Holiday Homework: 5 easy assignments to get a leg-up on 2022
Yes, you're going to buy an NFT. But I'll make it easy for ya đ¸
You are reading Social Signals, Gregâs weekly email about creative, technology, and cultural signals worth noting. Todayâs email was written to this 5 hour video of Nick Offerman enjoying a whiskey in front of a yule log. If you havenât already subscribed, thereâs a big button right there!
Hopefully youâre getting some time off in the next couple of weeks, and Iâve created some Holiday Homeworkâ˘ď¸ for you in case you have some the capacity this year â but donât worry! Itâs going to be easy.Â
I shared a similar holiday break homework assignment back in 2019 and a pandemic-friendly version back in 2020 and got a lot of great feedback on these easy, purposeful couple of things we can all do to help set us up for the new year. Including some couch time, too!
I want to lead with that fact that this advice is directed at white collar knowledge workers who have the privilege of taking some time off. So if thatâs you and you can use your time or means to help others less fortunate and privileged while still taking a well-deserved break and doing some of these things below, please do so!
If you are able to take some time off to recharge, here are some suggestions how to spend a little of that couch time to get a leg up on 2022âŚ
UNPLUG: Pick at least two days you wonât check your work email. Delete it from your phone if you donât have the willpower not to look. Youâre on PTO. Itâs okay to take TWO DAYS OFF from checking it. Maybe try for five and settle for two. If youâre like me your âsurge capacity is depletedâ and without recharging, you wonât be ready for next year.
GOAL SETTING: Write down 1-3 goals for Q1. Share them with your mentor, boss, friend, and/or post them online. Accountability goes a long way. Donât worry about planning for the whole year or making them massive stretch goals. Setting some achievable goals for January, February and March is plenty. Especially in the middle of a pandemic. But be intentional, even if they include things like rest, work/life balance, or resetting habits.
ROBLOX 101: Last year your homework was to try Among Us. This year, if you havenât already, this is your time to register an account on Roblox and spend at least 20 minutes playing with family and/or strangers on the internet with the purpose of exploring what itâs like to experience a social metaverse game. Itâs free, and you can play in a browser, on your phone, or on a gaming console. Donât be too paralyzed to start; just jump in. Dress your avatar and do some experiences with others. For starters, visit NIKELAND, Ralph Laurenâs Winter Escape, Chipotleâs Burrito Maze, or check out some Tommy Hilfiger swag.
BUY AN NFT: Wait! Donât worry. Weâre gonna make this easy. Spend $9 on an NBA Topshot NFT using a credit card. Even if youâre not into basketball, Topshot is an incredibly accessible way to dip your toes into NFTs. When youâre ready for the next step, download Sweet and buy a cheap NFT using the iOS App Store. When youâre ready for the next step, check out Veve and peruse the Disney, Marvel, Coke, and other collectibles. If youâve covered those easier and more entry-level NFT marketplaces and think youâre ready for the next step into how NFTs can lead to access, social engagement, and community, hereâs a how-to guide for registering a crypto wallet, buying Ethereum, browsing Open Sea and buying + minting NFTs. Fair warning: this step requires a LOT of education, $$, effort, and significant time with questionable ROI. Thatâs why I started you with a $9 credit card purchase, yâall.
GEN Z SOCIAL TRENDS CRASH COURSE HACK: While youâre doing all the holiday reunions and/or Zooms this year and run out of things to talk about, ask your niece and nephews who their favorite TikTok, YouTube, and streaming gamers are to follow. Ask them to text you their favorites or watch some together. Donât judge. Donât play the âIâm oldâ card, either. Just ask questions and learn. And if you can, play Among Us, Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, or whatever theyâre interested in with them. Spending time with young people and genuinely showing interest in what they care about is both the right thing to do and also will help you better understand and be prepared for emerging trends in 2022. Double bonus!
Thatâs it! Binge a show! Read a book! Play a game! Take a nap! Donât pressure yourself to drive a ton of progress during some of your only days off during a global pandemic, okay? Youâll thank yourself in January when weâre all back at it.
đ¤ Those Good Socials


đ Holiday Reads from Social Signals This Last Year
đĽ Quick Hits
TikTok got more traffic thank freakinâ Google in 2021.
Instagram is working on bringing NFTs into the platform, which could have big consequences and opportunities for both brands and influencers.
LinkedIn launched a campaign to highlight the importance of diversity in the workplace.
TikTok is testing a new âRepostâ option to re-share TikTok clips to followers, launching a chain of delivery-only restaurants, added new tools including green screen GIFS, and is testing a desktop streaming app focused on gamers.
One in five American boys aged 13-17 support FaZe Clan, the biggest esports team in the world. No traditional sports team enjoys that level of support among this demographic.
Non-Fungible Olive Gardens launched and immediately sold out (except you can still mint unlimited breadsticks!).
Shopify is allowing merchants to mint and sell NFTs on its platform.
Intel thinks the metaverse will need a thousand-fold increase in computing capability.
A tool called Animated Drawings from Meta A.I. research brings childrenâs drawings to life. Check it out!
Word of the Week: Tetris Effect occurs when people devote so much time and attention to an activity that it begins to pattern their thoughts, mental images, and dreams.
TikTok of the Week: Are there really jobs in the metaverse?
Holiday TikTok of the Week: Silver Bells (Wake Me Up Inside)
Holiday YouTube of the Week: Stop-Motion Holiday LEGO Fireplace made of 3,000 bricks!
Holiday Website of the Week (try it out on 12/25!):
Happy holidays! See you on the internet!
Greg
If you liked this, do me a solid and smash that âLIKEâ with the little heart. And share it. TYSM đđť
Alright fine! I made my fist NFT! I didn't publish it live because the gas fees were $135 bucks!
Oh, I was expecting to hear about Kickstarter's recent announcements. Have a good holiday break!