Wednesday Buzz: An Association for Couch Potatoes

If you’re sick of the constant “new year, new you” mantras that bombard us all this time of year, then we have an association just for you.

A German man named Torben Bertram got so annoyed with all the fitness and self-improvement pressure in his office that he rebelled by starting the Sofa Sports Association  (opens in a new tab), “proudly geared toward the non-vegan, non-overachieving, non-career-obsessed masses,” Kirsten Grieshaber wrote for the Associated Press.

The association is small—about 25 members—but it’s made up of men, women, and even some children. The club meets in bars across Berlin for fun and games.

“Club activities include swaying back and forth, like in a beer hall; the ‘Tarzan yell’—beating your chest with your fists and yelling; and the potato chip competition, consisting of eating a plastic cup full of chips without using one’s hands—a favorite among the club’s child members,” says Grieshaber.

While the purpose of the group is all in good fun, Bertram has taken pains to formalize the association. He’s taken out accident insurance for the group and registered the club with proper financial authorities.

2018’s New Look

Shutterstock Releases New Data on 2018 Visual Trends [Infographic] 👀

What trend are you looking forward to? 🍦

via @socialmedia2day  (opens in a new tab) https://t.co/X9HewpD61U  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/FuZSKsIR6k  (opens in a new tab)

— Buffer (@buffer) January 23, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

Are your organization’s visual images keeping up with current trends?

Photography stock service Shutterstock is sharing a gorgeous infographic illustrating creative trends for 2018. The insights are based on the biggest year-over-year increases of Shutterstock download data and searches, reports Social Media Today  (opens in a new tab).

There are a few surprises in the infographic, including the rise of fantasy and mythical beast imagery, as well as outer space visuals. But some of the trends you may be able to predict, like the increased use of candy-color pastels (think millennial pink) and activism imagery.

Other Links of Note

Is your organization’s culture designed or by default? Firespring CEO Jay Wilkinson reveals how his group created its vibrant culture in a post on Beth’s Blog  (opens in a new tab).

How can you improve your SEO results? Search Engine Land shares three SEO tasks  (opens in a new tab) to perform to start 2018 in a better place.

Event technology continues its game-changing evolution. Ron Shah, CEO of event technology platform Bizly, discusses the future of event tech in Skift  (opens in a new tab).

(txking/iStock/Getty Images Plus)