Summary:
In "The Dangers of Cyberbullying" by Christopher Davison and Carl Stein, the issues of social media come to light. The authors address how the internet is becoming a dangerous place for children. They state that adolenence is one of the major stages in life that is most critical for development. Also they address how cyberbullying is becoming an issue in several schools across the country. Overall the authors believe that cyberbullying is a serious problem that mostly needs to be addressed and needs awareness.
Response:
I agree that the internet has become more than a source of information or communication. Because of the sudden rise of the social media frenzy, several new issues have arised. Most commonly cyberbullying for kids in school, especially seen in high school. Cyberbullying has been in the news a lot recently because of the many suicides from online bullying. I also think that it is important for people to be understanding of what victims of cyberbullying go through. The lack of face to face contact doesn't downplay the things being said.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Proposal
I will be expanding my social media essay on Ian Daly. I have chosen this essay because I feel that I wasn't broad enough, in other words, wasn't looking at the big picture. Now that I am aware of this, I feel that I can make this paper much stronger. My plan for expanding my paper is to use Ian Daly as more of reference rather than my whole essay revolved around him. When I made my paper 90% about Daly, I found myself running out of things to talk about and didn't get away from his ideas enough. I will talk about how technology overall affects people's lifestyles rather than just social media. I will also use personal experiences about my social media accounts. I will look for facts and statistics helping my claim that social media and technology change the way people live. Some key words and terms I will use to find additional research:
- virtual communication
- virtual identity
- changes in technology
- technology and children
- kids growing up around technology
- social media accounts and kids
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Teen "Haulers" Become a Fashion Force
Summary:
In "Teen 'Haulers' Become a Fashion Force" Andrea Chang writes about the new hauling phenomenon. Hauling is basically when people (mostly young teenage girls) show off their latest purchases in a video and post it on YouTube. Andrea Chang says that these videos get so popular because girls like that they can relate to the girl making the video. The girls that make these videos are usually attractive and have a bubbly personality and are relatable for other girls to watch. Yet, big brand names reach out to haulers and pay them or give them free things to endorse their product.
Response:
I'm guilty of watching these hauling videos on YouTube because honestly, I would rather hear that the product is great from peers than to see the advertisement. It is so much better to hear a review of a product (like makeup or recipes) from someone that actually uses it and you can see how they use it. I just assume that people in commercials and advertisements are paid actors so I hardly ever believe them. However, I have a hard time completely trusting the haulers as well because I know that haulers and even just YouTubers get paid to make videos. As mentioned in "Teen 'Haulers' Become a Fashion Force" big brands reach out to haulers to pay them to endorse their product, which makes me think "Are the reviews even honest"?
In "Teen 'Haulers' Become a Fashion Force" Andrea Chang writes about the new hauling phenomenon. Hauling is basically when people (mostly young teenage girls) show off their latest purchases in a video and post it on YouTube. Andrea Chang says that these videos get so popular because girls like that they can relate to the girl making the video. The girls that make these videos are usually attractive and have a bubbly personality and are relatable for other girls to watch. Yet, big brand names reach out to haulers and pay them or give them free things to endorse their product.
Response:
I'm guilty of watching these hauling videos on YouTube because honestly, I would rather hear that the product is great from peers than to see the advertisement. It is so much better to hear a review of a product (like makeup or recipes) from someone that actually uses it and you can see how they use it. I just assume that people in commercials and advertisements are paid actors so I hardly ever believe them. However, I have a hard time completely trusting the haulers as well because I know that haulers and even just YouTubers get paid to make videos. As mentioned in "Teen 'Haulers' Become a Fashion Force" big brands reach out to haulers to pay them to endorse their product, which makes me think "Are the reviews even honest"?
Sunday, October 12, 2014
The Things They Carried
Summary:
In "The Things They Carried" Tim O'Brien writes about a group of soldiers who are marching through villages. The Lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, carries letters and photographs of the girl he is in love with, Martha. In these letters she signs her name with 'love' but Lieutenant Cross knows what this really means. It does not mean that she loves him like he loves her but simply a way to sign the end of her letter.
Response:
I found this short story very interesting. Lieutenant Cross stands out to me most since he is talked about so much in this story. He is so in love with Martha even though he knows she does not love him back. He has become distracted from his duties as Lieutenant by just daydreaming about her. He fantasies about her and what he could have done. This shows that even though he is probably thousands of miles away from her, she is still the woman on his mind makes me believe that his love for Martha is real love. I find myself sympathizing Cross because of the way he is letting this love take over his thoughts and actions.
In "The Things They Carried" Tim O'Brien writes about a group of soldiers who are marching through villages. The Lieutenant, Jimmy Cross, carries letters and photographs of the girl he is in love with, Martha. In these letters she signs her name with 'love' but Lieutenant Cross knows what this really means. It does not mean that she loves him like he loves her but simply a way to sign the end of her letter.
Response:
I found this short story very interesting. Lieutenant Cross stands out to me most since he is talked about so much in this story. He is so in love with Martha even though he knows she does not love him back. He has become distracted from his duties as Lieutenant by just daydreaming about her. He fantasies about her and what he could have done. This shows that even though he is probably thousands of miles away from her, she is still the woman on his mind makes me believe that his love for Martha is real love. I find myself sympathizing Cross because of the way he is letting this love take over his thoughts and actions.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Chapter 13
Summary:
In chapter 13, Maya reveals that Mr. Freeman was the man that raped her. She felt trapped when she didn't know how to respond when the attorney asked her if there had been any times before because she didn't want to admit that there was. She ended up lying to the court and Mr. Freeman was sentenced to only one year. However, a policeman informs Momma that Mr. Freeman was kicked to death. Feeling responsible, Maya decides to only speak to Bailey.
Response:
This chapter really stuck out to me because of some of the things Maya wrote and the way it was written. I could really feel connected to Maya even though it takes place years ago and in a totally different world. I was also very moved when I read about how she felt like she forfeited her place in heaven because she felt like she did something very wrong and was going to be punished for it because the burden that it would take a person's life. Especially a little girl, is a lot to handle. And also how she felt like something bad happened when she would talk so she would give up talking. It made me think about my little sister and how horrible I would feel if she went through something like Maya did.
Summary:
In chapter 13, Maya reveals that Mr. Freeman was the man that raped her. She felt trapped when she didn't know how to respond when the attorney asked her if there had been any times before because she didn't want to admit that there was. She ended up lying to the court and Mr. Freeman was sentenced to only one year. However, a policeman informs Momma that Mr. Freeman was kicked to death. Feeling responsible, Maya decides to only speak to Bailey.
Response:
This chapter really stuck out to me because of some of the things Maya wrote and the way it was written. I could really feel connected to Maya even though it takes place years ago and in a totally different world. I was also very moved when I read about how she felt like she forfeited her place in heaven because she felt like she did something very wrong and was going to be punished for it because the burden that it would take a person's life. Especially a little girl, is a lot to handle. And also how she felt like something bad happened when she would talk so she would give up talking. It made me think about my little sister and how horrible I would feel if she went through something like Maya did.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Virtual Popularity Isn't Cool - It's Pathetic
Summary:
In "Virtual Popularity Isn't Cool - It's Pathetic" Ian Daly explains how it has become somewhat of a competition to friend as many people as possible on social media. It even goes to the extent that we feel a sense of accomplishment when we are on these sites. He also mentions how it's become a distraction from what we should really be doing such as working or socializing in person. He mentions several times how grown men will "hyperventilate over friend counts" (480) and act more like teenage girls rather than the grown men that they are. Another big point Daly makes is that once you decide to join Facebook (or any social media, for that matter) your social image will be out of your control.
Response:
Daly makes a lot of accurate points in my opinion. I agree that people get overly excited over strictly cyber friendships and a lot of people take their friend count way too seriously. People actually pay money for accounts with thousands of followers already. Also people unfollow/unfriend people they really know so that they can have more followers than following, as if following people should be frowned upon. However I disagree that you can't control your image on social media. If anything you can control it too much with filters and only uploading pictures YOU want to. People also use social media to show off what they do and where they have been. Also social media is only as much as a distraction as you make it. There are many people that have social media accounts and are not obsessed with getting 10k friends.
In "Virtual Popularity Isn't Cool - It's Pathetic" Ian Daly explains how it has become somewhat of a competition to friend as many people as possible on social media. It even goes to the extent that we feel a sense of accomplishment when we are on these sites. He also mentions how it's become a distraction from what we should really be doing such as working or socializing in person. He mentions several times how grown men will "hyperventilate over friend counts" (480) and act more like teenage girls rather than the grown men that they are. Another big point Daly makes is that once you decide to join Facebook (or any social media, for that matter) your social image will be out of your control.
Response:
Daly makes a lot of accurate points in my opinion. I agree that people get overly excited over strictly cyber friendships and a lot of people take their friend count way too seriously. People actually pay money for accounts with thousands of followers already. Also people unfollow/unfriend people they really know so that they can have more followers than following, as if following people should be frowned upon. However I disagree that you can't control your image on social media. If anything you can control it too much with filters and only uploading pictures YOU want to. People also use social media to show off what they do and where they have been. Also social media is only as much as a distraction as you make it. There are many people that have social media accounts and are not obsessed with getting 10k friends.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Masters of Desire
Summary:
In Jack Solomon's Master of Desire, he talks about how the American dream has two sides: the one where of equal opportunities for everyone and of the desire to still be superior. Solomon's example of this is if our society was a high school football game and while most of students are in the stands cheering, deep down they want to be on the field as the head quarterback or cheerleader. Solomon says that advertisers use this idea to appeal to the subconscious emotions of consumers. By looking for signs in advertisements, you can determine the target audience that advertisers are referring to. However, if advertisers are trying to appeal to a broader audience, they play onto the desire to "fit in" or "belong". They do this by using signs such as family picnics, farmyards and small-town life.
Response:
As I read this I realized how accurate Solomon's point still is today. The place where I think of this happening most is with money. As American's we have the opportunity to prosper and succeed, however, we still want to be the richest. We don't just want to make ENOUGH money to live securely, but we want to have more than enough money to buy things we don't even need. Even when it's not about money, this idea applies to life in America. Especially as a girl, growing up in an American society is a steady balance between fitting in and standing out. You want to fit in just enough to not be an outcast or be labeled as the different one. However you want to stand out just enough to be unique and be yourself.
In Jack Solomon's Master of Desire, he talks about how the American dream has two sides: the one where of equal opportunities for everyone and of the desire to still be superior. Solomon's example of this is if our society was a high school football game and while most of students are in the stands cheering, deep down they want to be on the field as the head quarterback or cheerleader. Solomon says that advertisers use this idea to appeal to the subconscious emotions of consumers. By looking for signs in advertisements, you can determine the target audience that advertisers are referring to. However, if advertisers are trying to appeal to a broader audience, they play onto the desire to "fit in" or "belong". They do this by using signs such as family picnics, farmyards and small-town life.
Response:
As I read this I realized how accurate Solomon's point still is today. The place where I think of this happening most is with money. As American's we have the opportunity to prosper and succeed, however, we still want to be the richest. We don't just want to make ENOUGH money to live securely, but we want to have more than enough money to buy things we don't even need. Even when it's not about money, this idea applies to life in America. Especially as a girl, growing up in an American society is a steady balance between fitting in and standing out. You want to fit in just enough to not be an outcast or be labeled as the different one. However you want to stand out just enough to be unique and be yourself.
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