Google Vision

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! 

Cyberbullying: What Can Be Done?

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.

Fitness Apps: How Helpful Are They?

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?

You decide!

A New Level of Addiction

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.

 

How Do You Read?

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. 

The #Selfie Generation

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.

If you want to read the article, click here.

Why Do We Google?

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.