This media class is great. And sometimes I also hate it.
I love that it makes me more aware of the media around me.
I hate that it makes me more aware of the media around me.
Because of this new found awareness, I recently came to a nasty realization. I think I have a very real addiction to my phone. I'm one of those people.
This past weekend, I dropped my phone in the toilet. *facepalm*
I am proud to say that it was the first (and hopefully only) time that it has ever happened to me. And spoiler alert: my phone is fine. Thanks to the glorious people of the internets, I found a pretty great tutorial on what to do when your phone gets dunked in water. Who knew rice was both delicious and a phone life-saver?! But I digress.
Bottom line, my phone was stuck in a bag of rice for about 36ish hours. That is literally a day and a half. Part of which is spent sleeping, so it really was not a big deal and just an inconvenience, at best. But I was amazed/ashamed at how difficult it was! I had no idea how attached I had become to that stupid phone! Every time I had a spare minute, wanted to look something up, needed directions, etc. my hand/arm would get this really strange feeling and I would instinctively pat my pockets or purse looking for my phone. It really got to the point where it was embarrassing and just sad.
As miserable as it was, it really gave me perspective. Technology is so amazing in that it allows us to do so many things. We have reached the point where we are actually carrying a mini-computer right in our pocket! How cool is that?! What isn't cool is abusing that technology and allowing it to become an extension of your body. I really hate that. And I don't want to be a part of it anymore. I struggle with the desire to toss it all out the window and revert to a flip phone, but also recognizing the convenience of being able to receive emails and get directions and know all the secrets of the universe WHENEVER I FEEL LIKE IT.
What do you think? Is smart phone/technology addiction avoidable or is it just a necessary evil?
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
What Is Wrong With Me.
This week I was introduced to this video of a girl who had just gotten her wisdom teeth pulled:
It's long, she is whiny, and basically sobs uncontrollably throughout the entire video all because she wants to go to Target so badly. And I laughed so hard I literally cried. And almost peed my pants (too much?).
Anyway, just like videos that make me cry like a baby, there are some videos out there that I just cannot watch without completely losing my cool and cracking up like a crazy person. And a lot said videos are of people having an emotional break down over silly things. For example, this video of Kristen Bell crying over her love of sloths. If you haven't seen this already, I require that you watch it before going on with the rest of your life. It's hilarious.
Why are emotionally compromised people (under the right circumstances of course) SO HILARIOUS. Maybe it's because they are relatable? Maybe because it's absurd? Maybe it's because I really am heartless and will surely pay for the hours spent laughing at other people's expense?
Seriously. I have an issue. Karma will come. And I will suffer. I'm sure of it. In the meantime, I'm going to go get lost in the vortex that is Youtube and not feel bad about it. Happy Friday, ya'll!
It's long, she is whiny, and basically sobs uncontrollably throughout the entire video all because she wants to go to Target so badly. And I laughed so hard I literally cried. And almost peed my pants (too much?).
Anyway, just like videos that make me cry like a baby, there are some videos out there that I just cannot watch without completely losing my cool and cracking up like a crazy person. And a lot said videos are of people having an emotional break down over silly things. For example, this video of Kristen Bell crying over her love of sloths. If you haven't seen this already, I require that you watch it before going on with the rest of your life. It's hilarious.
Why are emotionally compromised people (under the right circumstances of course) SO HILARIOUS. Maybe it's because they are relatable? Maybe because it's absurd? Maybe it's because I really am heartless and will surely pay for the hours spent laughing at other people's expense?
Seriously. I have an issue. Karma will come. And I will suffer. I'm sure of it. In the meantime, I'm going to go get lost in the vortex that is Youtube and not feel bad about it. Happy Friday, ya'll!
The Thief of Joy
This week I had a very proud moment when my mom posted this quote to Facebook:
What a wonderful reminder that comparison brings nothing but envy, lower self-esteem, pride, self-doubt, and a slew of other unpleasant emotions. Essentially, THE OPPOSITE OF JOY. Duh.
This quote went along perfectly with an article I had already been planning to post about, so I was really excited when it came across my news feed. The article I want to discuss shows a photo series done by a group of moms aiming to empower women to stop comparing themselves to other moms. It's appropriately named "Stop the Mommy Wars."
With blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and [insert a million more social media sites here], it is so easy to see into one another's lives and make snap judgments and comparisons about people we don't even know. And frankly, it's stupid.
After taking so many Human Development courses, I've learned more about children and parenting practices than most people who aren't HD majors may ever learn in their life. And yet after all the theories, research, practices, and "do's and don'ts" I've learned in the last four years, I've also learned this: if you are sincerely doing your best and you aren't a psychopath, your kid will probably turn out just fine. Really.
That is what makes this photo series so great. Instead of an article focused on telling you the "Top 38 Ways to Improve Your [Insert Fictitious Problem Here] Now!", its purely about women relating to each other as mothers and just respecting one another's decisions. That's all. Not advocating, just accepting that different people make different choices.
What a wonderful reminder that comparison brings nothing but envy, lower self-esteem, pride, self-doubt, and a slew of other unpleasant emotions. Essentially, THE OPPOSITE OF JOY. Duh.
This quote went along perfectly with an article I had already been planning to post about, so I was really excited when it came across my news feed. The article I want to discuss shows a photo series done by a group of moms aiming to empower women to stop comparing themselves to other moms. It's appropriately named "Stop the Mommy Wars."
With blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and [insert a million more social media sites here], it is so easy to see into one another's lives and make snap judgments and comparisons about people we don't even know. And frankly, it's stupid.
After taking so many Human Development courses, I've learned more about children and parenting practices than most people who aren't HD majors may ever learn in their life. And yet after all the theories, research, practices, and "do's and don'ts" I've learned in the last four years, I've also learned this: if you are sincerely doing your best and you aren't a psychopath, your kid will probably turn out just fine. Really.
That is what makes this photo series so great. Instead of an article focused on telling you the "Top 38 Ways to Improve Your [Insert Fictitious Problem Here] Now!", its purely about women relating to each other as mothers and just respecting one another's decisions. That's all. Not advocating, just accepting that different people make different choices.
Friday, January 17, 2014
So. Many. Tears.
Growing up, I was never really a weepy person. I certainly never cried in movies or shows. I was told once (by a boy) that I was heartless because I didn't cry at the end of The Notebook. Spoiler alert: it is really, really sad. The end.
All of a sudden around my second year of college, I became a freaking basket case. I will cry at basically anything. Happy, sad, if there is any amount of "feeling" for the person or character portrayed, the water works will surely turn on. Ugh.
This week was no exception as I came across a slew of very emotional videos.
The first is happy, sweet, and exciting. It shows "Peter Pan" proposing to his real-life girlfriend and stage-love "Wendy." Here's the link to the article that goes into more depth about their story (it's adorable). But here's just the video itself:
The second is emotional for the opposite reason. It pulls on the heartstrings, it's sad, it's inspiring and I was a MESS when watching it. Beyonce fulfills a 12-year-old girl's dying wish to dance and sing with her. Bless Beyonce. Bless this little girl. I gotta go cry again. Bye.
And in case you aren't in tears yet, here's one more of people just doing really wonderful everyday acts of kindness. All caught on the dashboard cams of Russian citizens (dashboard cams are mandatory there).
It never ceases to amaze me how much emotion media can evoke in people. Whether it's happiness, sadness, pain, anger -- pretty much every human emotion across the board. It's incredible to me. I think the ability to empathize with others is one of the greatest aspects of being human. I both love and hate it when media is able to have such a profoundly emotional effect on me.
Crazy.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Guilty Pleasures & Things That Make Me Want to Die
In short: the Kardashians.
Last night as I tried desperately to find any source of procrastination I could find to avoid writing a paper, I stumbled across perhaps one of the most abhorrent things I have ever laid eyes on.
The 2013 Kardashian Christmas Card.
Bad: This thing even exists?
Worse: People actually care that this exists?
Computer Thrown Out Window: THIS.
To spare you clicking on that link, here is the Christmas card I am referring to (warning: you can't un-see this):
Side note: I do not watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Mainly because I have never had cable in my life (read: true story). Although my childhood self may disagree (where my Disney Channel movies at, amiright?), I don't feel like I missed out on much by not having cable or satellite. In fact, I think it's because of my lack of exposure that I have such a low tolerance for shows that feature people like the Kardashians.
Please don't misinterpret what I'm saying. I'm only human. I love stupid reality TV drama. Lovelovelove it. Dance Moms, The Bachelorette, and Say Yes to the Dress are some of my favorite guilty pleasures. Key word here: guilty. Guilty because they provide absolutely no other function than to turn my brain into mush after a long day. And let's be honest, who doesn't love the reassurance of knowing that no matter how crappy your day may have been, there are still people broadcasting their crazy all over national television, so obviously your life can't be that bad.
However, the Kardashians (and other reality tv celebs like them) are their own breed of reality TV evil. This is why:
They are famous for no. Reason. At all. And I hate it.
But I hate it even more that there are thousands upon thousands of women idolizing them, wanting to look and be like them. This is particularly infuriating to me because the first thing I noticed in the "Christmas card" (whoever decided this could be called a Christmas card should be punched in the face, just saying) was the absurd amount of Photoshop. Some may not recognize it at first glance, but as a well-practiced photographer and someone who spends their free time looking at before and after photos, it's pretty easy to spot. This shouldn't be a surprise. It is a pretty well-known fact now that just about every magazine cover you see is essentially fake. There is not a single celebrity that shows their face or flashes their abs that has not be retouched, airbrushed, or skinnied-up and filled-out in all the right places. How is that fair? These people are already rich and attractive, but now they get to have professional photographers airbrushing any trace of imperfection and enhancing (and creating) the very features that women wish and dream about for themselves? No. That is so, so wrong.
I know this is long, but I'm about to make my point here.
As I felt my brain leaking out my ears and I desperately tried to suppress the urge to beat my computer screen with a sledge hammer, I couldn't help but feeling just incredibly frustrated, and mostly sad. The tragic truth is this: glitz, glam, beauty, and here it is - sex - sells. Which is why it is such a miracle that a show like Duck Dynasty, that features a very openly religious and loving family, is the highest rated cable television show in history.
And yet, Keeping Up with the Kardashians remains. Even worse, Photoshop remains overused and provides our society with a sickeningly skewed view of what beauty is. People - mostly women - tune in and laugh and drool over the glamorous lifestyle of these random rich people and indulge in the beauty tips that will never achieve the unreal perfection portrayed on the front of a magazine. All of this ultimately amounts to one thing: a lot of people feeling really bad about themselves for an image that isn't even real. And that breaks my heart. It scares me to know that my children will grow up in a world where the idea of beauty is not even a real thing to begin with. My point is pretty much summed up in this:
I know there are a lot of people, like Dove, doing a lot of good in the world to try and adjust society's definition of beauty and what's desirable. I just hope it will have enough of an impact to keep the craziness at bay for a little while. I am hopeful that with the knowledge of the restored gospel, I can hold onto what worth really is. That I can teach my children that their worth is not defined by the world's standards of beauty or status, but that they are the children of a King on High who loves them more than the world ever could.
Last night as I tried desperately to find any source of procrastination I could find to avoid writing a paper, I stumbled across perhaps one of the most abhorrent things I have ever laid eyes on.
The 2013 Kardashian Christmas Card.
Bad: This thing even exists?
Worse: People actually care that this exists?
Computer Thrown Out Window: THIS.
To spare you clicking on that link, here is the Christmas card I am referring to (warning: you can't un-see this):
Side note: I do not watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Mainly because I have never had cable in my life (read: true story). Although my childhood self may disagree (where my Disney Channel movies at, amiright?), I don't feel like I missed out on much by not having cable or satellite. In fact, I think it's because of my lack of exposure that I have such a low tolerance for shows that feature people like the Kardashians.
Please don't misinterpret what I'm saying. I'm only human. I love stupid reality TV drama. Lovelovelove it. Dance Moms, The Bachelorette, and Say Yes to the Dress are some of my favorite guilty pleasures. Key word here: guilty. Guilty because they provide absolutely no other function than to turn my brain into mush after a long day. And let's be honest, who doesn't love the reassurance of knowing that no matter how crappy your day may have been, there are still people broadcasting their crazy all over national television, so obviously your life can't be that bad.
However, the Kardashians (and other reality tv celebs like them) are their own breed of reality TV evil. This is why:
They are famous for no. Reason. At all. And I hate it.
But I hate it even more that there are thousands upon thousands of women idolizing them, wanting to look and be like them. This is particularly infuriating to me because the first thing I noticed in the "Christmas card" (whoever decided this could be called a Christmas card should be punched in the face, just saying) was the absurd amount of Photoshop. Some may not recognize it at first glance, but as a well-practiced photographer and someone who spends their free time looking at before and after photos, it's pretty easy to spot. This shouldn't be a surprise. It is a pretty well-known fact now that just about every magazine cover you see is essentially fake. There is not a single celebrity that shows their face or flashes their abs that has not be retouched, airbrushed, or skinnied-up and filled-out in all the right places. How is that fair? These people are already rich and attractive, but now they get to have professional photographers airbrushing any trace of imperfection and enhancing (and creating) the very features that women wish and dream about for themselves? No. That is so, so wrong.
I know this is long, but I'm about to make my point here.
As I felt my brain leaking out my ears and I desperately tried to suppress the urge to beat my computer screen with a sledge hammer, I couldn't help but feeling just incredibly frustrated, and mostly sad. The tragic truth is this: glitz, glam, beauty, and here it is - sex - sells. Which is why it is such a miracle that a show like Duck Dynasty, that features a very openly religious and loving family, is the highest rated cable television show in history.
And yet, Keeping Up with the Kardashians remains. Even worse, Photoshop remains overused and provides our society with a sickeningly skewed view of what beauty is. People - mostly women - tune in and laugh and drool over the glamorous lifestyle of these random rich people and indulge in the beauty tips that will never achieve the unreal perfection portrayed on the front of a magazine. All of this ultimately amounts to one thing: a lot of people feeling really bad about themselves for an image that isn't even real. And that breaks my heart. It scares me to know that my children will grow up in a world where the idea of beauty is not even a real thing to begin with. My point is pretty much summed up in this:
I know there are a lot of people, like Dove, doing a lot of good in the world to try and adjust society's definition of beauty and what's desirable. I just hope it will have enough of an impact to keep the craziness at bay for a little while. I am hopeful that with the knowledge of the restored gospel, I can hold onto what worth really is. That I can teach my children that their worth is not defined by the world's standards of beauty or status, but that they are the children of a King on High who loves them more than the world ever could.
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