Archive for month: October, 2015

So the assignment was to go as long as we could without using social media or texting or calling people and to write about our experience. I was not able to go very long. I went about a couple hours in the morning until my dad texted me. Most peoples lives in America are very dependent on social media and cell phones and being able to contact people 24/7. When i looked all around me people would just walk around school today staring at their cell phones and not even looking up. Lots of people had headphones in as well and completely disengaged themselves from the world around them.

I think it is ironic we have to go as long as we can without technology and then blog about it to the world since blogging is a form of social media. In the nursing program as well, we were told to get skyscape on our phones and look for things online as well as use other apps we find useful when looking up medications in the hospital setting. Medical care is very dependent on technology now and i dont think its necessarily a bad thing. Technology enhances communication and makes it quicker and more efficient as well as making knowledge accessible at any time.

I really enjoyed reading this chapter and looking on the website online. I always heard that watching porn could render your expectations of sex but I have never heard that it could impact you on so many levels. I was majoring in the science field for a long time so to read all the affects that porn has on the body especially the brain, seems absolutely crazy. I think that this article would be very valuable to people who are struggling with a porn addiction because it gives such good insight and provides so much information about how porn affects all aspects of your life.

The book also provided a lot of valuable information about promiscuity.I do think that people do get caught up with the idea that children are losing their ” innocence” a lot younger than they have been in  the past but like the book said that’s a lie. People were always promiscuous the were just not as open about it. Not too long ago girls were getting married at a young age to people they did not necessarily care about.  By doing this it does not make them any more chaste than young people now a days who are being sexually active with people they love. Also teen pregnancy may not have seemed as dominate as it does today in our society but I do not think that has anything to do with today’s media. When young girls got pregnant in the past they would jump straight into marriage or get and abortion  and now young girls are stepping up and taking care of their child themselves. Overall I think that this chapter and the website both gave me a lot of insight to promiscuity in the media.

This morning I am reflecting on my past 24 hours of “unplugging” from my phone and social media accounts.  Although school work still required some use of my electronic devices, my use for the day was decreased significantly.

My first “unplugging” moment was when I went on my run.  I decided to leave my phone at home and run without music.  I was surprised to see so many other people out exercising at the same time. As I ran past each person, I waited to see if they were going to say hi.  Most of them did not, until I initiated the exchange.  I normally say “hello” to people on my runs, but this time I tried to be even more friendly.  I asked a few people, “Hi, how’s your day going?”  I noticed that just a few more words out of my mouth created a much more connected feel in the few seconds I was running past them.  Two people even offered me a “good job” or “keep it up” as I ran past.  Stepping away from my music made me notice more people out and about and I think it enhanced the short, few second exchanges I had with my neighbors.

I also noticed that I was finished with my homework by about 6:00 yesterday.  Without the distraction of my phone or computer (for social reasons), I was able to be a lot more productive.  Being done earlier allowed me to sit down in the backyard with my parents and hear all about their days.  We are usually pretty good about visiting without distractions, but being finished with my homework allowed me to give them 100% of attention without feeling the need to run off to something else.

Lastly, I left my phone in the car when I went to take my Pilates class last night. Usually I mess around on my phone as I sit waiting for class to start, just to have something to do.  Last night I sat there just observing things around me.  I was surprised to see an older gentleman come up and sit right next to me.  He began to ask if I had taken this class before and told me it was his very first time taking it.  He asked me all about it and even admitted he was a little nervous.  It was nice to spend those few minutes visiting with a person, rather than checking my Facebook or catching up on junk emails.  After class I checked in with him to see if he liked it and he said he hopes to be back next week! I think that “unplugging” from my devices made me appear more approachable to that gentleman.  If I was on my phone, I probably would have missed the opportunity to make a new friend.

As a waitress, I see people plugged into their phones way too much.  Often when I approach my tables with, “good evening, how are you tonight?”  I am rudely interrupted with “I’ll take a water.”  It is as if they didn’t even hear me trying to start a friendly exchange because they are too involved with their phones.  Its incredibly disrespectful and immediately makes me want to just walk away from them.   Unfortunately, because I still want my job, I am left in an awkward place and cannot even say anything to them.  It also drives me crazy when parents bring their kids iPads, mini TVs, or cell phones to act as babysitters during dinner.  What happened to kids being entertained through the conversations, the coloring sheets provided by the restaurants, and a few small toys they were allowed to bring when we were kids?  Sadly, this kind of behavior within restaurant settings is only going to lead to children becoming “plugged in” adults in the future.  Its a terrible cycle!!!

This exercise was a really good reminder of how reliant we are on our devices and how it can negatively impact the relationships around us. Putting it down once in a while is a great way to observe what’s taking place around us.   Although I am writing this response now, I am going to continue to stay disconnected throughout the weekend and see what other social exchanges I can have with those people around me.

 

 

Here we are in the second installment of “Being the Lurker”.  For those that might not know what a Lurker is, I found a few definitions for you that should be helpful getting you up to speed.

Google defines it as: (of a person or animal) be or remain hidden so as to wait in ambush for someone or something.

Urban Dictionary has it as, spying on people online, while you remain invisible

Wikipedia goes further to say: In Internet culture, a lurker is typically a member of an online community or PLN, who observes but does not actively participate.

The experiment at hand is to find some websites/social media pages on the topic of LGBT and Lurk them, spy on them from afar, sneak in and take a peak without anyone the wiser. Being the natural lurker that I am, this task came with no hesitation or delays.  I have been lurking some great Facebook pages on the topic of LBGT, And I will continue to do so after the research is over.  The Los Angeles LGBT Center, LGBT News and Human Rights Campaign are some of the groups that I have been following the closest.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center page on Facebook by far is more progressive and is always being updated with events, news, and information on support groups. It is a constant feed on who is promoting equal rights for the LGBT community and who is adamantly against it. An announcement that came on Monday was a partnership between lavender.com and Birth Sevices to offer Los Angeles families the first LGBTQ childbirth classes.  For more information go to www.lavender.com as first classes start in November. On the darker side of the news, it shares information on an NFL team owner donating money to oppose equality in Houston. For the most part, this social media community has to be one of the best. It is a place where all can come to find useful information on all aspects of the LGBT.
On the Human Rights Campaign site, there is a compelling video that should be seen by all.

The message is clear and it should be understood. People are people regardless of our differences. “People are people so why should it be, that you and I should get along so awfully?”(GORE, MARTIN) This is a question that has been asked far too many times without a respectable reply. It is from a gay man to a straight man, and the question at hand is why all the hate, aggression and rejection? How are we so different? In my opinion, were not. I have witnessed the road to equality has been bulldozed, and is on the way of being paved. The acceptance and understanding of each other is stronger now than it ever has been. I feel that in years to come this will no longer be an issue of any kind, not social or ethical. It will not be overnight, but the day will come when all humans stand together with equal rights.
This project has opened my eyes to many issues, both fantastic and horrifying and has been a wonderful experience. But as I mentioned before, “I am a Lurker,” no denying it. Sometimes while on Facebook or Twitter, I will participate in the everyday shenanigans, but most of the time I am in and out with no-one the wiser. It is okay to be the life of the party, but most of the time i decide not to be.

Well as I always was, keep smiling, make someone laugh out loud and have a fantastic day.

CDR