The Internet Is Ruining Your Brain [INFOGRAPHIC]

Admit it: As you’re reading this, you have tunnel vision — that feeling that the world is closing in on you after surfing the Internet for eight straight hours. Web dead head (yes, I made that up) is a growing concern for today’s connected generation, which collectively spends 35 billion hours on the Internet every month.

But we’re not just talking one online shopping experience at a time. Often, we have four tabs open, cycling between emails and shopping, tweeting and word processing. Such multi-tasking actually raises stress levels and lowers creative thinking overall, according to the research compiled by ForensicPsychology.net.

SEE ALSO: Your Desk Job Makes You Fat, Sick and Dead [INFOGRAPHIC]

Turns out, multi-tasking online doesn’t positively exercise our brains or mental state. Heavy Internet users are 2.5 times more likely to be depressed. And web addiction reduces the white matter in our brains, basically the transmitters responsible for our memory and sensory abilities.

Scared? Tell us about it.

Yes, Secretary Clinton Submitted Her Own ‘Text From Hillary’

Texts From Hillary, a hot new Tumblr featuring a sunglasses-clad, all business Hillary Clinton checking her cellphone on a military plane, got a guest submission from an unexpected source on Monday: Secretary of State Clinton herself.

Ever Lost Your Keys or Phone? There’s a Song for That [VIDEO]

“Have you ever been in the situation where you lost your keys and your mobile?”

This Talkboy Commercial Is Probably Not How You Remember It [VIDEO]

Tiger Electronics’ Talkboy was the height of tech pranks in 1993. After figuring prominently in the plot of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, every kid required one in his ceaseless quest to punk parents and siblings.

Comedian Joel McHale ‘Goes Viral’ in Nintendo Commercial [VIDEO]

Joel McHale, star of TV comedy Community, takes jabs at the often mocked “viral video industry” in Nintendo’s latest commercial for 3DS, its glasses-free 3D gaming console.

How Oprah is Revolutionizing Social TV in Real-Time

Oprah may have retired from her daytime talk show nearly a year ago, but she’s hardly out of sight from her fan base. In fact, her latest series airing on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network is perhaps one of the most advanced shows in the social space right now, as she connects with her home and live audience in almost unprecedented ways.

Oprah’s Lifeclass — which is currently in its second season, airing on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT — features various motivational speakers and guests who aim to help viewers overcome challenges. Last season recapped lessons, revelations and aha moments over the past 25 years on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

110 Trending Topics in 5 Hours: How WWE Wrestlemania Body-Slammed Social Media

Behind strong pushes on Twitter and YouTube, WWE Wrestlemania XXVIII laid the smack down on social media last weekend, teaching a digital engagement lesson to the sports entertainment world.

The five-hour pay-per-view broadcast at one point had seven of the top nine worldwide trending topics on Twitter. It generated 110 worldwide trends over the show and pre-show’s five hour period, according to Jason Hoch, WWE’s senior vice president of digital.

Hipster Games’ Contestants Fight for PBR, Brunch [VIDEO]

Horses Get the ‘Pimp My Ride’ Treatment [VIDEO]

Jon Stewart Calls Out Obama on Social Media Overload [VIDEO]

The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart is fed up with President Barack Obama’s constant tweeting, checking in and, most of all, his emails asking for donations.

“Seriously, there are exiled Nigerian princes getting Obama campaign emails going, ‘Ease up on the money thing, fella,’” Stewart said jokingly.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

What’s at Stake When Employers Ask for Social Media Passwords? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Following reports that some employers around the U.S. have solicited social media access and/or passwords from potential hires, both Facebook and government officials have protested.

Not only is sharing social media passwords against many of the major networks’ terms of service, the practice has also been viewed as an invasion of privacy by the ACLU.

Furthermore, the companies, government agencies or colleges that have gained access to the social media accounts of potential employees or students may become liable for

‘Texts From Hillary’ is Your New Favorite Clinton-Themed Tumblr

Texts From Hillary” is the latest Tumblr blog making waves on the political web, and for good reason — it’s downright hilarious.

The meme blog is built around two photos of a sunglasses-clad Secretary of State Clinton checking her cellphone on a military C-17 aircraft from last October. The original photos were taken by Reuters’ Kevin Lamarque and Time’s Diana Walker.

Those photos are used to portray Clinton as a rough-and-rumble, all-business Secretary of State.

“Hey Hill, whatchu doing?” asks President Obama in one example — to which Clinton cooly replies, “running the world.”

YouTube Lets Viewers Watch in 3D ... But Will They?

A new 3D-viewing option on YouTube‘s video player ensures classic movies like The Lion King and Titanic won’t be the only videos getting retroactive 3D treatment.

The option allows viewers to watch short-form videos uploaded to YouTube in 1080p while wearing 3D glasses.

YouTube’s enhancement, which rolled out across the site on Thursday, is the latest iteration of a beta feature the site launched last September that gave video uploaders a one-click method for converting their 2D videos to 3D. YouTube said in a blog post that users have since

Dog With Hypnotic Eyes + South Park ‘Cash For Gold’ Song = Viral Hit [VIDEO]

Videos like this make fools of those who try to break virality down to a formula.

KONY 2012 Sequel Released [VIDEO]

Invisible Children on Thursday released the sequel to what has become the most-viral video of all time, KONY 2012.

“KONY 2012: Part II

Google: Here’s What Our Sci-Fi Glasses Look Like

Skype Slams Facebook and Twitter in New Ads

Technology is changing the way people think and operate, but is it also degrading humanity?

That’s the premise behind Skype’s new $12 million marketing campaign, which slams both Facebook and Twitter as it promotes its own more-intimate form of keeping in touch.

The campaign, “It’s time for Skype,” makes virtual enemies out of Facebook and Twitter with targeted ads that suggest the social networking sites are “degrading humanity.” If Twitter is known for its 140-character limit and Facebook for its wall posts, Skype’s authority is that its video conferencing — and the real emotions that it can express — bring people back to a (more) real world.

President Obama and Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols Give Vulcan Salute [PHOTO]

Is President Obama the first Geek-in-Chief?

Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols was in Washington, D.C., late last month for a visit to NASA’s Goddard Center. She also took a quick stroll by the White House to meet President Obama. Nichols confirmed Obama is “definitely a Trekker,” and the pair gave the Vulcan salute to prove it:

The Most Amazing Hole In One Ever [VIDEO]

5 Best Practices for Creating Viral Branded Videos

5 Best Practices for Creating Viral Branded Videos

Chris Schreiber is vice president of marketing atSharethrough. Chris has managed communications for key social media initiatives at Google and helped drive content strategy for major entertainment brands like Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

There has never been more opportunity for marketers to generate creative video campaigns that go viral. YouTube recently noted that more than 500 years worth of YouTube videos are watched on Facebook every day, and 700 YouTube videos are shared on Twitter each minute.

86-Year-Old Gymnast Is Better Than You’ll Ever Be [VIDEO]

Instagram for Android Downloaded More Than 1 Million Times in 24 Hours

 

New Meme Alert: ‘Ridiculously Photogenic Guy’

500 Paramount Films Coming to YouTube

You’ll soon be able to rent nearly 500 Paramount Pictures films via YouTube and Google Play, thanks to a newly signed licensing agreement between the two companies.

Many of those films, including The Godfather trilogy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Hugo, are now available to Internet users in the U.S. and Canada. Others will be rolled out over the next few months, says Google.

StarCast: Digital Auditions Changing How Aspiring Actors Get Noticed

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: StarCast Auditions

Quick Pitch: Actors can be noticed by top producers without leaving their house.

Genius Idea: Submit online auditions and top casting directors will evaluate and give feedback on actors’ performance. In addition, the best performances will be promoted on StarCast’s website so Hollywood can easily discover new, young talent.

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Gary Beer wants to help undiscovered performers be recognized just like he did when he had a hand in creating the Sundance Film Festival in 1985, revolutionizing the independent film industry.

The former founding CEO of Robert Redford’s Sundance Group has started a new venture he believes will help young talent land jobs and gain feedback from the industry’s top professionals. In late 2011, Beer joined forces with Showtime and Viacom founder Jules Haimovitz and former Polygram TV COO David Hope to launch StarCast Auditions, an online platform that helps up-and-coming actors show off their talent and network with industry professionals.

The trio was inspired to start the site after discussing the difficulties of discovering legitimate talent. Talent agents don’t have time to search YouTube for the next greatest actor, so that’s where StarCast comes in. Reviewers who have cast and worked with household names such as George Clooney, Orlando Bloom and Anne Hathaway weed through the online talent and select the best.

“Basically there was nothing other than standing in line for an open call that would give people the opportunity to be seen,” Beer said. “We set out to build a new kind of platform with the idea that professional casting directors could look at.”

Scripts are posted on StarCast every two weeks. Aspiring actors choose a script, then self-record and upload a video of themselves performing. Top casting directors watch all of the videos and give each person an evaluation.

Reviewers pick the best performances based on the entries submitted. Then, the best performers are featured on StarCast’s website, giving the winners exposure to casting directors, talent agents, mangers and producers. So far, no one has landed a big movie or TV role, but StarCast executives believe it’s only a matter of time before someone does.

Beer said the site doesn’t have any direct competition — all of the other acting sites provide listing services, but no online evaluation.

“We are helping provide fresh faces,” Beer said. “StarCast may eliminate the need for open-call auditions for minor roles, but it will more likely be supplemental to the casting call rather than a replacement.”

More than 3,200 users have signed up to post auditions to StarCast since it launched in December. StarCast has a large following on social media as well, withmore than 20,000 Likes on Facebook and nearly 20,000Twitter followers. StarCast is free to users while it’s still in beta. Once it is out of beta, users will pay $10 to $15 to submit a video.

Check out some of the talent that has been recognized for best performances on StarCast.