Alone in a big world: The phones that suck us in

 

Alone in a big world: The phones that suck us in

South by South West is an interactive conference that covers new movies and singers in Austin Texas over a two-week period of time. If you have ever gone, this event is filled with digital media, everywhere you look, there is somebody on their phone or looking at a digital screen over something a content creator has been working on. South by South West is a digital-based event, but how does this look on every other weekly basis? 

Seeing younger people, ages 8-16, in particular being so interactive on their phones or technology devices can show older generations (40-70) how much they are sucked into media. I noticed over the years how I gradually started being on my phone less and less. Coming into college, I see almost the same for my peers. I noticed it all depends on a person and the self-goals that they are achieving for themselves- on that day, or in the future. I also started paying more attention to how younger people become influenced by content creators very easily. 

Media influence 

When a child is developing, the way they talk and act is based on the influence around them. For example, a belief system is started in the roots of your own home, you believe and understand certain topics that are discussed one-sided in your family. But up until you do your own research, your understanding of certain topics is ground-based upon your own perception. 

Have you ever heard of the troll term "IPad kid"? 

An IPad kid is a child who cannot get off of their tablet, phone, or computer, regardless of what they're doing. The term sounds gross and believe me, it is. The messy tablet covered in mushed-up bananas... not appealing, right? Most of these kids grow up in a media addiction, they start talking like the influencers they follow without even realizing it because it guided the child to believe that what they do, is okay for them to do.

I have seen this firsthand with my own siblings, and I'm sure many others have seen this too because this trend has become very popular over the last couple of years. 

Influencing young audiences 

With a child being in school, they gain a sense of their own personality. They meet friends and their friends bring their own understandings to each other over certain topics and it gets passed around in a circle. With the things they are taught by their friends in school, they go home, look it up, discover, and perhaps continue to watch and learn from media sources. These trends are being passed around, but what is happening to a child's mind? 

1.  Reduced physical activity- When a child starts using their phone more and more, they become addicted and stop going outside. Mostly everything they find entertaining is online... This can later in life lead to issues regarding the child's health. 
2.  Addiction- Becoming addicted to a screen is something not only children struggle with, but adults too. If addicted, a child will potentially develop attention disorders and set unrealistic expectations for reality
3.  Development- Although screen time cannot affect a child's physical development, it can affect their mental. Having exposure to mature content or content that sets unrealistic expectations, will create a belief in how life "should" be when in reality, it is not. For example, there can be a content creator on youtube where a 25-year-old makes a skit pretending to be a child, the way they act to represent this child will give their younger audience an unrealistic way of life.   

So although media is not just affecting children, it can potentially take effect on adults as well. If you're in the business industry, you're going to see all of the technology used around you in order to gather potential profitable income for your company like advertisers, investors, etc.  So you have your phone on you the entire time... I mean this is what we see in movies right?

In reality, an adult being on their phone an overly excessive amount can be the same as why a child is on theirs. Addiction! 

So what can we do to stop this? 

Realistically, it will be hard, everything shown on our phones to us is the media we chose to interact with. The only way to break a bad habit is to learn how we can live without it!

 Leave Politics Alone

https://socialmediaandpolitics.org/

Written by: Jacob Forton 

Watching Me

    As an active social media user, I have noticed now more than ever that whenever I speak something out loud or watch specific videos, those same videos keep reappearing almost like someone is looking and listening to me on a daily basis. I know I can't be the only one who fears they are being watched, yet nothing is going to change due to my active interactions throughout many platforms to keep in touch with my friends and family while using my social media as a way to escape all my problems that I face in this crooked world. 

How I Feel 

    During my social media class these past couple of weeks, we had been discussing politics and how social media plays a role in politics vs back in the day social medias presence wasn't as developed as it is right now therefore people had to gain knowledge on who to vote for where as in times right now you can read an article off of a verified account and make your decision off of that. As I was sitting in class I often found myself becoming bored with the politics topic and I know I can't be the only one... I am aware that certain people are involved and enjoy what they like, as an athlete I love sports but I know many people that could care less about sports and athletes. Therefore, I feel as if this is the same category I fit in just in terms with politics.

     As a young adult, I have been blessed with a chance to vote 1 time in my life and if I am being honest because I am not interested in politics, my vote was based off of what my parents told me to do which really made me question how many others are influenced based off of what people say or what they see on social media. Everyone is aware that politics are important, but for someone like me I have seen differences on candidates and voting for a certain party lead to family members hatred towards one another as well as friends fighting and judging others based strictly off who they want to vote for. This is sad because at this point if i am gonna be judged or lose family because I disagree on who should be president why would I want to vote in the first place. I am just stating how I feel as life is still going to go on whether my vote wins or not. As a man that just wants to find peace in a world that's closing in on him, it seems like peace will never come and picking a side usually will lead to breaking the country apart or split into two sides because if someone is gonna judge me, how many others are being judged too. 

Social Media's Impact 

    Social media is not only a great tool for us to become noticed, but it is also a great way to get fake news too. This also doesn't help when we have presidents who now use social media to make jokes and share all of their business even getting accused of buying followers or using bots. At some point you think other countries are definitely making fun of us. 
    Because of social media's popularity, and a ton of young adults don't watch the news, we use social media to see what is going on in the world whether that is athletes or celebrities and the world around us. But what might have hurt Trump in his recent election was the posts others made about him being racist all because of how he acted on interviews. Now I don't know if that is true but see how I can be convinced all because of a post. This is how we act on social media, we see something and we automatically believe it because it is on the internet. 
    Something must change, we need to leave politics alone and hire solid government officials that have more knowledge than us citizens that are influenced by our votes. Like I said I'm just stating how I feel and I think that not everyone has to vote. I don't see it as a wasted vote because a wasted vote is one that is not educated and is influenced by family or social media and the fear of being judged. 

75-Hard

    For this week’s blog post, I wanted to cover a current trend in todays society; “75-Hard”, which is a 75-day self-improvement program created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella. The program is designed to help individuals develop mental toughness, discipline, and resilience by committing to a set of challenging daily tasks for 75 consecutive days. The program has gained popularity in recent years, with many individuals using it as a way to transform their lives and reach their goals. Although 75-Hard is more of a fitness challenge, there are facets of the challenge that relate to content in our class.  Discipline is the entire point of this challenge, and in class we talk about becoming more disciplined when it comes to our social media habits.  

    The program consists of five daily tasks that must be completed every day for 75 days. The tasks are:

• Follow a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol. This requires individuals to be disciplined and make healthy food choices consistently for 75 days.
• Exercise twice a day for 45 minutes each time. This requires individuals to be physically active and commit to a regular exercise routine.
• Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book every day. This requires individuals to commit to lifelong learning and personal development.
• Drink one gallon of water every day. This requires individuals to prioritize hydration and take care of their physical health.
• Take a progress photo every day. This requires individuals to hold themselves accountable and track their progress over the 75 days.

    The most important rule for 75-Hard is if an individual fails to complete a task, they must start all the way over, back to day 1.  The tasks may seem simple on their own, but the real challenge lies in completing them every day for 75 consecutive days. This requires a high level of commitment, discipline, and mental toughness. The program is not for everyone, as it can be physically and mentally demanding. However, for those who are willing to put in the work, it can be a life-changing experience. 

    The benefits of the 75 Hard program are numerous. First and foremost, it can help individuals develop mental toughness and resilience. By committing to a challenging set of tasks and seeing them through to completion, individuals can build confidence in their ability to overcome obstacles and push through difficult times. The program can also lead to significant physical transformation. By following a healthy diet and exercise routine for 75 days, individuals can lose weight, build muscle, and improve their overall health and fitness levels.

    In addition to the physical and mental benefits, the program can also help individuals develop a lifelong habit of personal development and self-improvement. By committing to daily reading and self-reflection, individuals can continue to grow and learn long after the 75-day program has ended. 

    However, it's important to note that the program is not without its criticisms. Some have criticized the strict and regimented nature of the program, arguing that it may lead to an unhealthy obsession with perfection and an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. Others have raised concerns about the program's focus on physical appearance and the potential for it to promote unrealistic body standards.

    Overall, the 75 Hard program can be a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation for those who are willing to commit to the challenge. However, it's important for individuals to approach the program with a balanced and healthy mindset, focusing on the benefits of personal growth and development rather than a narrow focus on physical appearance or perfection.

Online Disinhibition Phenomenon

 

With the rise, development, and use of social media in the last 50 years video games and the act of gaming has developed a significant social component along with it. From arcade games in the early 70’s, to the jump in popularity of cartridge games through to the 2000’s, and finally computer videogames in the 2010’s, video gaming has always been social. Now, with social media companies such as Twitch and TikTok, allowing content creators to stream their gaming experiences, gaming has become even closer to what many people consider a form of social media.

Here is my proof.

Are you going to argue with google? Didn’t think so.

With the integration of the internet into gaming in the early 90’s it allowed, in the beginning, people from the same neighborhoods, schools, and cities to communicate more often with each other daily than they might have without it. In addition to that in the early 2000’s companies such as Xbox and Sony integrated voice chatting services into their console systems. Because of this, players were able to communicate with each other even further and more often. This turned the social aspect of videogames into something, John Suler, would consider cyberspace communication. Meaning, people, software, networks, devices, they’re all connecting in this same space, online.

Because of this, John here:

Decided to explore the phenomenon he called Online Disinhibition Effect, which could explain why some people self-disclose, or act out more frequently or intensely online than they would in person. He states there are at least 6 factors that react and interact with each other to cause the online disinhibition effect to occur. There are two ways this effect can occur. There’s benign disinhibition, which is when someone shares personal feelings, emotions, secrets, and wishes. They show unusual acts of kindness and generosity usually going out of their way to do so.  Then there’s toxic disinhibition, where someone comes off as angry, full of hate, they use rude language, harsh criticisms and sometimes even threats. They also tend to visit and explore the darker parts of the internet. Keep in mind that these are things they would not normally do in real-life situations.

Although the six factors he explores are all interconnected and, as he states complex and ambiguous, two of them, a lot of the time, can describe why these disinhibitions occur. I’m going to try my best to describe 2 of them, and if you want to read all six of them you can check it out yourself.

Shifts Among Intrapsychic Constellations- is the factor described as unlocking true needs and emotions. For instance, a woman with unresolved anger may lash out online, she may be unapproachable in terms of online communication. When approached or addressed she may be dismissive and rude, even hostile. Or a man who is normally soft spoken and non-confrontational may come out of his shell and confess romantic feelings for someone he met online. This factor is inspired by Sigmund Freuds’ model of the mind, which states that personality structure is layered, and that true self is protected by layers or walls that people put up because of everyday social interactions. Suler believes that because people often state that they’re able to be their “true self” online that this reinforces this concept.

Dissociative Anonymity- is the factor that explains being completely anonymous online, aside from a username, and it could explain why a woman with unaddressed anger issues feels safe enough to lash out, threaten, and become hostile to those she comes in contact with online. It also could explain why a man who is normally non-confrontational may feel brave enough to confess his feelings online. Suler says that this is one of the principles that determines the disinhibition effect because when people are able to separate their online actions or personality from their in real life identity without fear of punishment or fear of being vulnerable, they self-disclose or act out.

Its 3am and this is starting to feel like a lit review and not a blog!

The 6 factors Suler explores gives some type of idea as to why toxic or benign behaviors occur online. One of his main points however, states, that although these factors have the possibility to explain a reasoning behind these behaviors that individual personalities and predispositions tend to play a more centralized part. For example, someone with a compulsive personality may be more restrained with how they behave online when faced with one factor but when faced with different factor it may slightly change or drastically change how they act in response to it.

There’s been previous research done and there’s been prior research done to explain why toxic and benign behaviors occur online, but the way Suler is looking at it explores a type of complexity in the way people communicate online and explores the types of factors personality, anonymity, and disassociation have on communicating online.

 

 

 

 

Appearances: Out With The Old, In With The New

In our world today, what matters most to everyone is appearances. This can range all the way from your country to you and the people who live on your street. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you know there is a way for you to look and a specific way for you to act. In America, appearances are enormous, and dropping how you should look and behave can be detrimental to your social life. We care about appearances so much it leads to us needing to be in control of our everyday lives down to the most minor details. We have raised a country of control freaks who need to be at the forefront of whatever they are doing. We thought this would create nationwide individualism, and instead, it has only created mass conformity. We need to be so in control of everything, which is why some guy I forgot the name of came up with the term "spreadability". He stated "virality" took away the human aspect and control that we have. How much control do we really have, though? Let's talk about it.

Viral & infectious

For starters, the book is about multiple different ways content spreads and circulates today. Before my time, a word was used to describe the phenomenon under an umbrella. This is the phrase to go "viral," which, of course, means you blew up and made it big. Commercials went viral, people went viral, and even apps and formats went viral. It was called this because whatever it was seemed to spread from person to person without much thought or effort, much like a virus. While this word can hold negative connotations, so can everything depending on the context. 

The negative connotations come from the first appearance of the word in Sci-fi, where it describes bad ideas that spread like germs. The spreading of mass hysteria or a tune stuck in your head falls under this term of being viral. But I can guarantee you no person alive except for our author cares enough. No one remembers the first appearance of the word, nor should they care. Words are words and only have the power you give them. At the end of the day, a virus is an infectious agent that needs a host to reproduce and spread. What is the transfer of media but an Infective (hopefully) agent that you want to spread from viewer to viewer? You want whatever you are selling to be as infectious as the flu, and that is a good thing!

Spreads Like Butter 

The term spreadability is like the little brother to virality. It's the angel child because it still cares about what its parents think, and therefore he can do no wrong. To our authors, it is a more palatable term for them, and they see it as more markable. It is the new term to describe increasingly popular media and pop culture circulation forms. Critics of this say, however, "spreadability, spreadable, or spread" are not suitable placeholders for terms like virality. You spread condiments, sauces, and cheese on a board, but how much of Media do we actually "spread"?

Some view spreadability as a more correct term to describe what stickiness is. In contrast, stickiness is the measurement of how many people view your media, how long they view it for and did they subscribe or add anything meaningful? Where spreadability does not care too much for the little things but rather how many people they are connected to. So they would measure instead how frequently and how far our media is reaching. This emphasizes user content and the creativity put into it. You ensure your content is unique and malleable to ensure whatever you make can circulate to various audiences and even have different purposes.

Not The Same

To me, it does not sound like spreadability should completely take over and be the new term when referring to virality or even in terms of stickiness. The author compared spreadability to these two terms, and I think that is where he is incorrect and loses me. These terms seem to talk about three different ideas; therefore, they all have room to exist just in their perspective realms where they are relevant to their conversation. Let me explain how I see it.

In The End

The term stickiness is our odd man out. Has nothing to do with the direct transferring of media. Instead, it has to deal with how impactful the media is. If it is a good newsletter, then people will subscribe. If it is a great game, then you will stay on the website for hours. 

Virality has to do with the almost unconscious transferring of media done by VIEWERS, at least in my eyes. I send my friends things all the time without thinking because those are my friends, and I laugh, so I have an 85% chance of transmitting this and getting a laugh back. But virality can also be used by content creators. They all hope that their creation will be viral among their viewers. Which ties back into stickiness. They work together but are not the same.

Lastly, we have the term spreadability, which I view as a term you can really only use towards content creators. How spreadable is their media with the work they put forth? Can a person on TikTok spread this info to Twitter and get the same laugh? Can the media be held in two different rooms and get the same attention? 

Spreadability is for the creator of the content, virality is for the viewer who receives it, and stickiness is for who that viewer sends it to and how impactful it has become. See, they all can coexist and aid one another, but none of these terms can replace the others.  

Did Covid change our Screentimes?

https://www.cloudcommunications.com/zoom-named-a-leader-in-the-2022-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-ucaas-worldwide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=zoom-named-a-leader-in-the-2022-gartner-magic-quadrant-for-ucaas-worldwide

Think back three years ago to the day. Where were you? How did you feel? What did the future hold for you? In a “normal” world and on a “normal” date, you’d probably have zero clue what I’m talking about, but the date being March 13, 2023, three years since the first Covid lockdown, changes everything. In that moment the world felt like it was ending, no more School, no more sports, no more work, and no more true interactions. Life was lived through Zoom, FaceTime, Google Classroom and E-Backpack reminders. The majority of people, at least in my hometown, hated this “living through a screen” idea, but was it really much different than the interactions we chose to have before, or were we just forced to open our eyes to the reality that we already lived on a screen?

When school was cancelled I was a sophomore in high school, March 12 I tried out for the varsity cheer team, waited for my mom to come pick me up, and for spring break to get started because I was SO tired of being at school every day and I needed break that all students longed for and deserved. The next morning I woke up, went with my family to Schlitterbahn without a care in the world, went to my best friends house for a few hours and then got the phone call that school would be out until April 1st, but they wanted us to try to do school on some app called Zoom. I remember thinking that I’d never be able to learn that way, I’d never see my friends again and I’d be stuck inside forever, but then a few weeks in I realized how is this any different than learning from Tim & Moby videos? Or Bill Nye? Or CrashCourse? How is being on Zoom any different than a big FaceTime call with friends if you try to make it fun? With that changed mindset the world kind of started to feel normal again, I prioritized making game nights with my friends via zoom where we would play CardsAgainstQuarantine, UNOnline, Clue and any other card/board game we could find in a shareable link, then we would get on a Zoom call and play for hours and hours every Friday night. All the sudden this sad online world that I hated became some of my fondest memories and quarantine didn’t make me feel so far away.

So when I look back three years ago, I still feel the fear and anxiety of the world coming to an end, I think about all the people who lost their lives, jobs, homes, and friends, I think about how different my life would be if Covid never came to the US, but I also think about how lucky I am that the virus didn’t hurt anyone in my family, how grateful I am for modern technology for keeping me close to my friends and family, even when physically we were miles apart, and how I can look back now and see how through all of the negatives, life still had a sense of normalcy.

What's Not To Fear

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My Life

Growing up black in America automatically means you are forced to grow up with a double consciousness. Are you African? Are you from America? Are you both? What does that mean? There are many different answers and responses depending on who you ask. If you ask me, the answers would be as follows: Yes and proud of it, yeah, by a technicality, duh, and unfortunately, it means a whole lot of shitty things. 

To be African American means for the past four hundred years, your life has been a political spectacle from enslavement, to jim crow, to segregation, to police brutality. The lives and history of my people have been on ballots since America has been a democracy. I feel it is in my very nature to speak out against injustice. To do my civic duty to vote and concern myself with the politics of my country. Someone years ago did this so I could have the freedoms I do today. This, to me, is the reason I take politics so seriously, and everyone else should as well. It's about time we all got political. It is about time we vote.

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The Problem

The election of Trump vs. Biden was monumental in the fact that voter turnout had reached what it had not reached in decades, with a voter turnout of 158.4 million, which is pretty good. Yet we still sore behind thirty other democracies. That number is only a voter rate turnout of 62.8%. So why are people not voting? Even the U.K. ranked below America. Why are the A-1 democracies doing so poorly in voter turnout? Why are we, as a nation trailing behind Uruguay? Let's look at a social reason and 

What The Kids Are Saying

Nowadays, people are scared to talk about politics in public for fear that it will lead to an argument or that someone will be uncomfortable. I say to heck with that. I was raised in a household where politics and talking over dinner were one and the same. Any important news of the day was discussed among everyone as bread was broken, and green beans were passed. That is how it should be. It is the duty of your parents to introduce you to such topics so you can go out into the world. Instead, you have parents alike telling young adults that they know nothing. So then they believe they really don't know anything. 

But politics is not just about knowing things. It is about standing up and doing what your ancestors would have wanted from you. If you are in America, it means someone hundreds of years ago hated your ancestors enough to commit genocide against them or some severe form of oppression. So your ancestors most likely fled in hopes of a better life. While some of us got there sooner than others, and we are still fighting in parts, we are a country where everyone is "equal" (eh). At Least we can all vote, and that is what I am getting at. Someone in this country years ago made a stand and risked their life so you could have the right to vote. So go out and vote. Use that power. 

What Studies Say

Most researchers say the reason voter turnout for the 2020 election was so high was due to the method of voting. Due to the pandemic, people were able to vote in untraditional ways that we were not used to. Some states had "rolled back early voting, absentee or mail-in voting, and other rule changes that made voting easier in 2020". Well, getting a good grasp of voter turnout is tricky. These extra pushes should have led to a bigger turnout for the country that is literally the face of democracy. And after the pandemic, a lot of Americans felt like they had to vote. Many people were now seeing their lives directly affected by policies and wanted to see some change. 

Other countries with good turnouts have laws that make voting compulsory. If you have that in a free democracy, then are you really a free democracy? Is there an extent or limit? We, as Americans, genuinely love our freedom, but when is enough enough? When is it acceptable to start to direct our people to make this a better country? I am not saying we send people to jail, but we could do phone calls or home visits. After multiple offenses, we could start to fine people. There is no good excuse to not participate in the democracy of your country. Four out of the five countries with the highest voter turnout implement this. Researchers see this as a great idea. We are out of options, and the American people have no serious reason as to why they do not vote except for the fact they are American and lazy. We have choices in this country. You need to pay more attention. 

Works cited

DeSilver, Drew. “Turnout in U.S. Has Soared in Recent Elections but by Some Measures Still Trails That of Many Other Countries.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 15 Dec. 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/11/01/turnout-in-u-s-has-soared-in-recent-elections-but-by-some-measures-still-trails-that-of-many-other-countries/.

Is It Dominant?

 

    

        Cultural Practices 

    Cultural practices are a little bit different when it comes to social media because it can be broken up into four different sections. According to Jenkins in "spreadable media" the four sections are emergent, dominant, residual, and archaic. I believe that items or entertainment in todays world can be put into these sections easier than before with the use of social media. Before social media it was hard to track what the trend was or what everybody liked unless you had many interactions with people to understand what was classified as trendy. Nowadays, if someone wanted to understand what was in trend they can use social media and just scroll around and find common trends and determine what is up to date. 

        Emergent 

    Emergent is when something in the category is becoming more and more popular and might be the next big thing. On social media this begins to happen as more people are beginning to view it and share it or even starting to try it themselves. For example, in sports disc golf is becoming more popular and starting gain professionals in the sport. It is easy to spot this is an emergent for sports because it is not quite as big as other sports are but I start seeing it appear frequently on my social media pages. Before social media it was harder to notice emergent ideas because you really only heard or know about it from others talking about it compared to the social media now where you can just see it on your phone pop up more and more. 

        Dominant 

    Dominant is when the object or whatever the category is, is the most popular. This can be a sport or top music artist in that genre of music or the best brand for running shoes. This has not changed much from before social media because obviously its the most popular item in the market. One big difference in pointing out what is dominant in todays world is that everybody knows about it even if they do not enjoy it. Now that phones are a thing and can listen to any music or see what people listen to the most on social media it makes it significantly easier to tell what is the best in that market. Before social media and the advance technology, the best way to know what was dominant music artist was how often they appeared on the radio. One example of a dominant piece is football. Football has easily become the biggest sport in the United States and is easily noticeable because of commercials, social media posts, and what people do on weekends during the season. Even if you are not a fan of football it is hard to go on social media and not see any form of football because of all the biggest pages posting about it. 

        Residual 

    Residual is pretty much a fancy word for classics, so this means something that is old but people still know about when they see it or hear they still enjoy it and get nostalgic feelings from it. People enjoy residual things because they can remember what it was like when it was new and everybody liked it. In todays world it is harder for something to become residual because it can be brought up whenever someone wants because of new technology and social media but still happens. The best example for something that is residual is forms of music within there genres. For example, in music and the genre of pop music that has grown overtime the best residual music would be Michael Jackson. Everybody knows who he is but do not listen to him as much anymore but when they hear some of his famous songs they can not help but sing or enjoy the music and reminisce about when he was a dominant artist. This cultural practice is easier to find and the feeling of finding it happens more often because of the ability to pull up a video that was famous 10 years ago while before social media was a more rare feeling since it was harder to find the video again.  

        Archaic 

    Archaic is described by Jenkins as something that no one knows anymore or something that very little people know about. This is almost impossible in todays world of social media because when something is posted on the internet it is very hard to be taken down. Yes posts and certain things can be taken down but is it truly gone? Before social media people were able to forget who they were and have few people know what they were like before they had met. One example of archaic is the first form of music. Very little people know about it and how it began or what it even sounded like. 

        Conclusion 

    Social Media brings in new cultural practices such as these and change how certain things are categorized. This makes it easier to put everything into categories because of how much they pop up when scrolling through all the different types of social media platforms. If it keeps popping up then it is more than likely dominant or the app has lots of downloads where everybody uses the platform. Before social media it made it hard to put everything into these categories considering it was harder to tell how popular or outdated everything was without the ability to pull out your phone and check. 

Athletes and Social Media Use

    Athletes have been using social media to connect with fans, build their personal brands, and promote their sponsors. However, social media can also have negative consequences for athletes if they are not careful about what they post. In this essay, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of athletes using social media.

    Advantages include building a personal brand.  Social media is a powerful tool that allows athletes to create and promote their personal brand. By using social media, athletes can showcase their personalities, interests, and hobbies beyond their sport. This can help them establish a connection with fans, sponsors, and potential employers.

    Social media allows athletes to engage with their fans, which can help build a loyal fan base. Athletes can use social media to share behind-the-scenes content, interact with fans through Q&A sessions, and share their experiences with their followers.

    Social media has opened up new sponsorship opportunities for athletes. By promoting their sponsors on social media, athletes can reach a broader audience and help their sponsors increase their brand visibility.

    Athletes seem to be watched more when it comes to what they post on social media, as they have a reputation to uphold not only for themselves, but for their team, and fans.  Athletes can easily damage their reputation on social media if they post controversial, offensive, or inappropriate content. This can lead to negative publicity, loss of sponsorships, and even suspension or termination from their sport.  

    Athletes are often in the public eye, and social media can make them even more vulnerable to privacy concerns. Hackers can easily gain access to their personal information, leading to potential identity theft or cyberbullying.

    Between practice, games, homework, and time with the family, managing social media can be time-consuming, which can take away from an athlete's training and performance. Athletes need to balance their social media presence with their sports commitments to ensure that they are giving their best on the field.

        Social media has both advantages and disadvantages for athletes. While it can help them build their personal brand, engage with fans, and secure sponsorship opportunities, it can also damage their reputation, expose them to privacy concerns, and distract them from their training. Athletes need to be careful about what they post and ensure that they are using social media responsibly and effectively.

 The Art Of Payback

https://www.google.com/url?

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Written By: Jacob Forton 

Payback

1. As defined in the google dictionary:
2. 
   
3. 1. financial return or reward, especially profit equal to the initial outlay of an investment.
4. 2. an act of revenge or retaliation. 

Payback is interesting to me because as human beings we have been in a situation where we have experienced both paybacks. For example, when one of our friends pays for our meal because you forgot your wallet, therefore you pay them back by buying them a meal next time you guys go out, or initially give them the money back later. But also the other type of payback where we get betrayed by our friends and so we want to go the extra mile to make sure they get their karma or "exposed" for their wrong doings. One word, two completely different motives! As one is used for gratitude and the other is used out of anger and sometimes envy. It makes me wonder, how strong do our emotions play a role in our decision making? 

Giving Back 

In addition to payback, if we look at it in terms of the 1st definition, it is crazy to see how the world has transformed and we can easily pay others back via socially with our personal devices because of banking apps like cash app, zelle, Venmo, etc. You begin to think sometimes you don't even need to carry a wallet when going out because someone at the restaurant or place of entertainment will be able to spot you since everyone has at least one of these apps. However, is the art of payback almost expected now a days, or are we as humans taking actions based off our goodness inside of our hearts? Thats a hard question, that only we can answer for ourselves. I know for me, I will spot someone because it is in my heart to be generous, but I am also aware that if a time comes up and I don't feel like paying, I can use the generous act as a way to manipulate my friend into covering me back as payback for the kind act that I did previously. Is this morally wrong? Or do we humans just always expect payback?

The Gift 

Furthermore, as a class we read "The Gift" by Marcel Mauss. Inside the text, what I learned was that the exchange of objects between groups builds relationships between humans. As I spend time thinking about that statement, it doesn't make me feel as bad when I pay for others and then expect something in return. Ultimately this allows me to grow my relationship with others because if anything it shows that they can depend on me and I can depend on them to get me back. Although gifts and payback go hand in hand, what if we have peers who never seem to pay us back but you love being within their presence, does this make the relationship weak? Or are they truly even our friends? I feel as if we have to be careful because these types of people could just be using us because they know the kinds of hearts we have and they always claim they will pay us back but when the time comes it always falls through. When these peers with the no motive of paying back come across us, after being burned once or twice, it can lead to the second definition of payback where you plan to hurt those people or set them up to make them look bad for using you. 

Respond Accordingly

Gifts are often appreciated, however the choice to payback someone once they gifted you is only up to you. Too many times we feel as if when we do good deeds, we deserve goodness back in our lives but I am here to tell you that isn't always true and sometimes life is hard. When you respond with emotions out of your control that's when we tend to get in trouble and partake in the wrong type of payback. However with the use of social media, payback has seemed to be easier because you can gift others through these social apps, and can also wrongly pay them back by making a disturbing post about how they screwed you over. If it were me I would be careful who you call a friend, and would recommend you respond based off of your knowledge. I will say that when you do fill your life with those people that want to see you win and are willing to help you out knowing their gift will improve your satisfaction, the payback in itself will be special because those people are loving and showcasing their gratitude towards you. 

Just like any relationship, when two people work together, it brings forth comfort and builds a strong bond that is hard to break. 

How we perceive ourselves in pictures

    In today's world, pictures are a big part of our lives. We take them to capture moments, to document events, and to share them with others. With the rise of social media, we are constantly bombarded with images of ourselves and others, and this has had a significant impact on how we perceive ourselves in pictures. The way we see ourselves in pictures is often influenced by our self-esteem and self-worth. When we look at a photo of ourselves, we tend to focus on our flaws and imperfections rather than the overall picture. We may feel self-conscious about the way we look, the way we are posing, or the clothes we are wearing.

    This tendency to focus on our flaws is not unique to pictures. We all have an internal critic that tells us we're not good enough, smart enough, or attractive enough. When we look at pictures of ourselves, this critic can be especially loud and critical. Another factor that influences how we perceive ourselves in pictures is the way others respond to them. If we post a picture on social media and receive a lot of likes and positive comments, we may feel good about ourselves and our appearance. On the other hand, if we receive negative comments or no response at all, we may feel discouraged and unhappy with the way we look.

    It's important to remember that pictures are just a snapshot in time. They don't capture the full essence of who we are as individuals. We are much more than our appearance or the way we look in a picture. To help improve our perception of ourselves in pictures, we can try a few things:

• Practice self-compassion. Instead of criticizing ourselves for our flaws, try to be kind and compassionate to ourselves. We are all human and imperfect.
• Focus on the positive. Instead of focusing on our flaws, try to focus on the positive aspects of the picture. Maybe you like the way your smile looks, or the background is beautiful.
• Limit social media use. While social media can be a great way to connect with others, it can also be a source of negativity and comparison. Limit your time on social media, and focus on cultivating positive relationships in real life.
• Remember that pictures are just one part of our lives. We are much more than what we look like in a picture. We have thoughts, feelings, and experiences that make us who we are.

    In conclusion, the way we perceive ourselves in pictures is influenced by our self-esteem, the way we talk to ourselves, and the response we receive from others. By practicing self-compassion, focusing on the positive, limiting social media use, and remembering that pictures are just one part of our lives, we can improve our perception of ourselves in pictures and ultimately feel better about ourselves overall.

Why do we share

 

 

Why do we share. Is it to fit in. Is it to make people laugh.  The true definition of sharing is to "have a portion of something with another or others" This applies to sharing food, toys etc. This definitely applies to social media, we share, we retweet, we send things to our friends for whatever reason. And that reason is because we want our friends or followers to have the same joy we get from a video or post. Sometimes we share with our close friends a lot more because we have a deeper connection with them, in which they understand you or you guys have the same interests. It wasn't until I was in class the other day that I realized that it was a deeper meaning to sharing than what I thought. When I thought about why I shared I automatically thought about me and my cousin we share and tag each other on a lot of posts and videos and its always something that we are interested in or it's something that we have in common. 

We see what we say

 

We see what we say 

Written By Mireia Bustamante 

What is echo chambering? 

In echo chambering, individuals surround themselves with information, opinions,  and ideas solely based on their adamant beliefs. In this environment, individuals are shielded from alternative points of views or diverse perspectives that can potentially challenge our existing beliefs. 

Echo chambering is often used in social media algorithms, and many platforms like Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok in particular personalize content based on the users' interests. Past behaviors create a feedback loop where apps only show content based on previous searches, likes, and viewed media. 

Echo chambers can reinforce common ground, but they also can contribute to the spread of misinformation and fake news. People are more likely to spread information contributing to their beliefs. 

Where do we see it? 

We see it all around us, first of all. For example, in a political discussion group on a social media platform, like Facebook, Twitter, or discord, i.e. where people share similar political views and beliefs. In these groups, members share news articles, opinions, and other humorous post's that go with their political beliefs and opinions while ignoring other points of view. 

Echo chambering is not just platform discussions. It can be passed down generationally from the people who were around you when you were growing up. In my social media and society class, we discussed how residents in California get offended when people call others "ma'am' or 'sir' but to Texans, it is proper etiquette and respectable for someone to say it to others. Look at this and see that people grow to fit into personalized standards fitted by them or by others. Another example is when individuals only consume news and information from sources that align with their existing beliefs and opinions. For instance, suppose a person holds conservative political views. In that case, they may only watch news channels that cater to conservative audiences, such as Fox News, and only follow social media accounts that share conservative viewpoints. They may also actively seek out content that confirms their biases, such as articles and videos that criticize liberal policies and politicians. As a result, this person may really encounter alternative viewpoints and perspectives that challenge their beliefs. They may become increasingly entrenched in their conservative worldview, and less open to compromise or negotiation with those who hold differing opinions. They may also be more susceptible to misinformation, as they are less likely to fact-check and verify the information they receive. In this way, echo chambering can lead to a reinforcement of existing biases and a narrowing of one’s worldview. It can also contribute to a breakdown in civil discourse and social cohesion, as individuals become less willing to engage with those who hold differing opinions. 

Negative Effects of Echo Chambering 

Echo chambering has several negative effects that can have significant consequences on individuals and society as a whole. Here are a few examples:

1.  Narrow-minded worldview: When individuals only surround themselves with people who share their beliefs, they are less likely to encounter diverse perspectives and alternative viewpoints. This lack of exposure to differing opinions can lead to a reinforcement of existing biases and a failure to critically evaluate one’s own beliefs. This can be particularly problematic in political contexts, as individuals may become more extreme in their views and less open to compromise or negotiation.

2. Spread of misinformation: Echo chambering can also lead to the spread of misinformation. When people only consume news and information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs, they are less likely to fact-check and verify the information they receive. This can lead to the spread of false or misleading information, as people may be more willing to accept information that confirms their biases, even it if is not accurate. 

3. Polarization: Echo chambering can contribute to a breakdown in civil discourse and the formation of polarized political factors. When individuals only interact with those who share their views, they may become less tolerant and understanding of differing opinions. This can lead to the creation of ideological bubbles, where individuals are only willing to engage with those who share their beliefs.

4. Lack of empathy: Echo chambering can also contribute to a lack of empathy and understanding for those who hold different opinions. When individuals only surround themselves with people who share their beliefs, they may struggle to understand the perspectives and experiences of those who hold different beliefs. This can lead to a lack of empathy and understanding, which can contribute to social divisions and conflict. 

Do We Really Change For the Camera?

 

https://www.highwaytrafficsupply.com/products/smile-youre-on-camera-sign

• Smile, you’re on camera

• This phone call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance & training purposes

• NOTICE audio and Video recording in progress

• This property is being protected by video surveillance 

I’m sure you’ve seen/heard all of these phrases before, but what do all of these phrases have in common? If you haven’t guessed it by now, it’s that we’re being recorded more often than we realize. I’m here today to ponder the question of “do we act different on camera, or are we numb to the lens that captures us in our daily lives”

 

I’m sure your knee jerk reaction is to say “of COURSE Kaylie, of course being in front of a camera is going to change the way we act, but when over 68% of businesses use security cameras and/or audio recordings, it’s hard to imagine that we don’t forget they’re there. For example, my mother works for Holiday Inn Club Vacations going over peoples contracts for timeshares and all around her office building there are cameras, there’s even a camera in her personal office that looks over her desk to show that she is signing and processing documents correctly. Because she is on camera all the time at work, she says that it doesn’t affect her and she often forgets about them even being there.

In Jurgeson’s book, we are shown the I/me, the way others perceive us, and the way we act in front of a camera when we know it is there, like taking pictures with grandma, doing something extra silly when our friends are recording, and videoing ourselves over and over again to get the perfect whatever in a tryout video. In these permanent pieces of history or possible life changing recordings, we alter who we are to fit into whatever puzzle is wanted from us. Pictures with granny? I know you’re not an angel who smiles with her all the time, you probably rolled your eyes at her saying some you think is stupid 10 minutes ago. Friends taking a crazy video? Im sure you’re not full sprinting down the road holding whatever too-big household object you could pick up on the daily. Videoing yourself for a tryout? Im sure you’re not loud, sharp and flexible all the time (yes, this is a dig at my own cheer tryout for TLU)