Hipsters or Poseurs?

One of the readings I found most interesting this past week was "Why do People Hate Hipsters".  The first thing I wanted to do was look at Urban Dictionary to see what people really think hipsters are.  The most common definition was: Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence and witty banter.

I wish I could say that I disagree with this stereotypical definition, but this is exactly what I think of when I think of hipsters.  I see guys in v neck t-shirts, thick rimmed glasses, tight pants and trendy shoes.  I think they are poseurs; they are trying to be someone they aren't just so they can stand out from the crowd.  I know we are young and still trying to "find ourselves" but hipsters are going way above and beyond standing out from the crowd.

Like our reading suggests, I also believe that hipsters keep us moving forward into new fashions and allows us to discover new things that haven't become lame and hipster. Without hipsters, we would be stuck with the same fashion sense as everyone around us. 

Then I think of myself. I think of when I go to a football game.  I dress up in Ball State football shirts and put paint under my eyes and maybe add in a sweatband.  I never watch the football games at Ball State. I go there to tailgate and be with my friends and family.

Or when I go shopping, I want to wear what the models in advertisements are wearing.  They look so chic and different from everyone around them.  So why do I dress up and act like I know what's fashionable and hip? Does that make me a hipster? Or just a poseur... because I want a pair of thick rimmed glasses. 

Sports Sellouts and Individualism

Every time you turn on a football, basketball, or baseball game and see your favorite players on the screen, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it stats, what they're wearing, what bat is he swinging, or is it what commercial they've been in recently?  In today's sports scene, professional athletes are being used as giant billboards for house hold brands.  Bryce Harper, baseball star that is only 20 years old is in every Under Armor commercial because he uses their products.  He is looked up to by millions of young athletes and when they see him using the Under Armor brand then that puts the impression in all of their minds that if they use Under Armor then they can be like Bryce Harper.  Kids learn this at a young age and are turned into life long users of that brand.

When a Nike commercial comes on and a young boy or girl sees it and sees their favorite athlete on the tv wearing that brand, they want Nike.  Michael Jordan is no longer a sports superstar but rather a giant brand.  When I look at MJ now, I don't see the greatest basketball player ever.  I see the Hanes brand, Jordan's (shoes), or even the no bacon neck shirt guy. Branding is beginning to ruin major sports icons that were once known for their athletic achievements.  Eventually Bryce Harper will be one giant brand and he is well on his way.  He is endorsed by every major sports clothing line, Mizuno bats and gloves, so basically he is selling out early in his career.  When basketball or baseball players go onto the court or field, they are marketing their brand.  They want people to buy their product so they brand themselves and wear their own products making them a walking self indulging billboard.  Who knew so many super stars could be branding sell outs? We see in all of the Nike and Under Armor commercials that if you buy their products that it will make you more of an individual and stand out.  What happens when everyone wants to be an individual and buys these products, you create a giant sub culture of people trying to be individuals that in turn kills all individualism. The giant companies that say they promote individualism really don't.  The more people that buy their products the more money that goes into their pockets.  So while all of those retired athletes that haven't played a sport in years, just sit back in their comfy life and make cheesy commercials, we the consumers really display the products.  But we don't make money for wearing Nike shorts to the gym or taking a picture of you and your new Adidas shoes. Nope, the people that make a 15 second commercial make all the dough and then just live off the interest.

I just think it's unfair for old sports stars to make money for not doing anything while we the consumers buy the products and display it in the public eye every day.  Without us their are no brands or branding. So maybe we should get a little more recognition than Michael Jordan or Shaq that don't do anything towards the product.  So let the big athletes that say they love these big name brands and supposedly wear them, let them make all the money when they shouldn't.  That's fine I guess, but these big corporations should just think about one thing.  With us their is no one to "brand"'and we don't have to buy name brand items.  It would be cheaper for me to go to Walmart and buy their version of shoes and clothing.  So maybe we should do what all of these name brand commercials tell us to do and that is to go be individuals.  Individuals that don't wear the same thing and that aren't branded from birth like a farm animal.  This is America and we are built on the foundation that we should all be individuals and last time I checked Bryce Harper and MJ's personalities and styles are taken.... by them.  So go out and be yourself and make your own brand, for you and you only.

Childhood Branding

As I was reading the article about how three year olds recognize and understand branding through the power of advertisement, it brought me back to my summer job as a nanny. I nannied two little girls, a three year old and a six year old. The more the article proved how kids can recognize this and shape their views on life, the more I realized that these girls totally are in the core of this. Not only are they playing on their iPad's all day and dancing to Rihanna songs, the are getting expensive, brand named clothing and refuse to wear anything else. The three year old knew exactly what she wanted to wear everyday. No matter how much I tried to help or give input on what she should wear for the day, if it wasn't this particular skirt with this shirt, she refused to put it on. The six year old showed me all the things her mom had bought her the day prior and she pulled out the trending shoes that have the hidden heal inside (they look like space sneakers with a flat bottom but have a hidden heel inside). A six year old wearing heels and refuses to wear them with nothing else but her Children's Place skinny jeans. Now I don't think that it is their fault that they are so focused on the things they are wearing and what brand or style it may be. They were born into this culture and lifestyle through nurture. The generations keep getting younger and younger and I think it's incredibly important to pay close attention to the materialism that is developing in very young children.

How dumb do you sound when you use #hashtag

    Yes, Everyone knows that a hastag is a great way organize your thoughts and ideas. However, a new cool fad is coming that if you don't realize it you may already be doing it. Some people are actually talking using hastags in real every day life. Which is why below I include a great video that I think includes a perfect example of how dumb we really sound when we decide to talk like we do on Twitter.

   The question has become what is social media doing to the overall flow of everyday life. It turns out quite a bit as stated in this story by the Daily News in New York. It turns out a lot of fights on Facebook actually turn into real fights in real life. That means just like the language of Facebook soon becoming apart of everyday life so has the things we say. People really do care what you think about them and they don't like being insulted. Is that the only thing that is translated into real life from social media? Of course not. Whether your a hipster, goth, emo, nerd, or just plain strange we all will at one time replicate something we have seen on social media. The problem is its just there its present and everyone who is everyone is on social media. That fads will be taken off of Facebook and Twitter and Myspace and...... liked we learned in the article about cool right off the street. That means if companies are willing to pay people to find cool people then they are willing to start fads off the internet just as easily.

Just remember it may be the next cool thing to say #swag after everything you say. You may claim you have never used a hastag in real life but I would argue that you are lying.

Watch This VIDEO #Justintimberlake

Why I Want To Be In A Biker Gang

My favorite show on TV right now is "Sons of Anarchy" and it has been for quite some time now. From the moment I saw the pilot, I was hooked. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, "Sons of Anarchy" follows an outlaw motorcycle club in California as they navigate through the seedy underworld that is organized crime. As the show progresses, the club continues to make decisions that ultimately lead them farther and farther down a dark path of moral ambiguity. Part of the reason I love "Sons of Anarchy" is that the characters are all believeable. Mind you, you have to be willing to suspend your disbelief that a bunch of bearded guys in leather with a penchant for shooting first and asking questions later is considered normal. My point is that they seem human. Sure, they may live a lifestyle that is almost mythical, but the way they respond in certain situations is authentic, fueled by real emotion and the kind of bond you obtain by being by someone at their darkest moment. These characters have fueled a sort of para-social relationship that I (and I'm sure many other viewers) have created with many of the people on the show. Over the course of the 6 seasons the show has been on the air, I have formed "bonds" with many of the characters. When one individual's wife is accidentally gunned down, I felt deep sympathy and rage, just as he felt on screen. When another character was forced to watch powerlessly as his own daugther died in front of him, I felt the pain and anguish he did. And when a fan favorite meets his maker courtesy of a lead pipe, I actually felt sick to my stomach, just as his brothers in arms did. These kinds of emotional connections are what separates good TV from great TV and what keep people tuning in week after week. In addition, "Sons of Anarchy" portrays the ultimate counterculture. What is more anti-mainstream than ignoring the laws and rules that form the foundation of society? The members of the Sons are all portrayed as their own individual subculture, one full of sex, drugs, and violence and can easily identify themselves based on their motorcycles and their leather vests. However, just as it is in real life, by having a counterculture simply exist, it impacts how the mainstream culture acts. Throughout the show, numerous people attempt to emulate or join the motorcycle club, only to be immediately turned away or shunned by the members themselves. Not only does the counterculture influence the mainstream culture, in this case, the counterculture IS the mainstream culture. The way the show is portrayed, there is no other option other than to be in the club. Rarely do you see normal, upstanding citizens living their life. Instead, the only possible lifestyle is to be in the club and (for the most part) anyone who is not is singled out and dealt with accordingly. "Sons of Anarchy" has made me lust after Harley Davidson motorcycles, which is part of the point. The desire to be something we aren't has been played out time and time again, and television allows us to live these alternate fantasies as an escape from a our mundane lives. "Sons of Anarchy" does just that for me. I don't want to ACTUALLY join a motorcycle gang, but "Sons of Anarchy" is the closest thing I will ever get to being in one and for 60 minutes every Tuesday, I can imagine driving down the highway, next to my favorite people on TV.

Why do people hate hipsters

Hipsters are a great part of our population today. A lot of people are becoming hipsters by the way they dress. Hipsters dress in skinny jeans, low v-neck t-shirts, they wear ray-bands and also have tattoos. A lot of people today hate on hipsters because they say that they are annoying or they way the dress is just not normal. But we can all say there is one outfit of ours that we wear that can be related into the hipster genre. people who are hipsters do not care what others think of them because they are living their lives the way they want to live it. SO the way they dress defines who they are. Also a lot of hipster people play guitar or sing and sometimes they ride skateboards or longboards. The genre "hipster" is very popular these days and a lot of people are changing over to hipster and its wrong for people to hate on them because they do not hate on others so why should they be hated on.

A T.V show that demonstrates the genre of Hipster would be New Girl. New Girl is a serious based on a girl named Jesse who is a teacher and broke up with her boyfriend and moves in with three guys she meet from an Ad. Jesse plays a great role in demonstrating hipster. She drives an old car she dresses to act like a kid or just an everyday outfit of a hipster. Everything she wears is very retro. She plays the guitar and loves to sing. this shows is a great way to know what a hipster really looks like.

How to be cool while being uncool

Watch an episode of Saved by the Bell, and you will be dropped into the culture of what is cool. Saved by the bell, which began in 1989, displayed a culture where teenage kids got into wacky situations and sometimes, mature ones. One underlying theme that constantly was brought up for me was one of the character's desire to be "cool." Zack Morris was that "kid." He always wanted the newest thing, the cutest girl, and, of course, to be cool.

When I think of Zack Morris, I go back to the discussion we had in class today. What is cool. I feel the definition can float differently from person to person. Everyone has their own definition of what is cool. A soccer fan will find England cool for the European influenced on soccer. A comedian will find comedy movies cool because they make them laugh. Each person has their own preference and no one definition is any more right than the other.

The desire to be cool drives from the desire to be liked and "popular." In the show, Zack always tried to come up with some scheme that would afford him the opportunity to be the "cool" guy at Belmont. Whether it was a prank on Mr. Belding, or a wacky plan to get some time to get close with Kelly, Zack always had desire to be popular.

Being cool is nothing more than a circle of topical and popular ideals that cycle back through. Clothing companies go out of their way to find what's cool to not only be up to date with pop culture, but also to be able to find what they can later call back as "vintage" wear later on. 

In the reading we did for class, it brings up a good question... do we know what is cool? Is Zack's cell phone really that cool? Is the new shirt you bought from American Eagle really cooler than the shirt someone bought from Walmart for half the price? 

"Cool" is a very argumentative term that I feel can be debated for years. What I think it really should show us as humans that consume popular culture and subcultures is that no matter what, what you think is cool is what YOU think is cool. No one can take that away nor should they. 

Go out and be cool

Dad's on FOX

Last week, Dads premiered on FOX. From the beginning I was hooked. I watched all the previews, I marked my calendar and cleared my schedule just so I can watch this show...well, let's just say I got a lot of homework done that night. The show was very offensive.

Now, I can take the jokes and the pokes with the best of them. I watch Family Guy and all those other shows that make people cringe, but this was insult after insult thrown at everyone. No one was safe. There were sexist jokes, age jokes, racist jokes, and much more.

I believe the Feminist Perspective can be applied quite effectively to this show. While a male dominated cast, gender roles are emphasized with stereotypes, specifically on women. There is a Mexican cleaning lady, an Asian co-worker, that dresses up in a Sailor Moon type outfit, and an attractive women married to a nerdy successful guy, who I am assuming is rich. The dads are interesting characters because they switch from being an uncaring father to a hovering "mother" figure.

While I get that it is a comedy, I find that they might not see the ratings they anticipated. Bad acting coupled with awkward puns and camera angles, leaves much to be desired. I watched the second episode to give it another shot, but I feel the show has lost the momentum  they had going for them.The episode is based off of pot brownies and using them to create a new video game (for their company) and then "accidentally" drugging their fathers.

All in all, the show is a stereotype filled half hour.

little off topic, but i cant not talk about it

Thinking back on it, it amazes me to think what our technology has enabled us to do. We can watch people with remote control robots, tap cellphones, track people over the internet and so on.

Like we talked about in class, we also all these great social media platforms to share ideas, concepts and miles upon miles of information with each other. But it sickens me, I mean sickens me, turns my blood to venom when I see people abuse this. Not even five minutes ago I had gotten home from class and sat down on my couch like every other student does. I checked twitter, I checked the onion, simple things to provide the entertainment in our times of boredom. But then I decided to check Vine, an application I actually enjoyed quit a bit until now.

Scrolling down I saw the same old things, overweight people dancing to Skrillex, everyone copying the Terio "Oh Kill Em Dance" then I saw something revined, the vine version of getting "retweeted" that made me almost and im still debating, deleting my vine account because of it.

I saw a sick human under the vine name, "The Grey" beating his dog. Slapping it in the head, pulling on its ears violently, and laughing like a borderline dictator. It sickens me that this exists. This isn't the first time either. After I witnessed this I did some research and theirs been a few different instances like this. People kicking cats, throwing them in the ceiling, shooting animals with crossbows, I was on the verge of tears reading some of the articles I found. The fact that we can do everything we can do that I stated above with technology but we cant find a man who posts a six second video on a public application like Vine. It makes me pretty upset to be an American. We can have and fund a remote control stealth plane but we cant put this petty sick freak to justice.

Correct me if im wrong but this man hasn't been apprehended yet. So lets down our own form of activism. If you know anything about this man call animal control, its not something to tread lightly over, post on facebook about it, make it known.


Andrew

Culture Of Cool: How to tell when someone is being genuine.

So today in class we discussed how it is sometimes hard to decipher the difference between genuine personality and following the "calling of cool". I think that more often than not we allow ourselves to be pulled and urged to change our likes and interests to keep up with whats new in popular culture. I don't think that this is necessarily a quest to be cool but instead growth of a person. This is not to say that there are not extremist, people who gulp down the latest and greatest like a value meal from McDonald's but, generally speaking most people build identity with age and lose interest in being "cool". Having the latest iPhone seems more important at 20 than it does at 40 being a mother of 3. I don't think cool is so much of a destination but a path to who you are. There are plenty of fads that pass by and I don't entertain because they don't appeal to me. If I try something new, be it "cool" at the time, even if its 15 minutes of fame pass I will still continue to enjoy it because its still of interest to me and not because of social pressures to maintain status.
This is how I think that you are able to determine people for who they really are. The example I gave in class was of my friend Gracie who has always marched to the beat of her own drum. She has never tried to give off this image of herself and never changes her personality make up to fit in with another group of people. She was raised to love the Beatles and be vegetarian and to appreciate people. She is the only person I know who in 2013 is still wearing denim skirts. She will never change, just age. People that are unfaltering no matter what the media masses attempt to push on them are genuine people. Obviously people get most of their social influences from the mass media so it's impossible to avoid everything that gets deemed cool but, if you go from Marshall Mathers to Marcus Mumford in less than a months time, you are clearly a cool craver.

A vicious cycle

So as we learned in class today we are all striving to be cool. This affects us often when choosing the clothes we wear. What style do we want to potray? What do we want people to think of us. Style is ever changing and always will be. Why? Because there is a vicious cycle in the clothing industry.

So the vicious cycle is basically what happens when a trend setter starts wearing something different to be, coincidently, different. There are 2 types of trend setters, celebrities and rebels. So for instance celebrities began wearing backless dresses to the VMA's and Grammys. It wasn't long before every girl had to have a backless dress or top. So in this case the celebrity was the trend setter and the cycle trickled down.

Vanessa Hudgens and long with many other celebs started this look. 

                                                     Then everyone had to have the "look"

In contrast the cycle can trickle up. Recently rebels began wearing high waisted shorts and band t-shirts to "stick it to the man." They wanted to be different and not play into what everyone else was wearing. That's when the cycle trickles up. Soon all the high schoolers start to rebel, then celebrities start conforming and wearing what is "cool."

So just a normal girl trying to be different and look homeless

                                        Olsen twins decided to accept the fashion and make it "fashionable" By the                                            way, we all know you paid hundreds for that ratty old shirt.

So basically this never ends. There are trend setters and there are followers and they will always be around. As soon as the followers start stealing the trend setters style they have to start something new. And since it is constantly trickle up and down the cycle never real stops.

America's Pastime

This blog post is more an observation of events and tendencies that i've noticed since taking this class. We've spoke throughout the semester of the impact of social media/technology and human interaction.

I had the pleasure, this weekend, to go to Wrigley Field in Chicago for a Cubs/Braves game. This event was for my father's birthday and we went to see the Braves beat the Cubs and clinch their playoff spot.

This did not happen.

BUT, I did see technology used an extraordinary amount and social media more than any other thing, besides the actual baseball game, of course. To begin, I saw countless people hand strangers their phone, which are quite valuable, for pictures. I know this happens all the time, but it just seemed odd to be happening where people gave their expensive smart phones to strangers in a town that has a reputation for not having the most trustworthy people.

I also saw an individual attempting to make a Vine while walking around the concessions stands. If not a vine, a very poorly done panoramic picture. I also saw a lot of videos being taken in general during the game, either with other people or of the game. Tweeting was happening by everyone around me. Hashtags left and right, mentions out the wazoo. I tweeted (before my phone died before the game even began) at both a specific player from the Braves, and the Braves organization as a whole, but received no mentions, favorites, or retweets. My own mother was uploading pictures to Facebook and commenting on multiple people's statuses and having chat messages with other people that she knew during some intense parts of the game. My dad and I, however, sat and watched the game in the entirety. Watching the game play out was better than checking the scores and getting in-depth stats about the players.

The whole day in Chicago just made me think of how sometimes technology can help us preserve the memories of specific events, like attending a baseball game at one of the most memorable parks in America. Inversely, however, I feel like it can distract someone from living in the moment. To me, and this is all relative, the  memory that I have of sitting in the seats, hearing the crack of the bats, feeling the wind in the very accurately named "Windy City," and making observations is more precious to me than a picture on my phone or a Vine that wouldn't get more than 2 likes.

Parasocial relationships with celebrities we look up to.

I believe everyone has a parasocial relationship with a celebrity they look up to. For example, in a weird way I think I have a parasocial relationship with one of my favorite NFL players...Clay Matthews. Why? Because he had to work hard and claw his way to his dream and that's what I want to do. If you look up his history he rarely saw the football field in high school because of his size and his dad was the defense coach. He still wanted to play football so he walked on to a D1 school (USC) and it took until his senior year in college till he started. And once he did that's when everyone saw his true talent. How does that make me relate to him. I never got to start in high school either because of my size and right now I'm in the process of trying to walk on to the Ball State football team. Now obviously wanting to be in the NFL is a little too big to think about right now but I want to be able to accomplish at least playing football one more time and reading Clay Matthews' story motivates me. I'd love to play again and I'd love to give it my all and show the talent I have. That's why I feel like I have a parasocial relationship with Clay Matthews.

Words With Friends?

     Alright, so I know that I'm a little late with this one but this is the first time I've actually had time to sit down and write. I want to talk about how technology and social media effect our interpersonal relationships. It is amazing how our phones can completely captivate our attention for hours on end. The apps, texts, emails, videos, whatever it is, seems to be able to hold our focus for much longer than a face-to-face conversation ever does. Our interpersonal skills are becoming scarce among this generation. Kids don't know how to hold a conversation with adults anymore or are too busy with their phones, iPods, or tablets to even care to respond to those around them. This is going to cause a huge tare in how things work in our world. As a society, we are communication driven. We don't know what someone wants unless they tell us and conflict is always addressed head on in our society. Without these interpersonal skills to resolve problems in our everyday lives, the world that we know will crumble under the technological world we are trying to build.
     My example of a lack of interpersonal communication is my family. Over Christmas this year, both of my grandmas had come down to Zionsville to visit the family and spend the holiday with us. They had both just recently gotten smart phones and my sisters and I were teaching them how to use them. At this time, one of my most used apps on my iPhone was "Words With Friends." Both of my grandmas love scrabble and so I thought it would be nice for them to be able to play it on their new phones. We introduced the app to them and they loved it. To make a long story short, on the last day of their trip, my entire family (Mom, Dad, both Grandmas, my two little sisters and myself) were all sitting in the same room, completely silent all playing Words With Friends with each other... Now if this isn't a great example of what technology has done to our lives, I don't know what is. I looked up at this time and realized how absolutely ridiculous we all seemed. I think this is the first time I ever truly realized the effects of technology and social media on our every day lives.
     After being in this class for about a month, I have really tried to limit my use of social media. Like other students have said, I try to not take my phone out at bus stops or when walking somewhere alone but it has become second nature to me and I can't help but do it sometimes. I have to truly think about not using my phone in these situations. As the days go on though, I have realized that I have, in fact, begun to limit the amount of time I am on social media and my phone. I have noticed that when I go on Twitter, it has been several hours (anywhere between 5-8) since I last refreshed my Twitter page. I would say this is a huge improvement on my part. I have realized that I depended on my phone quite a bit in the past and I have begun to turn that trend around. I don't need my phone as much as I thought I did, but I still hate not having it on me. It is my security blanket. I definitely agree with the statement that as a generation, we have a close tie to technology and almost don't know what to do when we are without it.

Twitter do's and don't's

Everyone who is "anyone" is on social media. That's simple. Everyone likes to be connected, and for most people they find that social media is a lot easier way to express themselves rather than telling someone in person. With this being said, people have violated some unwritten twitter rules that I find often cause me to slap my forehead and wonder what went wrong:

When on twitter

Do:
Think before you speak -- It can be very easy to just immediately tweet what's on your mind. A professor is rude to you, you reach for your phone and type out "Man, my Comm 322 professor is such a jerk #annoyed"

Stop

(Also I have never tweeted negatively about this class. It rules!)

This is a terrible choice. Not only are you being a bit childish because of someone's words, but it is beyond silly to post something on a social media page.

Break it down "Social - Media" When you post something to a Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Myspace (is that a thing still?) you gain access to a world of people who can then gain access to your thoughts. Employers look at your social media usage and may hire based on things you post.

Do: Spark good discussion

If you are a part of an alternative group and see something that excites you, TALK ABOUT IT! Social media is a great tool to share a cool video or story and smack people in the face with stuff you find cool. Don't be afraid to spark discussion with people.

Don't: #UseHashtagsForEverythingYouPost

Hashtags are (in my opinion) the best free marketing tool for any business, television, or radio show. You use a hashtag to keep track of conversations and get a return (for marketers) on a product. #you #dont #need #to #tell #me #every #emotion #you #feel #with #each #hashtag.

Little Twitter things can easily help your social media experience and better make your internet profile more respectable.

-Brian

No Vacancy for Complacency

My whole life, my dad has been in my ear encouraging me to complete a degree and have a stable career. He wants more for me than what he's had, and he wants nothing short of success for myself. After hearing it for so long, it naturally becomes ones own goals. Honestly, who doesn't want success and a career that has job security?

But that wasn't the only thing my dad preached. My father was big on one thing: do something you love. He used to always tell me, and still does to this day, that "it's easier to make minimal money doing something you love than to make loads of money doing something you hate." I've taken that to heart. My attitude has become that of a mindset that would rather make $20K a year doing something in sports, over $100K and hating my life day in and out. What's the point? If you're miserable, there's no point in makin' the bacon.

This is all a result of a Tweet I saw from someone I know this past Friday night.
          
          "Great things come to those who wait. 
           I'll wait forever if that's what it takes"

To which I responded:
           
          "I disagree. Good things come to those who work hard to pursue what they want. 
           Those who wait get left behind."

So, my main venting point, if you will; what the hell is with all of the complacency among my generation? Left and right, I see kids my age saying "well I could go here, and get this degree to do this, but I might as well just stay here, save some money, and do this." My main question to you all is this. WHY? Why in the world settle? We are all in the prime of our lives, guys. The most critical four years that ultimately shape the rest of our careers, and possibly even the rest of our lives. What we do in these two to four years has such an impact on everything around us.

I could have just decided to stay in Fort Wayne, get an associates in Business, and go into some part-time job hoping to move up the ranks. Is there anything wrong with that, if that's what you want to do? Absolutely not. But that's not what I wanted to do. If you've ever talked with me about sports, odds are you've found yourself on the wrong end of an argument because of my passion for the given sport we're debating. Clearly, it is something I love. So why not pursue it? I'm halfway home on a bachelor's degree here in Broadcast Journalism, with internships at 1070 The Fan (ESPN Radio Indy) and Bleacher Report under my belt, and opportunities abound. Both of my internships, I haven't gotten one dime in compensation. And it hasn't ever crossed my mind.

Is it going to take some debt when it comes to education? Most likely. But college debt isn't the worst thing that could happen. You know what is? Struggling to make money every night while hating your job. So I leave you with this: if you're going to struggle for money, why not struggle and love every minute of what you do?

Smartphone, Dumb Conversation

After completing the Literacy Journal assignment for my Digital Literacies class, I had to step back and evaluate what I had recorded. See, the point of the assignment was to write down every single moment we read or wrote something during the day. We had to do this for a week straight. I noticed there was one constant throughout my literacy intake and outtake: I spend too much time on the Internet.

I don't mean researching and engaging in important information that was critical to learning. I mean, I was on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest every hour, and sometimes even several hours all at once.

It's not like any of this information was news to me, nor was I shocked that it occurred so often. I've been completely aware of my social network interaction for the last seven years. But it all seemed to accelerate and increase in December 2012, when I receive my first ever smartphone.

So when did this behavior become acceptable? Appropriate? Healthy?

I went to BDUBS tonight with a good friend and former roommate of mine. Over the last few months I have become increasingly aware of how distracted I am through the use of my iPhone in public settings. So, tonight, I decided to leave it untouched and in my purse. Checking Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and even Snapchat was off-limits for the next hour and fifteen minutes we were going to spend together.

We talked about church, class schedules, different teachers we had. We also talked about the new people in our lives and the old people. We talked about our pasts and things that hadn't been brought up in a while. The important part of the evening wasn't necessarily the conversation topics we covered, but the fact that I could recall the conversation an hour afterwards. I've only been able to do that a handful of times since December.

Over the last eight months, there were times when I was so busy updating pictures and statuses of who I was hanging out with and what we were doing that I missed out on actually enjoying my time with those people and participating in the activities we were engaging.

While I was sitting in BDUBS, I took a mental note of how many tables around me had easy access to their cell phones. The first point I should make is that every table within eyesight of me had at least one smartphone sitting out. The second point should be that at every one of those tables there were at least two people actively engaged on their phones. And to clarify, there isn't only the distraction of the smartphone at Buffalo Wild Wings. I counted over forty screens in the building, at least five different shows and games on, and there was music playing from the jukebox.

So what's my point? During this entire meal, those people at the tables were either on their phones or engaged in whatever game of their choice. There was very little conversation and if there was any conversation, it was meaningless and shallow passing of useless information that the receiving party forgot within seconds of interpretation.

But, Rachel, that's the whole point of BDUBS. You're not suppose to have real conversation. You're suppose to be watching the game!

When did that become an appropriate rebuttal? When did we promote the lack of communication and conversation with one another, especially during a meal? When did texting at the table and taking phone calls become an acceptable behavior at meal time? This kind of activity isn't limited to one specific restaurant. It happens anywhere and everywhere.

And now you can save yourself from your smartphone by buying this smartphone. It'll get you in, out, and on with your life. Except it won't. 

We're not connecting with people through technology. We may use the excuse that we "stay in contact" with people, but if I were to ask you when the last time you had a personal conversation with someone face-to-face, how would you respond? I would tell you that I have daily discussions with between ten to thirty of my Facebook friends, personally. And I have a total of 1,037 Facebook "friends."

It's becoming increasingly evident, not only in our lack of communication skills, but also our physical biology that we are becoming addicted to smartphones.

"The more 'connected' we are, the less we're connecting."

We're not only disconnecting from the physical world through our smartphone use, but we're also increasing the risks of developing mental disorders that can have a lifetime effect.

My challenge to you is to leave your phone, whether it be a smartphone or a dumbphone, home for a day. See how many times you go to reach for it. Try and strike up a conversation with a stranger. Test to see whether you experience withdrawal and are truly addicted to your smartphone. Just one day can make you realize how dependent you are on social networking to connect with people.

Entre la Nuit, La nuit et l’aurore

This week one of my favorite bands, Arcade Fire, released a new song entitled Reflektor, and after listening to it a few (i.e 100) times I have to say it fits remarkable well with the our lesson on loneliness. The song has many references to the ways that technology and the Internet make it difficult to connect with others, take the opening lines for example;

“Trapped in a prism/in a prism of light/Alone in the darkness/darkness of white

What Win Butler is saying there is that we are trapped in this idea of loneliness created by our computers (the darkness of white screens?) distancing us from real human contact? In the second verse he gets more in-depth

Now the signals we send/are deflected again/We’re still connected/but are we even friends?

            Here the point is made that while we message, e-mail, and tweet to each other every day, those messages never really reach us in real way. There is a distance between what we want to say and what get’s sent, creating this fakeness between us and the ones we supposedly love. And that last line, about being friends really gets to me. I looked at my messages on Facebook and saw the people I talk to, some every day, others not so much. While I was looking a thought started to creep up, would any of these people I call friends, that I share my life with, still care if I didn’t have a Facebook. I think it’s that fear that keeps us attached to social networks, it’s easy to expand our social circle, but it’s a lot harder to accept that our actual friends encompass a much small network.  

Entre la royaume des vivants et des morts

Guys, it's totally possible to still make friends on the bus.

     Let me start off by saying that I don't often forget my phone. It's crucial for me to have it on my person at all times for various reasons. Students are expected to have access to their emails 100% of the time in case a professor might need to contact them. I have to be available for contact from my boss, my project partners, etc. I also have a list of other important items I have to take care of including, but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger, and Snapchat. Priorities, guys.

     So, naturally, I'm attached to my phone a decent amount of the time. That doesn't mean that I don't know how to converse, though. I believe Brian brought up a good point the other day about how uncomfortable it makes people when you strike up conversations with them when you don't even know them. I'm happy to report that, that wasn't the case in my situation.

     So here's the story: I am finished with classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1:50pm. My final class is in Robert Bell and there is a MITS bus waiting for me on the other side of the road at approximately 1:51pm. I usually cut it close, but make it on that bus and head to my apartment. Several weeks ago I missed that bus by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin, so I was forced to take the bus that picks up around 2:14pm.

     Note: While I battle with slightly-above-average cell phone addiction, I rarely use my phone when I'm riding the bus home. I like to be aware of my surroundings, but I also like to people-watch and see if they start up conversations with me or other strangers.

     Anyways, once I hopped on the bus, I sat by a young lady with glasses on and messy hair in a bun. I had no idea who she was, but as it is with most MITS trips, you sit wherever there's a seat. I wasn't overly friendly with her. I mean, I was polite and asked to sit with her, but I wasn't certain how to strike up a conversation with her. Shortly after, a classmate and friend of mine hopped on the bus and stood next to our seat, alleviating the awkward social pressure of chatting with the person that was sitting half an inch away. We began talking about classes and homework when the conversation lead us to cats.

     Needless to say, we talked about our cats, cat videos, cat-themed clothing, and cat fashion for the majority of the bus ride. My friend arrived at her destination shortly thereafter. Just as she hopped off the bus, the girl sitting next to me spoke up.

"So I heard you guys talking about cats and I just wanted you to know, I love cats."

     You can only imagine where the conversation went from there. We exchanged stories and photos about our cats, crazy toys that we've created for our cats, similar tendencies that our cats have to one another. You name it, we covered it in that short 20 minute-long bus ride. I was so ecstatic to have met someone else who shared my immense love for cats that I forgot to properly introduce myself or ask for her name. All I knew is that she lived in the apartment complex next to me.

                                       

 








     Weeks went by and I told other friends of mine the "crazy" happenstance that occurred that day. After thinking about it, it wasn't all that crazy. Or at least, I shouldn't see it as crazy. Why is it the social norm to hide behind your cell phone in a public place? When did it become appropriate to ignore the person you're sharing a bus seat with? What are we so afraid of and worried about that we become crippled at the idea of conversing with strangers? Is it because we're so addicted to our media that it actually controls us?

     As many benefits we may gain from the Internet, Smart Phones, and Social Media, the machine is controlling us. We allow our lives to be dictated by the availability of people and services provided by the ever-available World Wide Web that we don't realize how disconnected we really are from reality. We only realize this when we forget those tools that provide that gateway to the "otherworld." We also miss out on opportunities with real people when we resort to hiding behind our phones. We miss out on what it really means to connect with someone face-to-face.

     So, Rachel, what do you propose we do about this?

     I PROPOSE WE CONTROL THE MACHINE! But seriously. The sooner we realize that we're the ones that have the power to dictate how we spend our time and how we use these resources meant for more than social networking, the better we can further our society and shape it into what we want it to become. And the less likely we are to end up lonely.

**UPDATE: I missed the MITS bus again yesterday and was forced to take the next one. I saw the cat lady again and found out her name is Jenny and what she's studying here at Ball State. Our conversation evolved and we were able to communicate this time without any use of our phones whatsoever. We also talked about topics other than our kitties. Guys, if it can happen to me (the mildly-addicted social networker), it can happen to you, too.

Phone Addiction

Oh the joy to live in the 21st century. We have big beautiful cities, great ways to travel, our medical knowledge is the best its ever been, and people are addicted to technology! Yes people are actually addicted to silly things such as cell phones and video games. Individuals has been using cell phones for years yet back when they were first created they were built for the simple task of calling. Now in the year of 2013 cell phones are used to communicate through text, e-mail, and surf the internet. It seems like the only thing a cell phone cant do is change your underwear but what i want to know is why everyone thinks they need to have their noses glued to this device, i cant go anywhere without seeing someone vigorously texting away on cell phones. After a little bit of time it came to me, CELL PHONE ADDICTION!! it seems a little radical but it makes perfect sense. People with cell phones love seeing text notifications, it gives them a since of importance. They crave getting on social networks at the click of an app, yet what most don't realize is that this is an addiction. Although cellphone addiction inst something many people are concerned with, i believe that it can cause serious strains on perception of the real world and how one can communicate with others physically. Somewhere down the road this could lead people to live a comply cyber communicated world  

Maturely Intimate

After having several conversations about Catfish in class as well as the reading about distance relationships, I thought it was time for me to come out. I am in a distance relationship. However, it is nowhere near as exciting as the thrill of online dating (or whatever emotion you equate to it). My girlfriend and I met here at Ball State 3 years ago and have been dating for about 2 of those years. She graduated last May, and moved to Evansville for a job. Now, instead of a 5-minute walk, we are a 4-hour drive from one another. We Skype, text, call, write letters, and use Facebook. You know, the works.

I do not want you to think I am complaining about my life, or about the difficulties of a distance relationship. I am happy with both of those. Instead I would like to focus on what our class discussions on Catfish and the article called “A Long Distance Affair” have missed about technology mediated relationships at a distance; matured intimacy.

First, to start with Catfish. The relationships in Catfish all lack true intimacy, which is an important aspect of a healthy relationship. One complaint I would have about most forms of mediated communication in reference to my relationship is that they are purely information seeking. My girlfriend can express emotions through a text like “I had a bad day”. 90% of the time my response is “I’m sorry” or to seek more information about said day. I have no opportunity to hug her or comfort her empathetically. I think of breadth and depth in the social penetration theory. All the information I get about my girlfriend allows me to experience her life through words (breadth), but we lack the chance of depth through proximity and touch.

To better explain the need for proximity, let me tell you about one of my close friends. We became friends after working together. Both of us were into fitness and being in shape so we began hitting the gym. A year later we are still work out partners and close friends. Sadly, I recently strained my groin, which has put me out of commission for a while. My friend and I are still close friends, but hang out far less. At first, I wondered why this was happening. We hung out far more than just at the gym before my injury. Why this sudden drop in time spent together? Then I thought about how we would make all our plans to do things together while we were at the gym. It suddenly made sense. The more time we spent with each other meant the more time we planned to spend with each other.

So, back to the original issue of Catfish. Luckily, my girlfriend and I have established intimacy from our time together before she left. Strictly online daters on the other hand are far less likely to be intimate without having the opportunity to spend time with one another. 

Intimacy is one part of my argument. The next part, maturity, lies within the article “A Long Distance Affair”.

Most of the relationships examined in the article seem fairly healthy. However, the author writes a section on how people leaving high school can cling to previous relationships. This can prevent individuals from enjoying their time in college and can cause partners to be jealous. The one thing I think these relationships lack is maturity. I am not saying my girlfriend and I have it all together, or that we are incredibly mature. However, we do have a quality of maturity that provides for the other person to have some space. This isn’t because of something unique in our character, but has cultivated with time. The 4 years I have spent in college so far have been extremely influential in my maturing process. The lack of maturity and experience in a high school couple makes me question their ability to handle a long distance technology-mediated relationship.

So there you have it. A mix of intimacy and maturity can make a distance relationship thrive. A lack of that mix can make it miserable. Being ‘maturely intimate’ allows for a better and more enjoyable long distant relationship.

A Life Without A Phone

Talk about awkward, here is a situation for you. You are sitting in a restaurant and everyone is taking out their phone to take a picture of their food and a "snap chat selfie" with their buddies and the delicious spread around you. Everyone is doing it except for you because you realize how ridiculous your friends look and how there seems to be no human interaction happening. Why is it that we do this? To impress people that we are having an awesome and busy life? To get validation from people that we barely talk to? To let everyone know you are Mr./Ms. popular? Well, I am not going to lie because I used to be a victim to all of this until last summer in California.

Trust me guys, I understand taking pictures because it really is important to remember these things. I understand taking a group picture at a restaurant to remember the occasion but I don't get the countless selfies or constant pictures of food. Last summer I went to San Jose to visit my uncle, cousin, and grandparents who were visiting from India. My uncle wanted to do something special for me, my brother, and cousin so he took us to the ever so famous In and Out burger joint. I was in the middle of a pretty amazing conversation with one of my best friends at the time and I couldn't keep my eyes off my phone. My brother was texting all his friends from college because he was missing them a ton. My cousin was texting her cross country buddies talking about how amazing practice was. Then there was my uncle who has a phone but didn't have it out. He put it on silent to remember his time with us. A little background on my uncle? He treats me more like a sister; always teasing and joking around with me but I am the apple of his eye, for sure. I know he cares because he taught me one of the most valuable lessons.

He took our phones out of our hands and stacked them in the middle but put them on full blast to let us know that we are missing out on the texts. He said we could have them back after eating and needless to say, he took what seemed like forever. I got the most amount of text rings and yea, it drove me insane. However, I look back at that day and I realized what me and my friend were talking about could've waited. I should just live in the moment. So now? My phone is not my priority when I am with my family or friends. Do I feel alone considering society around me? Of course! But I know I'm doing the right thing. Take this lesson, fine people of Comm 322, it will be awesome in the long run.

How Not to Be Alone

In the article, Not to Be Alone it states "Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity." I am a full believer of this quote. With this day in age all you have to do is look around and i promise you that you will see more children, teenagers, and adults on their phones then people who are not on their phones. I have twin cousins age 6, They do not go anywhere without their Ipad and if they forget and leave them at home it will be a rough day for them. We all look back and realize when we were kids that we had truck, cars, books, if we were lucky a game boy. But i look at my cousins at such a young age and realize where they are giving all of their attention to.. the Ipad. But then again they are no different than us with our phones constantly checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram ect. Our phones also give us an excuse to seem "busy". We are all guilty of it. We see that ex girlfriend walking down the hall and we meditatively pull out our cell phones almost as a shield. Or while waiting at the bus stop we scroll aimlessly through our phones instead of striking up a conversation with the person next to us. "We often use technology to save time, but increasingly, it either takes the saved time along with it, or makes the saved time less present, intimate and rich". Cell phones these days with all the apps and capabilities are almost like alcohol or cigarettes. You can drink without having to drink all the time. You can smoke but not have to smoke all the time, and you can be on your cell phone but not use it as a crutch or a shield all the time. People are to blame when it comes to who's fault is it that everyone is constantly on their cell phones. I am the person where if we are having a conversation my phone is in my pocket at all times and you have my undivided attention. If its a matter where you need more of my attention i will even turn my phone off. Yes my phone is handy but at the end of the day i could live without it. I have used it as a shield to avoid awkward situations with ex girlfriends but everyone is guilty of it. Those of you who cant stop looking at your screen for more than 30min i challenge you to. "We are creatures of memory more than reminders, of love more than likes. being attentive to the needs of others might not be the point of life, but it is the work of life. It can be messy, and painful, and almost impossibly difficult. But it is not something we give. It is what we get in exchange for having to die." Take time put your phone down for 30min and enjoy the people around you, give them your attention.

Fakebook vs. Facebook

After reading so much about Facebook and how it allows for people to portray themselves in a way that may not match with who they are in real life, I could not help but think that that is in no way representative of me. But now.... I have to say that I am reconsidering that thought. I am not saying that my Facebook is about a different person, that I set out to lie, or anything like that- but I must admit that there are certain aspects of my account that can seem "fake". From the simple fact that until last year I never uploaded a picture of myself and relied solely on photos I was tagged in to the number of "friends" I have to the way in which I go through whatever I am tagged in to make sure it only shows the good side of me- I am unfortunately someone who participates, albeit innocently, in creating a "Fakebook".There is no way that the pictures I have on my account are an accurate representation of myself- there are hardly any pictures from before high school and there are countless and countless pictures of the prom version of me. The version of me that has hair done, makeup done, wears a pretty dress, smiling. Not the me that wears her hair in a messy bun, wears Ball State t-shirts like they are going out of style, and gets ready in under an hour. My account only gives snip-its of my past, it does a horrible job of showing all of who I am. Beyond just relying on the photos that other people have posted, I also have been the person who will untag and hide from my timeline any photo that I do not want other people to see when they look at my profile (let’s be honest here- we all creep on each other). Instead of being ok with showing all parts of me and all the pictures, I edit what people can see. Another lovely way I have found that my account is more fake than real is my number of friends. I used to find it peculiar that one of my friends (both in real life and online) has only 72 friends, but now I can see how that is so much better than my 802. Her account is full of people that she actually knows and talks to and cares about and feels as though matter to her life. Mine on the other hand is full of people I graduated with but hope to never see again, people that I went to summer camp with when I was younger, people that I know nothing about anymore. But yet I claim them as “friends”. Why is that? Does it make me feel better? It seems not- it just makes me sad because my friend number stands as a constant reminder of all the people I once knew or once talked to that no longer matter in my life. I am working my way down to a more manageable and more accurate friends list full of people I truly care about And maybe I will never hit 72, but I will pare it down to a more realistic amount. That’s a promise.