Week 2: Topics 1 and 2

TOPIC ONE:

I follow TIME on twitter because it gives my feed some news and events that are happening around the world. I follow HUFFPOST for more news and celebrity gossip because I like to know who's marrying who in the celeb world. I have also followed BUSINESS INSIDER to get corporate news and surround myself with some business type stuff because I am going to be majoring in business.

A Tweet that I liked today was on the business insider page and was about how spam, the canned meat product, is a very successful business story. It was so successful because it had addressed a real need and also hit Americans emotionally by tapping into ingenuity and resourcefulness. For a food product that is not very healthy and appetizing it was cool to see how the spam business boomed here in America.

I feel that social media has enhanced my ability to participate in our democracy because social media has given me access to new ways of communicating with groups of people around this country that share similar beliefs as I do. For myself, I have had many health issues over my lifetime and with the new administration taking office, healthcare has become a growing concern of mine. I have not been one to stay in tune with a lot of politics but now, I feel like I must become more self aware and taking certain avenues that bolster my ability to understand what is currently going on in our country. Many of my family members have been fighting against the current healthcare change back East with small town groups. Through the use of facebook I have been able to stay in touch with them and have an understanding of where their communities are shifting towards. I truly believe that social media is helping make our voices count and as a citizen of this country I do not see a more essential right then that of our voice.

TOPIC TWO:

I agree with what Sherry Turkle was saying about friends and family being “alone together”. In my parents house we have rules on when it is appropriate to use our electronics and when it is not appropriate. We have family nights and it is known in our home to not use our phones while we are spending quality time with the family, unless it is important. It is the same for me too when it comes to my relationship with my boyfriend. There are certainly times when we are with each other, but are on either social media, or emailing/ texting friends and professors. But, we do set aside time where we put our devices down and actually have a conversation with one another. I have learned that real conversation with those you love and care for grows your relationships more than texting or phone calls. Unfortunately in today’s world of technology advances makes it extremely difficult to put all devices down. As a student I am constantly checking on homework online and making sure to email questions to professors and I make sure to check for responses from those professors. I know with my parents and their jobs, they are constantly texting colleagues, so it is almost like they are working at home after hours. Also a lot of people think they will die if they do not text or snapchat somebody within the first two minutes of receiving something.

I have become more game friendly on my phone, I have downloaded three games in the past month. And, unfortunately, have finished two of the games entirely since then. I downloaded two hospital games that are kind of like soap operas as well and are connected to one another like a television show. And the third is called Papa’s Freezeria, which is a business type game where your job is to sell blizzards to people and do as well as possible to make good tips. I decided to get these games because I am only taking nine credits and have been bored lately. So, instead of going outside and doing things that are worthwhile and memory making, I have dedicated a good chunk of time to staying inside and playing these games.   

I probably spend about ten hours on instagram, facebook and, phone games a week. I do not feel like I am part of an online community when I am playing my games, or on instagram, but since I know a lot of people on my facebook and communicate with them through there I feel more involved online. The community through facebook consists more on my relatives that are across the country from me and my close friends who live a few hours from me. I tag my best friends in funny videos that remind me of them and I help share my cousins business and make sure to post pictures of what I am doing on facebook to stay connected with family.