Richard Arthur Kelo– Social Media and Service

We are all currently living in an information age. Because of the internet, we are able to tap into an almost limitless amount of information and data with very little effort. Students are able to research topics without pouring through books, adults can educated themselves on important political matters, and search engines like Google and Yahoo make it easy to filter through this vast amount of information for what we really need. What’s more, with the rise of social media, this information is being spread faster than ever before. Individuals are able to share, not only their own thoughts and feelings, but also the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of others, by simply pushing the “share” button on any article. In short, the internet and social media are powerful tools that many of our nation’s leaders are now using as platforms for sharing their opinions on science, politics, religion, the economy, and current events.

For economist and financial expert RickKelo, using online presence as social service is something that he takes very seriously. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and as such has a strong sense of nationalism and drive to be involved in and educated individuals about our country. What’s more, he also attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he received his MBA in Finance. Since receiving his MBA, he has been in the financial industry. He currently works as an Executive Recruiter for TaxScout, the largest tax professional placement service in the country.

This background is what made him realize that social media was a uniquely powerful way to share his perspective on issues relating to the United States economy and politics. However, unlike the thousands of other stuffy blogs out there on the topics, Rick Kelo’s posts are accessible to anyone, whether or not you have a background in economics or an interest in politics. He has posted straightforward articles and posts such as “The Minimum Wage Issue”, “What is the Optimal Progressive Tax?”, “Answering for the 2008 Global Economic Crash”, and “Free Market Capitalism and the Drive Towards Progress”. These posts are geared toward educating individuals on currently relevant topics in our nation’s society. At the same time, he also posts more lighthearted articles such as “Socialism and Star Wars”, in which he describes how the Empire in Star Wars is a perfect example of a socialist state.

For Rick Kelo, education is a priority and using social media is a means of educating the greatest amount of people possible on issues that he feels are important to our daily lives.