Book Review: Bad with Money

My first read of the year was the recently released book, Bad with Money by Gaby Dunn. Inspired by the podcast of the same name (which I love), this book explores some different fundamentals of finance, with a dash of social justice, and pinch of both humorous as well as poignant anecdotes from the author.

I really enjoyed this book. It definitely captures the spirit of the podcast well while not just feeling like a retread. It centers each chapter on a concept then provides facts, figures, and advice from experts. Dunn then puts the concept in context of her own story. She acknowledges her shortcomings, mistakes, and where she just had gaps in her understanding at the time. She also shows how she has worked to get past these financial difficulties, yet still underscores it with the acceptance that she still has a way to go.

This book serves as a great primer for college students, young professionals, and freelancers, but certainly has a lot to engage any reader on the current state of our financial systems and how they have historically disadvantaged many Americans.

I can’t think of a better book to kick off 2019 with. Bad with Money is smart, funny, socially conscious, honest, and engaging. I blew this book very quickly which is a testament in itself for me. It usually takes me forever to read a book to the end, and even then I sometimes skim through parts that feel irrelevant. I read this one cover to cover and recommend you do the same!

Hope you enjoy Bad with Money as much as I did!

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Privacy & How to Get it Back

A recent book I read, Privacy: And How to Get it Back, from a recent podcast guest, BJ Mendelson, really got me thinking about a big topic right now in society; digital privacy.

The big takeaway for me from Privacy was that it isn't so much that the tools themselves are inherently bad, it's how the companies who made them use them and sell our data as well as what individuals put on these platforms without knowing what is done with this information.

I think BJ's book serves as a great counterpoint to my other book review, Winning with Data. There are ways to responsibly use data to make life better for people, but profiting off of social media posts and this community that exists on your platforms isn't really doing many people much good. And there are other models that could be made to allow these companies to make money without selling your data, or at least compensate you for your valuable data (which BJ recommends).

We create many of our own problems in the world, but we can also create solutions as well. These amazing tools we've made need to used responsibly by all involved. Many of these digital companies (whether they be Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc.) have a duty to do right by us, their users. But often they're working within the lax regulations put upon them. If we put proper rules in place, then they will work within them, as we're seeing with the GDPR rollout. I think digital privacy is a right, and these companies shouldn't be obfuscating the way to control how our data is shared.

I'm hopeful that as these digital tools as becoming more ubiquitous, we will update our laws and make sure to keep these companies that make them in check. It is also on the individual to feel empowered and informed to manage their data in whatever ways they feel most comfortable with. Maybe that means being more conservative, or it means sharing it widely, or only with certain platforms. Also, in my world, as higher ed becomes more digitized as well, we need to more conscious of how we're securing this information, which at times can be very sensitive.

I hope this gets you thinking like it did for me. It's something we can take for granted but the right to privacy is fundamental. We just need to learn how to navigate this issue in the digital space, but I'm confident we all can.

4 Things Your Business Can Do To Support #MeToo

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It’s becoming increasingly harder to watch the news without hearing of new allegations of sexual assault. Hollywood is, quite rightly, in the spotlight at the minute and will be for years to come. However, normal, run-of-the-mill businesses aren’t immune to allegations either. What has been shocking about revelations is how prevalent sexual impropriety is in the workplace. Women from around the world, from all walks of life, have shared very similar stories. This means one thing – it may happen in your business. So, the question for bosses is: “what can I do to support the work of #MeToo?” Here are four pieces of advice that will help.

Accept It

It’s a massive cliché, but the first step on the path to recovery is to admit there is a problem. Don’t get sucked into the attitude that it’s only the top movie execs that are to blame. Sexual assault in the workplace takes many forms and your employees may see it on a daily basis. By understanding it happens, it will make the company more aware. Also, and this is essential, it encourages the management to take a stand. Accepting that it can be a problem anywhere in the world means you have to make the office aware of the company’s policies and what is and is not acceptable.

Delegate Power

Let’s not dilute your role because the boss always has the final say. However, you can’t deal with potentially hundreds of people o a daily basis. There is a reason for managers – they’re the firm’s eyes and ears. They should also be the police officers in the office regarding sexual harassment. Managers are the first port of call. For example, a worker will go to them to report the issue because they have a connection. But, if the line managers aren’t empowered, then the workforce won’t feel as if they can communicate. Ensure they know how to listen and help, but, most importantly, make sure they make coming forward easier.

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And Outsource Expertise

The company needs detailed and exhaustive policies to safeguard its employees. There’s one hitch – you’re not an expert. Everyone understands the basics because they are not complicated. But, once you get into the nitty-gritty, then it becomes harder to police. Winer, McKenna & Burritt is a law firm that deals with sexual harassment cases. With a law firm such as this on your side, it is far easier to create solid, unshakeable policies. Please don’t let ego get in the way. Where there is a gap in knowledge, you should outsource to a third-party.

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Make Training Mandatory

Training seminars are a good idea even if the office is squeaky clean. Firstly, some people may not know what constitutes harassment and assault. As shocking as it sounds, it’s true. Secondly, training reinforces the business’s rules and regulations. Sending out an email blast is a start but it only raises awareness of the issue. To change behaviors, the firm has to teach its employees how to act professionally.

How do you plan on helping the women and men who have been brave enough to speak out?

Technology That Erases Handicaps

Technology has shaped society into a compelling digital platform where everyone can buy almost anything, book a table at a restaurant, or even make an appointment at the simple touch of a button. It’s fair to say that the way people interact and engage with each other has dramatically evolved since the introduction of digital and interactive technology. But, ultimately, when it comes to thinking about the impact of high tech on handicaps, the general public tend to think of wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and earring aid. It is difficult to bring together in the same image a person with a handicap – whether it is mental or physical – and your preferred digital gadgets. The main reason for this obstacle of the imagination is that, unfortunately, digital devices tend to be advertised only for and by able-bodied and mentally healthy individuals. In reality, if you dived in the potential of digital and AI technology, you can rapidly understand how it’s changing forever the way handicaps are perceived by society.

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Mobility issues don’t exist anymore

In a world where remote work is becoming the new workplace culture, it’s easy for companies to ignore everything about the handicap of their employees or contractors. There’s been an ongoing discrimination practice in workplaces, that isn’t a reflection of what the company thinks but of what the company can provide to facilitate the access to work for disabled employees. Small corridors and narrow rooms are difficult for wheelchairs, for example. The lack of specialized equipment on the workforce can impact productivity. But remote workers for happen to live with a handicap have set up their environment to match their needs. Similarly, the gaming industry can give disabled players their lost ability back, such as this Pokemon Go hack on your iPhone which lets you play in remote areas with a joystick. Behind a screen, everybody assumes you’re able-bodied.

Remote work option

Who’s blind?

How can blind people manage their household effectively? It’s a question you don’t need to ask anymore. They can now rely on the best of technology to ask their virtual assistant to come to their rescue. Siri has introduced the idea of audio command back with the iPhone4. But it’s truly the apparition of Amazon Echo, and the voicing control Alexa, that has transformed the lives of many people with a vision impairment. From getting the news to controlling your home appliances, there’s almost nothing a blind person can’t do with Alexa. Besides, a VA doesn’t need to know about your disability.  

Alexa erases blindness

Autism is an advantage

If you think that working with autistic colleagues is difficult, you need to wake up to the reality of digital life. Interestingly enough, people with autism are key employees for companies that need to rely on long-term memory and high concentration in repetitive tasks. Programming solutions prefer to work with autistic QA testers, for instance, as these are better at identifying bugs and issues. Additionally, autistic workers are exceptionally gifted when it comes to thinking outside the box and coming up with creative IT solutions.

Ultimately, the 21st Century is the first century if the history of humanity where handicaps don’t need to be known. Our digital lifestyle paints a society that is more accessible for all.

What College Success Really Looks Like

When you really get down to it, we need to prepare students for success in college before they even set foot on campus. We can do a lot to help them once they're here, but if we work smart beforehand, we can get them off to a strong start.

For example, we need to choose the right environment for students to thrive in and then maximize that time. This could mean homeschooling, charter school, or boarding school. Then, they need to try to take advantage of Advanced Placement (AP) courses to get college credit and also look into summer college programs that will help them to also get credit but more importantly understand what is going to be expected of them once they arrive on campus. Any of these ideas can be cost prohibitive, so try to find the most affordable options or see about scholarships to help defray the cost. Especially with AP courses, the upfront cost of textbooks and exams is still far less than the cost of multiple credits of tuition and a full semester of your time while at college. 

Once they're proper college students, we need to work to give them the highest level of support they need. The common buzz phrase, "meeting students where they're at", is about far more than figuring out if your office should get a Snapchat account. It means adapting your campus and services to the students' needs. This could take the shape of student success coaches, peer mentor guidance, financial assistance, emergency funds, or in the case of Paul Quinn College, dramatically reshape your entire campus life. 

There is never going to be a one size fits all approach to college success and student services. It all depends on the students you have and what they need. These are some generally applicable tips however, and I hope you find them useful.

There are a lot of choices one needs to make when it comes to their own schooling, much less our own children, or students we work with. We can make the most of the time that is given to us to prepare, then do what we must to ensure that all students have equal access to the resources they need to be successful. 

Confronting Compassion Fatigue

The world we live in faces many tragedies and injustices. It can be hard to endure caring about everything that needs our care and attention. A true tragedy of all this is that those of us who care the most are beaten down more by all that is happening around us. As such, we need to figure out ways to endure this state of being (as it shows no signs of slowing down) and find strategies to still feel like we're making a positive impact in our lives.

Finding Balance

A common axiom nowadays, but it bears repeating; we must find a balance and harmony that works for our lives. Bringing together work, life, sleep, diet, exercise, fun, and committing to the causes we care about. The coalescing of all these things will be unique to each of us, and we can't base our lives on someone else's model. We can find inspiration from tips and tricks, but it will never work to always be comparing ourselves to those around us. When it comes to compassion fatigue, it may feel like we can never do as much as other people, and that can bring us down. 

Seeking Focus

There is a lot going in that we can now have insight into that we never had before. We can be witnessing, engaged, and assisting in a cause anywhere in the world. With this gift of access, may come an overwhelming feeling of there being too much for us to handle. It's important to find focus so that we can give more of ourselves and better help to the cause at hand. That can still mean working globally if you like, it may also mean working more locally and hands on. It could be working for environmental sustainability, or women's rights, or fighting homelessness. Spreading ourselves and our limited emotional energy too thin won't be for the best in the long run.

Determining Satisfaction

Many of us (myself included) tend to want immediate, major change on the issues we care about. But unfortunately, sustainable change often takes time, effort, and coalitions rather than just a radical shift because some people want it. So we need to find contentment in the small victories and milestones, and by making positive impacts in our daily lives. Helping one person, changing one person's mind, securing your first funding grant. It all matters and it all will help you towards your ultimate goal. 

No one needs to be a paragon of a sole issue, but there is value in focus and balance. There is also value in our emotions, empathy, and having an open heart. It can help to compel us to do the right thing and persist even when the going gets tough.

I feel this quote is a good place to end on and captures the spirit of this post well:

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" - Theodore Roosevelt

Thinking of History as "Propaganda"

Following up on my previous post on history, this one is a tad more radical, so bear with me.

The story we tell ourselves about what happened in the past, due to human biases, can be construed and twisted to serve a distinct purpose. We see this most readily (and especially recently) in our monuments, but it is also very apparent in our museums. There is honest history out there, certainly when showcasing primary evidence from a time period. But when we curate anecdotes and try to weave a story from history based on achieving a goal, we steer what many will take at face value as history into something more like propaganda.

I say this mostly to encourage a healthy dose of skepticism in our lives. As we're seeing now with the removal of Confederate monuments and the renaming of landmarks, we can move past the biases of our predecessors, and make sure our society reflects our current values. Something like the symbols of the Confederacy are a bit more apparent, but something like an American History museum, can be more subtle.

History is told by the victors, so the struggles or valid motives of the other side can often be misrepresented. The plight of Native Americans comes to mind. We are slowly coming to terms with that aspect of our history, but obviously it is far too late to do us much good. The damage is done. When we tell the story of our country's founding, we often paint ourselves in a positive light, versus being more objective in the showcasing of the way we handled this unprecedented culture clash between our fore-bearers and the Native Americans. Sometimes the stories aren't told at all, which is the true tragedy.

All this being said, we need monuments, and we need museums. We need to preserve artifacts and honor our heroes. We just need to do it in a way that properly shows our past; the good, the bad, and the ugly. And we need to be open minded and independent thinkers who will be able to see a representation of the past, and know it may not be the full story.

Why Fashion Shouldn't Make You Suffer

I had this random thought recently, as there have been a good bit of discussions going on about how fashion can be oppressive in that it prohibits people from being able to perform an outdated, noninclusive image of "professionalism" or decency (this sentiment is captured well here).

I work in an environment where you dress for the day and everyone is able to express themselves as they like. Some dress up, some dress down, it all depends on how they're feeling and what they want to wear, versus the limited options in a formal, business professional environment. That isn't to say that this sort of attire has no place, but it as the baseline or assumed dress for most occasions feels ridiculous. We dress to the day so if the day calls for it, then we'll meet the expectations of what we need to wear.

I hate the idea of how many people out there get reprimanded, fired, or don't even get in the door because they don't have the appropriate attire. We should open ourselves up to allow people to dress and work however is most comfortable for them so they can perform to their full potential, whether that is in work or at school. And not dismiss people simply because of their outward appearances or assume anything about them. We've seen so many examples of schools sending (mostly young women) home because of "indecent" attire. This makes so many assumptions on behalf of the students, their peers, and it takes that student out of class for a foolish reason.

Fashion shouldn't make you suffer. Clothes shouldn't feel like they're weighing you down, make you feel uncomfortable, or don't feel like they express your true self. You shouldn't have to endure pain in heels in order to attend an event. You shouldn't have to invest a lot of money in clothes that are required only because of a shallow sense of "always doing it that way". Thankfully, it feels like we're making some progress here, where people can break free of gender binaries and go out into the world as their true selves. We still have a lot of work to do, but I see instances of this growth a lot, albeit in my small pockets of the world.

I hope you help support this movement in your communities. The world will be better off for it. And you might just make some unconventional connections.

#SAGeeks - League of Legends & Female Representation

The SAGeeks series is all about celebrating the geeky and nerdy sides of all of us working in higher education and student affairs. Check out our resources page for more geeky goodness.

There are three things that totally changed my last year of college; Miss Representation, League of Legends (LoL), and getting involved in Residence Life. Here is that story:

The Beginning

I went to my first live LoL tournament in February of 2014. Little did I know, even though I didn’t dedicate any fellowship to any particular team or player prior to this event, I was still fangirling the whole time I was there. It was such a strange experience, getting excited and taking pictures with people I didn’t know that well, and I felt really connected to the community as a whole. After the initial excitement, I had lots of questions in my head regarding my experience in a live gaming event. I shared these thoughts with a good social psychology professor of mine, and then my question bubbles exploded into a form of pride; I was proud of LoL, and I was proud of being a part of this community (even if I don’t really comment on any Reddit thread). I even put together a slideshow overviewing the growth of this game and the impact of e-sports, explaining to professors why this topic should be studied. Before I knew it, I was proposing research topics on video games and e-sports, and I was determined to incorporate my favorite game into this research. I genuinely love LoL, and I genuinely believe in the impact of video games on people’s lives.

While I was searching for limited e-sports psychology studies, I watched the documentary Miss Representation as a part of my all-campus Residence Life leader training in August. The entire documentary was moving, and the topic that resonated with me the most was sexualization of females in media. Reflecting back to the online harassments female gamers often encounter (in fact, a team’s official Instagram account shared a photo of my friend and I taking picture with a professional gamer, and almost all of the comments were sexual jokes), and a panel of very similar female character figures, I began looking into hypersexualization and sexism within the video game industry. Based on my initial literature review, there were lot of research illustrating the connection between sexist attitude and sexual content in video games, demonstrating the negative effect of hypersexualization on female’s self-esteem in media advertisements. In one particular study, females who played as hypersexualized female characters reported lower self-efficacy than those who played as neutral female character (Behm-Morawits & Mastro, 2009). This was intriguing, I wondered if playing certain characters would make people feel certain way about themselves, especially among us females. Would I feel less about myself if play Ahri instead of Annie? What’s the difference between wearing head-to-toe armor and bikini-style custom? Would playing a sexy female hero empower me or would it make me feel insecure?

The Process

Within a week, I received departmental approval to complete a 2-year honors program within a year, persuaded one of my favorite professors to be my advisor for the year (the same processor who I initially discussed my fangirl experience with), and started my journey researching my favorite video games and social justice. While the initial hype lasted couple of weeks, the frustration about designing an efficacious and effective experiment soon arrived. Researching and finding related studies online, electing champions for exposure, choosing types of measurement, determining how long the exposure should be, deciding interaction period length between subjects and games, eliminating variables, editing instruction scripts, recruiting subjects, running subjects...let’s just say the process was a bit stressful at times. I remembered distinctly that shortly after I drafted the experiment scripts and put together experiment materials, Riot (LoL’s company) changed some of their champion splash art and announced a new patch updating game visuals. This of course impacted my study progress, as I didn’t want to there to be any changes within the game halfway through my research. But disregarding all the challenges and frustrations, I knew for sure that this adventure was something I really wanted, so I’m going to finish it.

My study investigated the effect of hypersexualization of female video game avatars on player’s self-regards. Subjects entered the study with the impression that the study looks into personality type and character enjoyment: they were first instructed to view a panel of characters (hypersexualized vs. neutral), then played either a hypersexualized character or a neutral character for 20 minutes with simple instruction in a single player mode. After the interaction phrase, they answered a series of question regarding their experience playing the character, followed by measurement measuring how they feel about themselves. In my study, I had 28 male participants and 45 female participants, and five areas of self-regards were measured: performance state self-esteem, social state self-esteem, appearance state self-esteem, overall state self-esteem, and self-perceived mating value (how sexually attractive people think they are). After initial analysis (a 2x2 ANOVA for those who are interested in stats) and follow-up analysis (contrast test), female participants who were exposed to hypersexualized characters reported to have significantly lower self-perceived mating success than neutral characters, which is a finding consistent with many previous studies.

The Afterthought

My study wasn’t perfect of course, I wished I had another year to polish the design and increase sample size for stronger statistical significance. Although the research process was at times frustrating, and in a way temporarily decreased my desire to play LoL (repetitiveness sometimes makes things very boring), I am proud of myself: not only was I completing a 2-year honors program within a year, I was researching my favorite game on a topic that really hits home. In the end, this was more than just a school project, it was a personal accomplishment motivating me to combine my scholastic interests with everyday hobby, a challenge demonstrating my potential and capability through the heart of a researcher and a gamer.

In terms of personal reflections, there were two ideas that stood out to me the most in this experience: to ask questions, and to find answers. I will never forget how my mind was full of wonders after that tournament event, I had so many questions about my feelings, myself, the community, the experience, and underlying social theories. Thankfully, my advisor listened to my questions and enlightened me to ask more. Because this was what psychology about, it’s to study and question our behaviors and minds.I will also never forget how my heart was full of empowerment after Miss Representation, I wanted to become a part of this narratives, this movement, and this awakening call. Because we deserve better. I want to see more diversity in female figures in video games, I want to see less body objectification in video games, I want to see more female leadership in video game industry, and I want to see less harassment and sexual comments being aimed at female gamers.

And maybe, just maybe, I can be a part of this awareness movement on hypersexualization in video games, one game at a time. I can contribute to the improvement of my favorite game, one research project at a time.

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Guicheng “Ariel” Tan is a new professional working in student affairs for almost a year now! She graduated UC San Diego in 2015 with distinction in psychology, and researched on the effect of hypersexualization in video games. Since she finished college in three years, Ariel decided to make her 4th year a “practicum year” by working for graduate and family housing department at her institution. She currently serves as the Leasing Consultant, providing residential life services and community programs for her residents. Ariel’s passion within the geek culture is combined with her social justice interest, she is interested in the effect of entertainment media on people’s self-perception and identity formation, as well as the impact of online community on real life community in this digital age. While her favorite anime is Sailor Moon, Naruto and Detective Conan (although that series is getting way too long), her favorite game is League of Legends and Chinese Paladin (a classic RPG in China). Connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Book Review: The Promise of a Pencil

The Promise of a Pencil is the story of how Adam Braun was able to create the global education for-purpose company Pencils of Promise from humble beginnings of just $25 to creating hundreds of schools around the world.

This book falls into a common category with many other books, like Start Something That Matters from the TOMS founder, Blake Mycoskie. This one resonated with me more since I have a bit more of a personal connection with it now. My company, 2U, is a corporate partner to Pencils of Promise, and I got to see Adam Braun speak at this year's company meeting. It was great and we also had cool VR headsets that helped us see the impact of a school built in Africa. I've known of Adam and Pencils of Promise before, but now it has more of connection to me than it did before.

This book was great. There are a lot of cool aspects of Adam's story that I appreciate, like his connection to Semester at Sea, and his feelings about college:

"While high school encouraged conformity, college taught me it was okay—even desirable—to question what I thought I knew."

He also values the privileges and opportunities those who came before him granted him. His family has been through a lot through the generations, and it cements for him a value that has driven his work:

"I believe that where you start in life should not dictate where you finish."

I really like that sentiment, and I have experienced firsthand the power of education to help transform someone's life. Millions of children around the world are deprived of this opportunity, and Pencils of Promise works to create sustainable change in global education.

The story of Pencils of Promise is captured well in this book through different "mantras" and it felt generally relevant, not just for someone wanting to become a social entrepreneur necessarily. I'd recommend it to anyone, as I think everyone appreciates education and would benefit from the stories and lessons from this book.

You can find The Promise of a Pencil at your favorite book retailer.

One last quote to end on:

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”