Journal Entry # 4

Mo Garcia had me wrapped around his finger, applauding and devouring every inch of enthusiasm that he bravely delivered. Oh, Mo. You’ve got me reflecting more than I can handle; roller-skating and summer salting over every minor hurdle that shadows a mountain, leaping around with a big grin at all the possibilities. I accomplished something BIG thanks to Mo. In fact, I think I may need to write him. I’ve been warped into thinking that my passion for writing should be buried because I’ll never put bread on the table and I’ll never reach my true potential. Instead, I should wear a white lab coat and be content within the confines of white walls and blood splatters. As I’ve gotten closer to graduating and entering the nursing program, I’ve felt it all become really surreal and I’ve been severely struggling with the idea that I’m betraying myself. Who I am today is a direct reflection of how I deal with my struggles and joy, and that’s shaped me into somebody who believes she can grow wings and shade the rest of the world from losing sight of their potential. I WANT to help people; whether that’s through nursing or writing, I’ve just got to leave some kind of foot print that makes others smile or think or feel. It will happen! Mo suggested that making your passion your work was ideal and spoke volumes to his happiness now. I’m just petrified I might have too many passions, and run around in too many circles and lose all time to accomplish any one thing. But, I’d really like to taste every road for at least a second, so hopefully that fills my belly up just fine. Thanks, Mo. You’ve gotten me out of this rut! I’m no longer a prisoner to the idea that there’s only one career/passion for me. I’ve got a bigger eye for better things thanks to you!

Response to "Digital Nation"

Social Networking: Weapon or Tool?

Introduction

   As I walk inside the library I remind myself to keep my feet close together and my shoulders straight. I tell myself not to look anyone directly in the eye and to make the smallest carbon footprint possible until finding my seat amongst the mass of computer users. I sit in my swivel chair that resembles a plastic bubble, shielding me from any handshakes or conversation that I may have to partake. Putting my ear buds in, I begin my first online Sociology class. I exchange LOL’s and frowny emoticons with class mates, all here to learn about the same thing; the study of humans. Isn’t that ironic? I realized that something was wrong, and that I’d been spun into the interweb so tightly, that I now found it more comfortable to learn online rather than in a physical classroom. That semester I struggled trying to balance my school work with the temptation of one button standing in the way of me and my social life. Although there’s a (extremely ironic) social stigma attached to those NOT involved with social networking, it’s not as promising as the diehard Twitter and FaceBook users believe. Over using social networking can have detrimental effects on our education and how we learn, our interactions and relationships with family and friends and most importantly, how we view and treat ourselves. I’m here to put some air back into your lenses and pry your finger tips from your keyboard and back into the hands of your friends.

Human Relationships

   Social networking cites such as Face book, Twitter and YouTube offer a more convenient way of interacting with friends and family than actually physically seeing them.  Because of this, people are less likely to grab drinks while helping to heal a friend’s broken heart or go over to their aunt’s house to bake cookies. Instead we’re able to send messages, IM’s, shoutouts, wall posts, tag people, make statuses and even video chat on Skype. So what is interaction really? Not too long ago, it meant physical interaction, and now it just means communication. A Jan. 2012 Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School study found that the percentage of people reporting less face-to-face time with family in their homes rose from 8% in 2000 to 34% in 2011(World Internet Project, Salvador). Consequently, social networking has lead to stress and offline relationship problems, with 15% of face book users claiming that the networking cite has caused them to lose a friendship. In addition, 49.5% of students have reported being victims of bullying online and 33.7% reported committing bullying behavior online (Mishna, F “Cyber Bullying Behaviors among Middle and High School Students”). With statistics like these, it’s unfathomable that people would continue to support the idea that social networking doesn’t hinder, but improves their social life. However, it’s undeniable that sites like Facebook and Twitter gives us a sense of being connected to something bigger. For some, it’s their rising friend number or booming newsfeed. After all, 52 % of students have said that these sites have improved their relationships (Mishna F). But is the new generation just confused? Are we bending and stretching the definition of human relationships too much.

Deterioration of Self

   It’s easy to get bundled up in pajamas, snack on junk food and escape into a computer screen on a Friday night.  Unfortunately, I’ve experienced first hand that this is the new norm, and the majority of my friends are becoming more and more willing to miss out on that vital and necessary interaction with others that you’re supposed to experience as a teenager. Social media can be tricky because it leads the introverted in you to believe that you’re blossoming in your relationships, making you feel better about yourself. However, it can make the most extroverted person crawl into a cave. For example, the use of social networking sites is correlated with personality and brain disorders, such as the inability to have in-person conversations, a need for instant gratification, ADHD, and self-centered personalities, as well as addictive behaviors. In addition, social networking cites lack personal privacy; so much so that the government and future job prospects can view anything you post on the internet. (Stephen Marche, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”) Although many praise these websites for giving them the opportunity to seek out jobs in the first place, it can usually turn around to bite them in the butt. Most of us absent mindedly post things we’d never want prospective employers to see. Social networking could ultimately lead to the destruction of the idea of our sacred self, and make us feel as if we’re just another sheep, wandering in the heard.

Academic Success

It’s no secret that social networking cites and the internet has made it incredibly easy to cheat on school tests and purchase or “borrow” papers from friends. Dishonesty is not only harmful to you academically but to your credibility and how you view yourself as well. In addition, students are more inclined to multitask, even if they’re not even aware that they’re doing it. A study was done on a male college student where they took an MRI of the  boy’s brain studying while listening to music and checking his face book twice every hour. Then an MRI was done where he studied without any distractions, along with two short breaks to go get some water and to walk around. The results were as expected, but a surprise to the student; he retains more information when he studies with fewer interactions (Tom Scheve, “5 Ways Science is Studying the Brain”). It is so easy to become easily distracted and wander off onto facebook or YouTube and just keep clicking on different links. Before you know it, you’ve just wasted two hours that you’ll never get back.
 

Conclusion

   I understand why social networking cites seems so enticing and fun, and I’m the first to admit that I enjoy it myself. However, I don’t want the next generation to lose sight of what it really means to interact with their family and friends, themselves and their education. It’s up to us to limit our internet usage and promote that verbally to our friends, not just over the internet. In moderation, like everything else, social networking can be an excellent tool for keeping up to date with current events and our peers. Today’s society is all about instant gratification, easy access and immediate satisfaction. So it makes since that most people are content with having more online relationships and fewer face to face ones. However, we don’t want to live in a digital nation where we lose sight of what it means to interact with others. Social Networking will be the demise to many young adult’s futures and the next generation to come. The internet can be a tool or a weapon, so use it wisely and don’t be so quick to take the easy way out.

RESOURCES:

Salvador, "Special Report: America at the Digital Turning Point," www.annenberg.usc.edu, Retrieved on 2/10/2013

Mishna, F. "Cyber Bullying Behaviors among Middle and High School Students," American Journal of Orthopsychiatry

Marche, Stephen "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/308930/ Retrieved On 2/10/2013

 Scheve, Tom “5 Ways Science is Studying the Brain”, http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/5-ways-science-studyi

Reality TV

Journal #2

When you’re watching reality television the objective is to gain happiness through mindless fluttering images, diminishing anything from your day that jeopardizes just that. I applaud all who’ve found an outlet and have managed to escape reality. I’d rather watch a scripted life than dabble my feet reflecting on my own. Many suggest that reality television is so lacking that it’s hindering our children’s education, warping the normalicies of everyday life and painting bad images for children to come. Sure, I agree that the average American watches too much T.V., coming in at 40 hours per week, and I see how this can attribute to our staggering obesity incline. However, I don’t think reality television is the devil and I don’t think the mom’s of America need to bust out their bandanas just yet. After all, it’s our choice.

So, which reality television show do you secretly watch? We’ve all got one; with the genre spectrum seemingly applying to every age group, there’s something for everyone to watch. Reality TV was inevitable considering how much we’ve progressed in the last fifteen years. Social media, email and texting have made for a more affiant way to communicate and enjoy life. Television delivers stories and kindness, sadness and romance, kids having kids, people killing people, babies and miniature cupcakes. More importantly, it delivers a glimpse into our always changing culture and why we are the way we are today. If there wasn’t a demand for shows about teenagers getting pregnant or a want for a program about a bunch of Jersey-ites drinking and partying, then it wouldn’t be on the air. Like it or not, reality television exists because we want it to. Our own lives aren’t enough so we escape to Cape Canaveral and hop on a cruise to find our Bachelor. It’s up to you if you’d rather float around your living room, soaking up an alternative reality than your own. I don’t mind it, we’re all human and we’re all entitled to our own happiness, if it’s actually ours or not!