Hallie Sammut - Social Media: The Impact of Social Media

Social Media:The Impact of Social Media

As technology advances, social media does as well. Most kids and teenagers in our generation own a cell phone or computer to give them access to social media,and has one form of social media account such as facebook, twitter, instagram and snapchat. Almost every teenager has access to all of these accounts. Social media gives teenagers an easy way of communication, it can do both good and bad in someone’s life. It all depends on how one uses these accounts.

Social networking has created many celebrities over the years. For example Justin Bieber became famous from posting his singing videos on youtube. If youtube wasn’t around then he never would have been discovered and wouldn’t have became who he is today. Also, vine is another social networking account that can create careers. Nash Grier and Cameron Dallas became famous because of the videos they uploaded to this site. If these sites were not so popular they wouldn’t have a career right now.  Also, Shawn Mendes was discovered on vine. 

By uploading these videos, it can make or break ones career. Also, there is twitter, instagram which don’t normally create careers, but it allows fans to stay connected with what their favorite pop star is up to.

Although social media can do good, it also The image to the left shows a man or woman being pulled into his or her computer. Showing how dangerous social media can be. Some teenagers don’t care about anything but their social networking accounts, which can take over their lives. Many teenagers can not go an hour without checking twitter or instagram or snapchat, which takes over their lives. Teenagers nowadays  are so involved with social media they cannot hold a real conversation. Many teenagers use social media as an easy way of communication, which can be good, but also bad because they are not able to hold a real conversation when it comes time to talk in person. Overall, almost every teenager in our generation is constantly distracted by their cellphones, laptops and any social media account they may have.

This image on the left shows a man hiding behind the screen, showing how easy it is to pretend to be someone that you aren’t while using a social media account. Many people have online dating sites, and never know if the person they meet online is really who they say they are. Many criminals use these dating sites to get information from the people they are talking to. They pretend to be someone they aren’t in order to get what they want, many people trust these people and give out their information and become vulnerable to these people and put themselves in danger by engaging with these strangers. As these accounts advance it gets easier for these criminals to do these things.

This image on the left demonstrates how social networking can make things easier for one’s everyday life. For example there are apps that allow you to online shop, making it easier for you to get the things you need. Shopping online allows you to get the things you want from the comfort of your own home, it also helps stores make their money. Most people prefer to online shop because it saves them a trip to the store. Without these apps, and the advertising the stores get from social media many stores  would be down in sales. Overall, these apps benefit both the customers and companies, and the more they are used the better because many companies rely on these apps to increase their income.

Overall, social media has both a positive and negative effect on people, and everyone uses it at some point. However you use it is up to you, and whether it has a negative or positive effect on you all depends on how you use these sites.

Lauren Brakel - Techno Heck No: The Negative Impacts of Technology on Today’s Society

Techno Heck No: 

The Negative Impacts of Technology on Today’s Society

Technology breakthroughs have been developing and progressing since 1876 when the first telephone was invented,  to 1925 when the first television was invented then continuing on to the next huge breakthrough in 1946 when the first computer was made. From there we moved to the laptop in 1981 as well as the continuation of the telephone which in 1973 was made portable more commonly known as the cellphone, in 1992 the cellphone upgraded to a smartphone, introducing almost a whole different device to the world and from there everything continued to get better, more efficient and every system more advanced. While technology was made to bring us all closer together and to assist us in in better and more efficient communication it seems to have spun out of control and while it may have been doing those things for awhile it has now begun to do the complete opposite. Society today has become so dependant on technology that it follows us wherever we go, there is no getting away from it and if for some reason we are deprived of it in instances such as power outages, computer errors, teenagers being grounded, etc, we are almost completely and utterly lost. Society’s reliance on technology has become so extreme that what was once created so that people could have advantages in their everyday life has now become a weapon accessible to everyone.

Society has become so reliant on technology that it has now become a necessity and a priority wherever someone goes. This image portrays a couple who has gone on vacation, they both have gotten away from their jobs and any other obligations they may have had at home to go away to a nice beach and have a nice getaway with each other. As you can see even though they have managed to physically leave their home and obligations and lives they are still mentally with them, checking updates, texts and any other notifications on their phones. Technology has made us so that we are never truly away from our lives, we are always connected and following everything that is going on. It has also placed a barrier between us, rather than this couple enjoying the beautiful weather and talking and enjoying one another they are wrapped up in their phones, in lives separate from each other.

Young children require 2-3 hours of physical activity a day  to properly grow and develop. Instead many children get zero to one third of this amount, what they are getting is 7.5 hours per day on average of entertainment technology. This much technology a day can lead to various problems such as developmental delays, obesity, mental illness and, ADHD. The image on the right portrays two children, both not only playing on electronics instead of being outside but also ignoring each other. Electronics not only take away children's fresh air and physical activity but also social interaction, most children learn social interaction at a very young age, going to parks and different classes and events and making friends all over the place because of their innocence and because they are nonjudgemental this is a very good thing, it teaches children the basics of friendliness and interaction and it keeps them happy. Unfortunately not all children do this anymore, they are so wound up in their ipad or whatever else they’re playing on that they have no idea what’s going on around them leaving them with little to no social interaction skills which puts them at a disadvantage in the future.

Another area of reliance on technology lies in the medical profession. Doctor’s have become so dependant on technology that they rarely even interact with their patients, instead they stare at their computer screens and research possible issues. Doctors are so reliant on online research and articles as well as different tests such as MRI’s, CT’s, X Rays and many others. Many of the older Doctors believe that the younger ones are losing all the old skills that used to be critical when it came to making a quick and accurate diagnosis. Most of the skills that are being claimed that they are losing are the ones part of the physical exam, many of the older Doctors believe that this is one of the most important tests and it’s generally fast and accurate. The physical test consists of doctors flashing lights into the pupils, watching the way a patient walks, pushing and tapping on the abdomen and listening to the chest with a stethoscope. Even though this test is easy and doesn’t take as much time in this day and age it isn’t weighted with as much importance because it requires doctors to use their own judgement, something they are told not to trust without the backup of technology.

Cyberbullying is a major issue when it comes to technology, especially common but not exclusively with teenagers cyber bullying occurs with one of its biggest sources being social media. Cyberbullying is one of the worst forms of bullying because unlike other forms of bullying the predator doesn’t have to see their prey, they have no idea how much damage they have caused to the other person because they are hiding behind their screens which can cause them to say things much worse than what they might say to a person’s face. Cyberbullying occurs in many different ways, in schools it is quite common, but is also found in workplace environments and even just through strangers. 25 percent of teens report they have experienced repeated bullying via their cell phone or through social media, of those people who reported those incidents 33 percent of them, one third, reported that their bullies issued online threats. Cyber bullying is a very serious issue and it was created through technology, anyone can type something and press the send button and once it has been sent it can never be taken back so whether or not  that person actually meant what they said there will always be physical proof of it somewhere after it has been delivered.

In conclusion technology, although it may have been created as something positive and beneficial, has had negative impacts on the world and has made many more serious issues for today’s society.

Thesis: Similarly to Canada the aboriginal population in Australia has been negatively affected by colonization and is struggling to keep up and adapt to the modern Australia/world. And they are trying very hard to reassert their independence and their culture.

This first image shows to aboriginal men holding two large cases of beer. This photo is used as a symbol of the substance abuse and social problems like being arrested that many aboriginals face. This image also shows many similarities to the aboriginals in Canada. As we know many aboriginals in Canada are struggling with substance abuse and are losing touch with their culture because of it. This also really demonstrates the amount of struggle that Aboriginals are having adapting to the modern world and their surroundings like in Canada.

This image shows an aboriginal woman who is homeless and has no money or job. This picture is used as a symbol to show the struggle that many aboriginal people are going threw trying to find an income in the modern world and get their life together. Unfortunately many of them have not been able to adapt to the modern world and are not receiving any help.  This is similar to the situation in Canada with the native canadians because although you don’t see so many homeless natives in Canada because of the reserves many are still struggling to keep up with the modern world and adapt the their changing surroundings.

This image is of Uluru a symbol of the land that the aboriginals had taken away from them and now are fighting to get back. This is a picture of Uluru the spot that many aboriginal clans used as a place to stay. When colonization originally came to australia this land was taken from them and they have only recently been able to get it back along with lots of other huge portions of land in the centre of Australia. This is very comparable to the native situation in Canada because when colonization came to Canada lots of the land was taken from the native canadians and now only recently have they been given it back.

This photo is of a residential school in Australia. In residential schools in Australia very similar things were going on to the ones in Canada. For example they were trying to take away their religion and culture from them and they were trying to make them christian and as European as possible. They were also doing things like beating them and raping them and sometimes murdering them. This is very comparable to the residential schools in Canada because in Canada they were trying to take away the religion and culture of the native canadians alongside sexual abuse and assaulting them.  This shows that there are many similarities to the natives in Canada and have many of the same issues.

In summation these photos have proved that similarly to Canada, the aboriginal population in Australia has been negatively affected by colonization and is struggling to keep up and adapt to the modern Australia/world. And they are trying very hard to reassert their independence and their culture.

Ian Fraser - Using Past As Prevention

Using Past As Prevention:

Documenting Tragedies is the Best Protection

The best way to prevent hate crimes and war is to learn from and observe past events. The tragedies of war are often expertly documented through photos and pictures. Journalist Malcolm Browne's photograph of Quang Duc during his self-immolation is a very powerful photo that showcases the horror of the persecution of religion in 1963. Mr. Tarus' edited photo of Normandy Beach “Courage of Those Who Came Before Us” humanizes the battle of Normandy Beach using the contrast of time. “North vs South - Civil War” by an unknown artist uses symmetry to show the barbaric nature of war which pins brother against brother. Finally, Lee Teter's painting, “Reflections” remembers the fallen lives of soldiers through the reflection in the Veterans Wall Memorial. These all use textual elements to represent war in a way that encourages peace.

Malcolm Browne's photo of Quang Duc's self-immolation places Duc in the middle of the foreground with onlooking Buddhist monks in the background. Placing Duc in the midground with a variety of activities in the background is symbolic of how overlooked this problem was. Duc is andled profile to the camera to express the fact that this was not a publicity stunt, but a genuine raise of awareness for the discrimination based on race happening. This photograph is a reminder that no matter how small or discrete a problem may seem, it does not mean it should be overlooked.

Mr. Tarus' image of Normandy Beach “Courage of Those Who Came Before Us” uses  juxtaposition by imposing a photo taken during the invasion of Normandy Beach on a peaceful picture of his wife and his daughter on the same spot dozens of years later.

The picture, “North vs South - Civil War” uses symmetry to humanize the war; showing brother fighting brother in a balanced scene. The symmetry of this scene shows balance in the civil war. It’s message is not that both sides’ beliefs had merit, but that they are all simply people in the end, the only thing distinguishing them is the flag they fly and colors they wear. This image’s message is that everyone in war are people, and that fact should not be forgotten in battle.

Lee Teter's painting, “Reflections”, uses the reflection of fallen soldiers in the Vietnam Memorial Wall to symbolize the memory of the people who died in the war. War is often remembered through its battles, but using this picture, Teter honors the memory of the people who fought and died in it. He also uses emotion to convey his message that people should not have to be killed to bring peace, with his likeness looking disheartened in regard to the death of his fellow man. Both these elements show that war should be remembered and thought of as a respectful cause, but one that should not have to be necessary.

In conclusion, these images are used to show that the strongest defense against future wars is the memories of past ones..

Modern Technology: The Influence of Social Media on Young Audiences

Technology is being developed quicker than ever before. Our generation has become known as the generation reliant on their technology, and as we look around, we see everyone on a cellular. People have become attached to their phones, constantly checking social media sites and their texts. Has this gone too far, that people are becoming disconnected from one another? Are people becoming more and more influenced by what they read on the media?

Felipe Luchi, a Brazilian designer, uses photo manipulation to create powerful and impactful images. In one (or rather two) of his pieces, he demonstrates how our devices can be a “prison” to the human mind, naming the photos “jailhouses” for a “Go Outside Magazine”. Although these images (as shown right) can create a negative look on technology, with the dull colour scheme and the caged look of the iPhone and the computer mouse, it also represents an escape. In both images, Felipe Luchi adds a prisoner escaping out of the “technology cage” in various ways. In the first photo (the iPhone) the prisoner is escaping via digging. In the other, a 
hole in the wall is shown. Through both of these images, Felipe Luchi is showing his audience that although the majority is stuck within this “prison”, there is still a way to escape the virtual world.

The third photo (as shown left) was taken from an article featuring how far teenagers (or pre-teens) could be influenced by what they read on the internet. The article spoke of two girls that had attempted murder on one of their close friends, due to the fact that they believed an online character would harm both them and their family if they hadn’t. On June 3rd 2014, two twelve year old girls had stabbed their friend, and left her alone, after reading a story on the internet. Because they had believed the story to be true, they were frightened into doing this terrible act. It was told that they had been planning to do so over the few months before. Fortunately, the girl was found and made a full recovery. The story was broadcast on both the news and the internet, catching large attention on how badly youth can be influenced and the extremes that they may go to.

Next is the children’s education and health. Instead of “hugging, playing, rough-housing, and conversing with children, parents are increasingly resorting to providing their children with more TV, video games, and the latest [technology]” (Rowan 2013, para.7). As shown in the photo (right) not only is the young girl reaching for the tablet instead of the books, but is also stepping on a pile of books as well. So instead of reaching for the books and reading, the photo represents that more children would rather seek the internet and social media. But although there is a negative outlook on technology now, there is also a positive side. One of the  arguments on technology with children is the “iPads in the Classroom”. A school named “Mounts Bay Academy" was given iPads to all the teachers, and the students. They claimed that the opportunities for the education were limitless, and to them, the "novelty of the iPads in the classroom will never wear off". The teachers said that learning was much easier, helping with internet research, making videos, taking notes, revision, creating music and art, and much more. But, is this dissconnecting us from one another? Teaching students to rely on the new technology, always on the iPads, will they be drawn to it much more, rather than their own colleagues?

The last photo is powerful; as it shows the connection between a person and their phone. The photo was created by a Banksy fan; a graffiti and street artist who depicts society in a matter of pictures, and known for their society views. The picture represents the bond between a person and the media, how they're "a slave to the phone, desperate to it's digital hit" (Condliffe 2014, para.1). It shows this by how the phone is drawn to look like it is becoming a part of us, and in a way, it is. Taking a look around us, everyone (or the large majority) has a phone.Whether it's to text, or to check your social media, it has become a large aspect of today's society.

In conclusion, from some people's standard, this could be seen as a good thing. Learning new ways to communicate, and furthering the field of technology. However, from some people's perspectives, this can also be negative. Creating a large gap between people, and closing the gap between technology. So does technology have an influence on the younger audience, or is it just because we are pushing each other away and into a different view, which is our new reality?

References

Condliffe, J. (n.d.). A vivid reminder that technology can slave us all.

    Retrieved September 2, 2014, from Gizmodo website: http://gizmodo.com/

    a-vivid-reminder-from-banksy-that-technology-can-enslav-1629468521

Santoso, A., & Luchi, P. (n.d.). Prisoner of Technology. Retrieved April 22,

    2013, from Neatorama website: http://www.neatorama.com/2013/04/22/

    Prisoner-of-Technology/

Luchi, F. (2012). Go outside magazine- jailhouses [Illustration]. Retrieved from

    http://felipeluchi.com/59761/522767/advertising/go-outside-magazine-jailhouses

      Felipe Luchi created three images of social media, turning them to

      jailhouses with photo manipulation.

Himelstein, R. (n.d.). How an imaginary online character influenced two teens to

    kill. Retrieved August 13, 2014, from Philly.com website:

    http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/

    How-an-imaginary-online-character-influened-two-teens-to-kill.html

Rowen, C. (n.d.). The impact of technology on the developing child. Retrieved

    May 29, 2013, from Huff Post; Screen Sense website:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/

    technology-children-negative-impact_b_3343245.html

Animal Agriculture : An Examination of Animal Agriculture and What it's Doing to our Planet

Animal Agriculture : An Examination of Animal Agriculture and What it's Doing to our Planet

Our climate change  has been a huge problem for humans over the recent years causing our world to drastically change from the raising of CO2 emissions to more and more severe natural disasters. .The question is why is this happening? Now most people believe the main reason our climate has been changing is from CO2 emissions being so high from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal,oil and natural gas to create electricity and fuel our vehicles but that's not the case the leading cause for climate change is actually animal agriculture.Throughout this essay these images will help demonstrate a better understanding to as why animal agriculture is such as big issue that needs to be addressed.

There are many reasons animal agriculture plays a huge role in climate change one being deforestation.Animal agriculture not only clears 1-2 acres of rain forest every minute but is also responsible for 91% of Amazon rain forest deforestation.In the image below it shows deforestation of the Amazon rain forest so that wheat can be grown for animal livestock.Deforestation of trees so that we can grow more food for animals is a huge contributor to climate change because we are cutting down tree’s which take away CO2 and help keep our air clean.Deforestation is not the only thing animal agriculture does to our earth and climate.

Animal agriculture is also responsible for a huge amount of water consumption , eating one burger is equivalent to the average person's amount of showers for 2 months. California is an a great example of the effects animal agriculture is having on our fresh water supply.The picture below shows Lake Oroville in California the lake has severely dried up, If you look at the tan looking sediment beside the water that's how high the water used to be, ..Animal agriculture has taken a huge toll on our fresh water supply using 29% of our fresh water worldwide and 47% of California’s water supply creating a severe issue for our environment.California is just an example of the effects animal agriculture has put on our water supply.

To continue animal agriculture also plays a huge role in our greenhouse emissions a recent study showed animal agriculture is responsible for 51% of the world's CO2 emissions. The next image shows people at Al Gore’s Live Earth event protesting about the greenhouse gas emissions our livestock partakes in.The cow has writing on it that says “I am full of green house gas, do you have a steak in it?”. By saying this it's using a pun by saying do you have a “steak” in it like the food and challenging people’s ideology’s by asking if they are supporting the effects livestock has on our climate.  

Lastly in order to stop this dangerous trend of mass production of animal agriculture we must limit our consumption of animals before it's too late. The image above shows what our world is gonna be like when we look at “ego’” vs “eco” and “we the people” vs “we are one”, symbolizing our ego towards animals and what the world will look like if we keep thinking about just human needs instead of all beings as one. l. We must separate ourselves from the ideology that we are better and more important than other living things and lose our ego and be mindful of our ecosystem before it's too late.When we aren’t doing this we are destroying our world slowly, so we must try to be more compassionate towards animals and our world we live on.

In conclusion the effects of animal agriculture has on our climate and world  is very bad and must need to be addressed.The effects it has go from deforestation to massive amounts of fresh water consumption, to higher CO2 emissions and increase in greenhouse gasses.In summation animal agriculture has caused our climate to drastically change and we must lower our consumption of animals and animal by products in order to help reduce the crippling affects animal agriculture has on our planet.

Citations
Image 1: http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-164745/Trees-have-been-cleared-from-a-large-area-in-the
Image 2: http://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/lake-oroville-photos-show-california-drought-crisis/
Image 3: http://theirturn.net/2015/05/20/al-gore-serves-animals-at-climate-change-concerts/
Image 4: http://shiftethos.com/2014/12/24/state-of-the-planet-report/

Gender Roles; How Are They Affecting People?

Gender stereotyping has been around forever, from children’s toys, advertisements, and even classroom stereotyping there is no escaping it. And it can all become very harmful. Gender stereotypes can often shatter people's self confidence, stop them from achieving goals and even pursuing their dreams. This idea is especially true with children because they are most influenced by it. Society has created “gender norms” for each sex and if someone does not fit the gender specific criteria they often feel down about themselves. As an example, “Girls are smarter than boys” is a very common stereotype. This may be true in some situations but some not, often making boys upset even though this statement is not true.

Girls vs. Boys Toys. Growing Up Gendered. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.

    <http://growingupgendered.weebly.com/toys-and-advertising.html>.

As stated before, children’s toys are the best possible example of gender stereotyping and how it can be harmful. Take a look at this photo above, on the left we have the section for boy toys and the right is designated for girls. This is obvious because society has deemed that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Also notice in the background of the right picture, many strollers and images of baby dolls can be seen because girls are perceived as more nurturing than boys. Although, this is not true to all girls. Then looking over to the left, Lego and helicopters, images of cranes and bulldozers can be seen because boys are seen to be more handy than girls. Which is also not true of all boys. This segregation creates conflict in a child’s mind, for example, a little boy may walk into the store and want to buy a doll, but may be embarrassed because the toys on the right are considered to be exclusively for girls, making him upset time and time again. Also ingraining this idea of “I can only play with boy toys” into his mind.      

 

"Gender Stereotypes Found in Children." Pinterest.

Jasmine Reyes, 2014. Web. 9 

Jan. 2016. <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/572449802605674573/>.

Another example involving children being subject to gender stereotyping is this ad for a play kitchen. At first glance it may seem innocent enough, but take a closer look and you will notice that the little girl is doing the laundry while the boy stands back and observes. This image reinforces the idea that the women in the house should be doing the domestic work while the men stand back and handle the “business end” of things. Again, this ad may seem harmless, but a child being exposed to this kind of gender stereotyping over and over will make kids believe that they can only be certain things, and can only have a limited set of aspirations due to the gender stereotypes they are exposed to at such young ages.

    

McDonald's Southwest Salad Advertisement.

understandinggenderstereotypes.wordpress.com. Kristin Potochnik, 8

    July 2015. Web. 9 Jan. 2016.

    <https://understandinggenderstereotypes.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/

    original_62366_rwcizhouakn5nxkpeszh1kgso.jpg>.

In addition to children being the subject of gender stereotyping, adults are just as big of a target, and it can have the same harmful effects. In the image above a woman seems to be enjoying her new salad from McDonald’s. The colours suggest a positive message as well as the image of her dancing in the

background, but really this is just another stereotype on women. The image shows a woman eating a salad, which suggests that she is most likely on a diet, something that women are often associated with. And the image in the background of her dancing is yet another stereotype, reinforcing the idea that all women love shoes and care about their appearances. Ads like this can have a big impact on the way women see themselves, they may feel unhappy or uncomfortable because they do not fit into society's idea of what a woman should look and feel like. Just like a child, seeing these ads plastered everywhere can really ruin a woman’s self confidence, and make her feel that her appearance is the only thing of importance in society.  

American Football. The Tougher Football. Gender Stereotypes in Advertising.

    bates30, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <https://bates30.wordpress.com/

    gender-stereotypes-in-advertising/>.

Men are also great examples of gender stereotyping because, just like women, society has created these gender norms for males saying that they should act and look a certain way. This image above shows a man’s arm, obviously displaying a football that has been stitched into it. Again, a seemingly innocent ad for American Football but when taking a closer look the stereotypes are revealed. This ad is suggesting that all men should like football or sports in general, as one can tell from the football in the image. It shows what seems to be a very buff man’s arm, which proposes the idea that all men should be tough, and have a substantial amount of muscle on their bodies. Also note that the makers of this ad excluded choosing to use a woman’s arm because there is, yet another, stereotype that surrounds women and their dislike of sports. Some men may look at this ad and feel down because society says that men should enjoy watching and participating in sports, and be naturally athletic, but if they are not then they must not be a man. This further proves how stereotypes can also be hurtful to men just as much as they can be hurtful to women.

In conclusion, gender stereotyping can be seen everywhere, causing much harm to it’s viewers. Children are likely the most influenced by the stereotypes because they are so young and are exposed to these gender norms often. It can lead them to believe that there is a great divide between men and women, and each genders abilities and their place in society. Both genders as adults are also constantly exposed to stereotyping. Mainly in advertising, which can cause each sex to feel discontent with themselves if they do not fit into society’s criteria of what they should be.