| Social networking platforms are popping up faster than | | | | Of course, in order that your followers pass on your |
| you can say "twitter." So now besides checking your | | | | message to the next level requires that your tweet be |
| text messages on your mobile phone, your three or so | | | | so earth shattering that anyone and everyone would |
| email accounts, you must check your facebook page, | | | | want to share it. For example, suppose you |
| your myspace page, and of course your twitter | | | | discovered some extraordinary fact that is sure to |
| account. Then of course you have to take care of | | | | benefit the world over. Assuming as I do, that human |
| your other responsibilities like working, going to the gym, | | | | nature is by and well benevolent, each person |
| walking the dog, and oh yes, feeding the kids. So the | | | | receiving this tweet would want to pass it on. Suppose |
| question becomes, is it really worth the time to have all | | | | you discovered that by squatting down and grabbing |
| this social networking going on, and what in the world | | | | your ears cross-wise, that is, crossing your hands in |
| does this have to do with math? Well, read on. | | | | front of your chest, your left hand grabs your right ear |
| Well the answer to whether you should be "plugged-in" | | | | lobe and vice versa, your brain functioning will improve |
| to all these social platforms depends. If you are using | | | | 50%. In fact, for those of you who recognize this as |
| these networking platforms for productive reasons, | | | | "super brain yoga," take a bow because that is exactly |
| then yes, having an account with each one could be | | | | what it is. (Google this term to learn more about this |
| well worth your time and effort. On the other hand, if | | | | fascinating technique.) |
| you are using them for just...social networking...you may | | | | The technique mentioned is not some hogwash idea |
| find yourself "overnetworked." Used prudently, a | | | | or cockamamy impulse. This method has actually been |
| platform such as twitter can broaden your horizons | | | | studied by doctors and neurobiologists and has been |
| exponentially and this is where math comes in. If you | | | | shown to improve memory and cognitive functioning. |
| have thousands of followers eagerly awaiting your | | | | Indeed, this simple exercise is helping all kinds of |
| next wisdom-filled tweet, your world becomes | | | | neuro-impaired individuals-autistic, Alzheimer's-afflicted, |
| enormous because each of these thousands of | | | | and learning disabled-regain healthy functioning. The |
| followers is potentially connected to thousands of | | | | best part is that this exercise is easy to do and only |
| others. | | | | requires a few minutes each day! |
| Let us take a specific example to show what I mean. | | | | Returning to our main theme, we see that an idea like |
| Suppose you have 2,000 eager and loyal twitter | | | | "super brain yoga" could possibly be tweeted around |
| followers. Every time you tweet, each one of these | | | | the world, just from your personal twitter account! |
| followers can see this. Now suppose each of your | | | | Math shows us that a social networking agency like |
| followers has an average of 50 followers. Then | | | | twitter conjoined to a ground-breaking idea like super |
| potentially your network has expanded to 50*2,000 or | | | | brain yoga, affords you the power to tweet to a huge |
| 100,000, because each of your followers can take | | | | segment of the population. Other possibilities-and this is |
| your latest wisdom-filled tweet and pass it on to each | | | | where I let you fill in the blanks-are just as enormous. |
| of his or her followers. This 100,000 occurs only at the | | | | Now that's a wise use of social networking. Happy |
| second level. If we take this down yet another level, | | | | tweeting! |
| your potential audience becomes enormous. | | | | |