Ridiculous Reliance.

This week I"m on a facebook/social media fast (with the exception of blogger, of course).

I really wish I would just do this more often. It's so refreshing to not scroll through pictures and statuses for what feels like days thinking it's somehow important or fun. And yet, not being on facebook also makes me painfully aware of how much I actually do need it for certain things.

I know need is a strong word, but it's true! Yesterday I had to have my husband check my facebook for me to make sure I hadn't gotten any notifications from my online class that I'm in right now. Part of the class requirements is having a facebook, which is actually the only thing that prevented me from deleting it all together at the beginning of the semester. I know it serves its purpose for class discussion and getting help from each other, but would it really be so bad if we just used Learning Suite or email like normal classes?! The class relies completely on facebook for communication, and it's frustrating to say the least.

Facebook/social media serves so many purposes and is relied on so heavily now, that it's difficult to pull away from once you have it. It is truly something I wish I could get rid of for good, but every time I try to go through with it, I'm reminded of all of the events, ward reminders, etc that I rely on through facebook. It's gotten ridiculous.

Surely this can't be how it will be forever? Are we stuck being reliant on social media? How will it change over the next ten years? These are all questions I can't even wrap my head around. What do you think?

The Economics of Sex

In light of our lecture on sex in the media, here is a really interesting and awesome video I found this week called "The Economics of Sex." It gives a perfect insight into how sex has changed the media so much - in this case, the dating world.

Super Bowl Surprises

Let's have a moment of silence for the Broncos.




Thank you. Moving on to what's important: good things about the Super Bowl. Because for once, there were so many!!

If you didn't watch, I understand. First of all, not everyone loves football. Secondly, who could even want to love it when the commercials are primarily composed of beer and half naked women?

No thanks.

But this year, something about the whole Super Bowl was completely different. So different, in fact, that it kept my husband and I talking the whole drive home from my sister's house. Instead of focusing on the beer, hyper-sexualized women, dirty jokes, and straight-up potty humor, the Super Bowl had a sort of...soft feel to it. Commercials included puppies, soldier's homecomings, "if you're happy and you know it," a new definition of American unity, and the most adorable return of Cheerio's best spokesgirl.

It pretty much blew America's mind.

Not to say that the old ways were obsolete, but there was really an entirely different atmosphere about the commercials and the Super Bowl production itself. The pre-game show included a wonderful tribute to how awesome the U.S.A. is and a beautiful segment to pay respect to one of the announcers (commentators?) who couldn't be there due to the death of his father just a few days before. If you've got some time, you can watch that here:

Tell me you aren't impressed. Seriously, cool points to the pre-game show producers, because wow. Not to mention the second tribute to the troops during the incredible half time show by Bruno Mars.

I will shamelessly freak out over that performance. It was so good. My favorite part? No naked women. Not a single one. Granted, there was a shirtless 51-year-old dude rocking out pretty hard (thanks, Red Hot Chili Peppers), but somehow that isn't nearly as offensive to me as thirty 20-somethings walking around in what (sort of?) used to be some kind of bathing suit before somebody's Catnip-crazed feline got a hold of it and tore it to shreds.

Bottom line: Bruno Mars blew everybody away with actual talent and pure entertainment, without any need of gimmicks to pull it off. With the exception of the first song (and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, sorry), it was good old fashioned performing at it's best. Here's the finale song with troops dedicating the song to friends, family members, etc. If you're me, get the tissues:

It was so refreshing to not have to switch stations because of the crude content that usually accompanies the Super Bowl. I am really hoping that everything that happened this Super Bowl is a sign of things to come and not just a fluke!

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.