Is it just me or do people not take as many pictures anymore? Sure there's Instagram, where users post photos of their food or the selfie of the day. The most common types of photos that I see on social networking sites are of groups of people who get together and smile. Don't get me wrong, I've taken many of those pictures and they always look nice! But what's the point of having a photo album where each photograph includes one person posing with everyone else at the event? Doesn't that get boring to look at? I don't think it even captures what was even happening at the event! It's just a bunch of people smiling.
My family used to be huge on picture taking. We had an entire dresser drawer in our house that was dedicated to photos of our childhood, and our parent's childhood. There would be so many days where we would sit around and take out a pile of photos to look at and reminisce in the memories. But what's special about those old photos is that most of them are funny or candid shots! They're not all stiff poses. We don't always care about taking pictures of true moments that we want to remember, we're more concerned about looking good in the picture because it will be posted online for everyone to see.
Care less about everyone doing the same pose, whether or not you're on your good side, or whether or not remembered to put your arm on your waist so it looks thinner (you know who you are). Take candid shots of everything that is happening so you remember more than what you wore that day, and you actually remember how you felt.
Whether or not you want an example, here's a candid throwback of my sister and I around 14 or so years ago.
Whether or not you are an avid news reader or watcher, it's hard not to hear about things such as the Wisconsin stabbing. Just in case you haven't used the internet in the past week, there were two 12-year old girls that stabbed their friend in the woods 19 times. Their reasoning? They were reading a website called "Creepypasta" and were convinced they would become part of the Slender Man clan if they performed this act. I'm sorry...what?
I've never heard a story like this one, about two girls so young doing something so awful and not even being sorry for it. They claim to have no sympathy! Of course their mental health is in question at this point, but what could have been so convincing on this website that they would go to such lengths? The Creepypasta website is full of strange photos, stories, and urban legends according to the BuzzFeed article, and it has a lot of information about the Slender Man. He is a modern monster that has been placed in old photos with children, and supposedly afterwords the children would disappear. Supposedly when someone encounters the Slender Man, they go crazy. As appealing as he sounds already, he also is extremely tall and thin, and he has no face. Does it sound like it was worth it yet?
There are a lot of fingers to point at the cause of this incident, the obvious one being the website where the girls found their stories. The story and website creators have commented, but their statements will mean nothing to parents who are trying to protect their children from those type of sites. Besides the website for posting such cruel information and stories that are so easily available to kids, where were these girl's parents? If there was some question of mental illness, why would they not be monitoring their access to knives? Let alone their internet use or whereabouts? Even if they didn't know the seriousness of the girls minds, they should still be paying attention to what their children are doing as a safety precaution for everyone.
It's impossible to completely stop websites like Creepypasta from existing. But it's not impossible to regulate who uses it and how much, and it's also possible to stop incidents like this one occurring. What do you think is to blame? The girls are being tried as adults, so it seems like they will be getting the punishment they deserve. But also..is it entirely their fault? All I know is I won't be seeking out Creepypasta or the Slender Man anytime soon.
I was reading through news headlines today, and I thought I'd talk about a different kind of technology; space technology. I have always been fascinated with space discoveries and searches, and I'm a huge believer that there is a lot more than we know outside of our atmosphere. I became really interested my freshman year when I took an average Astronomy class, and on the first day I was hooked by the information! Even if my teacher thought other life forms were absurd. Why do some people teach?
USA Today released information about a "mega-Earth" discovery via telescope, which is basically a planet that is double our size. Normally planets that large are gas planets, but planet Kepler is definitely solid. The planet also has much more water than Earth does, but it orbits too close to its sun in order to sustain life.
Even though they won't find life forms on this new planet, I 100% believe that our technology one day will be able to locate something. Space is absolutely enormous and it will take years and years to start reaching far enough, but I bet they are constantly working to develop new technology to do so. Even if you don't believe in "aliens", it's hard to deny all of the new planets and organisms that are being located. We owe so much to technology, and this is one of those cases where we wouldn't have come so far without it.
It figures that a few years AFTER I graduate from Naperville North, they start making music videos every year featuring the graduating class. They just came out with their latest video, featuring the song "Happy." I'm pretty jealous that I can't make an appearance in one of these, but I'm pretty proud that my alma mater is so creative! Take a look at where I spent some monumental years.
My friends and I usually talk about a wide variety of things, and somehow today we landed on the topic of sending inappropriate pictures and the ramifications of doing so. To piggyback off of my last post about SnapChat, which discussed some of the worries behind trusting an app where pictures supposedly disappear. Apparently, there is a new law that is being enforced about sending nude or sexual photographs or posting them on social media sites. If the person in the photo is under the age of 18, they can be charged with distribution of child pornography. Do you think that'll make teens think twice about posting certain pictures?
It's important to realize that teens can not only get charged with this if they post them on public or private social media sites where they have friends or followers. If the "model" in the photo sends his or her photo to a significant other and the wrong person gets a hold of it, there will be more repercussions than school-wide embarrassment. They might have to go to jail or pay a hefty fine for sending child pornography.
Whether or not this new law will help stop the sending of nude or inappropriate pictures, it's a strong step towards regulating what is being distributed over media. What do you think of these new steps? Are they in the right direction and will they make a positive difference? Or will people continue to try and send or post pictures for their various intentions? Regardless of the law, be smart about what you're sending because it could get both the sender and receiver in big trouble.
Out of all the apps on my phone, SnapChat is probably one of the few that I use the most daily. It's a fun new way of communicating with picture messaging that doesn't take five minutes to send, AND you can send weird or funny pictures and they simply "disappear." But do they really always go away forever? Do the right people always receive them?
SnapChat is intended for friends to communicate with each other, but I have gotten countless requests of users that I have no idea of their identity or how they found me. On occasion I would accept the request to see the snap they sent me, and if I didn't know them I would delete the request. But during that brief time of acceptance, it's possible that the user could access some of my personal information.
There is an entire website devoted to leaked photos from SnapChat, and they are screen shots of pictures that they were sent. It's possible to keep those pictures that we are supposed to see for three or so seconds, and once a screen shot is taken the photo is fair game. Some users don't send any incriminating photos, but many users find the app a perfect way to send nude, sexual, or illegal activity photos without worrying of them circulating. These people hold a lot of trust in who they are sending them to.
Not to mention a few months prior, there were multiple articles on how a hacker leaked millions of SnapChat accounts and phone numbers to the general public. Ultimately the creators of the app did not have much to say in response, only they would add various security measures and told the users to be more careful with what information they handed out.
I really do believe that SnapChat is a fun and clever app that helps me keep in touch with my friends in a different type of personal way. But it's also very easy to let the privacy wall down and potentially send a picture out there that will be documented somewhere. We never know where our pictures will end up or if it'll really disappear, so everyone should be careful with what they send.
I can almost assure that everyone has felt that anxiety when their phone is almost out of power. As I sit at my work desk with only 25% battery left, I have resorted to rationing my texts and apps. I decided to search if there's any other ways to save battery, and it turns out that there are multiple ways to extend your phone's life span.
A good way to start is turning of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the GPS options if they aren't necessary. When your phone is constantly searching for a network or connection, battery is wasted. A good trick to turn off everything is to switch it on airplane mode! That will also disable messaging and calls, which is something that I would personally find really beneficial. If I see a text, then I'm going to read it and respond. But if I don't know that I have any messages...no temptation to look!
I already knew that I could dim my screen brightness, but I didn't know that manually closing apps actually takes more battery power. It takes less power to leave the apps open instead of having to restart them every time we open them. There are also apps such as "Battery Saver" that clarifies what aspects of your phone use the most battery power, and how you can limit it.
I found this article on USAToday.com really beneficial, and I think I just might make it through my work shift with my phone still on. Even though this is probably classified as a #FirstWorldProblem, I know some of you will appreciate it.
It has been officially announced that the Google Glass product is now for sale in the US. I heard about this product a few months ago when I was doing research for a paper on Google. I've been very impressed with what I've heard about the glasses' abilities, and it seems like technology is reaching new heights these days. The glasses come with a hefty price of $1,500 so only a select few members of society will be sporting them this summer.
Glass has a lot more features since I've last looked at the product site, here. The product is designed with a lot of similar features that a smartphone could provide, without having to carry the phone with you while you go on adventures. The glasses are designed to help navigate, aid in sports, send messages, complete searching, and my personal favorite feature; photo and video capture. I think it'd be fascinating to be doing some sort of action, and be able to video tape what I am seeing and from my sight lines. Haven't you ever had those moments where you are witnessing something so beautiful that you wish you could store it away so you'd be able to see it later? Now we can. But of course it costs $1,500.
Once the product is past it's "Exploration" phase and they have gotten enough consumer feedback, I can only imagine that the price will lower and we will start seeing these glasses in various establishments. Glasses with the abilities of the internet have the power to change the way surgeons operate, scientists study, and how we explore the world around us. Is such power a good thing though? With such capabilities, the glasses will undoubtedly be used to steal card numbers, cheat on exams, etc. Hopefully they are considering the possibilities of how to negatively use the glasses are being considered. In the mean time, I sure hope I can get my hands on one of these to test them out!
As I've recently discovered, the Amanda Todd story is not one for the faint-hearted. The video above displays her story that she told, just using small white sheets of paper. There is no sound on the video, which makes the emotional story even more powerful. It is absolutely mind blowing and disturbing to realize that these types of things happen every day to children and teens in schools. This is the type of video that makes the viewer want to stand up and do something to end all types of bullying ASAP. But...do what exactly?
Many schools have adapted a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, and I think that should be implemented in every school. There could be a position in each school that approaches these types of situations and knows the warning signs to look for. Obviously teachers and school officers can intervene when a student is getting beat up or there is a fight, but what happens when the student is alone at home every night with their computer? I don't see anyone there to stop what is happening.
With the new cyber-bullying trend on social media sites, it seems almost impossible to implement something that could stop these kinds of posts. There are ways to blocks friends and posts, but the user has to be the one to do the blocking. And if they don't know how or they don't think it'll help, then the harmful messages will keep coming.
Since I am in college, it's been a while since I've been going through the public school system. But I can almost promise that a majority of schools do not have a strong education in reference to cyber-bullying. We should be hosting seminars, classes, and have speakers come into schools to make sure that students know what to do if they are being bullied. They also need to know that there are resources to go to in order to get help, especially when they feel like they have nobody else. On the college level, programs like GreenDot have become enormously popular and beneficial, and they have started to change the statistics.
It's much easier said and done, but I bet that with an issue like this one, every little bit helps. It sounds like Amanda Todd suffered those months with nobody to share her pain and fear with, so she put it on YouTube for everyone to see. Perhaps if someone had been there to tell her what to do on social media, or if she had a person she could trust at school, something would have gone differently. We can only hope that with future cases, the victim will have the knowledge to seek help. To start, we can be on the lookout and be there for those people.
If you read this entire post, consider yourself a trouper. I don't think that this can begin to cover the issues of cyber-bullying, but I hope it was at least thought-provoking.
I was surprised to discover that one of the most popular ways that people are getting in shape these days are not going to the gym; they are using the MyFitnessPal application for smartphones. The app does everything from count the number of steps that the person takes while holding the phone to tracking every meal. Who needs a personal trainer when your phone is telling you what you can and can't eat?
According to the CEO of the app Mike Lee, the average user loses around 10 pounds in 30 days. Most people can't get those types of results that easily from a variety of diets and workout programs. What's the secret?? Apparently people often snack when they are bored or emotional, and they are not even hungry. We also often eat the entire portion size that we are given at restaurants instead of stopping when we are full. I think that this app can be really effective, and I know personally I like to keep track of the duration and distance when I run. Although the dynamic app can create a health-conscious attitude, it can also aid to the obsession with weight loss. Every time that I eat, I don't want to have to count every single calorie and "worry about getting fat" if I go over my limit. I also know plenty of people that already know they wouldn't be honest with themselves on the app, and they would lie about what they ate. How beneficial.
I did cave and download the MyFitnessPal app, but I have yet to actually take the time to use it. It doesn't mean I don't care about my health and fitness, but I also want to continue appreciating my body and allowing myself to indulge once in a while.
Even though it doesn't feel like it in Chicago, bathing suit season is approaching. Is it time to download your fitness app? Or is this your new favorite eCard?
Emma Stein wrote an article titled "Social Media Dependency Has Become a Mental Health Issue", and I have such a variety of emotions after reading it. Considering I don't live under a rock, I am very aware of the rapidly growing addiction to social media. Little did I know that "those who interact via social media on a daily basis are five times likelier to use tobacco, three times likelier to use alcohol, and twice as likely to use marijuana." That statement is astonishing! I clearly have underestimated the power of scrolling through photos.
Yes, I am a social media addict. You shouldn't be surprised. But how did this happen? I wonder how often I have been influenced because of something that I saw was posted by a friend. Social media networks were intended to keep contact with friends from our past and present, and to make more connections that otherwise wouldn't have been possible. And now it's becoming the source of ideas for young people to try drugs and alcohol? I don't doubt that these people wouldn't run into the idea another way, if not a different source of media. But do people post pictures while drinking or doing drugs in order to glorify the actions? There is also the point that Facebook now reaches a very young audience, and if these impressionable minds didn't have access to the photos of people they know doing drugs- would they be as inclined to try it themselves?
The article covered many more points about the dependency on social media, and how it has proved to be detrimental to the mind. Interested in reading? Click here.
Our millennial generation is already known for not reading books for pleasure as frequently as previous generations. My parents were avid readers when I grew up, so reading became a natural hobby for my sister and I. I know from experience that many of my peers despise reading novels for enjoyment, and I can't begin to tell them what they're missing. But with the internet now...who needs books?
I think we do. Even though information on the internet is a lot cheaper and faster to obtain, there is something special about cracking open a new book with a new adventure to lose your mind in. I'm not totally old school though, and I do use an Amazon Kindle more often than buying new books at the store. It's more portable, costs less, and doesn't crowd my shelves. Some people refuse to use electronic forms of reading books, but I find it extremely convenient. I wouldn't want to stare at my iPad for hours on end, and the Kindle almost appears like a normal book page.
I think reading is a valuable hobby that should not be forgotten. Even if it has to be done on an electronic device.
I recently read an article on ABC News about the new "selfie" obsession, which is very prevalent on social media these days. A day doesn't go by where multiple selfies pop up on my News Feed, and people are constantly taking photos of themselves. Whether it is for social media, personal messages, or for the Snapchat app, the users take multiple pictures until they are satisfied with their hair, makeup, pose, etc. The ABC article gives multiple examples of phone applications where people can even airbrush their bodies to look "perfect." What happens when people encounter the person instead of the picture; aren't they afraid of looking different or not measuring up?
Why are we so obsessed with selfies? Do we like the affirmation we get from the number of likes or comments? I think attention definitely is a contributing factor, and people feel like they are connected or admired by others if their pictures are acknowledged. Who doesn't want to be noticed? But it should be known that there are many other ways to get noticed by others, and Instagram photos don't have to fit the model form. There are so many different types of beauty to appreciate, and selfies without makeup should not be such a rarity.
This article opens up the discussion about editing advertisements or magazine photos of celebrities as well, but it comes down to how women are perceived through media and how the standard has become unattainable. This post won't be my first on the topic, but this article shined some light on our generations priorities.
Google is one of the most powerful media conglomerates of our time, and I am guilty of using the search engine over ten times a day. In my opinion, there are many factors that make Google superior to its competitors like Bing or Yahoo. Long ago I downloaded Google Chrome because I thought that Internet Explorer was too slow in loading every page, and we look for speed in our quality technology. I also thought that Explorer was too cluttered with the tool bars and various pop up windows. I attempted to open Explorer while writing this in order to look at an example, and it failed in loading and proceed to shut down. My point exactly.
Chrome also allows for the user to personalize the background of the web page, so we can choose how it looks. I have definitely taken advantage of this feature, and it adds to the overall look of the browser that each user can make their own. Bookmarks are listed right under the URL tab, and the browser itself is not overcrowded. Firefox never loaded any applications or pages for me...so it was never in consideration.
Clearly I'm a Google advocate. But the company has many different properties with YouTube, Gmail, Google+, Google Docs, etc. I have used all of those apps, and millions of other people have as well. Does that mean we are addicted to Google? Not necessarily. I said earlier that I use Google over ten times a day, but they were for various reasons. I Google to find restaurant hours and phone numbers, ingredients in food products since I have an allergy, the lyrics to a particular song, etc. Google can be used as a translator or a calculator, and it can be used to find breaking news or book previews. It has become such an incredible resource, and when people don't know an answer to something it is a quick and reliable with credible sources.
If people didn't have Google or internet, they would have to search books or newspapers for their answers, which is takes much more time. Books and other print materials are a wonderful source, but we often don't have the luxury of time to head to the library every time we wonder about a topic. Google gives us the information at our finger tips and allows us to be informed in the matter of seconds. It's not dangerous; it's an opportunity. If not Google, it would be another internet source that we would use consistently because we are carrying smart phones and not libraries. I think we have enough knowledge about privacy issues to make our own decisions on what we want accessible to other users. In a way Google allows for our independence on forming our own opinions and having access to information on current topics. What's wrong with wanting to know more information on a certain subject? Google urges us to be curious and ask questions, so we might as well ask them.
Brown's blogging career began in 2002, when she created her own home page at tiffanybbrown.com. This site covered design, technology, and whatever rant she felt like expressing. She later created blackfeminism.org to discuss political happenings, race, and gender as well as culturedwino.com to discuss her experiences with types of wine. Brown clearly has a variety of interests that she likes to make a public forum, all thanks to her journalism degree from American University.
Throughout the interview, I really appreciated Brown's honesty in her answers. She began to blog in order to promote herself and her interests professionally, and she was also inspired by other's blogs that discuss similar topics to her. Since I'm new to the blog world, I'm not sure how many views the average blog accumulates a day. But I was pretty impressed with Brown's numbers, as she stated that she gets around 400-600 views a day! It's not difficult to see why she gets so many views, considering her posts are more original and comedic about the black community when compared to others. I find it humorous that she wishes she didn't need a day job, because it simply takes those 8 hours away from blogging. That must be real passion in blogging!
I respect Brown's blog and its contents because it is a free forum of her opinion on current events and politics, which naturally can spark heated conversations and be controversial for some readers. But she considers all the comments that are made, and I don't know if I could state my opinions about big topics so openly. I also love that Brown is currently a web designer and has never written anything professional. It has made her writing raw and quirky, and she is able to showcase her style and personality so easily in her writing. Brown isn't afraid to talk about how she's grown throughout the years in her blog writing, and she acknowledges that her writing has improved and she now has a lot more connections. My favorite blogs are those who are strong in their opinions because they clearly write for their own enjoyment. Tiffany B. Brown is definitely one of those bloggers who is unafraid of what the readers may think about her posts. She lives for debating, and I think her blog is the perfect forum for that.
Brown may not have a lot of male readers at the moment, but her following is growing each day. One of my favorite quotes from the interview was, "Never underestimate the power of comments and community." Brown has certainly created a unique blog under her own rules and reasoning. Her blog is not one to miss! Especially if you love reading about what pisses her off and makes her ask questions.
For more information about Tiffany B. Brown, check out her blog here!
This is a new blog created by yours truly for discussions about various types of new media. This is also my very first blog, so it's pretty exciting! Our world is surrounded by media and technology, and we all cross paths with these elements every day. Why not talk about it? Also feel free to comment on any post I make, especially if you disagree. We can talk about it.
Just a few things about me, I am a junior at North Central College studying Theater, Communications, and Dance. I guess you can say I like communicating with people in a variety of ways! I am always on the run to the next rehearsal or class, but I thoroughly enjoy being busy. What is life without energy, enthusiasm, and passion? I wouldn't want to find out.
Basically if you enjoy reading and discussing media topics, this is one of those blogs that you should visit quite frequently. Let me know what you think.
