In our reading Roiphe calls Facebook, "Fakebook" and I could not agree more. After countless times thinking about deleting my Facebook I couldn't do it. I mainly blame that on being a journalism major and we have to have all forms of social media. When I log in I specifically just look at my notifications and my messages because when I scroll down and see what everyone posts I am more or less disgusted. A lot of these people I keep around to ponder at their life choices and some I have to keep around because of the same reason Stan on South Park has to. I don't particularly want to be friends with family but with Facebook you don't have much of a choice because people have feelings. What bothers me is that a majority of the people on Facebook are fake. They share stories they haven't actually went through and post up their deep feelings about a subject they don't know any hard proof or knowledge on. It is a place for opinions but at the point it is more along the lines of debatebook and who can be the fakest with their proof they looked up on Google as soon as they put themselves in a debating position.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Phone Epidemic
I go to the Atrium every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,
between classes. If you've ever gone to the Atrium, during the lunch hour, you
know how crowded it is. We are all forced to sit uncomfortably close to
complete strangers. Well, last week I sat down at a table and about 5 other
people sat next to me. I said hi to one girl and what did she do? She looked at
me like she had just seen a ghost. Immediately afterwards she pulled out her
phone and didn't look up once. I didn't know it was so strange to say hi. Mind
you, everyone else at the table had their phones out. I was the only one who
had my phone in my backpack. I took a few moments to look around at the other
tables. As I sat there looking around I realized almost everyone had their
phones out. Even the people who were sitting with their friends had their
phones out and they weren't talking to each other, why? It’s not that I expect
everyone to sit together and end up having some special bond that makes them
become best friends. I just hear people, myself included, say, “I wish I could
talk to more people” or “I find it so hard to meet people.” If people would just put their phones down
for a few seconds they might be surprised how many people they have a
face-to-face conversation with.
After reading the articles, Reach Out and Touch No One and When
You’re Only Text Friends I realized that I may not be the only person who
notices the amount of people on their cell phones. In class we discussed how
people may think it makes them look cool, because it seems like they have a
social life, or they are just doing it to avoid any social interaction. To be
quite honest, I think it makes people seem standoffish. I’m not saying people
should never be on their phones, I’m just saying that maybe it’s not the other
people who are the problem. Maybe people see your head buried in your phone so
they don’t want to bother you. Rarely do I talk to people before class starts
because they’re so engrossed in their phones.
And I don’t know how many times I've seen someone and smiled and rather
than smiling back they look down and pull their phones out. What is happening?
Why are people so against making small talk or just smiling at someone? Maybe
it’s just that people are so used to being on their phones that when someone
tries to interact with them it completely throws them off and they don’t know
how to respond. It’s sad when you really think about it. When we were younger
we used to love to hang out with our friends. We would go do things and just
talk, but now people go do things and text the whole time, or stay on social
media. Albert Einstein once said, “I fear the day technology will surpass our human
interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” Well, I’m
afraid that day has already come. Are we even enjoying the things or people
that are around us?
Thursday, January 30, 2014
The Instagram Illusion & The Elephant in the Room
I am a social media junkie. My 'drug of choice' is twitter, but I dabble in all of the major social media sites. Recently, Instagram has risen to a close second in ranking.
Today in class we talked about whether or not people are fake about what we post on instagram, making up experiences and glorifying our lives to a point where it is vastly different from the lives we actually lead.
This reminded me of one picture in particular that I posted in my past. To this day, it is my most "liked" picture on the gram. Now, I am a zoology major (with a comm studies minor) so I have been blessed to do a lot of work with exotic animals. This makes for some pretty cool pictures, but the coolest was definitely taken when I job shadowed at the Louisville Zoo with the two elephants they had there.
While this sounds amazing, on this particular job shadow I didn't do anything more than stand in a hallway watching the workers do their jobs with a rake in my hand. Exciting? Not really. However, right before I left I asked the keepers if I could get a picture with one of the elephants named Mickey. They agreed, and Mickey and I snapped a glorious pic, me standing next to her leg petting her shoulder. The pic was immediately posted on ALL social media sites. The caption read "What an amazing day working with the elephants at the Louisville Zoo!" Did I actually "work with" the elephants? No. The most exciting part of the "work" was cutting sweet potatoes for their dinner. However, because of Instagram and other social media, I was able to present my day spent there as such an amazing, exciting experience.
Did I fake the experience of working with the elephants? No. Did I embellish? Definitely. I don't personally feel like I lied to my followers.
Ok so maybe I did lie, but it was harmless. I really liked when someone in the class said that social media allowed people to visualize and present their ideal selves: this is what this picture was for me. Maybe I didn't get to physically work with the elephants that day, but one day, I hope I can make that statement without embellishing the truth. This is how I choose to view the presenting self on social media: a visualization of the ideal self.
Today in class we talked about whether or not people are fake about what we post on instagram, making up experiences and glorifying our lives to a point where it is vastly different from the lives we actually lead.
This reminded me of one picture in particular that I posted in my past. To this day, it is my most "liked" picture on the gram. Now, I am a zoology major (with a comm studies minor) so I have been blessed to do a lot of work with exotic animals. This makes for some pretty cool pictures, but the coolest was definitely taken when I job shadowed at the Louisville Zoo with the two elephants they had there.
While this sounds amazing, on this particular job shadow I didn't do anything more than stand in a hallway watching the workers do their jobs with a rake in my hand. Exciting? Not really. However, right before I left I asked the keepers if I could get a picture with one of the elephants named Mickey. They agreed, and Mickey and I snapped a glorious pic, me standing next to her leg petting her shoulder. The pic was immediately posted on ALL social media sites. The caption read "What an amazing day working with the elephants at the Louisville Zoo!" Did I actually "work with" the elephants? No. The most exciting part of the "work" was cutting sweet potatoes for their dinner. However, because of Instagram and other social media, I was able to present my day spent there as such an amazing, exciting experience.
Did I fake the experience of working with the elephants? No. Did I embellish? Definitely. I don't personally feel like I lied to my followers.
Ok so maybe I did lie, but it was harmless. I really liked when someone in the class said that social media allowed people to visualize and present their ideal selves: this is what this picture was for me. Maybe I didn't get to physically work with the elephants that day, but one day, I hope I can make that statement without embellishing the truth. This is how I choose to view the presenting self on social media: a visualization of the ideal self.
Exploring Facebook Through The Self
In class today we were discussing how people present themselves via social media, specifically we focused the conversation on Facebook. A few people argued that people are deceiving through Facebook about who they truly are, or at least stretching the truth. Some say the motivation could be that they want to appear more interesting. I would like to look at presentation on Facebook by exploring the model of the Self. There are several parts to "The Self". The main parts that make up The Self are the Ought Self, the Ideal Self, and the Actual Self. I believe it is possible that what is portrayed by average people on social media is a prime example of the whole self, including all three parts. For instance:
Let us look at the parts of the Self through a fictional lens (these are not my personal thoughts)
The Ought Self (What I think I should be): I think I should be involved in politics therefor on Facebook I post about my political views through comments and statuses (even if I myself just learned about this political event through another person's post because I don't watch television). I think I should go work out often so anytime I go to the gym I take pictures and post them to let people know I do so. I think people will like me more if I appear to be social so anytime I am at a social event I take pictures to prove to my network that I am in fact social (even if it is a once a month deal for me).
The Ideal Self (What I would ideally like to be): I would like to be skinny so I only post pictures where I appear to be the skinniest. I would like to be in a happy relationship so I post blog articles about how to have a happy relationship. I would like to be a great video gamer so I post about how often I am playing video games (it makes it seem like I am doing this often even if it is only a few times a month).
The Actual Self (What I really am): I post status updates of my daily happenings so people know what is going on in my life.
As you can see it is possible that when individuals are posting on Facebook they are not deceiving or lying, but merely just showing you a part of their Self, whether it be an Ought Self, an Ideal Self, or their Actual Self, it is nonetheless part of their Self. There is always a little truth in every lie. I think this even goes beyond average users. Today after class I rented and watched the documentary Catfish. When the older woman is caught for being a fake, she admits to the male she had been talking to for months that there were parts of her personality in every fake profile she made. She does this through tears as she explains that Megan, the pretty dancer and musician she was pretending to be was who she wished she was (The Ideal Self), and that she used to be a dancer (The Actual Self) but she gave all of that up to have a more realistic lifestyle and regretted it. Maybe even in the extreme cases the theory of The Self can be applied to all users of Facebook, even if they are Catfish...
Let us look at the parts of the Self through a fictional lens (these are not my personal thoughts)
The Ought Self (What I think I should be): I think I should be involved in politics therefor on Facebook I post about my political views through comments and statuses (even if I myself just learned about this political event through another person's post because I don't watch television). I think I should go work out often so anytime I go to the gym I take pictures and post them to let people know I do so. I think people will like me more if I appear to be social so anytime I am at a social event I take pictures to prove to my network that I am in fact social (even if it is a once a month deal for me).
The Ideal Self (What I would ideally like to be): I would like to be skinny so I only post pictures where I appear to be the skinniest. I would like to be in a happy relationship so I post blog articles about how to have a happy relationship. I would like to be a great video gamer so I post about how often I am playing video games (it makes it seem like I am doing this often even if it is only a few times a month).
The Actual Self (What I really am): I post status updates of my daily happenings so people know what is going on in my life.
As you can see it is possible that when individuals are posting on Facebook they are not deceiving or lying, but merely just showing you a part of their Self, whether it be an Ought Self, an Ideal Self, or their Actual Self, it is nonetheless part of their Self. There is always a little truth in every lie. I think this even goes beyond average users. Today after class I rented and watched the documentary Catfish. When the older woman is caught for being a fake, she admits to the male she had been talking to for months that there were parts of her personality in every fake profile she made. She does this through tears as she explains that Megan, the pretty dancer and musician she was pretending to be was who she wished she was (The Ideal Self), and that she used to be a dancer (The Actual Self) but she gave all of that up to have a more realistic lifestyle and regretted it. Maybe even in the extreme cases the theory of The Self can be applied to all users of Facebook, even if they are Catfish...
"Cellphonies"
While reading the article by Amy Harmon, I couldn't help but laugh at the "cellphonies" reference. This really is true; sad, but true! A few years ago, my dad and I were at the county fair. We saw a woman that we knew walking up to us. This woman is not a friend of ours, she is the type of person that when you see her you try and escape the opposite direction. But this time she was coming straight for us and it was too late. After talking to her for a few minutes, I see my dad pull his cell phone out of his pocket, look at it, and step away while answering the "call." And then I was all alone, stuck talking to this woman. When she finally let me go, I met up with my dad around the corner. Sure enough he had thrown me under the bus by faking an incoming phone call. Thanks dad!
Harmon's reference got me thinking. I'm sure that more people than we would expect actually do this. I know I have in the past. Before I have acted as though I was on the phone to avoid having to talk to people. I would venture to guess that every 1 out of 4 people we see on the phone are actually faking the call. Why do we do this? It is such an easy way to escape an awkward situation, look popular, or avoid someone. It really is a genius idea. People now have this notion to avoid personal contact in public. That's where the cell phone comes in. People use their cell phones as an escape from people, situations, etc.
For example: I drive one of the shuttle buses on campus. I can't tell you how many people pull their cars into the bus stops, even though signs clearly say "bus stop" and "no parking." They pull in, put on their flashers, and think that makes it okay to block drivers like myself who are trying to do their job. So when I am approaching a stop and there is a car parked in it, I slow down and try to look for any signals (the driver's eye contact, brake lights, turning the wheel, etc.) to see if they are going to move or not. Most of the time they don't. And how do they avoid confrontation with a shuttle driver like myself? 9 times out of 10, they pull out their cell phones and put their heads down. For them, I guess this is how they take themselves out of the situation: they just have to bury their attention in their phone and escape into their social media world, and they do not have to have any personal interaction.
Anyway, cell phones really are an escape for people, as Amy Harmon points out, and allows people to avoid situations they don't want to face.
Harmon's reference got me thinking. I'm sure that more people than we would expect actually do this. I know I have in the past. Before I have acted as though I was on the phone to avoid having to talk to people. I would venture to guess that every 1 out of 4 people we see on the phone are actually faking the call. Why do we do this? It is such an easy way to escape an awkward situation, look popular, or avoid someone. It really is a genius idea. People now have this notion to avoid personal contact in public. That's where the cell phone comes in. People use their cell phones as an escape from people, situations, etc.
For example: I drive one of the shuttle buses on campus. I can't tell you how many people pull their cars into the bus stops, even though signs clearly say "bus stop" and "no parking." They pull in, put on their flashers, and think that makes it okay to block drivers like myself who are trying to do their job. So when I am approaching a stop and there is a car parked in it, I slow down and try to look for any signals (the driver's eye contact, brake lights, turning the wheel, etc.) to see if they are going to move or not. Most of the time they don't. And how do they avoid confrontation with a shuttle driver like myself? 9 times out of 10, they pull out their cell phones and put their heads down. For them, I guess this is how they take themselves out of the situation: they just have to bury their attention in their phone and escape into their social media world, and they do not have to have any personal interaction.
Anyway, cell phones really are an escape for people, as Amy Harmon points out, and allows people to avoid situations they don't want to face.
My Parasocial Relationship with Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey and I have been part of something special for a while and this special something just happens to be a parasocial relationship. I "know" him so well that for the rest of this blog, I am going to refer to him on a first-name basis. A parasocial relationship is defined as a one-sided relationship where one party knows a great deal about the other party, but the other does not. This develops from the establishment of a bond of intimacy.
I have always felt like Jim and I have been friends but we are just never able to talk or see each other in person. Realism and privacy are two factors that contribute to a bond of intimacy and they have made me feel like I'm in his movies playing his role with him. Watching his movies throughout the years, I have been able to see how clever, goofy, and comical he really is. I am not saying that I am the next Jim Carrey but he and I have a similar sense of humor and we like to make people laugh. Many may think that Jim's roles are far-fetched or over the top, which they may be in some movies, but they have never failed to make me laugh. I can see Jim being just as goofy when he's not in front of the camera and that it why he is my brother from another mother. I have never let the difference in age prevent our friendship from happening and I know that he lives a normal life like myself, except for the fact that he happens to make more money and is more famous. He is my friend in any movie he plays because of his outrageously funny scenes and even if he does something terrible to someone, he makes up for it by making jokes or being sarcastic. Jim and I are best buds and I feel like nothing can come between us. What I'm doing on one side of the country, he is doing the exact same thing on the other side, which is making people smile.
I have always felt like Jim and I have been friends but we are just never able to talk or see each other in person. Realism and privacy are two factors that contribute to a bond of intimacy and they have made me feel like I'm in his movies playing his role with him. Watching his movies throughout the years, I have been able to see how clever, goofy, and comical he really is. I am not saying that I am the next Jim Carrey but he and I have a similar sense of humor and we like to make people laugh. Many may think that Jim's roles are far-fetched or over the top, which they may be in some movies, but they have never failed to make me laugh. I can see Jim being just as goofy when he's not in front of the camera and that it why he is my brother from another mother. I have never let the difference in age prevent our friendship from happening and I know that he lives a normal life like myself, except for the fact that he happens to make more money and is more famous. He is my friend in any movie he plays because of his outrageously funny scenes and even if he does something terrible to someone, he makes up for it by making jokes or being sarcastic. Jim and I are best buds and I feel like nothing can come between us. What I'm doing on one side of the country, he is doing the exact same thing on the other side, which is making people smile.
social media is what you want it to be!
Personally, I'm not a big fan of social media anymore. Reading the articles about "fakebook" and how technology is designed to bring humans closer together but is actually making us become more distant really drove me to write this specific blog. In some ways I completely agree with the article "If Facebook Making Us Lonely" for example, Moira Burke describing the way you use Facebook as showing signs loneliness. "Scanning your friends updates and updating the world on your own activities via your wall, is what Burke calls "passive assumption" and "broadcasting"-correlates to feelings of disconnectedness. I feel like he's saying that person is crying for attention. I have seen this personally on may occasions, mainly on Instagram. A person will take a picture showing something off or blanantly putting something in the camera view, but acting like it wasn't meant to be there or writing a caption that has absolutely nothing to do with the picture being posted. In my eyes it's desperation. I
The biggest reason I do not care for social networking is because people get to be whoever they want to be. Because the internet isn't in first person, individuals take that as defensive barrier that they can hide behind and play ghosts. Fake profiles, fake pictures, fake conversations, and fake relationships are all very common occurrences when it comes to social networking. Take the MTV show "Catfish" for example, it's because of technology allowing humans to communicate at such a high level from a great distance that we see awkward relationships such as the ones on the show. Technology advancements have made it so easy to communicate with anyone from a stationary position, giving people the freedom to be non-confrentational on any type of level.
I don't want to sound like I am blaming technology for this, because as said in class today on 1/30/14, a statement I completely agree with, "it's user generated" and that's the bottom line. At some point the people are going to have to accept the fact that we as a whole are falling victims and becoming too lazy to technology. Social Networking is an addiction and can cause changes of psychological states, in reference to "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely". It can only change you if you let it.
The biggest reason I do not care for social networking is because people get to be whoever they want to be. Because the internet isn't in first person, individuals take that as defensive barrier that they can hide behind and play ghosts. Fake profiles, fake pictures, fake conversations, and fake relationships are all very common occurrences when it comes to social networking. Take the MTV show "Catfish" for example, it's because of technology allowing humans to communicate at such a high level from a great distance that we see awkward relationships such as the ones on the show. Technology advancements have made it so easy to communicate with anyone from a stationary position, giving people the freedom to be non-confrentational on any type of level.
I don't want to sound like I am blaming technology for this, because as said in class today on 1/30/14, a statement I completely agree with, "it's user generated" and that's the bottom line. At some point the people are going to have to accept the fact that we as a whole are falling victims and becoming too lazy to technology. Social Networking is an addiction and can cause changes of psychological states, in reference to "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely". It can only change you if you let it.
Fake Book
I think its funny that Roiphe
calls Face book "Fakebook." I do agree with him that some people's
news feeds on Facebook are fiction. I think sometimes people definitely put on
a show for Facebook because of the attention that they receive from others. I think
social media has definitely changed ourselves because it has made us feel the
need to post things and share things with all of our so-called
"friends." I definitely have a lot of Facebook friends that aren't
truly my "friends." I hate reading posts about peoples personal
lives..theres just some things you should keep to yourself. It's not surprising
to see a girl from high school that’s pregnant or engaged. I just don't think
at my age I am prepared to see those things.
From Harmon and Steinways reading about our cell phone usage. I completely agree, we are all WAY too caught up in our phones I feel like half the time people aren’t fully engaged when you are talking to them. It drives me nuts, whenever my sister is on her phone and I’m trying to tell a story or talk to her she has no idea what I said ever and then I find myself retelling the story to her. I think it’s hard for people to really live in the moment, just like that video “I forgot my phone.” The girl in the video is trying to have fun with her friends the whole time but all of them are texting or taking pictures of themselves instead of enjoying their time together. Sometimes we need to realize that living in the moment is more important than being engaged in your cellphone.
From Harmon and Steinways reading about our cell phone usage. I completely agree, we are all WAY too caught up in our phones I feel like half the time people aren’t fully engaged when you are talking to them. It drives me nuts, whenever my sister is on her phone and I’m trying to tell a story or talk to her she has no idea what I said ever and then I find myself retelling the story to her. I think it’s hard for people to really live in the moment, just like that video “I forgot my phone.” The girl in the video is trying to have fun with her friends the whole time but all of them are texting or taking pictures of themselves instead of enjoying their time together. Sometimes we need to realize that living in the moment is more important than being engaged in your cellphone.
Capturing the Moment
Steve Furtick said it best, "The reason we struggle with
insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone's
highlight reel." Not only has Instagram sparked a new level of FOMO (Fear
of Missing Out), it has become the big screen for everyone's highlight reel. Of course everything we see on Instagram is going to be "picture perfect." We are all guilty of it. We want everyone to see the good. We save the bad and the ugly for late night chats with our best friends, when snap an Instagram pic of the cookie dough and wine with a caption about how amazing our friends are.
Every girl’s night out, beautiful sunset, trip to Puerto Vallarta, birthday, snow day and everything in between requires an Instagram picture. We are no longer focused on
living in the moment; we are focused on capturing the moment. We take time
getting the perfect angle and staging the perfect picture, then we have to
collaborate with our friends to decide which filter makes the picture look the
best. What are we missing out on while spending 10 minutes to get the perfect
Instagram picture?
Not only do we take time to create the perfect picture and scroll
through the Instagram feed looking at everyone’s crafted photos, we are
constantly comparing likes. On multiple occasions, I have heard comments like,
“Ahh I got 105 likes on this picture. That’s a new record!” Instagram has
created an unspoken competition. Who can get the most followers, comments and
likes?
We are consumed by Instagram and everything it has to offer: the
feeling when we finally get the PERFECT picture, a record-setting number of
likes on a photo and the parasocial relationships we create (If you haven’t
heard of Theo and Beau, go check out mommasgonecity. Your heart will MELT!). As
Williams mentioned in The Agony of
Instagram, Instagram is becoming an epidemic. I think it’s crazy when I
meet someone that doesn’t have an Instagram, but maybe they are the ones that
have it figured out. They may not have all of their moments captured, but maybe
they have enjoyed the moments a little bit more than those of us focused on the best
filter.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Jess the Vampire Slayer
On Parasocial Relationships - Buffy and I are just some misunderstood girls
trying to make it in the real world. In
high school, we were trying to balance our life of crime fighting with a normal
teenage lifestyle.
When I first watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer I was in
elementary school. I then re-watched the series in high school. Buffy and I had
a lot in common when I got older: the typical teenage outcast feeling, daddy
issues, and homework problems. We both dreamt about older boys a lot. I looked
up to her because it seemed that Buffy always tried her best to do the right
thing, while remaining super cool and mysterious. For many instances in the
show I would think to myself, “Come on Buffy, just tell your mom you’re the slayer,”
or “Don’t hide your super strength, they deserve it.”
I would go to sleep dreaming about being in an all girl
motorcycle gang or joke around and ask my friends if they wanted to take any tae
kwon do classes (it was only a joke because none of them wanted to). I didn’t
have any powers so I had to compensate. I wanted to be a sort of vigilante
also. This probably had to do with too many superhero shows in general, but
Buffy was the most influential in my youth.
Buffy and I aren’t as close as we were in high school but
the show is still one of my favorites. For me, exposure time affected how strong
the parasocial relationship was. The
more time I spent watching the shows and working my way through the seasons,
the stronger the bond grew. I think parasocial realationships form because we
all long for camaraderie and inclusion. Keeping up with healthy work, friend,
and family relationships require a lot of effort. To keep up with a parasocial
relationship all you have to do is turn on the TV.
Freedom of Blogging
While I enjoyed the whole of the article "The Rebirth of the Feminist Manifesto," my favorite aspect of the article was the intriguing, individual lines that caught my attention throughout the piece. One such sentence described the atmosphere of blogging. "Freed from the boundaries of print, writers could blur the lines between formal and casual writing; between a call to arms, a confession, and a stand-up routine -- and this new looseness of form in turn emboldened readers to join in, to take risks in the safety of the shared spotlight." When I read this, I honestly thought of the beauty behind this idea of being able to combine so many varieties of writing from formal to casual. Such freedom of writing and style present in blogs makes this type of expression very attractive to anyone trying to put their own words and ideas out there. Blogs represent people's thought processes and personalities to a very believable extent. What I mean by this is that people's thinking can go from serious to humorous to emotional within the context of one topic and while some types of media may not allow all of those aspects to come out, a personal blog has the space and place for all of it.
Because blogs are so individualized, the writer can make their blog anything they want. That's why there is such a possibility for the wide range of emotions and attitudes on one topic in one blog or even a series of blogs. This type of writing is different from others because others may not allow for such a conversational form of expression. On the other hand, there are types of media that almost pressure for more casual attitudes. It seems to me that if someone makes very serious Facebook and Twitter posts, they may come across as having an overzealous point of view, and many times people that portray that attitude don't have enough knowledge on the subject to hold such a serious standpoint. With a blog, though, the writer has enough space that they can fully explain their argument and point of view, which allows for more in-depth discussion and the possibility for the writer to demonstrate that they know an accurate amount about the topic they're presenting. Or if they don't, the blog would probably make that pretty clear, too. The point being that a reader visiting someone's blog might be more prepared to read a long, opinionated blog entry than a Facebook user scrolling through their news feed.
Overall what really intrigues me about blogging is the ability of a writer to express their opinion to whatever extent over any topic and then share that opinion with anyone on the Internet. Just the immense freedom of this type of writing is incredible. In accordance with the article "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" it's a common belief that we have to portray a certain image on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. We have to uphold an identity supported by certain pictures and comments and statuses. But none of those features gives us quite the freedom and space that blogging does. In one blog, a writer can express their emotions and sense of humor to a point that far outreaches what any number of Facebook photos, comments, and statuses could achieve. To me, a blog represents more of a person than the mirage of a Facebook profile.
Because blogs are so individualized, the writer can make their blog anything they want. That's why there is such a possibility for the wide range of emotions and attitudes on one topic in one blog or even a series of blogs. This type of writing is different from others because others may not allow for such a conversational form of expression. On the other hand, there are types of media that almost pressure for more casual attitudes. It seems to me that if someone makes very serious Facebook and Twitter posts, they may come across as having an overzealous point of view, and many times people that portray that attitude don't have enough knowledge on the subject to hold such a serious standpoint. With a blog, though, the writer has enough space that they can fully explain their argument and point of view, which allows for more in-depth discussion and the possibility for the writer to demonstrate that they know an accurate amount about the topic they're presenting. Or if they don't, the blog would probably make that pretty clear, too. The point being that a reader visiting someone's blog might be more prepared to read a long, opinionated blog entry than a Facebook user scrolling through their news feed.
Overall what really intrigues me about blogging is the ability of a writer to express their opinion to whatever extent over any topic and then share that opinion with anyone on the Internet. Just the immense freedom of this type of writing is incredible. In accordance with the article "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" it's a common belief that we have to portray a certain image on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. We have to uphold an identity supported by certain pictures and comments and statuses. But none of those features gives us quite the freedom and space that blogging does. In one blog, a writer can express their emotions and sense of humor to a point that far outreaches what any number of Facebook photos, comments, and statuses could achieve. To me, a blog represents more of a person than the mirage of a Facebook profile.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Late Feminist Post
So
this is a late post on feminism and feminists (late as in I meant to make this
like last week). Did anybody else write their Writing Proficiency Exam on the
benefits of feminism last semester? More specifically the word feminism?
For said test we were asked to read an article written BY a feminist ABOUT
whether feminism deserves a new name or not. Or something along those lines.
When
we began talking about the different types of perspectives a critic can take I
couldn’t help but think about this article which I wish I still had the link
to. Feminism, at least as I and many of my friends (including one women’s and
genders studies major) understand it, is about pursuing equality for all
genders. Just as we discussed in class. But because the title is so… feminine
for lack of a better word it can be misleading or even deterring to some. For the
Writing Proficiency Exam we could either defend the title of feminism or
suggest some other alternative… a new name I guess.
This
is an article about what it’s like to be one of only a few women at an economics
forum. I found it similar to the some of the sentiments The Rebirth of the Feminist Manifesto from our text had. With
instances like this still happening in the world I just can’t ignore the need
for a feminist perspective. For feminist bloggers to point things out. They should
not be man hating, no. However, it is never ok for cops to tell female students
to “avoid dressing like sluts” to escape sexual assault. So with this first
awkward blog post coming to a close I will end with this quote that I found
inspiring from the reading, “Some conversations are uncomfortable but also
necessary. They are so uncomfortable because they are so necessary. Discomfort
is not death”- Molly Lambert. Feminism is necessary, at least in my eyes.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Parasocial relationship anyone?
I think this would be an example of a parasocial relationship, what do you think?
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Para-Social Relationships Gina Portolese
In Chapter 9 we learned about parasocial relationships which is when one party knows more about someone than that someone knows about them. I can easily and sadly say I have first hand knowledge on this subject because of how many shows, movies and books I have connected with.
My main ones are Harry Potter, Sherlock and Supernatural which all have fantastic characters that have made their way into my heart. Harry Potter and his friends taught me so much as a child growing up, such as friendship, importance of family, loyalty and courage. I looked so deep into the books that I researched more spells, kept a spellbook, bought a wand, tried to find a way to get accepted into Hogwarts, the list continues on. Sherlock is more of a love of the actors and how well they portray the characters because I read the books when I was younger. Sure, the show drifts off in order to make the fans happy but they do it in such a fantastic way that it work and really makes the actors shine. Benedict Cumberbatch may look kinda odd but he is a beautiful and talented man, same goes for Martin Freeman, who also plays The Hobbit. Lastly Supernatural has made me like scary things because apparently if scary things come out of nowhere Sam, Dean, and Castiel will show up and make everything better. Misha Collins, Castiel, is the one who usually grabs my attention with his character and even more so with his personality off screen. He has charities and put together GISHwishes that is a huge scavenger hunt across the globe where everyone does acts of kindness.
It is weird to sit in class and be told I am obsessed and have parasocial relationships with these people who don't know I exist other than being apart of a fan base, which I find fantastic because they put on a great show just for the fans and I'm honored to be apart of it and I am okay with having these relationships and obsessions.
My main ones are Harry Potter, Sherlock and Supernatural which all have fantastic characters that have made their way into my heart. Harry Potter and his friends taught me so much as a child growing up, such as friendship, importance of family, loyalty and courage. I looked so deep into the books that I researched more spells, kept a spellbook, bought a wand, tried to find a way to get accepted into Hogwarts, the list continues on. Sherlock is more of a love of the actors and how well they portray the characters because I read the books when I was younger. Sure, the show drifts off in order to make the fans happy but they do it in such a fantastic way that it work and really makes the actors shine. Benedict Cumberbatch may look kinda odd but he is a beautiful and talented man, same goes for Martin Freeman, who also plays The Hobbit. Lastly Supernatural has made me like scary things because apparently if scary things come out of nowhere Sam, Dean, and Castiel will show up and make everything better. Misha Collins, Castiel, is the one who usually grabs my attention with his character and even more so with his personality off screen. He has charities and put together GISHwishes that is a huge scavenger hunt across the globe where everyone does acts of kindness.
It is weird to sit in class and be told I am obsessed and have parasocial relationships with these people who don't know I exist other than being apart of a fan base, which I find fantastic because they put on a great show just for the fans and I'm honored to be apart of it and I am okay with having these relationships and obsessions.
J.Hutch and I
As it has been defined in the blogs before mine, a Parasocial relationship is a one side relationship, where one party knows a good amount about the second party, while the second party knows nothing about them.
When we first starting talking about this in class I though it was hilarious that this was a real thing. Because come on, who does that? Then as we talked about it more, and I started to really think about it, I realized that I did that. I was someone who had fallen victim to a parasocial relationship.
My name is Ashley Carsten and I am in a parasocial relationship with Josh Hutcherson.
Or J.Hutch as I refer to him with my friends.
I have always been a fan of J.Hutch's movies, and lets be real here I think he's hot. So it always helps to have a little eye candy when watching a movie. I also really love to watch interviews that stars do online, and because he's a little eye candy I love watching the interviews/promo's for movies he does. This all seems pretty normal until one day when my roommates and I were watching an old MTV cribs episode.
This stories needs to start with you knowing that I'm only 5'2. While this may not be the shortest height in the world, my friends love to make fun of me for it. All of my roommates are 5'5 or taller, so the short jokes never end in our house. I may also have an obsession with shoes, but that's a story for another time.
Anyway, so we are watching this old episode of MTV cribs, and J.Hutch is showing us around his house. He's not a very tall person, and my roommates were constantly pointing it out in this episode how small he looked compared to his car, his t.v. and so on. Then he gets to his closet, and oh my word the man has a lot of shoes. Like a whole wall of his closest is full of shoes.
It was over. I was officially in love, and my roommates made sure of that. Our living room erupted into chaos as everyone kept shouting about how short he was, but its okay because I'm short too. Its perfect that he loves shoes, because I love shoes so we can just have a giant shoe closet when we get married. I tried to play it off, but I could totally see it happening in my head.
So now when my roommates comment on how hot he is but they could never date him because he's too short, I just smile and say I'll take one for the team. J.Hutch and I, we are getting married some day. He just doesn't know it yet..
When we first starting talking about this in class I though it was hilarious that this was a real thing. Because come on, who does that? Then as we talked about it more, and I started to really think about it, I realized that I did that. I was someone who had fallen victim to a parasocial relationship.
My name is Ashley Carsten and I am in a parasocial relationship with Josh Hutcherson.
Or J.Hutch as I refer to him with my friends.
I have always been a fan of J.Hutch's movies, and lets be real here I think he's hot. So it always helps to have a little eye candy when watching a movie. I also really love to watch interviews that stars do online, and because he's a little eye candy I love watching the interviews/promo's for movies he does. This all seems pretty normal until one day when my roommates and I were watching an old MTV cribs episode.
This stories needs to start with you knowing that I'm only 5'2. While this may not be the shortest height in the world, my friends love to make fun of me for it. All of my roommates are 5'5 or taller, so the short jokes never end in our house. I may also have an obsession with shoes, but that's a story for another time.
Anyway, so we are watching this old episode of MTV cribs, and J.Hutch is showing us around his house. He's not a very tall person, and my roommates were constantly pointing it out in this episode how small he looked compared to his car, his t.v. and so on. Then he gets to his closet, and oh my word the man has a lot of shoes. Like a whole wall of his closest is full of shoes.
It was over. I was officially in love, and my roommates made sure of that. Our living room erupted into chaos as everyone kept shouting about how short he was, but its okay because I'm short too. Its perfect that he loves shoes, because I love shoes so we can just have a giant shoe closet when we get married. I tried to play it off, but I could totally see it happening in my head.
So now when my roommates comment on how hot he is but they could never date him because he's too short, I just smile and say I'll take one for the team. J.Hutch and I, we are getting married some day. He just doesn't know it yet..
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Inspired by bloggers
In 2010 I came to Ball
State University as an exchange student from Tajikistan to study journalism. I
still remember my first class, it was about social media and how powerful
blogging could be for future journalists and reporters. I didn’t even know what
blog meant, so I had to look it up. After that class I felt in love with this
system of online writings; Today I blog about what I think on certain issues
and link other sources to what I write.
Blog is a powerful
writing technic that could be used in multiple ways. Some of my friends who blogs
say, it’s like a diary for them. Personally for me it’s not only a diary, it’s
a place where I archive my thoughts, writings and let others know about what I
think on certain global issues such as health, international wars,
globalization, peace, humanitarian and so on.
Since I want to become
an international correspondent I follow those who are already successful in
this area of journalism such as Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn who both are
New York Times journalists. For me it’s interesting to see what Kristof writes and
reports for the Times and then turns and blogs about the same issues.http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/60441.Nicholas_D_Kristof/blog When this
happens we can see two different reactions. For instance, in journalism there
are ethical laws that they have to follow when reporting or writing but with
blogs, it’s a different story. You own your own thoughts and the only ethical
issue you have to deal is what you say.
According to Scientific American journal blogging is good for our health. As it this article report: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-healthy-type/ blogging helps those who blog with their memory and sleep and boosts their immune cell
activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds
healing after surgery.So blog while you can.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Bonds with Sports Teams
After discussing parasocial relationships in class
and reading the blogs done thus far, I started to think about how parasocial
relationships are prevalent in sports. Parasocial relationships are one-sided
relationships with a sense of intimacy, which is how we described them in
class. I liked what user "Planet Green" had to say about them here, but I'll let you check that out on your own
since we all pretty much get the concept.
Let me preface my thought process here.
Whilst perusing the MLB news of late, I noticed
the Chicago Cubs organization is being sued by the Wrigley rooftop businesses over the
new renovations to Wrigley Field. No big deal; people sue all the time, right?
The businesses are pissed because the new renovations will obstruct view of the field from the rooftops. Here are a few simulated images of the problem (below is the one in question, left is still proposed).
What got me thinking about this whole blog idea
were the comments of the article I was reading. Fans, like me, had
opinions on the whole ordeal. There were a few people saying to just up and
ditch Wrigley field and all it's tradition for a new stadium in Chicago, or
just packing up and moving the franchise.
I noticed my eyes watering at the mere thought
of not enjoying my ritual summer ball game at the Friendly Confines, watching
the Cubs perpetually lose, with a dog in one hand and, my newest tradition, a beer in the other. The
atmosphere of Wrigley Field is absolutely intoxicating. The history and vibe of
the entire park just litter the air with nostalgia.
What is it about sports teams that get people to
feel this way? What could a team
possibly do for you as an individual that can make you feel so important?
Don't get me wrong, I get it. The problem, for
me, how can I explain what it is? Bear with me as I do my best
to articulate my thoughts.
I grew up a Cubs fan and a baseball lover. I
played ball for fourteen years, up until I came to college. I don't just love the
team, I love the sport. Aside from baseball itself, I'm a Cubs fan because I
was raised a Cubs fan. My parents are both Cubs fans, though I couldn't say
bigger than I am now, but it was always on at home growing up.
Of course, then (1998), was the great
homerun-derby of a season between Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa, which single-handedly
revived Major League Baseball. But my parents didn't have that.
So how did they become Cubs fans?
My mom and pop didn’t have the vast array of TV options we did
when we were prepubescent (they’re in the mid 40’s). They used to tell me that
if baseball was on TV, you mostly had your choice between the Atlanta Braves
and the Chicago Cubs, plus the opposing teams. You would come home from school,
during the season, and a game would likely be on. They both just happened to
pick the Cubs, for whatever reason, I can’t really remember.
I find it interesting how we are attached to these teams for whatever reason. Enough so, that fans hate each other, create rivalries, fight amongst each other, talk trash, etc. It feeds our competitive sides. We can live vicariously through the team we cheer on. I don't think this is where the bond is created, though.
The Cubs, or whatever team is "your" team, will always be there for us, and I think that, most of all, is where the majority of the bond to "our" team stems from. They're not going anywhere. With the Internet at our disposal, we can find out just about anything we want to know about them. They're always within our grasp. They give us hope. They give us something to root for, but if they lose, they'll be back next year.
So, I'll end with this.
So, I'll end with this.
In the ever-true words of a Cubs fan, "there's always next year," for my team or yours.