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valueglobalservices · 4 years ago

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Mobile applications will bring an ever-lasting revolution in tech-world by 2025

Smartphones have undoubtedly become an integral part of our life. The treasure of options that smartphones offer is making our lives much easier. Therefore the dynamic usage of mobile applications is growing rapidly.

Ever wondered what made mobile apps so popular? Their Flexibility, speed, security, and simplicity? Yes, you’re right!

Mobile applications are user-friendly and reliable which is why they have become successful. The innovations in mobile app development and usage are expected to rise even more in the coming years.

One of the best examples is that there has been a significant rise in smartphone application usage during this lockdown due to COVID-19 since most of the people are restricted to homes and phones. Having said, app developers of various platforms such as Android, IOS, and Windows are working on new application concepts to provide the user experience better.

The above scenario is just an example to determine the rapid growth of mobile applications in 2020. There are stronger points that declaim that mobile applications will play key roles in the tech world in the near future. We’ll discuss that too.

But before that, let’s have a quick look at different types and categories of mobile applications.

Categories of Mobile Applications

Business or Productivity Applications

The capability of modern-day smartphones is incredible since they allow you to handle businesses with just a tap. Communication, tracking work, booking tickets, paying bills, sending emails, buying business material, hiring individuals, etc. Thus business applications have enormous options.

Some of the examples of Business applications are Amazon Web Services, Cisco Miraki, Box, Salesforce, Zoom, Microsoft office 365.

Gaming Applications:

Gaming applications hold the highest share of all mobile applications of approximately a quarter percentage. Gaming apps are the most profitable since the number of people who game regularly is comparatively high. According to Forbes research, an adult spends an average of 7.78 hours each week.

Gaming is chosen as a career too. In this modern generation, a pool of exciting and consumer attractive gaming apps is at the sight to choose from.

Lifestyle and E-commerce Applications:

Lifestyle applications are included in every human-related activity such as fitness, fashion, shopping, self-care, etc. But these types of applications always miss out on something and will demand something more as a solution such as better UX, better UI, advanced data privacy, etc.

Social Media and Entertainment Applications:

According to a survey by Statista, the average daily social media usage by a typical smartphone user is around 144 minutes (as of 2019).

Applications that come default in the device are a no-go to us. There are tons of applications to choose from to kill boredom and spend leisure.

Quality-oriented entertainment apps give us so much content to choose from. Mobile applications that act as platforms for accessing TV shows, movies, music, and podcasts, etc. are definitely going to bring a huge change over to the entertainment industry.

Utility Applications:

Utility applications are commonly used by every individual on a daily basis. Users spend less time on these applications and use them just to get the work done.

Examples are scanners, trackers, healthcare, taxi apps, and a flashlight.

Enough of ado, now let’s see how mobile can bring an ever-lasting revolution in the tech-world by 2025.

Influence of Mobile Applications on Tech-World

The mobile applications whose usage is growing like a positive slope will definitely become the next big thing by 2025.

Future Trends of Mobile Apps

Cloud-driven mobile applications:

Cloud-driven applications that ensure security for user data and provide flexibility for data storage have finally found their place in mobile apps. As security has become a key factor, these cloud-based apps are steadily on the rise.

Google AMP

This is a project started by the search engine giant, Google 4 years ago. AMP AKA Accelerated Mobile Pages are likely to bring a drastic change-over to the mobile app trends mainly from SEO and web application perspectives. The AMP supported mobile apps to improve business performance by loading the data faster and reducing the bounce rate.

Payment Apps

The growing usage of mobile-based payments such as Google Pay, Apple Pay has already replaced bills and credit cards or debit cards as well. The easiness, compatibility, and security before, while and after making transactions made the mobile payment apps already familiar in everyday life.

However, the usage of mobile commerce is yet to grow even more popular by 2025.

AR/VR Technology

On a special note, let’s talk about Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality which is blooming in modern technology:

Virtual Reality sparked a revolution in the gaming industry. Few mobile gaming apps that experienced huge success in the initial days are Pokémon Go, Sky Siege, and myNav. The Pokemon GO mobile app made a revenue of $207 million in its very first month, which is a highly significant number.

It is estimated that the market size of this AR/VR platform would reach USD 571.42 billion by 2025.

Bottom Line:

Having said that, the security of users’ data plays a vital role, applications that ensure user security only over the period of usage or that doesn’t even pass basic security tests are going to undergo a huge make-over. The app development community is constantly coming up with different ideal and useful applications with their up-to-date software to take the mobile application platform to the elevation by 2025. However, the demands of humans will inspire application developers to deliver innovative things every time. Not yet ready for the revolution that mobile applications are making? Then, it’s high time to find a trusted service provider to work on mobile app development for your business. Visit Value Global Services, we have solutions to grow your business and take it to greater heights.

#mobile application development #mobile app development company #mobileapplicationdevelopmentservices #android app development #ios App Development #ValueGlobalServices

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clarencenicholsonata · 4 years ago

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5 Amazing Ways Influencers Can Boost Your Email Marketing ROI

Everything about marketing that long used to be only about products and services has changed since decades. Now, people buy relationships and stories.

That's where influencers come to play. With a massive following on social media, influencers are changing the way we approach modern marketing.

In the words of marketing guru Jeff Bullas, "Influence marketing is an art and science. Art is the crafting and creating of content that adds value to people's lives, personally or for their business. The science is the tactics and tools of building tribes and followers on the big social networks."

When you look at the Rakuten's 2019 Influencer Marketing Global Survey Report, it makes sense why influencer marketing is a game-changer:

65% of people learn about a new product or brand through a social media influencer at least once a week.

87% of clients were truly motivated by their favorite influencers to purchase a product.

74% of buyers were ready to spend at least $629 on the products shared by the social media influencers.

31% of people recommend an influencer to their family and friends at least once a week.

Email marketing, on the other hand, is one of the most reliable marketing channels used by businesses worldwide.

This traditional approach still works, helping you reap as high as $41 for every dollar spent on it.

However, to take things further, we can combine email marketing with influencer marketing strategies.

This results in a quick boost in email marketing ROI, and the effectiveness of the overall strategy. In short, we should get influencers to help our business develop content for email marketing campaigns.

Before beginning with the influencer marketing strategies, finding the right person to associate with your brand is essential.

You do not always have to pick the one with a large number of followers. It may not serve your business well if they are unable to reach the right audience. Moreover, it might hurt your brand reputation.

So, it is incredibly crucial to stay vigilant while choosing the right influencer for your business. Ensure the influencer has a persona and value that is equivalent to your brand mission. It should make sense for them to endorse your products or services to their followers.

To help you out, we have curated five ways in which email marketers can make the best use of influencer marketing:

1. Go for an Ideal Micro-Influencer

They say bigger is always better. But, here in the case of influencer marketing, we consider the opposite to be true.

According to marketing experts, the micro-influencers or an influencer with a smaller (up to 10K) audience are capable of producing the best results for businesses. With more clicks and higher ROI, they generally have more robust and genuine engagement.

As per Mobile Marketer's research report, the engagement level gets better with fewer followers.

Influencers with 10,000 or more followers have a 3.6% engagement.

Influencers between 5,000 and 10,000 followers have 6.3% engagement.

Influencers with 1,000 to 5,000 audiences have an 8.8% engagement rate.

Luckily, micro-influencers are available in almost every business category. No matter what you sell, be it a business software or random goods, there is likely to be dozens of micro-influencers to choose from.

Moreover, the price they charge for collaboration is much smaller when compared to other celebrities on social media.

The cost of micro-influencers can vary between $80 and $500 per piece of content. However, note that these prices are not set in stone. It is subjected to vary.

In the example above, Mussel Industry Council of Prince Edward Island featured micro-influencer Jessica —a food blogging enthusiast known for her creativity and cooking skills.

She hosted an email contest where participants had to pick their favorite recipes cooked utilizing the fresh Prince Edward Island mussels.

The recipes were cooked by some of the micro-influential food bloggers, including Jessica. By voting, participants can win a free trip to the island.

2. Highlight Customer Ratings and Reviews

The next step is to create a well laid-out strategy once you have picked an influencer for your brand. Influencers can help promote your product in multiple ways, be it in the form of how-to videos, graphics, reviews, or general articles.

While they all are effective, we always recommend you to focus on reviews as they are more likely to be rewarding.

Reviews leave a good impact when they come from a known and respectable person.

It can undoubtedly boost brand awareness, bring you more visitors, and enhance the sales rate.

In fact, according to G2.com, 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after going through a trusted review.

Using influencer marketing to showcase your brand review is a win-win situation for both your firm as well as an influencer.

That is, by promoting the products of top giants, influencers can quickly increase their followings and gain an additional boost to their status.

So, the next question is – how to display these reviews from your brand influencers? Reviews can be shown in different forms, including videos and photos that are easy to share through emails. See what works best for your firm.

Have a look at this example by Eight Sleep. They have some fantastic product emails.

But, what drew me to this message was their product review by some of the top influencers. It is an excellent way to prove the product's worth in a targeted market and generate good ROI.

3. Ask Influencers to Promote Your Campaign

The followers of your micro-influencers are found on social media. It is the right platform to promote your email campaigns and raise brand awareness.

So, tell the influencers to share the news of their collaboration with your brand in all different profiles they own. After all if you do not ask them to share it, how will people know you?

Covington and Co., collaborated with Instagram influencer @hollandwithlove to promote their product to the engaging followers. Here, the influencer clearly states about their collaboration with this clothing company.

In addition, you can ask them to invite their followers to subscribe to your email newsletters so that they can read other related content from your brand. This is a much better call to action (CTA) than any message that you add on your landing pages.

4. Ask Influencers to Share Stories in Own Words

Storytelling is the most powerful tool to share the brand message and receive a strong emotional response from the audience.

A compelling story can stick in the reader's mind, especially when it comes from their favorite social media influencers. It is similar to reading a celebrity interview, and who does not love to read it?

Sometimes, even if the story is not relatable, people tend to read it because they are doors into different worlds.

Therefore, ask influencers to use this art of storytelling in their platforms. Companies can use these stories to generate email newsletter signups and witness a good number of open rates.

However, while generating newsletters, the foremost challenge is to create a catchy subject line.

A simple way is to include the name of the influencer in the subject line that creates instant engagement.

For instance, the subject line - "Find out how our business solutions helped Jack Robbins" ought to appeal more than just stating, "Our business helped many people." When you use the name, it makes the story more believable.

The above email from Tribe Writers includes the stories from some of the well-known contributors.

Ready to start automating your email marketing campaigns?

Book a free call to learn how our team of marketing experts can help you to create high converting email marketing campaigns today.

5. Consistency is the Key

Lastly, make sure your posts are sent out by influencers consistently. Consistency is a vital element for the success of influencer email marketing.

Followers will not subscribe to a newsletter only to receive a single email by their favorite influencers.

So, make consistency as an integral part of your strategy. Promise and deliver a series of messages over a scheduled time frame to make your campaign popular.

Here's what consistency can do for your brand:

Your audience will know when to expect your message. This makes them feel valued and, importantly, forms a layer of trust between you both.

Most of the followers will remain on your list if you follow a specific email pattern, be it time, design, or content.

People will likely spend more money with you, and thereby increasing sales and profitability.

With the above advantages, arrange the terms of consistency with the influencer you work with, so they keep providing the content on time. To help you out, we have curated some of the ways to be consistent with the influencer email marketing strategies:

Create a brand voice style guide. Get your team members and influencers involved in this process and identify the tone of voice your company wants to utilize in every communication channel, be it on email, Instagram, or direct messages.

Try to have your CTAs and images reflect the aforementioned tone of voice.

Ensure your email content or influencer’s social media post is consistent with your brand’s mission and goals.

Stick to a regular publishing calendar. Either share your content on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, or only on Mondays. Identify what works for your segment and ask your influencers to follow it methodically.

Nothing will help you build a relationship more than consistency – this is true in all areas of marketing. Conclusion

Now we know that email marketing is no longer about crafting a beautiful piece of the newsletter for subscribers. Similarly, influencer marketing is not just about a shout out for your brand. A carefully combined influencer and email marketing strategies can do wonders for your brand.

It will generate brand awareness and drive high-quality leads for your business. It boosts the number of conversions and reinforces customer loyalty. In short, all of this helps in producing high ROI.

About the Author

Diana Morris is Marketing Professional with over 8 years of Experience. She is interested in blogging and helps Small businesses with innovative ideas that keep pulling in newness and creativity. Currently, she heads the marketing team at BizInfor, a b2b database solution firm providing various services like data cleansing, data appending, lead generation email lists, etc.

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sciencenewser · 5 years ago

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Impact of Coronavirus in the World's Economy

Air terminal security at Shanghai Worldwide Air terminal on Walk 26. China's contamination rates are increasing. outside of the focal point of Hubei because of explorers. Presently they're checking asymptomatic transporters who test positive. Impact of coronavirus in the Economy. The worldwide pandemic is pushing the world economy to the verge. And keeping in mind that general wellbeing is unquestionably more significant than a solid Gross domestic product. It is Gross domestic product development that keeps individuals utilized, which keeps them housed and took care of and taught. Impact of Coronavirus(Global Pandemic) in the World's Economy.

Engaging Coronavirus Is Requiring A 'Universal War' Approach

We have not hit top coronavirus in Europe. We most likely haven't arrived at it here at home in the U.S. The financial exchange has not wound up in a real predicament, Money Road accord recommends. In light of the progressing exceptional effect of the coronavirus pandemic on monetary action and budgetary markets. S&P Worldwide Evaluations this week set apart down worldwide development to only 0.4% for 2020. "The decrease in movement will be steep. The strategy challenges are colossal," says Paul Gruenwald, worldwide boss market analyst for S&P Worldwide Evaluations in New York. "The dangers remain solidly on the drawback," he says. This is a "stop the world" minute, truly and metaphorically. President Trump to stop all global travel as disease rates are increasing in Brazil and Mexico. In spite of the close term difficulties and some dull days ahead, this may well end up being our age's best minute. Coronavirus: All truth you need to know about COVID-19 Michael Ryan, Boss Venture Official Americas, UBS Budgetary Administrations

The coronavirus pandemic has been contrasted with a world war.

Italy's Head administrator Giuseppe Conte said he would treat this as a war, securing individuals up their homes to protect them. Securing individuals up prison who ignored requests. Spain's Executive Pedro Sanchez stated, "We have never survived anything like this." France's leader Emmanuel Macron said his nation is "at war" with the coronavirus. At home, President Trump compares it to an "imperceptible foe". A military clinic transport not seen in New York since September 11, 2001, psychological militant assaults maneuvered. The city's medical clinics will exhaust into that transport so as to make room in serious consideration units for COVID-19 patients. Conspiracy Theory about Corona? Truth Revealed The U.S. Is quick moving toward 200,000 cases. The number of coronavirus contaminations revealed by China CI, where the entirety of this started in December. About 1,000 individuals have kicked the bucket in New York City in only two weeks due to COVID-19. It's absolutely reasonable to the electorate that when you're at war with a fatal new pathogen that can close down your economy. The work of millions, and conceivably send you to the poor house, that you are in a battle for endurance. There is basically no restriction on what government's can do to spend and attempt to overcome the foe. They will approach significant creation to Marshall to overcome it, regardless of whether it's My Cushion making careful covers, or General Engines GM making ventilators. The individuals utilized there are the new Rosie the Riveters. Great interview by @Nouriel Roubimi: He "explores coronavirus-related destruction in the real economy, the impact and shortcomings of the containment effort, and his view of the risks caused by an underlying debt bubble." https://t.co/epkmhLAWyI— Edward Harrison (@edwardnh) April 1, 2020 "As somebody from the Tri-State territory, I'm believing that Impact of coronavirus in Economy once you get a wealth of veils. It likely 9 out of 10 individuals here would be wearing one," says Vladimir Signorelli, head of large scale speculation looks into firm Bretton Woods Exploration in New Jersey. "Why hazard it? You're finding out about specialists that are losing their lives to this. Is it true that they are playing it safe conceivable? Most likely. They're despite everything kicking the bucket? The harvester of souls is Mr. Johnny One Note at the present time." Bretton Woods evaluates that up to 23% of U.S. Gross domestic product attached to retail, travel and the travel industry, nourishment administration, diversion and amusement, and land. At the tallness of World War II, a significant part of the world was at war with Germany or Japan, consideration went to the disconnected U.S. For some expectation. After the assault on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Washington took a "the entirety of nation" way to deal with battling the adversary. What's more, with it, the full assets and gainful limit of the U.S. Economy went to the war exertion. New York Senator Andrew Cuomo is presently driving the state through the focal point of the most exceedingly terrible viral. The US represented 40% of the world's all-out weapons, with war creation arriving at a pinnacle of 44% of Gross domestic product. The general gainful limit of the country's economy expanded by half. While modern yield extended by 60% to assemble gigantic weaponry — from warplanes to bombs and warships. This huge preparation of assets switched things around the war and permitted the Partners to win World War II. The World Wellbeing Association said the pandemic needs a "the entirety of government, the entirety of society". Some have required a Manhattan Undertaking kind of activity to quickly track the improvement. The arrangements of hereditary treatments, pharmaceuticals, clinical gadgets, and essential clinical supplies to help battle an illness we despite everything know next to no about.

coronavirus is a contention that will pursue different performance

Established researchers, clinical calling, and medicinal services industry are working intimately with government wellbeing authorities and policymakers. Real factors on the ground move reactions, and needs constantly. As one medical caretaker managing this in the U.S. Said to me, "it's somewhat similar to working in a sand trap." "This resembles September 11 in my brain," says Sam Hendel, a reserve administrator of Levin Easterly Accomplices in New York. "September 11 prompted the formation of the Division of Country Security. An entirely different industry made after those psychological oppressor assaults. There will some cash move into diagnostics, in human services, in pharmaceutical as a result of this war with COVID-19." Like World War II, "the coronavirus is a contention that will pursue over different performance centers of activity", says Michael Ryan, boss venture official for UBS Money related Administrations PNC. General wellbeing authorities will manage ailment control; fund pastors and national investors will manage the monetary stuns. Trump with Anthony Fauci, Chief of the National Foundation of Sensitivity and Irresistible Infections.

The financial improvement as of now represents almost 10% of the U.S

Congress has just passed three separate salvage bundles. On the whole, the financial improvement as of now represents almost 10% of U.S. Gross domestic product. In the following stage, President Trump needs a framework bill. Some portion of that framework is probably going to be pandemic readiness. The goal lines in the coronavirus end zone continue moving. Everybody is as yet finding out about the COVID-19. To spectators of history here at home, World War II won in light of the fact that the U.S. Joined the battle. Russia, as well, assumed a job when it broke with the Germans, basically encompassing them. Writing in an amazing and inventive note to customers on Walk 28, UBS' Ryan called attention to that the individuals who survived. The war will bear witness to that there was nothing inescapable about the result. The passage of the U.S. Tipped the scales against Germany and Japan, however, the last triumph required cautious arranging and eating with the Russians, too. It required an all involved deck duty, political solidarity and a continuous sending of assets assigned for a solitary reason. This is also an Impact of coronavirus in the Economy. "With the U.S. Having now gotten the exertion together with a huge preparation of assets, the level of influence right now moved. From the outset it was China, at that point Europe, presently the U.S. Is beside endure in a fight.

Slow down the manufacturing activity

We are certain that the joined assets and joined the will of the main countries of the world will demonstrate effective in containing it. Securing open wellbeing, balancing out the worldwide economy, and protecting individual success," he says, "In spite of the close term difficulties and some dull days ahead, this may well end up being our age's best minute." A anticipated by the World Bank for such a piece of the worldwide economy would have extreme impacts on the remainder of the world. The World Bank said it has not completed figures for different pieces of the world yet a week ago. Worldwide Money related Reserve Overseeing Chief Kristalina Georgieva. They said plainly the worldwide economy has just entered a downturn that could be as terrible or more awful than the droop after the 2008 budgetary emergency. World Bank Says Coronavirus Episode May Take Overwhelming Cost For Asia's Economy WASHINGTON - The World Bank is assessing that the coronavirus flare-up will make financial development moderate altogether. This year in China and other East Asian-Pacific nations, tossing millions into destitution. Under a more regrettable case situation, the area could endure. Its most keen downturn since a staggering money emergency over two decades back, the bank said in a refreshed gauge discharged Monday. the World Bank for a piece of the worldwide economy would have extreme impacts on the world. The bank's report extends that development in the area would ease back to 2.1% this year from 5.8% in 2019 under a "standard" conjecture in which monetary recuperation grabs hold this mid-year. The unfriendly impacts of the infection overflow into one year from now. The locale's economy would contract 0.5%, the bank gauges. That would speak to the most vulnerable presentation for the district since the 1997-98 Asian money emergency, which fell 40% of the globe into a downturn. Impact of coronavirus in the Economy in individuals business. 11m+ individuals could fall into destitution in the area under the more awful case situation, the bank gauges. That is as a glaring difference to its previous estimate. The development would be adequate this year to lift 35 million individuals out of destitution. In China, the world's second-biggest economy would see development delayed from 6.1% a year ago to 2.3% this year. The more awful case situation, development in China would go to a close to end with a little 0.1% addition.

Why Asia's New Coronavirus Controls Should Stress

In the more regrettable case situation where the infection continues upsetting action for some more months. The negative 0.5% drop for the locale would remember monetary decays of 2.3% for Indonesia, 4.6% for Malaysia and 5% for Thailand. Impact of coronavirus in Economy about this Aaditya Matto (boss business analyst for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank) told that "Notwithstanding intense national activities, more profound worldwide participation is the best immunization against this harmful risk," The World Bank gives $14 billion in budgetary help through the most optimized plan Impact of coronavirus in Economy. Bundles to fortify the reaction of creating nations to the infection and hopes to send up to $160 billion throughout the following 15 months to ensure poor people and defenseless. The IMF has said it will submit if necessary. It is full of $1 trillion in loaning assets to help countries hit by the infection.

US Economy: Joblessness Numbers In Spring Far-fetched To Show Coronavirus Effect

Walk joblessness insights gathered the seven day stretch of Walk 12, preceding social separating and sanctuary set up orders produced results. The government discharges joblessness figures. Friday yet market analysts state the numbers may not yet mirror the effect of coronavirus cutbacks in spite of record filings for introductory joblessness claims. The expectation is for the rate to increase by 0.2 focuses on 3.8%. Starting jobless cases this week could move toward 5.5 million Award Thornton boss business analyst Diane Swonk said Tuesday the figures from the Agency of Work Measurements. The impact of coronavirus in the Economy may show just a 0.2 point uptick to 3.8% from February to a great extent in light of the manner. The government gathers its information notwithstanding a record 3.28 million introductory joblessness claims increment a week ago and a potential 5.5 million new filings this week as cutbacks the nation over the flood. "We definitely realize that the fall in business is prophetically catastrophic. The overview information will, in the long run, get up to speed to that reality. Despite the fact that that may come when the April business report in one month. The interval time frame will feel like an unending length of time," Swonk wrote in her investigation. The St. Louis Central bank anticipated upwards of 47 million Americans could lose their positions in the subsequent quarter, pushing joblessness to 32%. The overshadowing the 24.9% rate in 1933 at the profundities of the Incomparable Sadness. All the more As of late, joblessness arrived at 10.1% in September 1982. 10% in October 2009 during the Incomparable Downturn. Impact Global Pandemic in the World's Economy. BLS, in any case, overviewed families the seven day stretch of Walk 12. President Trump declared government social removing rules and many states. Authorities gave cover set up orders that shut bars, eatery lounge areas and superfluous organizations the nation over. The requests upon to stay through April and could stretch out into May. "The biggest drop in occupations required to be in relaxation and friendliness as significant gatherings were dropped in late February. Conventional retailers will keep on being hit except for huge box discounters and markets," Swonk. "We began to accumulate bathroom tissue, hand sanitizer and dye wipes before cover set up orders became effective. We are anticipating that the number of export contracts should ease back to creep. Medicinal services occupations required to stay solid for Spring; the end of dental workplaces and littler facilities generally happened after the study week." Simultaneously, joblessness as of now was expanding the principal week. It will be a bounce-back strategy. When beginning joblessness claims flooded to 282,000 from 232,500 the earlier week. This is the Impact of coronavirus in the Economy. "The joblessness rate slacks and is required to ascend to 3.8%. That figure is relied upon to flood well into the twofold digits in April," she said. Read the full article

#covid-19 #ImpactofcoronavirusinEconomy

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stretchjournalemerson · 6 years ago

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Technology and Social Media as Modes of Conversation for Underrepresented Communities: An In-depth Look at the Importance of YouTube within the LGBTQ+ Community

By Kathleen Grillo -

“On September 23, 2018, ironically Bisexual Visibility Day, I sat with my suitemate on her bed while another suitemate of ours stood against the closed door. Then, I told them I was, and to clarify still am, bisexual. The rest of the night I came out to four other suitemates.”

On September 23, 2018, ironically Bisexual Visibility Day, I sat with my suitemate on her bed while another suitemate of ours stood against the closed door. Then, I told them I was, and to clarify still am, bisexual. The rest of the night I came out to four other suitemates. The previous night at midnight, I had come out to my best friend over text, too afraid to tell her over facetime. Over the course of the next few weeks, I would go on to tell those closest to me. Today, I am still telling people. People think you come out once. I thought you came out once. You tell one person and then expect the rest of the world to just know, but I, and many others, are wrong. I will continue to tell people I am bisexual for years. Maybe the rest of my life. There will always be someone else to tell. Coming out is different for everyone. For some, they really do come out once. For others such as myself, they know they will come out many times throughout their life.

I first thought I was bi when I was twelve years old, but quickly dispelled the thought when my mom told me it was normal to think girls were pretty. Little did she know I’d imagined kissing them. The thought was gone though, and I continued with life. That is, until November of junior year when my best friend came out to me. She’d known her whole life, and she had been wanting to tell me since freshman year when we met. That day on the bus ride home, and on the bus ride home for the next week, I questioned myself again. No, I thought, I am not gay. Time passed. I was straight, but I was supportive. I always had been.

Then, I went to college, a place of discovery, where you meet new people and try new things. Maybe, like me, you live in a new city. As cliche as it is to say, college really does teach you things about yourself. For me, that meant re-evaluating my sexuality. Once again, I returned to that questioning. This time, though, I got a different answer. No longer did straight feel right, but bisexual was starting to. Looking back, there were clues scattered throughout my adolescence, ones I didn’t see until questioning. In those weeks of inner reflection, when I was too afraid to talk to anyone I knew, I turned to YouTube. I listened to queer music and watched the respective music videos. I watched coming out videos, listened to people’s stories. How did they know? When did they come out? How did they come out? Am I apart of this community?

...

Dr. Sherry Turkle, a Harvard graduate, is known for her work as a psychologist and sociologist. Moreso, she is known for her discussion on the topic of social media and technology. In 1996, she wrote a book about the up and coming technology which led her to be displayed proudly on the front of Wired magazine. More recently, Turkle spoke for TED.com, a popular website containing speeches on ranging topics and featuring a wide selection of speakers. Turkle was there to speak about technology once again. This time, she was further discussing her research on the modern generation and their addiction to technology, to social media. Texts. Tweets. Notifications. She claims, “I think we're setting ourselves up for trouble -- trouble certainly in how we relate to each other, but also trouble in how we relate to ourselves and our capacity for self-reflection.” She explains that social media is changing how we think, that technology is literally changing our psyche. And Turkle is not wrong; we are ever adapting to the world around us. We learn to split our attention span, to send that text while still listening to our friends. We learn to finish an assignment while also writing notes from a professor’s lecture. Turkle is valid in her argument that, “People want to be with each other, but also elsewhere -- connected to all the different places they want to be.” We do split ourselves across many forms of communication, but Turkle’s argument falters in its ignorance of all sides of social media and technology.

Most people I know would say social media doesn’t inhibit their ability to connect with those around them. In many ways, technology and social media builds connections and enables conversation. Friends text or facetime when they are away at college. Parents call to check in. Classmates work on projects. It is a different type of conversation, but a conversation nonetheless. Even more, Turkle’s argument comes from a place of privilege. In her essay “Always-On/Always-on-You: the Tethered Self”, she says, “Tethered selves come together, but do not speak to each other”, meaning that, because we are connected, or tethered, to our devices, we cannot converse properly with those around us. This assumes that all conversations we want to be apart of are being hosted in real life. But what if that isn’t the case? What if those you identify with aren’t in your real life sphere?

One such community in which this occurs is the LGBTQ+ community. Many individuals who belong to this community, who in this essay will be referred to as queer individuals, turn to the safety and availability of social media. A large platform where this occurs is YouTube, as explicitly explored here. There are many YouTubers, those who create and post videos to YouTube, that are known for their queer content across all ranges, from coming out advice to queer music to queer education. All such YouTubers are real and non-scripted as they are in TV or movies. Because of this need for belonging within the LGBTQ+ community it is clear that “The quick spread of the videos is testament to how many people search for coming out advice, unable to access it through their immediate environment or most media outlets” (Bateman). This quote comes from Jessica Bateman, a writer for Broadly, a subsection of Vice that focuses on unrepresented individuals. In the article, Bateman focuses specifically on the importance of coming out videos, one of the most popular kinds of queer videos on YouTube. Not only do these videos answer questions that many queer individuals are too afraid or unable to ask, but they also provide validation in the form of the video’s creator and in the continued conversation found in the comments section of such videos.

One such Youtuber, whose coming out video has reached over 8.3 million since it was posted on August 7, 2013, is Troye Sivan. His video is one of the most well known in the LGBTQ+ community. Sivan is one of the original “gay YouTubers,” who was openly gay and made videos discussing such topics. In this video, Troye begins by saying, “This is the most nervous I’ve probably ever been in my entire life, but I’m going to deal with it because I have something to tell you guys.” Even Sivan, who had a strong level of support on his channel, was nervous. This point can be extremely validating to individuals who haven’t come out or are trying, and struggling, to do so. This is one example of many as to how these videos can be paramount in the LGBTQ+ community. They provide support and as Bateman says, “Coming out to your parents is never easy, but more and more LGBTQ young people are sharing their experiences on YouTube to ‘show our identities are valid.’" Since his coming out video, Sivan has proved to be influential, continuing his YouTube channel years after the video’s debut. Recently, Sivan is more known for becoming a queer icon as a musical artist.

As mentioned, an important component of these videos is the comments sections. On Sivan’s video, there is a mix of old comments posted when the video was first released and he was little more than a YouTuber, and new comments, posted now with the knowledge of Sivan as an artist and role model. These comments show the personal influence and conversation created outside of the YouTuber that many queer individuals will spend hours scrolling through to find the many other people they identify with. Such comments include, “I am a 60 year old gay man. This was the video I watched the first time I saw you about a year ago. I think you are great. I can't wait to see the movie "Boy Erased". I think your music is beautiful. I have listened to a lot of it. I think you are an inspiration to a lot of people. You may not realize it, but people like you even help older people like me” (Randy D). These videos do not just appeal to a younger generation, but also to anyone who wishes to find validation or education.

They also become a place for people to share their own stories. Most importantly for some, they are safe, anonymous places to do such. This is a crucial component of the online conversation being composed, especially considering the high amounts of mental health problems and suicide among LGBTQ+ individuals. According to the Trevor Project, a national organization that aims to help LGBTQ+ youth through crisis and suicide scenarios, “LGB youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth” and “...40% of transgender adults reported having made a suicide attempt.” Another comment by user Kristine Jauregui, says,“Im bisexual...but until now im inside the closet waiting for someone to open it. Im scared to come out because I knew already that they're not going to accept me. And lately my mom told me that i need to find my prince but in my mind my prince is a princess.” (Jauregui). The responding comments are full of love and encouragement. The anonymity of social media, although isolating at times, can open people up to talk about things they can’t in real life, or when similar identifying individuals aren’t available in their real life.

Outside of the initial need for coming out and finding validation, is the want for education. Whether a part of the LGBTQ+ community or not, YouTube has become a place for education. Specific queers can find tutorials on packing and binding, practices taken up by many trans individuals, as well as learn the difference between some sexualities and genders and learn more about queer sexual health. One person who has done such is Ash Hardell, a non-binary, trans-masculine, bisexual YouTuber. Not only do they make regular YouTube videos, but they are also the writer of a book called The ABC's of LGBT+. Although, to clarify, the book is published under the name Ashley Mardell, the name they used before getting married and before changing their first name to a more nonbinary one. Hardell explains that the purpose of the book is “to be a detailed guide of many LGBTQIA+ identities and terms with an emphasis on those that are mis- and underrepresented.” The book uses multiple sources, from images to video links to interviews, to explain and educate the many different areas of this community. Hardell perfectly explains why their book is important by saying, “in an attempt to combat erasure and increase general LGBTQIA+ knowledge, this book hopes to offer visibility and a voice to identities that are usually lost and forgotten.”

It is important to Hardell, both in their videos and their book, that proper education is offered to all within this community. Their YouTube channel heavily reflects the ideas presented in the book. They have countless videos targeted for gender education, trans education, and sexuality understanding. There are also many videos that display collaborations with other YouTubers that produce LGBTQ+ content. This opens the conversation to more than just one voice. With something as unique as sexuality and gender, it is extremely helpful for this community to know all of its resources, or at least as many as it can. Outside of queer identifying individuals, these channels that provide education are extremely important for cishets, a term used to mean a cisgendered, heterosexual individual. There are many topics and ideas that become difficult for one to understand unless they themselves have experienced it. YouTubers such as Hardell begin to help “outsiders” understand. Without YouTube and social media, it becomes increasingly more difficult for education to spread. The LGBTQ+ community is just one of many that use these sites to spread their message and gain understanding in such a diverse world.

We all know that it is easier to share or like a tweet or Facebook post, to watch a five minute YouTube video than to read a book or find someone willing to discuss such private matters. When these things are absent, people turn to social media and technology. Yes, as Turkle claims, “Connection is more like a symptom than a cure. It expresses, but it doesn't solve, an underlying problem.” That problem being the fear of loneliness. She argues that we connect when we are alone, but Turkle assumes that the same conversations are being hosted in person as well as online. While this is arguably valid, there are times in which we need to be alone without connecting, there are also times when we need to connect so that we can be alone without feeling lonely. In the LGBTQ+ community, it is very easy to feel lonely, especially if a queer individual has no similar identifying individuals near them. In that absence, social media and YouTube has become a place of validity, representation, and education. People receive answers to questions they are too afraid to ask, see themselves in the stories of others, and find courage in the bravery of role models. Coming out, something that is ongoing for many LGBTQ+ individuals, can be extremely isolating, but YouTubers and the very real people commenting on these videos are a safe haven for many queer youths, and adults. Yes, the kid on their phone while at dinner may be scrolling through Instagram or texting their friends who they��ll see tomorrow anyway, but they might also be scrolling through the comments of their favorite music video by Hayley Kiyoko as they debate telling their parents about their sexuality or their gender or both right then and there. Despite Turkle making a very reasonable claim, she ignores the communities where real-life exchange is not available. And in those circumstances, simple online connection can mean more than any person to person conversation.

Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank Mary Kovaleski for really pushing us to reach for a conversation we wanted be a part of, no matter how difficult it seemed. I would also like to thank my peers Matthew Pifko who provided useful research and Audrey Iocca who gave me extensive critique. I’d like to thank all the YouTubers who have given the LGBTQ+ community a place to express themselves and have dedicated themselves to improving the community. This work also wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my family and friends who’ve given me love and encouragement. Lastly, I’d like to thank myself for having the bravery to share a story I’ve never told.

Works Cited

Bateman, Jessica. “How YouTube Videos Changed the Way Young People Come Out.” Broadly,

VICE, 3 Apr. 2017, broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/8x4gkp/how-youtube-videos-changed-the-way-young-people-come-out

“Facts About Suicide – The Trevor Project.” The Trevor Project,

www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-about-suicide/.

HeyThere005. “Ash Hardell.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/user/HeyThere005.

Jauregui, Kristine. “Coming Out.” Comments section, YouTube, Apr. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvzWNwJ41_k .

Mardell, Ashley. The ABC's of LGBT+. Mango Media Inc., 2016.

Person. “Power. Life. Culture. Lore.” Broadly, VICE, broadly.vice.com/en_us.

D, Randy. “Coming Out.” Comments Section, YouTube, 7 Aug. 2013,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoL-MnXvK80.

“Saving Young LGBTQ Lives.” The Trevor Project, www.thetrevorproject.org/.

Sherry Turkle, ‘Always-on/Always-on-you:The Tethered Self.” In Handbook of Communication

Studies, James E. Katz (ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2018.

Sivan, Troye. “Coming Out.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Aug. 2013,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoL-MnXvK80.

Turkle, Sherry. “Transcript of ‘Connected, but Alone?".” TED,

www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together/transcript?language=en#t-294147

#culture #social media #youtube #lgbtq #research #kathleen grillo #stretch2019

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samanthasroberts · 6 years ago

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‘Essentially, the monarchy is corrupt’ – will republicanism survive Harry and Meghan?

The campaign group Republic is committed to bringing down the House of Windsor, despite a wedding that may deepen the publics emotional bond with the royals. Is it right to argue that this soap opera is less popular than people think?

On a scorchingly hot Saturday lunchtime in Leeds, the varied strands of the British left have gathered outside the city’s art gallery for their annual May Day parade. They are all here: the Labour party, the Communist party, the Socialist party, a smattering of trade unions, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty and a handful of vegans chalking slogans on the paving stones. Meanwhile, under a green gazebo adorned with the tagline “End the Reign”, activists from a radical organisation that resists any left/right stereotyping are setting up their stall and hoping for a decent couple of hours’ business.

On a trestle table, they have arranged a handful of laminated blowups of newspaper articles, mostly from the Guardian, about Prince Harry being interviewed by police about the killing of rare birds, the Queen’s £82m income and the “black spider letters” – named after Prince Charles’s eccentric handwriting – that revealed the future king’s efforts to influence some of the policies of the last Labour government. The basic point all this bumf is intended to illustrate is presented in a four-page A5 leaflet. “Monarchy must go,” it says, explaining why having a hereditary head of state “goes against every democratic principle”, as well as claiming that looking after the royals costs the public purse £334m a year.

The Yorkshire branch of Republic – the pressure group dedicated to “campaigning for a democratic alternative to the monarchy” – has been in existence since 2012. Its prime movers reckon they have a database of “a few hundred” supporters across the region, but the group’s once-a-month campaigning work tends to be carried out by a handful of committed activists. Today, there are four: Shaun Iggleden, 52; Nigel Catling, 59; Ian Cox, 64; and 41-year-old Mark Baxter.

Nigel Catling from Republic campaigning at the May Day rally in Leeds. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

The fact that they are all older white men perhaps illustrates the parts of the population their campaigning has yet to reach, but they are far from being the cranks and anoraks some people would have you believe. Their arguments against the monarchy are calm, lucid and eloquent; they all have a clear sense of how difficult this enduring, often bizarre, institution is to campaign against and how long it may take even to start to dislodge it.

The arduous nature of anti-monarchy activism is quickly proved by the 10 minutes I spend talking to Tracy, Helen and Nigel, who play in the brass band that is about to lead the May Day crowd on a five-minute lap of the surrounding area. Do they, I wonder, know what Republic is all about?

“Disestablishing the monarchy,” says Nigel, without missing a beat. “I think that was a better argument before Donald Trump got elected. That puts me off.”

“I’d keep it like it is,” says Tracy, who plays the tenor horn. “I like it. I think it’s brill: all the parades and the pomp and ceremony. And I think the Queen’s amazing.” She will be watching Prince Harry marry Meghan Markle next week. “It’s going to be great.”

What do they think about how much the monarchy costs?

“They bring so much money in,” she says. “And everything costs a lot. The government costs a lot.”

Do they worry at all about the prospect of King Charles III?

“I really think it should be William next,” says Helen, who plays the cornet. “But you don’t get to change those things.”

Tracy adds: “I don’t think Charles will be able to do what he wants, though. They get told what to do, don’t they?”

‘Will I be watching the wedding? Will I buggery’: Simon Till offers his thoughts on the royal family. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

Over the next two hours, passersby highlight most shades of opinion. Simon Till, a 61-year-old punk rocker whose leather jacket features the logo of those infamous seditionaries the Sex Pistols, takes a leaflet and gets straight to the point: “I’m not a monarchist. I’m not for the rich. Will I be watching the wedding? Will I buggery.”

A handful of twentysomethings cross the square, look askance at the Republic stall and greet my questions about the monarchy with a baffled surprise that soon tilts into claims that we’d be better off keeping the royals, if only for the amount of tourist money they bring in. This is a point that, needless to say, Republic fiercely contests – to quote from their campaign material: “Research shows that tourists come here for our world-class museums, beautiful scenery, fantastic shopping and captivating history – not because they might catch a glimpse of Prince Andrew.”

A woman here with the Labour party tells me that the royals “represent that massive gap between the rich and the poor”, whereas Sam, a history of architecture student, says that the monarchy “embodies the constitution”, and “Britain has never had a Hitler because the Queen wouldn’t allow it”.

Back at the Republic stall, even as the sun beats down and a sudden gust of wind threatens to blow the gazebo over a wall, the people in charge maintain a calm, steely demeanour. “I don’t know whether this is a good example, but with the suffragettes – how long did it take for women to get the vote?” asks Catling, a civil servant. “That took decades. There were women who started it who didn’t see the end of it. We’ve got to start from somewhere, and that’s what we’re trying to do – plant seeds in people’s minds.”

Do they worry that the arrival of Markle has made campaigning even more trying? They must know the arguments: that a person of colour joining the House of Windsor is supposedly a sign of modernisation, consigning to memory the facets of the institution that have been among the most problematic (such as, say, Prince Philip’s racist “quips” or his son’s recent comment that someone with brown skin didn’t look like they were from Manchester).

“Whether Harry marries Meghan Markle or not, it doesn’t alter the political nature of how the country is run,” says Iggleden, who works as a lorry driver. “That’s ultimately what we’re campaigning against. These are side issues. I’m not bothered who Harry does or doesn’t marry. It doesn’t concern me.”

Ian Cox campaigning in Leeds. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

It may not, but such window dressing is surely a big part of how the monarchy endures, via its emotional bond with people. In that sense, the cold realities Republic talks about – the cost, secrecy and hidden power – may not count for much at all.

“That’s something we have discussed,” he says. “How do you argue against emotion with logic? You often hear emotional responses: ‘I love the Queen.’ And you can’t argue with that. You say: ‘Yeah, but it’s undemocratic.’ And you’ll get: ‘Yeah, but I like the Queen.’”

For the past quarter-century or so, opinion polls have tended to put support for the monarchy at more than 70%, while just under one in five of us have seemed to favour a republic. The royal wobble after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales seemed temporarily to affect support for the institution, there was a big hiccup at the time of Prince Charles’s marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles – and the PR problems the next king will face are highlighted by an August 2017 poll suggesting that, if given the choice between Charles becoming king or the role passing straight to his eldest son, only 22% would favour the former, whereas William would be backed by 51%. Republicans, of course, point out that such questions only serve to highlight the monarchy’s absurdity – Charles will become king no matter what anyone thinks.

Support for the monarchy is noticeably lower among younger people: in 2016, it was reported that 84% of those over the age of 55 wanted to keep it, compared with 66% of 18-34s. The royal soap opera, though, may not be quite as popular as some people think: when Harry’s engagement was announced, 52% of respondents to a poll by YouGov said they were “indifferent”. But, overall, the royals seem to have precious little to worry about: at the last count, Ipsos Mori reckoned that 76% of people in the UK want the monarchy to continue, against only 17% who would like to see the back of it.

What is perhaps remarkable is the disappearance of republicanism from the culture. In past decades, anti-royalism was embodied by the aforementioned Sex Pistols and their Jubilee-year masterpiece God Save the Queen and the Smiths’ 1986 album The Queen Is Dead, supported by the quotes Morrissey used to utter before he became what the modern vernacular calls “problematic”. (“I despise royalty. I always have done. It’s fairy-story nonsense.”) It’s perhaps an arbitrary point of comparison, but where pop-cultural attitudes had arrived 25 years later was probably symbolised by the occasion in 2013 when Prince Harry was invited backstage by those down-home scions of the establishment Mumford and Sons. According to the Daily Mail: “He absolutely bear-hugged Marcus [Mumford] and apologised for missing their set. Marcus told him not to worry and to help himself to the beer.”

Such are the raging seas of absurdity in which Republic tries to stay afloat. For the moment, the Yorkshire branch remains its only active regional offshoot and the vast majority of its work is done from its office – or, rather, three-person workstation – near King’s Cross station, in London. Thanks to an annual income of about £140,000 – which comes from a membership base of 4,000 people, topped up with a few occasional donations of between £5,000 and £15,000, Republic has two full-time staff: its 27-year-old campaigns officer, Michael Moore, and Graham Smith, 44. The latter has been Republic’s chief executive and strategic brain since 2005, when he returned from seven years working as an IT specialist in Australia. Smith says he experienced “this huge sort of reverse culture shock” related to how much the monarchy was covered in the media and was reminded of the fact that “I’ve felt strongly about all this for as long as I can remember”.

I talk to Smith in a branch of Costa Coffee near his office, where he explains how he changed Republic from being a tiny organisation that had been set up in 1983 to something with a decent membership and a sense of purpose. “We spent quite a bit of time looking at a longer-term strategy,” he says. “We tried to imagine, as an exercise, all the MPs filing through the division lobbies and giving us a referendum on getting rid of the monarchy. We tried to imagine what kind of country would witness that happen.”

This remains the vision that most of Republic’s work is built around. As a way of steadily advancing its cause, Smith and his colleagues regularly make Freedom of Information requests, commission research, and publicise overlooked information about how the monarchy works – such as the fact that Prince Charles’s private organisation, the Duchy of Cornwall, is exempt from corporation and capital gains tax, or that the 18 royals officially classed as “working” each cost the taxpayer an average of £19m a year.

“We don’t say that the fact that the monarchy is expensive is a reason to get rid of it,” Smith cautions. “It’s not. The fact that it’s expensive is a symptom of the fact that it’s unaccountable and secretive. It’s really a way of pointing to the institution and saying: ‘Essentially, the monarchy is corrupt.’ I don’t think it’s going too far to say that. If corruption is the abuse of public office for personal gain, that is what the monarchy does. And it’s routine; it’s built into the system.”

Republic would like an elected head of state similar to the one who serves the Republic of Ireland – where the role is largely ceremonial and apolitical, but the president can speak up at times of national crisis or uncertainty.

“One example would be the two weeks after the Brexit referendum, when we were essentially devoid of political leadership,” says Smith. “We had just taken this huge, very scary decision and there were all these reports about racist attacks … it felt like a very febrile atmosphere and there was no one to rise above all that, calm nerves and show any leadership. It was a classic example of an occasion when a head of state might say: ‘This is something we’re going through and we’ll sort it out – we’re going to be OK.’”

He says he takes heart from the fact that a republican is now leader of the Labour party, and from the other anti-monarchy organisations across Europe that will be coming to London on the day of the royal wedding for this year’s convention of the Alliance of European Republican Movements (Sweden, apparently, has the strongest; in Spain, “the polling is good, but the movement is splintered”). The end of the monarchy, he says, “could happen in my lifetime – it depends how long my lifetime is”.

His main source of optimism is the prospect of King Charles III. “I think there’s a very real risk of a constitutional crisis. It’s not difficult to imagine that, after he becomes king, the government could change a policy and the new policy could be in line with what we know Charles thinks. The question will then be asked: ‘Have you done that because you think it’s the right policy or because Charles has been pressing you to change that?’”

But what if the prospect of William taking over works as a convenient distraction?

“Charles could easily be king for 20 years. That’s quite a long time to wait. By that time, William will be well into his 50s, if not his 60s. And I think all this stuff about how popular some of them are … I think it’s overblown. I don’t think people care that much. William has lost that youthful Diana look, and he’s a fairly dull, uninspiring individual. There’s time for the gloss to wear off. You can find headlines from the 1970s that say: ‘Prince Charles is the young prince who’s going to save the monarchy.’ All this stuff gets said over and over again.”

Back in Leeds, as Republic’s activist quartet start to pack up the green gazebo, they explain their immediate plans. On the day of the royal wedding, they will be in Parliament Street in York. “I think we’re providing a public service, in some respects,” says Nigel Catling. “There are a lot of people out there who are probably Republicans, but who don’t know. We’ll be there, saying: ‘If you don’t agree with an unelected head of state, you’ll be able to talk to people on the same wavelength.’ It’s a bit of therapy, really.”

A few minutes later, a young man with a pierced nose appears at the stall and gets into a polite argument with Iggleden. “We’ve had them for ever, haven’t we? It’s tradition,” he says. “I really like the royal family.”

Iggleden mentions the question of the monarchy’s cost. “I’m not bothered,” comes the reply. “I’d be happy to give more money to support it. It’s a good thing.”

It turns out that, with his dad and two cousins, 17-year-old Thomas has train tickets to Windsor booked for 19 May. “I’m going to see the procession. I just want to see them. Harry and Meghan. In the flesh.”

The exchange lasts barely a minute, but it is enough to prove beyond doubt that between monarchists and republicans lies a philosophical chasm that makes the leave/remain divide look like a mere tiff. Iggleden exhales and gets back to packing up, but there is one more thing. “I’ll take a leaflet,” says Thomas. “Just to read, you know?”

Source: http://allofbeer.com/essentially-the-monarchy-is-corrupt-will-republicanism-survive-harry-and-meghan/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/essentially-the-monarchy-is-corrupt-will-republicanism-survive-harry-and-meghan/

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adambstingus · 6 years ago

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‘Essentially, the monarchy is corrupt’ – will republicanism survive Harry and Meghan?