Our Tumblr success makes us want to tumble! Source: Shutterstock.com

Confession: When I started at Gurl, I basically knew zero things about Tumblr. I’d been on a pretty steady Facebook and Twitter regimen up to that point. I mean, I’d checked out a couple of Tumblr pages here and there, but I didn’t know too much about it. When I found out that I’d be posting things to the Gurl Tumblr, I got a little nervous.

I quickly learned that Tumblr is kind of a magical site. It’s like if you just took everything on the Internet and condensed it into this single website! I find celeb stuff, fashion tips, inspirational quotes, and most importantly, GIFs galore! I’m a pop culture enthusiast to the extreme, so just searching Tumblr for GIFs has been a dream (and it makes writing the GIF My Life posts that much more fun!).

Well, we are pleased to announce that today we just put up our ONE THOUSANDTH TUMBLR POST. We even took a special photo here at Gurl for the occasion! Of course, if you want to see it you’ll have to go check out our Tumblr page (click! click!) to see special post #1000.

A thousand posts is pretty darn impressive, but you know what else is pretty sweet? We recently passed 11,000 Tumblr followers! So take our already big number of posts and multiply it by 11! That’s definitely amazing, and of course, that comes down to all of you that follow us and reblog us and contribute to the success of Gurl’s Tumblr.

Without you girls reading our site and giving your feedback, we’d never be able to keep building our site or expanding our social media. We’re proud of our accomplishment, but really we’re grateful for all of you who have helped get us there.

Whether you’re sharing our funny pictures from our Facebook page or retweeting something interesting you read on our Twitter, we are so excited to be able to share what we do with you in so many different forms, and we hope you have as much fun with all of it as we do.

Remember too, you can always get quick access to our social media sites (not just Tumblr, but all of them!) from our main Gurl site by clicking on the various social media icons over on the right side of the page where it says “Connect With Gurl.” See ‘em? Awesome! Again, thanks so much again for helping us reach this super exciting milestone.

Do you have a Tumblr account? you follow Gurl on Tumblr? What sorts of suggestions do you have for our Tumblr? Do you follow Gurl’s other social media pages? Tell us in the comments!

10 Things I’d Do With My Free Time If I Deactivated My Social Media

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

While we of course hope you are checking out all the awesome Gurl social media pages, we can also sympathize with the feeling that it seems Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. are totally taking over your life. Seriously, being social can be a little overwhelming!

Demi is a busy girl with a whole lot going on, and while as a non-celeb, maybe I don’t have as much going on as she does, I still sometimes think about deactivating my Facebook and canceling my Twitter because I just want my life back. What would I do with all my new free time exactly? Well, here’s what I think I could accomplish if I took a cue from Demi and said bye-bye to Twitter and deactivated my Facebook for a while:

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See My Friends In Person

A few days before her Twitter leave of absence, Demi tweeted some sage advice about the importance of friendship. I’ve forgotten what some of my friends look like beyond their Facebook profile picture. For all I know, they only exist in the digital world. I'd give them a call or meet up with them... you know, just to confirm they are still actual, real people.

Source: Nikki Nelson/WENN.com

Take Advantage Of Extra Drying Time

I would do my nails every single night. It’s hard to paint my nails and scroll through my news feed at the same time. Now, no need to worry about the time it takes to let my nails dry and getting polish all over the keyboard! Plus, without all the key tapping, that should cut down on chips.

Source: Shutterstock.com

Close My Eyes

If I stopped going on my social media accounts, I think I would start blinking again. I’m kind of convinced that all of the staring I do at computer screens has given me a big time case of "Overly Attached Girlfriend" meme level-crazy eyes. It’ll be nice to close them again.

Source: Shutterstock.com

Go On Real Dates

Right now, my most frequent dates are me snuggling up on the couch with my laptop to watch a movie while we scroll through Facebook or read new Tweets. If I canceled my accounts, I would be able to go on dates with a real guy, and not just my laptop. I know there will be a little separation anxiety at first, but I think it is what is best for the both of us.

Source: Shutterstock.com

Read Books, Not Statuses

I happen to own the entire collected works of Shakespeare. Currently, the book makes an awesome doorstop, but if I hopped off my social media, instead of reading thousands of status updates, I could read the Bard’s entire works. People are always making up new social media slang (hashtag, anyone?) but Shakespeare was making up words before it was even cool.

Source: Shutterstock.com

Express Long Thoughts

No Twitter means no more calculating my thoughts into 140 characters or less. I have so much more room to express myself now! I could maybe write a very long one-woman show or pen a whole memoir. I’d never thought about writing beyond the character limits before!

Source: Shutterstock.com

Swap Real-Life Drama For TV Drama

Instead of dealing with Facebook drama, I could watch so much more drama on television. I could have finally catch up on Revenge so I could actually talk to my roommate about it, rather than lying and just repeating back what I read other critics say about it (shhh, don't tell!).

Source: Ai-Wire/WENN.com

Reconnect With Mom

Sooo, I kind of forgot my mom doesn't use social media. I'd finally make the time to have real conversations with her since I guess I shouldn't have assumed she'd been reading all my statuses for the past three months. She probably has no idea what is going on in my life. #SorryMom! Wait no, I'm going to say it normally: "Sorry, Mom!" That's progress.

Source: Shutterstock.com

Expand My Photo Skills

My Facebook photo collection is pretty huge, but that's also because I snap pics super quick. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about picture quality, just the fact that people know ASAP what my dinner looks like. If I wasn't only taking pics for social media, I could take a photography class, and maybe make some money off my shots.

Source: Shutterstock.com

Play Real Tag

When was the last time I played tag? No, not tag someone in a status or a photo. Like the original definition of tag. Considering I’ve spent so much time sitting on my couch looking at my social media, running around to play an exciting game of tag with my friends would give me a much needed exercise boost.

Source: Shutterstock.com

How much time do you spend on social media during the week? Do you have a favorite social media website? What would you do with your free time if you canceled your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts? Tell us in the comments.

This pre-teen started his own social network!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

There’s a new social network site for kids – thought up by an 11 year old! Source: Shutterstock.com

Well, it’s maybe not such a crazy notion because that’s basically what Zachary Marks did. And oh, did I mention that he is ELEVEN?! A potential mini-Zuckerberg in the making here, people!

The site is called GromSocial.com and is for users 6-15 years old (plus parents, and other adults that parents can approve to join). It’s aligned with national safety regulations regarding kids’ privacy on the Internet, and there are nearly 7,000 members using the site.

Okay so, from what I can tell it’s not like Zachary has built this site from the ground up all alone (a whole host of adults make up the Grom Social Team), but STILL! Based on the “Grom Social Story” page it sounds like he’s been really involved in the process to make this site that covers a ton of topics from sports to peer pressure.

The basic lesson from this story is that Zachary is much better than me at technology. I wouldn’t even know where to start if I even had an idea for a social network site. I can barely use the ones we have now! It took me forever to understand how to do that thing on Facebook where you can tag your friends in posts – and I am currently getting my master’s degree in web-based technology. Get it together, Meghan!

In all seriousness, I’m always amazed by how tech savvy kids are these days, but I also am a big proponent of online safety and it worries me that some younger kids don’t totally know how to navigate social networks safely. In the Grom Social Story, Zachary himself admits he made a few unsafe social networking decisions back when he was a user on different site, like sending friend requests to adult strangers. Big uh oh.

Social media is a big part of our culture now, but it is also really something you need to learn how to use safely and responsibly. I hope a site like Grom Social can help younger kids learn and share in the cool things about social networks, but in a safe way that also educates them about social networking dos and don’ts.

In the mean time, let me go back to cruising around Facebook now and feeling like a failure for not coming up with my own social network. Sigh, maybe one day…

Would you ever want to launch your own social networking site? Do you think we need more education about online safety for kids? Tell us in the comments.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

They'll ask about more than your paperwork in most interviews. Be prepared! | Source: Shutterstock

Thankfully, a lot more interviewers today are getting more specific and more tailored to our generation. Are you addicted to Facebook? Are you a particularly prolific tweeter? Are you always on your iPhone? These are topics that may come up! Entrepreneur, Forbes contributor, and general girl expert Denise Restauri has the top three questions for today’s girls (that’s you!). Now that you know what they are, you can also prepare your answers!

The first question may send you into a tech girl tizzy: “It’s 8 AM, you just arrived at work and the whole computer system collapsed. You have no technology available. What do you do and how do you get on with your day?” Your response will tell the interviewer a lot about your problem solving skills, initiative, and how (and if!) you can think without gadgets. If you have a SmartPhone, could you still use that? Would you call tech support? Would you hunker down and try fixing everything yourself? Would you hand write notes and ideas for the day, research in books, or go to a library and input your info into your computer later on when it was fixed? There are a ton of ways to respond, and a lot of them will vary based on where you’re applying to work or study, so be sure to take that into consideration when forming your answers.

Your second question is multiple choice–but don’t do that whole “when in doubt, pick C” method here! This one is about your decision making skills, investigative and research habits, and how fast you react. Remember the whole “Kony 2012″ phenomenon? How you reacted to it says something about you to potential employers:
“When you see something on Facebook and other sites, such as a video requesting activism, an article about a celebrity’s recent breakup, or an inspirational quote from a famous person, do you:
A) Research the “claim” to see if it is legitimate before you share?
B) Research the claim out of curiosity whether or not you are planning to share?
C) Accept the claim whether you are planning to share or not, unless it seems super far-fetched?”

Interviewers judge you on more than the tagged photos on FB--they're also into your sharing, likes, and comments. | Source: Shutterstock

Your social media habits are another big deal in interviews, in ways you may not even realize. We’re not even talking about the jerks who ask for your Facebook password, creeps who lurk your check-ins, or strangers who judge you based on what you post, either. Interviewers may ask pretty harmless questions about stuff that you “like” or comment on Facebook, or your likelihood to retweet something. Restauri suggested that interviewers ask, “If your Facebook friends ‘like’ a certain product or company or link an article they find interesting or music that they like, do you check it out to see what it’s all about, or do you not bother?” Your response to this part of the question shows that you keep track of what people are into and what’s trending–do you do your own thing or are you influenced by others? Are you in tune to what others are interested in?

You may also be asked, “When you link things onto Facebook that you are interested in, such as articles and music, do people tend to comment and share, or do they mostly ignore it?” Your answer will tell interviewers a lot about your influence on others: Do you present things in a cool way that people want to check out? Do you discover awesome things (viral videos, new bands, newsworthy items) before your pals? These are all good ways for them to gauge whether or not you’d be good at marketing whatever they’re selling!

Now that you know the kinds of questions you may be asked at your next interview, it’s time to tweak your resume to get yourself noticed!

Do you get nervous before interviews? What’s the weirdest question a job interviewer has asked you? How do you prepare for interviews? Let us know in the comments!

Here Are A Few Things You Totally Don’t Want To Say On A Job Interview!

Trayvon Martin's death--and the subsequent scrutiny into his social media--has led to nationwide outrage. | Source: Shutterstock

On the one-month anniversary of his death, Trayvon Martin’s Twitter account and school records are making the public rounds.

Some background for those unfamiliar with the case: On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin was walking unarmed through the gated community where his dad’s fiancee lived. He’d just bought some Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea and was on his way back to her house when he was shot by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed Neighborhood Watch volunteer. The events that led up to the actual shooting–whether or not there was a struggle, whether or not Trayvon was being followed, whether or not Trayvon attacked George Zimmerman first–are debatable and still being worked out by authorities.

Numerous protests have been held in Trayvon’s memory, ranging from anger at the Sanford, Florida police to wider reaching undertones of racial injustice. A member of Congress, Bobby Rush, was even escorted out for wearing a hoodie in support of Trayvon Martin’s case. The more that comes out about the shooting, the more uproar there is, and there are even more protests marking the month since Trayvon’s death, especially on college campuses.

Since the shooting has drawn national attention, Trayvon Martin’s Twitter has been in the headlines almost as much as his death. But why? He took a picture flipping off the camera. So do a lot of other people. He posted some questionable things. So do a lot of other people. Unless he was tweeting about it at the time, what does it have to do with the fact that he got shot when he was unarmed? A lot of people post stuff that they assume people won’t see later on, and a lot of people post stuff that they don’t mean. How is his social media activity relevant to his death?

Similarly, Trayvon Martin’s school records show that he had a penchant for tagging, truancy, and tardiness. Fair enough. But again, what does this have to do with his shooting? He’d been suspended for having an empty marijuana baggie and suspected of jewelry theft (but never charged or actually investigated for it). While it’s not commendable behavior by any means, it doesn’t change anything else about his death.

A lot of people are angered by the notion of racial profiling in Trayvon Martin's shooting. | Source: Shutterstock

To us, pointing out Trayvon Martin’s Twitter and school records and using them to justify his being shot is nothing short of absurd. It doesn’t sound much different from saying a girl wearing a short skirt was just asking to get raped. It doesn’t sound much different from someone saying that since most dollar bills in the United States have traces of cocaine on them that anyone carrying cash should be arrested for drug possession.

We’re not saying Trayvon Martin was a saint. But we are saying he was a 17-year-old kid. If we were all judged by our tweets, statuses, and tagged photos from our teen years, chances are no one would ever be able to run for office ever again. We’d all be asking for it, we’d all deserve everything that came to us, and we’d all have our reputations eviscerated when we were no longer around to defend ourselves.

What’s the most telling about Trayon Martin’s Twitter and his background is that all of this came to light after he was dead. Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by someone who ostensibly didn’t even know about his past–because if Zimmerman’s account of what happened is true, it didn’t include a background check before he pulled the hammer and fired. We think this says more about those trying to destroy his reputation than about Trayvon Martin himself.

Do you think Trayvon Martin’s Twitter and school background are relevant to his death? Do you think social media activity should be monitored? What are your views on Trayvon Martin’s case? Let us know in the comments!

Are your parents racist? Here’s how to deal.

Do you think her future boss is reading her IMs right now? It could happen to you! | Source: latestdigitals.com

Imagine you’re applying to your dream school. You have all the right grades, your essay is awesome — and then you get to the interview. You’re already nervous–and then your admissions officer demands to see your Facebook page.

WTF?! Not only do they want to look at your wall, they also want your password… Meaning they want to see everything. Those cute IMs you exchanged with your crush? Those semi-dirty inside jokes with your BFF? Those silly pics you took at the party last weekend (that you made sure not to tag and are friends only)? All accessible.

Talk about terrifying! And it’s becoming a reality.

MSNBC reports that not only colleges, but potential employers, are demanding access to students’ and employees’ Facebook accounts. If this seems like an insane invasion of privacy (seriously, it’s like someone reading your diary), that’s because it is.

This is a lot scarier than your crush seeing a tagged photo of you from a bad angle! | Source: live.drjays.com

On one hand, we can kinda see where they’re coming from in certain situations. For example, people applying to be prison guards were being asked for their Facebook info because their potential employers wanted to make sure they weren’t affiliated with gangs. Taking a glimpse at their photos to scan for gang symbols, colors, and the like could certainly help with that.

There are still so many problems with that, though: How many times have you done something in a photo as a joke? If a stranger looking at something doesn’t get the context of what went down, it can be really easy for them to misjudge you. Plus, it’s a slippery slope: What exactly constitutes a gang sign? Does wearing red or blue in your Facebook default pic disqualify you from a job?

You know it’s bad when even Facebook employees are against the policy, considering the site’s privacy policies are also scrutinized pretty often! “Under our terms, only the holder of the email address and password is considered the Facebook account owner,” Facebook spokesman Frederic Wolens said. “We also prohibit anyone from soliciting the login information or accessing an account belonging to someone else.”

Even if you’re not applying for jobs and are already in college, you may still be at risk for this kind of privacy invasion–especially if you play sports. Some colleges are requiring you to friend your coaches on Facebook or else be disqualified from the team. Say it with us now: WTF?!

The logic behind that, apparently, is that coaches want to make sure their athletes are well behaved. Fair enough, but where does it end? If their authority goes from the field to your Facebook account, what’s next? Installing a webcam in your dorm room to make sure you’re not acting out?

Thankfully, there are people out there fighting to keep your private life private. The American Civil Liberties Union is monitoring these cases very closely. In the meantime, know that you should never feel forced to fork over your account information for anything– email, Facebook, Twitter–or to anyone.

Here's hoping they don't turn anyone down for "duckface" photos. | Source: telegraph.co.uk

Also know that there are privacy settings you can use to keep things private even if a teacher, coach, or other authority figure friends you: You can make separate friends lists for them that limit their access to your information and postings while still technically having them listed as a friend. It also helps to create custom friends lists for just the people you trust and your closest pals–and make your posts visible only to them. The new Timeline feature on Facebook, while confusing at first, actually lets you adjust individual postings to be visible to certain groups of friends — even past posts — so that’s also a good tool to get to know.

Have you ever been asked to hand over your Facebook password? Would you be willing to give a potential employer your password if it meant getting a job? Do you have any privacy tips and tricks that you use to keep yourself and your information safe online? Let us know in the comments!

Do You Have A Facebook Stalker?

You hear a lot about people getting poked, friended, and annoyed by Facebook stalkers… but what happens when

“About 4 or 5 months ago I sent a friend request to a guy over Facebook. I was in high hopes of him adding me and us getting to know each other. He ignored my request and told me that he would only add me if we got to know each other more. I understood and tried my best (to only fail) at getting to know him more.

|Wanna talk about your relationship issues? Get chattin’ on the Shout Out Boards!|

Today I decided I would look at his profile. I sent another request thinking that maybe he had noticed me around our school and he would think I seemed nice. He ignored it once again and sent me a message telling me to leave him alone until we talked in person. It was a very rude email, by the way.

I feel so embarrassed and stupid that I tried to send him another request and I bet he thinks I am a stalker! I have no idea what I should do because I know I should have just left it at one request. I feel like I have to hide! What should I do?”

|At least this gURL’s crush knows she’s alive. Does yours? Quiz it!|

What should this gURL do now? Have you ever been a Facebook stalker? How’d you get back your rep? And, want to share your own Confession? Send it in to askanexpert@gurl.com!

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jealous of your fb friends? don't believe everything you "like"

According to a recent study, Facebook may be making people sad. Realllly sad.

|This gURL’s got serious Facebook drama with her BFF. What should she do?|

Researchers found that people, especially women, assumed their lives were more depressing than their FB friends’ awesome-looking lives. And, as it turns out, people who felt dejected when they compared themselves to their seemingly happy Facebook friends often overestimated just how much fun other people were having.

|Are you putting too much out there on your FB page? Could you really be cocky? Take this quiz for the truth.|

Does seeing your friends’ profiles or pics ever make you feel sad or jealous? Tell us what you think!

-gURL

more ways to get gURLy:

• Pearls of wisdom, survey q’s, polls, quotes to live by — it’s all on gURL.com’s Twitter. Follow us!
• Luv gURL? Then ‘Like’ us, too! Let’s be friends on Facebook and you’ll get first looks at stories!
• Can’t get enough of gURL.com? We don’t blame you. Sign up for our weekly newsletter!
• Let’s talk. Shout Out advice, music, politics, poetry, your style and MORE!
• Your hook on hooking up: gURL’s sex, health & relationships blog.
• Need some advice, quick? Ask Heather anything; she answers three q’s, daily!
• Bored? Take new quizzes and play gURL games!