Power Of Words_Unlocked

Let's be honest, who remembers cassette tapes and dial-up internet? This Gen X parent has seen it all – the rise and fall of technological trends, the awkward (and sometimes glorious) evolution of communication. I prided myself on being somewhat tech-savvy, navigating the ever-changing digital landscape with relative ease.  After all, I survived the transition from bulky desktop computers to sleek laptops, from brick phones to smartphones. So, when it came to online communication, I figured I was reasonably hip.  That was until a recent text exchange with my teenager threw a major curveball. My suggestion for dinner elicited a reply that left me scratching my head–a simple " YESSSS! ". Now, in my book, those extra "S"s reeked of passive-aggressive annoyance. Weren't " Yes! " or even an enthusiastic emoji enough? My internal monologue simmered with confusion until my daughter, bless her, picked up on my bewilderment.  That's when the truth hit m

Scrolling through my Facebook feed, I stumbled upon yet another heated debate. The topic? A new government policy with a catchy but controversial headline.  The comments were a whirlwind of strong opinions, condemnations, and even calls for action. Curious, I clicked on the article...and that's when it hit me. Almost everyone passionately arguing seemed to have based their entire stance on just the headline. This isn't an isolated incident.  We Filipinos have a strange relationship with online content.  We love a juicy headline, a shocking image, or a promise of unbelievable drama. Yet,  often, we don't bother to click, to read, to actually understand the whole story – we live and die by the clickbait. Clicking & Condemning: The Filipino Way Let's be clear - Filipinos aren't the only ones who fall for clickbait. It's a global plague, preying on basic human instincts and the way we interact with information in the digital age. However, there are specific ways

Growing up in the Philippines in the 1980s, a misbehaving child might get a scolding or even a spanking. We called it discipline, and while I wouldn't choose that parenting method now, it did instill a sense of self-control in me. Today, I see a different extreme. Kids fuss or whine, and instantly, they're handed a tablet or a smartphone to quiet them down.  We seem to have traded one kind of pacifier for another. I understand the temptation of screens – they're distracting and entertaining. But I worry that relying too heavily on them as behavior regulators may do more harm than good.  Our kids may miss out on developing crucial self-regulation skills, navigating the complex digital world, and building meaningful connections with their parents. It's true that excessive screentime has drawbacks, but let's look at the potential drawbacks of being too restrictive as well. Screentime and Self-Regulation Children learn self-regulation by trial and error. When we immedia

As a teenager growing up in the Philippines in the late 80s and early 90s, my most pressing concern was whether I could get past level 3 in Contra without losing all my 40 lives. If someone had told me that my future battles wouldn't involve pixelated soldiers but invisible online predators, I'd have scoffed and gone back to strategizing my next Konami code assault. Yet, here I am. See, the thing about growing up without a dad is that you piece together the role from fragments. There were my friends' fathers, figures who dispensed cheesy advice and fixed bikes with a kind of quiet competence I yearned for. Then there were the sitcom dads—a little bumbling, maybe, but always there with a hug and a slightly out-of-touch pep talk when things went wrong. All these fragments fueled my determination: if I ever became a dad, I wouldn't just be present; I'd be all-in. Fast forward to today, and those childhood visions of fatherhood have collided with a reality far more comp

The online world can be a passionate place, and recently, that passion ignited around a music copyright issue. A Filipino song titled "Selos" (meaning "jealousy") was flagged for copyright infringement on YouTube. The reason? Similarities between its melody and Lenka's popular song "Trouble Is a Friend." As a fellow content creator, I understand the importance of respecting copyright. I've even had my own brush with it, unknowingly using copyrighted background music in a video. It's a valuable lesson – copyright protects creators and ensures they're fairly compensated for their work. In this case, the resemblance between "Selos" and "Trouble Is a Friend" was significant enough to trigger YouTube's Content ID system. Additionally, fans familiar with Lenka's music likely reported the video. Here's where the story takes a turn. The "Selos" video remains live on YouTube, with news that AHS Productions,

Remember those first client calls that felt like high-stakes interviews? Palms sweaty, mind racing –  just trying to convince them you're "good enough."  Been there, done that.  The truth is, most freelancers approach these calls from the wrong angle. We focus on selling ourselves, not our value. Here's how I transformed client calls from nerve-wracking experiences to confident sales pitches.  From Job Seeker to Problem Solver The shift starts with the mindset. You're not an applicant vying for a limited position. You're a consultant offering expertise.  This means actively listening and asking insightful questions. Instead of a generic "tell me about your project," try questions like:  "What would success look like for this project?"  "Can you share your biggest challenges in achieving X goal?"" How do you currently measure X metric?" These questions dig deeper, revealing their pain points and positioning you as someone

Freelancing isn't a hobby. It's a business. Yet, too many freelancers treat it like a charity bake sale, practically giving their work away. Clients offer a pittance, and somehow freelancers say "yes" instead of laughing them out of their virtual office.  Why does this bizarre dance keep happening? Let's break it down. The Client Conundrum Some clients are cheapskates. It's a simple fact. They want champagne results on a soda budget. But there's more to it: The Budget Blindspot : Many clients have a sticker-shock mentality. They've been conditioned by bargain-basement online marketplaces. They don't get that quality requires investment. Freelancer =/= Employee : Some clients still see freelancers as less overhead, therefore less valuable. They forget about all the costs we cover that employees don’t. "Just This One Thing" : They ask for a "quick edit" or a "simple logo." They haven't grasped that years of practice