 |
|
|
|||||
Several eyebrows were raised to full mast on Tuesday morning when a visibly upset President Trump dropped an f-bomb on live TV. In response to a reporters question about the tentative ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Trump replied that the two countries have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f-ck they’re doing, possibly the first time a U.S. president has purposefully unloaded that term on camera. Although Trumps use of one of the cruder expletives wouldve been jarring at any other time, theres a reason it might have sounded even more discordant than usual at this moment. Its because lately the president has taken to signing off all his posts about the conflict between Israel and Iran with an oddly formal flourish: DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. While the contrast of Tuesdays f-bomb is giving linguistic whiplash, it also highlights the baffling nature of Trumps new social media signaturesomething that users of X and Bluesky have already been unpacking for days. Before last Saturday, Trump had used the cumbersome sign-off only twice before, with a pair of posts commemorating Easter Sunday on April 20. However, after announcing on Saturday that the United States had carried out bombing strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, he began using the prolix word-dump a lot more. It has quickly become a hallmark of his messaging in every step of the unfurling conflictfrom warning Iran not to retaliate, to dismissing its weak retaliation; from announcing that the two countries had reached a ceasefire, to demanding that Israel stick to it. Trump’s branding constantly evolves One potential reason for this new posting habit is that Trump is a consummate troubleshooter, and this may just be the latest evolution of his social media branding. Earlier this year, for example, he augmented his standard MAGA! sign-off, by adding the all-business valediction: Thank you for your attention to this matter! Trumps verbose new sign-off could either be a way to further make his posts read like boilerplate business letters, or its just something hes throwing against the wall to see whether his supporters want him to stick with it. Another reason might be to distinguish certain posts among the greater deluge of social media content he produces. Given that Truth Socialthe platform Trump owns and where his posts liveis estimated to have only 5 million members, most people likely encounter Trumps posts only through media reports and screenshots on bigger platforms such as X and Bluesky. So it might be a shock to learn that the Truth Social posts that break containment represent just a tiny fraction of the presidents prodigious output on the platform. According to the The Washington Post, Trump posted to Truth Social over 2,200 times in the first 132 days of his presidency. The tedious sign-off could be an over-the-top way to differentiate his posts from the myriad dispatches by his social media team, something hes been doing throughout the year with the more brevity-friendly DJT. What seems most likely, though, is that Trump simply wants to imbue his posts about this geopolitical conflict with extra gravitas. He is notoriously obsessed with people who look the part (for instance, by talking about cabinet appointments in terms of central casting), and so perhaps this official-sounding sign-off is what he thinks a commander in chief is supposed to sound like during wartime. In any case, Trumps new habit of ending posts with his full name and title, as though introducing himself in an icebreaker activity at work, has garnered a range of reactions online. A lot of X users have commented on the obviously unnecessary nature of it, while some posters on Bluesky have speculated about whether Trump thinks the formal sign-off confers special powers to his posts, making them inviolable. People on both sites rejoiced when the president accidentally misspelled his first name as Donakd in a post with the long-winded farewell. Several social media users have also pointed out the similarities between Trumps new communication style and how their elderly relatives end texts to the family. Trump signing his own post 'Donald J Trump, President Of The United States' has the vibe of when your Dad writes 'Dad' at the end of a WhatsApp message even though it's already coming from his number.— Mark Watson (@watsoncomedian.bsky.social) 2025-06-24T11:48:33.315Z On Bluesky, the most common response has perhaps been from users incorporating Trumps new long goodbye into the repertoire when mimicking his bizarre, singular style. Like most thins this president does, it has already become a meme. BARRON IS TELLING EVERYONE AT THE WHITE HOUSE THAT HE HAS MY NOSE. HE DOES NOT AND HAS NEVER HAD MY NOSE! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!— Tyler (@okty.bsky.social) 2025-06-24T11:57:22.199Z HAL. OPEN THE POD BAY DOORS. IF YOU DO NOT IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. OPEN THE POD BAY DOORS, NOW! DONALD J TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES— Jonathan Gilligan (@jgilligan.org) 2025-06-24T13:05:51.238Z Considering that Trump has almost exclusively used this lengthy sign-off in posts about acts related to war, it may be for the benefit of humanity if we never see it again.
Category:
E-Commerce
The rise of misinformation aimed at young girls across digital underscores an urgent need for credible resources, empowering products, and emotionally safe communities. Todays teen girls are navigating puberty and emotional development in a world no previous generation has known, one where their bodies, confidence, and mental health are influenced as much by social media algorithms as by their own biology. And its taking a devastating toll. Popular platforms like TikTok and Instagram are proving to be part of the problem, with one in three girls acknowledging negative feelings about their body, based on what they see in their feeds, on a weekly basis. And while this is beginning earlier and earlier each year, a U.S. study revealed that by age 13, 53% of girls report being unhappy with their bodies, a figure that by age 17, rises to an alarming 78%. All of this during the crucial period when girls self-worth, mental health, and emotional resilience are also being developed. Lack of puberty education and practical support Major surveys show many U.S. girls feel under-prepared for puberty. In one 2021 study, 74% of menstruating students (ages 1319) had questions about their periods, yet just 43% said schools openly discussed this puberty milestone. A 2023 poll of American women found only 15% felt prepared for their first period, 48% said they were not prepared, and 21% did not understand what was happening at their first menstruation. A 202122 national health survey found 31% of girls (ages 1217) reported anxiety symptoms and 25% reported depression. Feelings of isolation and stigma are common. In a representative teen poll, 45% of girls said theyd been too ashamed or embarrassed to seek help when they had questions about their bodies (e.g. puberty or menstruation). Likewise, 58% of teens agreed that society is not set up for them to manage puberty and menstruation with full confidence. And heres the reality: Puberty isnt what it was 10 years ago. Menarchea girls first periodnow arrives as young as age 9. Girls are navigating their most vulnerable stages of growth and development in a digital age with little support. Recently, Cloudstate CEO Meg Smith spent 16 months with global focus groups, conducting surveys and conversations with hundreds of Gen Z girls and their parents. By the end, one thing was clear: Girls today need a brandand a safe spacethat actually puts the needs and voices of their community first. The digital puberty space Gen Z actually wants Platforms like Cloudstates Girl Talk Live (GTL), a first-of-its-kind digital destination designed for girls navigating pubertys emotional and social rollercoasters in todays hyper-connected world, is a necessary first step. Cloudstate understands young girls today arent interested in a sterile medical site or a glorified product forum. Instead, they want a hype-worthy, judgment-free zone where they can ask the real stuff, connect with relatable big sister mentors, and access expert-backed advice on everything from body confidence to friend drama to managing anxiety. They thrive in places that feel like their closest squadbut smarter, safer, and kinder. We are here to provide just that. But we also know that resources alone arent enough. Some of the earliest experiences girls have with their changing bodies, like shopping for their first bra, are deeply emotional milestones too often treated as transactional. Thats why we are reimagining what that moment looks and feels like. Our brand isnt just selling bras, were creating confidence-first products designed to support a girls emotional, physical, and mental growth. Because for girls, a bra isnt just a bra. Its an early, intimate encounter with their changing bodyand it deserves care, kindness, and community to go with it. Because Gen Z girls deserve better Puberty is biologically wired to be an emotionally intense time. In the digital age, that natural vulnerability is amplified by forces girls were never meant to navigate alone. Its time brands and influencers stop offering products and advice that may be unqualified and harmful, without providing emotional support, real conversation, and a seat at the table. Gen Z girls aren’t simply accepting how they should deal with puberty. They are challenging what is offered to them and demanding an experience that is better than the generations that came before. They are rewriting the rules of puberty cultureand its time we all listen. Blake Simpson is strategic growth and corporate affairs officer at Cloudstate. Meg Smith is founder and CEO of Cloudstate.
Category:
E-Commerce
Career gaps have become commonplace in people’s work history, yet job seekers still feel the need to hide thema strategy experts warn is likely to backfire. According to a recent survey conducted by MyPerfectResume, 47% of American workers have taken a break from work. Despite how common those breaks have become, 38% are highly concerned about how it will affect their future job prospects, and 30% believe employers will consider it a major red flag. During the pandemic, there was so much shifting in the workplacelots of people getting laid off or stepping out of work to manage caregiving responsibilitiesand you might have thought this need for a linear career path would have maybe diminished, says MyPerfectResume career expert Jasmine Escalera. What the data tells us is that there is an enduring stigma. It still affects how employees see their career prospects. That stigma, according to Escalera, is adopted from a bygone era when most workers remained at the same employer for the majority or entirety of their careers, and when a break from that pattern signaled a performance or loyalty issue. Its so old-school and comes from the way corporate America was set up in the past. But it doesnt fit the times were actually in, she says. Not all career gaps, however, are received the same. According to the survey, respondents are most sympathetic to medical or caregiving leaves, followed by a return to school. However, the most common career gaps were the result of layoffs or company restructuring, career transitioning, mental health needs, or termination. Hiding a career gap is worse than having a career gap Ironically, according to the MyPerfectResume survey, a career gap itself can often be less damaging to a candidates prospects than any attempts made to hide it. In the survey, nearly two-thirds of those with career gaps said they keep that information off their application and only discuss it if the hiring manager asks about it directly, while 4 percent admit to lying about it outright. Only one in five people say they address the gap directly. Earlier in my career, it was common when an employee had a gap in their résumé, and to try to cover that by stretching the date they left and the date they started another job. Dont do that, says Jim Link, chief human resources officer for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The first thing the employer is going to do is verify backgrounds and employment dates, and call your references. And even if its a month or two off, thats going to raise red flags. No matter the reason for the career break, Link emphasizes that it is always better to be transparent instead of trying to hide the truth and risking getting caught. No matter the reason, he says, employers would rather know than be left guessing, or worse, feeling deceived. We will look at someone who has a criminal history for employment in our organization, and I know hundreds of other employers like that, he says. Even in those circumstances, I believe that the truth is the absolute right thing to present, because employers who believe in second chances just want that candidate to say what happened, what they were convicted of, and why they are worthy of a second chance. Shift the narrative from past to future When it comes to career gaps, honesty is always the best policy, though candidates are advised to be tactful in how they present it. A gap isnt a red flag; its a story to be toldthe problem is that most people dont know how to tell that story, says career coach, author, and podcast host Marlo Lyons. You have to own the narrative about the gap. Key to owning that narrative, Lyons says, is offering an explanation that focuses on what was learned or accomplished during the time away from work. For example, if you took time away to be a caregiver, you would say, I took time away to care for a family member, and now I’m energized to return to work,’ she says. Or I took a pause in my career to figure out exactly what I want. And after taking that time, I know this job is exactly what I want. So, its all about positioning, and being future oriented. According to data provided by LinkedIn, 2.7 million professionals have added a career break to their profiles, and 67% say they gained valuable skills during the absence. Whether that time was spent traveling, caring for a loved one, overcoming a medical challenge, going back to school, or simply job searching, Lyons says there are almost always employable skills to draw from those experiences. If youve taken time off to travel, highlight cultural fluency, adaptability, and language skills, she says. Same with volunteering. You do not have to get paid to put it on your résumé. Address it early Employment gaps left unexplained can leave recruiters guessing, and for more competitive positions, some might not give candidates the chance to explain. As opposed to hiding gaps, addressing them with a sense of embarrassment, or waiting to be asked, Lyons encourages job seekers to share their story proactively. Its critical, both on the résumé and when youre asked to walk them through your résumé [in interviews], that you address the gap very confidently and clearly, she says. Those who spent some of their time away from work volunteering, taking courses, consulting, or networking are encouraged to add those points to their résumé directly. Those that left work to travel, pivot their careers, manage a medical need, or be a caregiver can also offer a brief explanation in their cover letters, emphasizing the lessons learned from those experiences. The simpler it is, the more authentic it will be received, and the recruiter can then move on to the next question, Lyons says. It’s when you don’t fill in the gap, or when you stumble, or when you try to talk around what happened in that situationthat’s where the red flag comes in.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||