By now, the people on this list are household names in Egypt. But before they skyrocketed to Internet fame, they were just normal (well, relatively speaking) people playing around on their laptops.

1. Bassem Youssef

It is impossible to refer to Bassem Youssef as a nobody before his social media-inflicted fame – the guy is a cardiac surgeon, after all. Nevertheless, his strong opinions and idolization of Jon Stewart inspired him to start a new, controversial career away from the operating room.

What started as a few YouTube videos taped in his laundry room soon turned into El Bernameg, a post-revolution satirical Egyptian show aired by private television stations. The echo of roaring laughter spread across the Arab world during the show’s airing.

But politicians were mainly the butt of his jokes, and so El Bernameg sparked many legal issues and suffered from numerous suspensions on various channels due to recurrent accusations of diverting public opinion against ruling parties.

Over the show’s run, Bassem Youssef gained massive fame through social media, allowing him to reach millions and earning him a place among the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine in 2013.

2. Abla Fahita

Abla Fahita and her daughter Karkura started as Egyptian YouTube stars. The widowed puppet instantly became Egypt’s most beloved doll thanks to her priceless, gut-busting and witty gossip. Soon the puppet starred in a Vodafone ad and was even accused by a political activist of plotting a terrorist attack, which gained her even more popularity and exposure.

“Mayestahloushi”, Abla Fahita’s recent post-plastic surgery collaboration with the swoon-worthy Egyptian composer and Arab Idol judge Hassan El Shafei garnered more than a million views in less than a week, making it an uber popular track in clubs and weddings this summer.

Miss Piggy, you’ve got some serious competition. A new diva is in town and she is destined for stardom!

3. Sama El Masry

Despite the fact that Sama El Masry started as an aspiring actress and belly dancer, it was her satirical YouTube videos that grabbed everyone’s attention across the Internet. Her notorious videos criticizing the Muslim Brotherhood and U.S. President Barack Obama in belligerent ways went viral with millions of views.

Hate her or love her, she is the poster girl for a case of social media working its magic wand of fame.

4. Asa7be

As if we didn’t have enough social media insanity violating our minds and eyes daily from real people, a meme has taken its share of Internet fame as well.

Two IT professionals, Shady Sedky and Ahmed Abdel Aziz, started a dark humor Facebook page called “Asa7be Sarcasm Society.” Their aim was to describe the country’s political situation while adding the humor factor.

The page’s main character, “Brence Atef”, repeatedly uses his catchword “Asa7be”, which means “Hey buddy”, while sarcastically commenting on different issues. The character has gained immense popularity and the page now has more than seven million followers.

If you’re failing miserably at your job, turn your face into a meme, create a Facebook page, hire a creative writer, crack some jokes and you might just cheat your way to fame.

5. “Shut Ub Your Mouse, Obama”

Five infamous words that will be entrenched in Egyptians ears til the end of time. Mona El-Behiri, an Egyptian lady, was caught on camera expressing her anger at the political situation in Egypt. The video went viral in the Arab world.

Her unexplainable rambling attracted several news outlets and she was interviewed on talk shows, turning her into an Internet and TV sensation and celebrity.

One of her infamous quotes is “Sisi yes Sisi yes Morsy no Morsy no”, which is more self-explanatory than her previous puzzling thoughts.

6. Aliaa El Mahdy

If you haven’t heard of Aliaa El Mahdy, Egyptian feminist and Internet activist, then you have been living under a rock. Her actions have raised eyebrows on multiple occasions when she posted a series of nude pictures of herself on Twitter in a protest against Islamic extremism.

She described the photos on Facebook as “screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy”. Despite the backlash, hatred and death threats she has received, she continues to outdo herself, shocking the Arab world with her so-called liberal attitude.

It’s difficult to understand how her outrageous antics are actually helping Arab women on the ground, however people enjoy keeping up with her offensive tactics.

7. El Mowaten El Masry

Alaa El Sheikh is the brilliant man behind El Mowaten El Masry, or “The Egyptian Citizen”. He started his career as a standup comedian, but his fame skyrocketed after he launched his series of YouTube videos mimicking an immature, whining Egyptian guy.

With an alien head and a high pitched voice, each video has the citizen going through a specific ordeal and occasionally pleading with the president for solutions. One of his most comical tear-jerking works is the medical checkup video, where El Mowaten complains about the embarrassing and violating medical manhandling he received during a doctor’s visit!

8. The guy behind Omar Soliman

When former Vice President Omar Soliman addressed the nation on television to announce the resignation of President Hosny Mubarak in 2011, the only thing that everyone focused on was the seemingly angry man standing behind him.

Hilarious memes of the unknown character spread across Facebook and Twitter in a matter of days. Some say this guy was a war hero who died twice, others say the guy behind Omar Soliman was in fact Omar Soliman, while others say there was no one behind Omar Soliman – and just like that he became the most talked about meme that year.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss “9 Reasons Why You Should Follow Fifi Abdou On Instagram“!

Dina Hashish

Dina is an orthodontist with a passion for writing and blogging that surpasses the joy of straightening teeth. Her book blog “Closet nerd book club” promotes the work of young aspiring Egyptian authors. Her life’s guilty pleasure is tacky reality TV shows and the two addictions that have taken over her life are Game of Thrones and Perez Hilton.

The post How Social Media Made 8 Egyptian Nobodies Internet-Famous appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Lately, we’ve all had our eyes plastered to our phones with our fingers seamlessly fluttering away over the glistening (albeit sometimes badly scratched and cracked) screen for hours on end. Our whole lives are basically on social media, be them in the form of pictures, status updates or random tweets.

The problem with so many people turning to one fad, such as the constant, almost religious use of social media, at a time is that we get a few brilliantly bright minds who manage to ruin the whole experience for the rest of us.

You know them; the ones who come up with the most ludicrous, annoying and/or at times absurdly daft ways of using these social media platforms.

So, wanting to once and for all craft some kind of social media etiquette that thou shalt not break for the sake of the sanity and mental health of the rest of us, here’s what we came up with:

No one wants to know when you went to/what you wore to/what you did at the gym

Seriously, “Lifting at the gym #BeastModeOn” is as useless as a status update can be. Frankly, no one really cares and anyone who comments on that status with a compliment about your stamina has probably secretly cursed you in their head before doing so.

Also, refrain from the gym selfies in which you look like you just walked out of a beauty salon – no one should ever look cute at the gym; that hair of yours should be sweaty and frizzy not shiny and bouncy after a good run on the treadmill. Just saying.

Ugly food pictures are an insult to food

We get it; sometimes you order a decadent dish that’s so picturesque that it deceives you for a second into thinking it’s hotter than Channing Tatum and so you whip your smartphone out and snap and share away.

The problem with that concept is when you start posting pictures of the sloppy, half-burnt omelet you just made whilst being half-asleep at 7 am, alongside the painfully ordinary-looking yoghurt tub you just pulled out of the fridge. You, my friend, are doing food porn wrong.

Mirror selfies with messy backgrounds are, frankly, a disgrace

You heard us right; we don’t care if you look like a Calvin Klein model – if you’re posing with a room that looks like it has withstood a couple of hurricanes as your background, your selfie privileges should be seized. If you have time to perfect that winged eyeliner, you have time to make your bed.

Sharing posts like your life depends on it will probably be the death of you

Because it will backfire and one day the rest of us will hunt you down. There’s a special place in hell for people who clog up our newsfeeds with endless useless posts they thought they’d share.

No one cares if a picture of a potato gets more likes than a picture of Nicki Minaj. You don’t have to share it… multiple times. No, constantly sharing political posts that are probably inaccurate, biased and lack any verifiable sources does not make you a rebellious activist. Please apply the “sharing is caring” concept with caution on social media.

Hashtag abuse is a crime

The appropriate number of hashtags to be used in a single picture can be anywhere from none (yes, you can actually post stuff without using any hashtags – mindblowing, we know) to an absolute maximum of five. Using anywhere from six to 600+ hashtags just gives off the impression that you’re either 12 or just a really bored person with nothing better to do than come up with a bunch of irrelevant hashtags.

Hint: If your hashtags start resembling a paragraph, not a single line, you’ve veered into the hashtag abuse pitfall. Keep your hashtags concise and relevant – quality over quantity, please.

Now that we’ve vented a bit about our social media blues and pet peeves, we shall leave you to aimlessly swipe away on all your accounts. Trust us and let this article be your guide on how to avoid having your whole online existence despised by all your followers/friends.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 10 Annoying Instagram Hashtags You Need To Stop Using.

Aliaa Serry

Always having been a true appreciator of the arts, Aliaa finds herself getting lost in a book, drawing or music piece more often than not. She aims to decipher the dynamics of capitalism and the economy in hopes of linking them to her adamant feminist, humanist, and environmentalist beliefs. She’s outspoken about minority rights and will go the extra mile to make her voice heard. She’s also shamelessly sarcastic in all the right ways.

The post Your Definitive Guide for What Not to Do on Social Media appeared first on Scoop Empire.

AddThis has released its annual year-end infographic, which sums up the year in social action via social media.

They make a bold claim by linking the act of social sharing with empowerment, arguing that social media was used a tool to bring about change in certain key events.

Viral hashtags certainly helped to raise awareness about some critical issues around the world this year, from #BringBackOurGirls to #ICantBreathe, but there’s only so much digital protests can do. Did we get “our girls” back? Will decades of systemic discrimination be reversed if we break the Internet shouting into the virtual ether?

Regardless, there’s no denying the power of social media as a tool to share information and, in some cases, even organize in the streets. Take a look back at how social media fueled social action around the world this year:

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Egypt’s Most Watched YouTube Videos Of 2014 and The Middle East’s Top Google Searches In 2014.

Aprille Muscara

News and culture junkie interested in human rights, new media and politics. Former aspiring astronaut. Third Culture Kid. Don’t call her a millennial.

http://scoopempire.com

The post How Social Media Fueled Social Action In 2014 appeared first on Scoop Empire.

DISCLAIMER: This post is not meant to express my opinion on the attacks in France, it is just meant to capture my reaction to my Facebook timeline for pure entertainment purposes by relentlessly judging all the diverse Facebook statuses I have seen over the last few days (evil, I know).

1. The Staunch And Proper Believer

Their statuses go a little something like this: “I am all for freedom of speech, but not when it crosses the line and insults someone’s faith. Depicting the Prophet is wrong and those journalists got what’s coming to them.”

So basically, if you expressly go against a faith that is not yours, all bets are off, no matter where you are or what century you live in. I hope you are riding a camel back home and not a car.

2. The Apologetic Muslim

These are peace-loving, turn-the-other-cheek types. They say things like, “The journos were wrong in publishing something so offensive; they took it too far, etc… BUT this violence does not represent my religion.”

Why are you apologizing for something you have nothing to do with and putting yourself on the defensive side?

If your education and upbringing gave you a more peaceful version of religion, then you are a minority anyway and not a representative, no need to apologize. So, unless your name is “Kouachi” then I have no idea why you are hashtagging #NotInMyName.

3. The Enlightened

These are the guys saying, “Islam needs reform!” I am down with that, in the sense that all institutionalized religions need it to reconcile belief systems with 21st century life.

Thanks for pointing that out, I guess, but if you are serious about it, how is this reform going to happen? How about we talk about THAT instead! Did someone say “education”?

4. The Sisi-Maniac

They just can’t wait to point out how awesome this guy is! The Egyptian president gave a speech on much needed religious reform after New Year’s.

Why he has anything to do with the context of Charlie Hebdo and why stations like Fox News are picking this up as some heroic effort, I still don’t get (“OMG! He is clairvoyant! *swoon*”).

So your “Egypt had it right all along” attitude really misses the mark on this one. Because, guess what? If you disagree with his definition of “reform”, let us see how free your speech and belief will be. (Also, seriously, NEVER use Fox News to prove a point, jeez!).

5. The #JeSuisCharlie Wave Rider

Really? Are you? I get the solidarity part, I really do. We have had our fair share of mourning here in the country and the region. But unless you have any relation to this incident, like let’s say you are a French citizen, you are living in France, you are a journalist, you are a satirist, you were attacked or at risk – or, at minimum, you exercise and revere freedom of speech, hashtagging #JeSuisCharlie does not make you a citizen of the world.

So how come “#tu n’es pas” one of the many journalists detained here in Egypt?! Had you ever even heard of Charlie Hebdo before this incident?! Do you even like satire?!

6. The #JeSuis[insert Arab country of choice here] Fighters

I am all for bringing proxy wars waged in the Middle East up whenever possible, to raise awareness. But I am not sure “JeSuisIraq” really belongs here.

Thanks for pointing out The White Man’s Burden and that there are other more life-threatening serious conflicts going on and lives being lost out there, every single day. But truthfully, the audience you are reaching on Facebook probably already knows that.

7. The “Did you see what happened in Nigeria” Champions

Thank you for adding some variety to my news feed. Agreed, super important as well. But let’s face it, we know why mainstream media ain’t picking up this story in a frenzy…

Did anyone at the Golden Globes wear a pin saying, “Je suis Nigeria”? Nope.

P.S. #JeSuisCapableOfMultitaskingAndReadingToo

8. The Conspiracy Theorist

I love you, because you are the funnest person on my timeline right now! Videos circulating on the shooting, the suicide of the police investigator, Israel did it, the CIA did it… juicy stuff.

Part of me wants to be rational and say this happened, for whatever reason, regardless of the instigator. We may not like the aftermath, but these people are dead, their families and loved ones are in mourning; this did happen and the dust has not settled yet. So… too soon?

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 12 Reactions to Charlie Hebdo by Arab Comic Artists.

Nahed Kazziha

Nahed Kazziha has a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Political Science with a specialization in Public International Law from the American University in Cairo.

The post 8 Types of People on My Facebook Feed Right Now appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Did you know that the average person spends four years of their life on their cell phone?

In this thought-provoking video, Prince Ea confronts our digital addictions and reminds us that the more we equate “connection” with Internet speed, the more we lose our humanity.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 10 Resolutions for the Digital Age that Help You Get a Real Life and Excited about the New iPhone? Watch this Video…

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The post Viral Visual: Can We Auto-Correct Humanity? appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Katie Morse, VP Social Media at Nielsen in New York is one of the keynote speakers at the Marketing Kingdom Amman, Jordan’s first ever global marketing event, taking place from May 10-11, 2015 in Amman.

With less than a month to go to the event, we sat down with Katie to discuss her views on social media and measurement, as well as her expectations from the event.

You have recently moved from Billboard to Nielsen. How different was managing social media at Billboard compared to your current job at Nielsen?

Very different in parts, and very similar in others! For example, Billboard’s goal for every social media post was to drive traffic back to the website. Nielsen is a much more complex and diverse organization, and as such we have more than one goal for our social media program and activities.

As an example, Billboard and Nielsen publish to each platform very differently in terms of post frequency — when I left Billboard the company was posting about 70 times per day to Twitter alone.

Social media is on everyone’s mind. What do you think is the secret to being successful in social media?

There is no single secret to social media success; however, companies who understand their audience and utilize best practices for each platform have a greater chance of being successful over the long-term.

What are some of the mistakes that companies make on social media and how can they avoid making them?

Two big mistakes I see companies make are not following the norms of each platform (best practices), and not listening to their audience. I urge every company to dig into the data provided by each social platform they maintain accounts on and use that data to inform their strategies and tactics for each platform so that their messages reach and resonate with the right people, leading to reactions that help companies achieve their goals.

Measurement in social media has been a hot topic recently. What do you think is the key to measuring the success of your social media activities? Is it just “likes” that matter?

The key to measuring success in social media is to tie back your data points and reporting practices to your company goals. For example, if your goal is to drive traffic to your website, increasing the people following your account or likes is a great start, but you should also measure that metric alongside engagement metrics and clicks to make sure that as your audience grows, they’re still engaging with your account and not ignoring you in their newsfeed, as well as achieving your goal of clicking on your posts to visit your site. Likes are an empty metric without context!

What is the best way to deal with negative comments on social media?

There is no single best way to deal with negative comments and brand detractors. However, every company should have an engagement strategy in place that details how to handle frequency and anticipated engagement opportunities, and this strategy should be approved by the appropriate people in your organization (e.g. marketing, communications, PR, legal, customer service, sales, business development).

What is your advice for senior executives who still do not believe in the power of social media?

Spend time with a member of Generation Z or a younger Millennial! Ask them to show you how they find out information about products and services they’re interested in buying. Ask them how they contact companies they currently do business with for customer service issues. Ask them what brands they’re fans of and how they stay up to date with regards to news from and about that brand.

You have spoken at two Marketing Kingdom events. What are your expectations from the Marketing Kingdom Amman?

A fantastic lineup of speakers, an engaged audience who aren’t shy about asking questions during presentations and panels, and a wonderful first experience in Amman!

The Marketing Kingdom Amman, taking place from 10-11 May 2015, features exclusive presentations on the latest trends in marketing by marketing gurus from Twitter, Lego, Google and Yahoo!

For pricing and ticket information for the Marketing Kingdom Amman please visit www.thepworld.com.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Q&A: Colleen Harris, PR Guru to the Royals.

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The post ‘There Is No Single Secret To Social Media Success’ appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Twitter at the Marketing Kingdom Amman

Kosta Petrov, CEO of P World and Event Director for the Marketing Kingdom, has just announced that the Egyptian edition of the Marketing Kingdom, one of the world’s fastest-growing marketing events, will take place from Oct. 25-26, 2015 in Cairo.

“After the phenomenal success of the Marketing Kingdom in 10 countries around the world, we are currently working very hard with our local and international partners to deliver a top-notch event that will focus on the latest trends and challenges in the global marketing world”, he said.

Marketing Kingdom Cairo will include interactive presentations on social media marketing, content management and Facebook marketing by Yahoo!, Shazam, Google, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Leo Burnet, Facebook and hopefully, Twitter.

The first edition of the Marketing Kingdom was held in Croatia in March 2012. Since then, the event has been held 15 times in 10 different countries, including Qatar and Azerbaijan. Most recently, the event was held from May 10-11, 2015 in Amman, Jordan and featured presentations by Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo!

For more information about the Marketing Kingdom Cairo, you can visit the event’s official website.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 9 Misconceptions Marketeers Have About Influencers.

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The post The Marketing Kingdom Is Coming To Egypt appeared first on Scoop Empire.

The biggest event for social media stakeholders in Egypt is back this weekend, Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 at the GrEEK Campus in downtown Cairo.

Social Media Summit Egypt, in conjunction with Mashable Social Media Day, features an impressive speakers lineup of practitioners, influencers and experts in the field who, combined, post to hundreds of millions of direct fans and followers.

With case studies, workshops, talks, panel discussions, a job fair, an exhibition and entertainment, the two-day summit is packed with ample distractions for the fleeting attention spans of our digital generation. We can’t wait to follow the flood of #SMDayEgypt posts that’s sure to come on all social platforms.

You must register for the event at smdayegypt.com. After receiving the confirmation e-mail and code, you can purchase tickets online or from the GrEEK Campus in Wust El Balad, The District in Maadi, AlMaqarr in Heliopolis, 302Labs in Nasr City, Qafeer Labs in 6 October, Chefchaoun in Dokki, Alef Bookstores in Cairo and Alexandria and GROOT Workspace in Mansoura.

WE SAID THIS: Check out the Facebook event page here for more info on speakers and schedule!

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The post Social Media Summit Egypt 2015 at the GrEEK Campus in Cairo appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Last night, Snap Chat live streemed snaps from Muslims in Makkah participating in the Ramadan rituals of one of the holiest nights for Muslims: Laylet El Kadr.

While Islam has been viewed as a religion of terrorism, violence and extremists, the entire world got to see a different version of Islam through the beautiful snaps played out during the entire day.

As a Muslim, it is overwhelming to see the world react to the Muslims performing tawaf and praying together in unity and seeing our religion for how beautiful and peaceful it really is.

From people wanting to convert to Islam, to the whole world realizing there’s more to Muslims than terrorism, here are some of the tweets in response to #Mecca_Live:

Finally something beautiful representing the pure hearts of Muslims from all around the world gathered in The Holy Mosque #mecca_live

— Joweil (@JoJo_JHI) July 14, 2015

#Mecca_Live is many American’s first time experiencing Islam first hand instead of hearing Islamophobic lies told by the media & government. — ️ (@mxdkays) July 14, 2015

This is so beautiful ! I’m so in love ! #mecca_live #Islam pic.twitter.com/0cvF2FwRS5

— sain (@Sain_5H) July 13, 2015

Terrorism is not Islam #mecca_live pic.twitter.com/As1EcdZN8u — عزيز ميرزا (@A23M_) July 14, 2015

Can you tell who is rich and who is poor? “Allah is One and likes Unity.” (Muslim). #mecca_live pic.twitter.com/j8F1mwXtMl

— Adnan Ali ➊➋➌ (@adnan04ar01) July 14, 2015

#mecca_live is a beautiful look at an example of people coming together, really want to learn more about Islam, not the Islam we see in news — Will Cook (@Wjfcook) July 13, 2015

Sometimes social media clarifies what traditional media has been trying to sabotage for years! Thank you #mecca_live pic.twitter.com/ly7n7Z8mzR

— أميرة الطويل (@AmeerahAltaweeL) July 14, 2015

As a Muslim, this makes me happy :’) #mecca_live pic.twitter.com/ivH8FyFAE8 — Anis Ashaari (@AnisAshaari) July 14, 2015

I’m so proud to be a Muslim seeing the reactions make me cry. Terrorism is not Islam #mecca_live pic.twitter.com/A80cEJcnSy

— Adnan Ali ➊➋➌ (@adnan04ar01) July 14, 2015

I’m not muslim but seeing #mecca_live made me think twice.Its beautiful People have really changed my perspective of islam — Jacqueline Saleh (@Prince10Roxana) July 14, 2015

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Photos to Remind You How Beautiful Makkah Is.

Nada Kabil

A kid at heart, Nada Kabil finds herself a little in all forms of art. As a kid her main dream was to be a writer. She studied product design and finds herself attracted to anything she can unleash her creativity in and express herself, be it, art, design or writing. Making her laugh or putting her up to a challenge is just one of the many ways of making her day.

The post #Mecca_Live Shows the World the Peacefulness of Islam appeared first on Scoop Empire.

I was the biggest and most obnoxious bully in my college years. I hated where I was so I took out my anger on everyone around me and I thank God daily for getting a grip years and hundreds of enemies later.

Thankfully, it takes a bully to spot all the vile ones on social media. I have come across thousands of posts of people making fun of others, embarrassing and humiliating them just for a two-second laugh.

If a public figure decides to marry a much younger woman, he goes from being a proud groom into a disgusting meme. Why people think it is okay to turn someone’s wedding into an embarrassing nightmare is beyond me. I don’t think they realize how emotionally damaging their sense of humour is.

If a bride, who can’t afford to get her makeup done somewhere fancy, ends up looking eccentric, people actually have the audacity to share her personal photo and make fun of her in front of the world. Word of advice: We all have different tastes, and one day either me or someone else will come across your wedding makeup photo shoot, think you look like shit and share it on social media or even write an article about it. How does karma feel?

If a family appears on a beach in Sahel, dressed differently than everyone else, owners at the resort immediately assume they are outsiders and share their personal photos on the karya’s Facebook group, expressing their disgust. Note that the family did nothing to annoy anyone, they just looked different. I’d like to remind those owners that they are all in that karya because they couldn’t afford Hacienda White. See, you are not so special after all.

Yet the thing that got to me most was when a Cairene fashion designer decided to look different. Now let’s face it, we are a mainstream country, most of us are afraid of setting trends because of the “I can’t accept different” backlash and this young man is a perfect depiction of everything that is wrong with Egypt’s social media.

He is not even in his mid-twenties and he is the most unique artist in the country. When I was his age, I was a lost soul with no aim, purpose, personality or sense of style. Now I can only imagine if at that time I was a public figure and everyone thought he/she had the right to hurt me because I was fearless and decided to express myself in a mundane country where everyone looks the same.

The types of comments an Egyptian fashion designer gets on a regular basis.

I salute everyone who is trying to kill such a bright soul and turn him into another polo T-shirt wearing robot; this is exactly what is missing in Egypt. How does his pants, haircut or sexual orientation affect you in any way?

Bullies of the world, I am one of your kind and I know somewhere in the dark pits of your soul you hate your life – that is, if you have one – so you are trying to make everyone around you feel awful about themselves.

Stop judging and hurting others. No one is perfect and, if someone is, by all means it is not you.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Egypt’s Bullying Problem.

Dina Hashish

Dina is an orthodontist with a passion for writing and blogging that surpasses the joy of straightening teeth. Her book blog “Closet nerd book club” promotes the work of young aspiring Egyptian authors. Her life’s guilty pleasure is tacky reality TV shows and the two addictions that have taken over her life are Game of Thrones and Perez Hilton.

The post Can We All Stop Bullying and Making Fun of Each Other on Facebook?! appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Handling social media accounts can be very tricky. You might think it is all photo posting with good captions, hashtags and doing nothing all day, yet you never see the graphic design proposals, the angry clients, the followers’ harsh comments and the ridiculous questions you never have answers to.

Rest assured social media account executives, there is a genius in town and all you need to do is watch and learn what social media is all about. The Durex Egypt For Him Facebook page is pure entertainment for everyone, whether you’re interested in Durex products or not. The page admin has the wittiest, naughtiest and most hilarious comebacks that are just too perfect for marketing sex-related products.

Needless to say, there is always someone offended about any Facebook page, but c’mon guys! What do you expect when you’re talking about condoms and lube?

Dear admin, who are you? And why are you not our best friend yet?

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Cairokee’s Amir Eid Has the Greatest Replies to Social Media Haters.

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The post The ‘Durex Egypt For Him’ Facebook Page Admin Is A Goddamn Genius appeared first on Scoop Empire.

He looked incredibly familiar. I spent half my night at Cairo Jazz Club staring at this bearded face trying to remember who the hell he was. The dimensions just seemed all wrong, I knew him as a two-dimensional flat and pixelated creature, but he just seemed so tall, angular and I don’t know how to put it, but he looked three-dimensional… and then it hit me. I knew him from Instagram because he dated that model/influencer.

That is when I realized influencers are penetrating our damn lives and we deserve to go extinct if we allow this to go on. Three years ago, I made a promise to never hurt someone verbally, but this is an emergency, our lives are in danger, we are under attack, this influencers’ invasion – I’m not being a drama queen – is fatal. Yes, you read that right, deadly. Remember that time when your shoulder felt numb while Instagramming? Yeah, that was your body telling you that that crap was too much to process, it would rather stop functioning.

Dear influencers, if you have a job that touches us in any way, then yes, you deserve to be an influencer. Musicians, athletes, artists, actors, Viners, stylists, models, make-up artists, etc. have a huge fan base and, honestly, if I want to promote a brand, I know they are the fastest method of spreading the word. However, what used to be subtle, subliminal advertising has become up-in-your-face promoting and it is turning us off from everyone we enjoy to follow.

Another Instagram repellent is the huge number of nobodies who are suddenly worshipped on social media. They do absolutely nothing but pose and, for some reason, someone on this planet thought that it was a smart move to send them free products to influence us somehow. But guess what? You are only pissing us off.

I am mortified that I spent 15 years studying medicine and still can’t afford the stuff they get for free or even take a good selfie. Influencers, I apologize for being honest and not sucking up to you, but I say this with love for our evolution as a race: It seems that everyone freaking hates you. For the love of god, when someone sends you a gift, stay away from the camera. I repeat, stay away.

Rant over.

On a side note, I have a toddler who would make the perfect baby model, if anyone is interested in baby influencers, you know where to find me. El mabade2 betetgaza2.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 9 Misconceptions Marketeers Have About Social Media Influencers.

Dina Hashish

Dina is an orthodontist with a passion for writing and blogging that surpasses the joy of straightening teeth. Her book blog “Closet nerd book club” promotes the work of young aspiring Egyptian authors. Her life’s guilty pleasure is tacky reality TV shows and the two addictions that have taken over her life are Game of Thrones and Perez Hilton.

The post Dear Influencers, I Think Almost Everyone Hates You appeared first on Scoop Empire.

The Digital Media Forum is coming back to Cairo for another highly-anticipated round of inspiration and insight from industry professionals.

Taking place on Sunday, Nov. 15 and Monday, Nov. 16 at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza, DMF Cairo features an impressive roster of speakers with insider expertise on marketing, advertising, sales and bussiness development in digital media throughout the region and around the world.

Including Yousef Tuqan, Chief Innovation Officer at Leo Burnett/Publicis Group MENA, Fahad Osman, Head of Brand Strategy at MENA Twitter and Mohamed Mourad, Managing Director of Google MEA, the full speakers list as well as tickets are available on the DMF Cairo website.

Since its inaugural event in Dubai in 2012, DMF has established itself as a must-attend event for anyone interested in the region’s ever-evolving media landscape. The forum first came to Cairo last year, gathering together industry pioneers, leaders and innovators for an informative and engaging two days.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Q&A: Chantal Rickards on Branded Content in the Middle East

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The post #DMFCairo: The Digital Media Forum Is Coming Back in November appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Following the success of the inaugural Digital Media Forum in Cairo last year, DMF is coming back in November for another round of insights from industry leaders in the country, region and around the world.

We asked DMF founder Najla Mazboudi to tell us more about what’s in store at this year’s edition:

Why did you choose this year’s theme, “Digital Trends and Technologies: Bringing the Future Closer”

The theme of DMF Cairo 2015 examines the influence of the evolving digital landscape on businesses, brands and consumers in our region, including challenges, drivers and how to adopt solutions going forward.

The last decade we have witnessed seismic changes in business, society and marketing. If this is any indication of the future, the next few years will encompass more changes than the past decade alone.

Triggered by advancements in technology and changing consumer adoption habits, the digital universe is taking a central role in every facet of our lives. What is the future of these changes and how will they impact the daily lives of consumers, brands and business in our region?

Is marketing as we know it dead? Long live the futuristic nature of digital media and technology in predicting and influencing consumer behavior to grow brands and businesses? Where is our region’s top markets from these changes and what are the impacts of such advancements?

These are just some of the topics we aim to explore in depth in the 2015 Digital Media Forum.

What are you looking forward to the most at DMF Cairo 2015?

To hear up-to-date content from some of the world’s leading specialists.

Starting with DMF Cairo 2015, we are also introducing, as part of the agenda, a new concept fitted for today’s fast-paced technology and digital media landscape: The Workshopathon.

What makes this concept unique is that some of our speakers and specialists will select one to three of the most important insights in their view and present them in bite-sized, 10-15 minute workshops that will leave the audience with clear, actionable advice.

This is DMF’s second time in Cairo, how do you think the market has changed since last year?

Advancement in technology, innovative concepts and the rise of new digital platforms.

WE SAID THIS: Check out DMF Cairo’s website for the full schedule and follow the DMF Awards Facebook page, DMF Cairo 2015 Facebook event page, Instagram and Twitter.

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The post Q&A: DMF Founder Najla Mazboudi on the Evolving Digital Landscape appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Another year of social media ranting has passed and Egyptians did not disappoint. The minute something impresses us, along come the haters to rain on our parades. It has been exceptionally difficult this year to be opinionated about anything without getting bashed by someone. As long as your neutral about everything that goes on around you, you are safe from cyber bullying. 

Here are 17 moments that offended more citizens than intended and caused vicious feuds between fellow Egyptians.

17. A GUC student got killed by one of the university’s buses and students led months of protests on campus and social media

16. Obviously the hashtag ‫#طفل معة جيشة‬‎ and the photo were inappropriate on so many levels

15. ONTV reporter Lamia Hamdeen got quite the backlash after being caught carrying her sick son during an interview. Everyone later defended the working mother 

14. When a Travel blogger decided to call Egyptians honorless c*nts, we united like never before to put him in his place

13. The Etisalat Ad mocking Vodafone’s red genie left everyone accusing the advertising agency of playing dirty, forgetting that the genie was originally Mobinil’s idea

12. #‏عشان لو جه ميتفاجئش hashtag  went viral after previous Prime Minister, Ibrahim Mahlab, witnessed the state of Egyptian hospitals and acted surprised

11. TBS released a public apology after the multiple cases of food poisoning caused by Croissant Om Ali. Although the management investigated the situation in a highly professional manner, it didn’t save them from Egyptians’ wrath

10. When the most tragic sports incident of 2015 left everyone fuming after Zamalek fans lost their lives in a stampede

9. American hashtag #lovewins became a debate on Egyptian social media after some users decided to express their support

8. Mona Iraqi aired a police raid on a bath house accusing men of homosexuality. The TV anchor might have only considered ratings, never expecting facing jail time for defamation.

7. The hashtag مصرـبتفرح# got on everyone’s nerves, as many Egyptians were not enjoying anything

6.  Veiled women started the hashtag  ‫#‏مش_من_حقك_تمنعنى‬ after multiple reports of banning hijabis from entering night clubs and beaches surfaced

5. Sa3id Tarabeek‘s marriage to a younger actress must have been the worst breach of privacy someone had to endure this year

4. Reham Saeed was just being Reham when she showed personal photos of a sexual harassment victim claiming she had it coming. Egyptian social media managed to end her career

3. It took less than a day to damage the biggest tourism supporting hashtag #Thisisegypt by linking it to everything that is wrong with the country  

2. People instantly expressed saddness and compassion for the Charlie Hebdo victims with the hashtag#Jesuischarlie, only to be criticized by everyone who wants to relate this to an Arab tragedy instead 

1. If you used the hashtag #Jesuisparis, it means you didn’t learn your social media lesson from #jesuischarlie. No status goes un-judged, so unless you are ready for the storm, don’t type.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 32 Moments in 2015 That Proved Ilavwara Is Part of Every Egyptian

Dina Hashish

Dina is an orthodontist with a passion for writing and blogging that surpasses the joy of straightening teeth. Her book blog “Closet nerd book club” promotes the work of young aspiring Egyptian authors. Her life’s guilty pleasure is tacky reality TV shows and the two addictions that have taken over her life are Game of Thrones and Perez Hilton.

The post 17 Most Offensive Social Media Moments that Left Egyptians Fuming in 2015 appeared first on Scoop Empire.

We make daily mistakes on social media that could have been avoided if we used our brains for three minutes before we start typing. Luckily, Facebook graced us with a new page كن مثل بلال where Belal teaches us the etiquettes of social media and we are loving it. Dear influencers, this one goes out to all of you.

Not every camera owner is a photographer and by the way adding a powerful caption that makes no sense doesn’t mean your deep

If you had a good meal, then it was only good for you, not me. Sharing on social media only leaves us hungry, bitter and drooling. Not to mention that we don’t care.

Car selfies with Starbucks cups give us a headache that no Starbucks or Costa coffee can get rid of

 When someone shares a photo of a mermaid with a caption, “Say sob7an Allah” — for the love of social media don’t say anything or share

Need we say more?!

Again with the so-called photographers

There is not a single post online that escapes the wrath of the always-offended folks who spend their days writing big-worded opinionated comments. Listen to Belal and take a chill pill

It’s OK if no one likes your photos, it means they are too jealous to press the thumb-up. Whatever you do, don’t resort to liking it yourself

The cat will not disappear, it’s a hoax. We repeat, the cat will not disappear

Stop scrolling, then asking us if it’s OK if you keep stalking

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 23 Times Egyptian Kermit Was Spot On.

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The post The كن مثل بلال Facebook Page Is Our New Social Media Hero appeared first on Scoop Empire.

Parents often like to reminisce about the good old days before smartphones and social media existed. They don’t need to remind us of the fact that they grew up in a social media-less world though, it’s quite evident through their use of technology. Here are a few things most Egyptian parents are guilty of.

1. Thinking that that person messaging them will actually give them a car if they send 200 LE

2. Being incapable of texting with two hands

3. Leaving pictures like these as comments on Facebook pictures. No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is, in fact, Miley Cyrus. Yes, she too is afraid of 7asad

4. Sharing jokes that stopped being funny in 2007

5. Trying to zoom in on Instagram photos and accidentally liking their child’s crush’s picture from 124 weeks ago.

6. Accidentally video chatting people while texting and not even realizing it

7. Forwarding this type of message

8. Shouting when talking on the phone with someone in another country. You know, so they can hear you properly

9. Setting a password only to forget it a few minutes later and panicking

10. Sharing things without realizing it and then claiming their accounts were hacked

11. Sending friend requests to all of their children’s friends in order to spy on them

12. Getting alarmed by fake stories and sharing them

13. Tagging their kids in the ugliest possible photos of them

14. Falling for this type of post

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 11 Things Egyptian 20-Somethings Living With Their Parents Can Relate To.

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The post 13 Reasons Why Egyptian Parents Shouldn’t Be Allowed on Social Media appeared first on Scoop Empire.

A post has been going around social media from a fake “AlMasry AlYoum” blog, claiming that a young Egyptian, Ahmed El Messiry, is the world’s youngest billionaire. Honestly, we were taken back by the post as we’ve never heard of this guy and his description perfectly fits Nassef Sawiris, so in an attempt to reach out to him for an interview, we had a very entertaining slap in the face that reminded us how manipulative and fake the Internet can be.

Guess what! The guy doesn’t exist, and the sad thing is that almost everyone we know was sharing this post. He has built a whole network of fake famous, rich businessmen, models and celebrities, where it is impossible to understand what the hell is going on and people are actually buying it.

It all looks too perfect and glamorous, until you look a little closer and your jaw hits the floor. So here’s what is on his profile:

His account started as a Justin Bieber impersonator, then suddenly changed into model Ricardo Baldin

His mother, princess Lilian Turner doesn’t exist. The only Lilian is a writer who passed away in 1956

Apparently, he is engaged to a “Joella Mustafa”, who is a fake Selena Gomez and calls him “7abibi” with a “7”, like a real ghetto Egyptian

Selena Joelle Mostafa Gomez further proves to be an impersonator as well, with her four likes per post

There are full posts online with their names reporting that they were seen together at the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar party, yet you only get a photo of Bieber and Gomez

Chantelle Haddad, a Calvin Klein model, is stalking him

Cara Devine, as in Cara Delevingne, is also one of his groupies, calling him a tottie hottie

And finally his poor Photoshop skills got him caught as he imagined a life next to crown prince of Dubai, Fazaa. It took us an hour but we managed to find the real snowboarding buddy.

WE SAID THIS: Moral of the article, Scoop Empire uncovers and brings you the truth.

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The post Fake AlMasry AlYoum Blog Reports Fictional Egyptian as World’s Youngest Billionaire appeared first on Scoop Empire.

I’m going to have to warn you, this is an over the top rant. I am angry and I am using this diary as a tool to voice my frustration and anger. I am going to sound irrational and crazy. And that’s okay with me.

What is wrong with you people? You women… you horribly judgmental mean girls. Is your life so miserable that you must spread misery and shame with every word you type on social media? Must you bring others down with an evil glare while you size them up? Are you so insecure with your role that you feel the need to constantly destroy people to build yourself up? Because I hate to break it to you, honey, it doesn’t work that way.

Your light will not shine any brighter. This is not a winner takes all kind of life. You are not a goddess. You certainly are not acting like one. If anything, your snarky rude judgments will only eat at whatever soul you have left til you’re left with nothing but a bottomless pit of frown lines and frenemies. Back off. If you do not have something supportive or useful to say, why are you commenting on a mommy post in the first place? Do not use other women’s failures as the stepping-stones towards your success.

I’ve recently joined a number of different Facebook mommy groups. Some about natural parenting, some as a place to vent… they’re quite useful and entertaining. Most of the time. Until you see a helpless mother ask a normal question about her child when all of a sudden the evil trolls of the Internet world begin sharpening their claws to rip her head off.

For example, on one of these lovely pages, a first-time mom was genuinely concerned about her relationship with her baby. She felt that her child wasn’t connected to her. It happens. It’s totally normal. Rather than comforting this already distraught mom or giving her useful tips or even better, shutting your trap, some moms felt the need to judge her parenting, making bitchy comments like, “She probably leaves her baby with the nanny all the time” and more disgusting hate like that.

Why? Why must you spew such venom? How does mommy-bashing help you grow as a human being? Did your hair grow longer when you pressed enter? Are your cheeks rosier? Did your husband love you more? Do you have a group of evil minions passing out high fives every time you shut someone down online? While your comments might make for interesting coffee talk with fellow mommies the next day, I can bet you money you lost their respect with your hateful vomit.

So there’s this new invention on the market. This rocker swingy thing that helps moms of colicky kids get shit done. The person posting the picture innocently asks other moms what they think. Rather than a simple, “Yes, it’s a good idea” or “No, I don’t like it…” the bashing began. Evil mamas began commenting with horrible words like, “What’s next? A robot that breastfeeds?*” Or other vicious questions like, “Why did you have the baby if you don’t have time to soothe your own child?” MAYBE BECAUSE I THOUGHT I COULD STILL TAKE A DAMN SHOWER?!

You people are toxic. You have issues that are so horribly taking over your minds that you no longer see straight. You have turned this world into a competition between women. You should empower your sisters, not throw obstacles in their way. Now please back away from your keyboard until you surgically remove the stick that has been shoved up your ass. Ask yourself please just how necessary your comment is before making it. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Or just think about your mama, would she be proud of you?

Oh, and your friends probably don’t like you either.

*I wish.

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Mommy Diaries: Can We All Just Stop Judging Other Moms.

Hadeel Alaini

Hadeel Alaini was born and raised in Washington, D.C. until she was abruptly thrown into the Middle East for high school. She graduated from AUC where she met her husband. She then decided to pursue her teaching career and completed her teaching certificate and masters in early education from The College of New Jersey. Hadeel continued teaching for a while until she welcomed her first baby girl Lana. Lana was shortly followed by her sister Zein. Now Hadeel spends her time going out, blogging, momming, and planning weddings for The Wedding Agency.

The post Mommy Diaries: An Open Letter to Mothers Who Act Like Horribly Judgmental Mean Girls Online appeared first on Scoop Empire.

A photo surfaced on social media of Egyptian starlets Lobna Abd ElAziz, Samiha Ayoub and Elham Shahin attending the Luxor Egyptian and European Film Festival. As usual, we can’t find it in us to leave people alone and we have to make fun of something. A Facebook user wrote a funny caption implying the three ladies have an alien-like appearance.

Honestly, I laughed my head off when I first read it. As I type, it already has 10k likes and 5k shares. But now I’m wondering why I enjoyed bullying three Egyptian cinema moguls, when clearly they are slaying it. Let’s recap all the reasons these women are bringing their game while we are sharing jokes about their looks on Facebook.

Lobna Abd ElAziz

With a career as a radio host at the age of 10 before becoming a theatre actress at The American University in Cairo and getting a Master’s in Theatre Arts and Cinematography at UCLA, this icon ended up on screen with the biggest names in Egyptian film history, from Abd ElHalim Hafez to Roshdy Abaza.

The woman we are making fun of is an 80-freakin’-year-old lady who got up, got dressed, left her house and went all the way to Luxor to attend a festival. I hardly get out of bed.

Samiha Ayoub

I can write about Egyptian actress Samiha Ayoub for hours and mention all the legends she’s worked with and her impact on young Egyptian actresses and the fact that she has a mosalsal Waheeda coming up next Ramadan. But seriously, everyone, she is 86 years and looks AMAAAAZING.

Do you understand what 86 years old means? She‘ll be 90 in four years. Show me an 86-year-old Arab woman who still has it in her to make public appearances and look this fierce. All hail Queen Samiha.

Elham Shahin

Egyptian and international award winner Elham Shahin is only one of the biggest names in the Arab cinema world. The 55-year-old actress has managed to take cinema and television by storm for almost 40 years. We can make fun of her as much as we want, but it’s clear that this working lady is ruling her reign and no one will rain on her parade.

What have you done with your life so far?

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss 14 Egytians You Should Block on Facebook in 2016.

Dina Hashish

Dina is an orthodontist with a passion for writing and blogging that surpasses the joy of straightening teeth. Her book blog “Closet nerd book club” promotes the work of young aspiring Egyptian authors. Her life’s guilty pleasure is tacky reality TV shows and the two addictions that have taken over her life are Game of Thrones and Perez Hilton.

The post These Egyptian Film Icons Are Slaying It While People Are Making Fun of Them appeared first on Scoop Empire.