Kozminski Techblog

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Although social networks are a fairly new phenomenon by the standards of history, they have already become the subject of research for scientists. Now we will discuss how social networks affect our mental and physical state.

As an example, I will tell you the following: in 2017, the Royal Society of Health in Britain conducted a study among 1,500 young people aged 11 to 25 years. Respondents had to track their mood using the five most popular social networks.

Seven out of ten said that Instagram makes them feel worse because of the “cult of the body” and half of people aged 14-24 years reported that Instagram and Facebook exacerbate their anxiety. Two-thirds said Facebook makes them vulnerable to bullying. As the researchers emphasize, the negative consequences are particularly noticeable in users who spend days in social networks.

The following example will tell you about the impact of social media on stress levels.

Scientists invited 138 active users of the social network from 18 to 40 years old to the laboratory and asked them to answer questions about activity in social networks, well-being and stress levels. The participants also took a saliva sample to measure the content of the hormone cortisol.

One group of respondents had to give up Facebook for five days, and the other to use it as usual. As a result, people who did not use the social network, after five days, significantly decreased the level of the stress hormone, and the feeling of comfort increased.

Also, in 2018, the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study that showed that a causal relationship between the use of social networks and the negative impact on our psychological state really exists.

As a result, I can surely say that social networks can badly affect our lives. They can affect our mood, self-esteem, stress level, sleep and anxiety. Moreover, social networks can be some of reasons for depression and feeling of loneliness. So, do people really need so much social networks in their lives?

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To start, it would be important to show how popular Vinted is nowadays. For example, there are 34 million members and thousands of brands.

            Vinted is an app, which allows its users to sell and buy things, clothes, shoes, bags that do not use anymore. It is a huge online secondhand. It benefits both sides and our planet at the same time. Sellers can get rid of belongings they do not need and can receive some money. Buyers can find and buy very unique and interesting clothes that they will never find in the shop nowadays. Our planet benefits as well. Vined gives us the possibility to sell and buy clothes without any waste.

One more plus of Vinted is its application. It is very simple and understandable. First of all, it is free.

To download the item a seller just needs to take a picture of it, describe it, set a price and upload. As simple as that! After the item is sold, a person needs to follow shipping instructions. From my own experience it is very easy to send it. I used the inpost locker and I absolutely loved the whole process.

There are no selling fees. It means that you are not supposed to pay some extra money. You receive all earned money. You’ll be paid as soon as the buyer confirms everything’s OK, which means that it is safe not only from seller’s side, but also from buyer’s side.

From the buyers’ side it is very beneficial as it is allowed to text sellers to ask all wanted questions, even some extra photos and size details.  A buyer can pay securely via PayPal, bank card, or Vinted Wallet. After sending the box with belongings, buyer is able to see where the parcel is and when the date of delivering will be.

            The most important aspect of Vinted is zero waste and help that it gives you to avoid buying things new. Sharing the resources we already have in the world as clothes in Vinted, and keeping items out of landfill can save you money, and help you care for the planet by avoiding waste. I personally believe that Vinted is able to help reducing waste and at least a little bit save our planet.

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe 21^st century is full of new technologies that allow people to gain an amazing and unforgettable experience or to feel something new and fresh. I would like to introduce you a LiveLike VR that can not only give you a possibility to feel new emotions, but also to experience action you never had before.

 

 

LiveLike VR allows sports fans to watch the game virtually, while friends-fans can be virtually next to each other, and they can watch the game from completely different angles, for example, sitting next to the fotball goal.

This startup won US $ 50,000 in a competition at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Working with the platform is simple. First, users need to download the app and create a custom stadium. After that, customers are supposed to choose an avatar and invite friends to go and join them in the virtual space. LiveLike VR is currently available for Samsung Gear VR, but will soon be supported by Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Google Cardboard VR. With their help, users can communicate, access statistics, view the main moments of the game and they are allowed to do it even from the different points of the field.

Currently, the demo application has been tested on the Manchester City football team, but the full version of LiveLike, which is planned for later this year, is expected to be expanded. One more available function will be the ability for users to invite friends to the stadium directly through Facebook.

LiveLike is already popular and has partnerships with several teams such as the French Open Tennis Championships (Roland Garros). One of the most important benefits of LiveLike VR is that you can use it simply by streaming from one wide-angle camera.

 

Moreover, in the future the “social suite” concept will be used to include other events like concerts, movies, TV shows or Olympics and allow individuals to customize their surroundings and be the go-to place to watch everything. Also, there will be a mixed reality so users are able to interact with the real world if they choose. Imagine being in the virtual concert drinking a real cold beer with your friends while sitting in your room. And you can invite all of your friends who are not close to you to watch it with you all. This will give possibility to have a lot of fun and pleasure to everyone. Especially to people with some physical disabilities.