experiences in customer service. It also taught me how to handle money well, and it's how I met some of my best and long standing friends (nothing bonds two people like being screamed at by nasty customers).

However, so many graduates have their confidence knocked because they're not in a 'proper' job. I know, after years of studying you feel like you should be in professional work. The fact that you even have a job in today's financial climate is fantastic, and I salute you! 868,000 young people are out of work, and this brings me to my next point...

If you have to sign on, sign on. Please.

To conclude, stop being embarrassed and just get whatever work you can! Don't get me wrong, if your life is anything like mine, it is highly likely that you'll bump into one of your smug ex classmates (who's managed to get that brilliant job you would kill for) on the way to the dole queue, or in your work uniform (probably sweaty and scruffy after a nightmare shift, to top it off). They'll talk for twenty minutes about their incredible job and about their amazing selves, and then ask "so, what are you doing now?". You can't not answer. Trust me, they will give you an awful, patronising, pitying look, and you'll feel tiny. But hey, lie if you want. I would. Anyway, sooner or later, you'll be smug too, except you'll know better than to rub it into a struggling schoolfriend's face.

3. Volunteer

I cannot stress this enough. When you are struggling to find work, the worst thing you can do is play video games or watch jeremy kyle all day. Being unemployed can make you feel as though you have no place in your community, and 14 hour Sims marathons will do nothing for it.

Volunteering is a great way to use your time while you have it. So many charities need your help, and many offer the chance to earn qualifications while you're there.

I volunteered at St Clare's Hospice for six months. I was only in University once a week, and I was getting bored. I didn't feel I could commit to a job whilst in the last leg of my final year, but knew I needed  to be doing something. I volunteered in their charity shop at least once a week, and I absolutely loved it. So much, that when I got my internship I didn't want to leave!

I learnt new skills, made new friends, and had my eyes opened to the struggles of the third sector. Oh, and volunteering always looks good on your CV!

The benefits to volunteering are endless, and you will be truly valued.

4. Learn

Learning is always good for you. If you can get on a course, any course, get on it. Especially if it is free! First aid, customer service, photography, whatever. It might have absolutely nothing to do with your degree subject, but it gives you something to focus your energy on and an extra qualification can only do you good - it certainly won't do you any harm. If anything, its shows that you can adapt to new skills outside of your speciality, and that you know how to use your time wisely. When you get an interview for the job you truly want, and they ask what you've done since leaving university, do you really want to say "nothing"?

5. Try not to worry - it isn't just you!

You are one of many who are struggling! If you don't believe me, google 'graduate unemployment' or 'how many applicants per graduate job'. Notice how google completes your sentence? This is a common problem for so many young, talented, intelligent people, just like you.

Most importantly, keep your head up and keep going! You'll get there eventually, and it'll feel so good when you do.

Just don't. Really.

Here's a comprehensive list of why I hate them.

This list is not exhaustive.

They're impersonal

If you want to write a message to each follower, write each one individually. You don't have time to do that? Well, then don't, but definitely don't write one single message to go to every new follower. It's so obvious, and considering most of the twitter auto-messages are sent with the purpose of selling a product, it's really poor customer service. You wouldn't serve every customer in exactly the same way. I used to work in an ice cream parlour and when small children came in, I'd call them 'sweetheart' or 'flower'. Enormous middle aged men used to come in too...I definitely didn't call them that.

If you think starting your auto-message with 'Hi, how are you?' convinces me that it isn't automatic, it doesn't. Sorry. The big giveaway is that I can't answer your question - because you haven't followed me back. The second is probably that it's half ten on a Saturday night and I received your message within 5 seconds of me hitting follow. Either you absolutely love new followers to very worrying extremes or it's automatic.

It's spam!

It's no different to irritating spam emails, cold calls and texts. Nobody likes them, and it makes me regret following you. I probably starting following you because I genuinely liked your product - now I'm unimpressed by your customer service, and I haven't even bought anything from you yet!

It's lazy

If this is part of your digital marketing strategy then you lack imagination. You also lack knowledge on why people use social media. Studies show that notifications from a social media platform - from a real person - causes pleasure. This is why people fall in love with social media, and why people can become addicted to the internet.
The build up starts on hearing the 'ping' of your phone, so it's a bit disappointing to see it's just spam.

Ok, I lied. There is one time that this approach is acceptable.

This is an auto-message I received from @jpstyle_fashion. It's the only one I liked because...

PROMO CODES!

I love a discount, who doesn't?