The Big Announcement

Three years ago, my husband Charlie and I were blessed with an 8 lb bundle of energy - our first son Lucas, and now we are blessed to be adding to our family once again.  Baby Banks #2 is set to arrive in early August - yes, I know, the hottest time of the year to have a baby - this thought has already crossed my mind - several times.  I have already told my co-workers that they may not see me the last week or so of July because it will just be too hot for this pregnant girl to leave her house!
 

We shared our exciting news with our closest friends and family over the Holidays, which made for a very special Christmas, but also wanted to share the news with our larger circle of friends once I was nearing the end of the first trimester.  Making a big announcement like “I’m engaged or “we’re pregnant” has changed with the evolution of technology.  Five years ago, we would have spent countless hours on the phone calling everyone in our address book; fast forward to 2013 and with one click of a button we shared our special news with hundreds of people via social media.  And then the likes, comments, and phone calls began.  In total, the photo I posted of Lucas in his Big Brother t-shirt received more than 220 likes and 36 comments.  To be clear, we felt very loved!

I write this because I think it is important to understand the impact that social media has on our culture, our work, and our lives.  It is not a fad or a trend that will disappear – it is the wave of the future.  Don’t believe me?  Check out this video – the Social Media Revolution, which was updated earlier this year.

As the video says, “We don’t have a choice whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it.”    

by Cayci Banks, Director of Communications, SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy