Is Social Media leading to Boredom?

One emotion that has become increasingly prevalent in our society because of technology and the media is boredom. With the ever growing presence of technology in our daily lives, our lives are centered around constant stimulation and instant gratification technology gives to its users. I’ve experienced this same feeling constantly throughout my life, whether it’s waiting in the airport, waiting in the car, standing in line at Disneyland, or sitting in class. The question is: what is causing these emotions? Had boredom always existed in our society? In a recent Vox News interview with author and professor Susan J. Matt, this topic is further discussed, with certain pieces of information integrated into my own opinion on this issue as well.

To me, boredom never existed before the presence of technology. People still experienced empty moments, but accepted them as a part of being human, and learned to deal with these situations and experiences. From my own experience, I can’t handle being bored for more than five minutes, complaining to those around me, or reaching for the cure to my boredom: technology. Loneliness is another emotion unable to be dealt with in many of our lives, also with the increasingly prevalent use of technology in our society. Back in the days without technology as our constant companion, loneliness was expressed as solitude, seen as a positive, meditative experience, giving it meaning and value. However, today, whenever we are lonely, we can always pick up our cell phone and engage in a technologized social world, escaping from these negative emotions and feelings.

Technology is always there for us, anytime of the day. It beckons us with the promise of fulfillment and excitement, promising instantaneous entertainment, social networking, and a variety of outlets to pass time. Personally, I feel that technology has caused us to lose many vital emotions and experiences in our screen-filled lives. Unfulfilled moments, such as those without entertainment or companionship, can spawn creativity and ideas that occur when one is still with oneself. Could technology be hindering our creativity and keeping ourselves and our society on a superficial level? I think that technology has made us less independent, resorting to the technology we possess to live our lives. Connecting back to my post from last week, technology can cause us to develop habits of narcissism and self-love. We try to promote the best version of ourselves, as well as editing our images to perfection, to give people a bigger sense of their self and self importance.

To me, technology is almost like a drug addiction, constantly needing technology to fuel our lives. We don’t know how to handle the feelings of boredom anymore, resorting to this “crutch” to keep us entertained. During spring break when I went to Mexico, while I was waiting at the airport, I looked around me and saw at least ¾ of everyone staring straight at their phones, completely disengaged from their surroundings. It fascinated me how much technology can pull us away from reality, and how often we resort to our cell phone when bored. Unfortunately, I’m a victim of this too, constantly pulling out my phone whenever I have a moment of not doing anything actively. For example, whenever I get to class early, I pull out my phone to check social media or play a quick game. I do this same thing anytime I’m in the car, no matter how short the ride is, in between and while doing different homework assignments, while I’m walking to different classes, and in general, whenever I have some free time. I’ve fallen into the trap of instant gratification and constant entertainment, unable to deal with boredom when technology is unavailable, taking away my focus and attention span in daily activities.

Technology has consumed us. We are living in an era surrounded by the constant presence of media, altering the way we live and the values we have. I believe that many people can benefit from a controlled and restricted use of technology to allow us to feel and experience vital emotions that are part of the human experience. Connecting this post with my other post truly allows me to realize the double-edged sword nature of technology. We must find a balance between these two aspects, as well as accepting and understanding our relationship with technology.

Link: https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/5/2/18510958/social-media-addiction-boredom-loneliness-society-technology-smart-phones

London Marathon and the Media

Last Sunday was the prestigious London Marathon, one of the most competitive and fastest marathons in the world. Marathons have been run for decades, with the first London marathon being held in 1981. However, since the first years of the marathon, media has become increasingly prevalent in our society, affecting our perspective on worldwide events, such as the London marathon taking place nearly 10,000 miles away while we were sleeping in the United States. From social media to news outlets and YouTube, media has allowed us to become increasingly more aware of the events happening around us in our society, seeing the details of different events instantly all over the interwebs and gaining a more personal understanding of the individuals involved in these events through social media.

On Sunday, April 28, I woke up and checked my phone immediately to see who had won the race I had been looking forward to seeing for weeks. Runners and news outlets had been hyping up the marathon as a duel between two world-class athletes: Mo Farah and Eliud Kipchoge, the first time they would be racing head-to-head in a year. During the weeks leading up to the marathon, the talk of the marathon was all over the news, including Youtubers making their predictions for the outcome of the race, British and American news outlets providing the details for the marathon and the contestants in the race, and social media accounts of these two athletes and other running accounts such as RunnerSpace and Dyestat. On the Instagram accounts of Kipchoge, random people from around the world were wishing him to run well and break the course record again. Was this possible back in 1981 when the first London marathon was run? Were ordinary people from around the world wishing the athletes good luck? Kipchoge himself posted videos of his weeks leading up to the marathon, including his training and his excitement for the race. Media definitely exposes us to events happening in the world, allowing us to become aware and informed on so many different issues taking place in a matter of seconds.

I am grateful for the media’s presence in the world today for providing such extensive coverage on important events that are of great interest to me, such as this marathon. I watched countless videos on race previews, pre-race interviews with these two athletes, previews of the race course, and videos of high school runners predicting what would happen during the race. Without the role of media, I wouldn’t know anything at all about the London marathon, and in fact, I probably wouldn’t even know the date of the race. On the morning of April 28, I immediately went onto the safari app of my iPhone and googled London Marathon into the search engine. Immediately, a flood of news articles portrayed news headlines and images of Eliud Kipchoge crossing the finish line in 1st place with a new course record. Within seconds, I knew the results of the race with ease, able to watch videos of his triumphant finish and read about the details of the race, all within hours of the race happening on the other side of the world. Again, without media, none of this would be possible, and finding anything about the race would be nearly impossible.

When I opened Instagram, scrolling through the feed, dozens of posts from running accounts posted the results of the marathon, with thousands of people from around the world liking these posts and congratulating the amazing runner. Kipchoge himself posted a picture of himself winning the race in his Instagram account, also with thousands praising the man and congratulating him on his amazing feat. Media has definitely opened the door for so many people, events, and companies, the bridge for connecting our lives with the rest of the world. After the race, the media was flooded with videos and articles of the marathon, from post race videos, highlights of the race, and videos on the breakdown of his race. Through media, I have been able to become familiar with all the details of this prestigious running event, first handedly experiencing what it was like in London that morning, able to congratulate an amazing runner thousands of miles away on his record-breaking race.

Are Lovemarks effective?

After watching the movie Persuaders that discussed the various ways and techniques advertisers try to attract an audience into buying their product, the one technique I found the most interesting and entertaining was lovemarks. Lovemarks are a form of advertising in which the company creates an emotional story to engage the audience while incorporating the product they are advertising into this short story. They allow us to have an “iconic” place in our hearts for this specific product—more than just an everyday item sitting in our homes. For me, as much as I love watching Lovemarks commercials, as they are far more engaging and interesting than most of the mundane, annoying commercials I want to fast-forward while watching TV, I actually don’t think that lovemarks are any more effective at convincing me or any other person to buy their product.

For me, many of the Chevrolet commercials I’ve seen in the past, especially during the Super Bowl, are ones that struck me emotionally, with heart-wrenching story lines involving the new Chevrolet vehicle. The first commercial I vividly remember seeing was one about a father and son moving out of their house, putting boxes into the back of their pick up truck—of course, a Chevrolet pick up truck. As the father is looking at the marks written on the wall tracking his son’s height over each of his years, he sees the word “Mom” written at the top of the wall. The commercial quickly switches to “Mom’s garden,” with roses in memory of her presence...Of course, this has nothing to do with the Chevrolet car itself, but the Lovemarks aspect of the commercial truly draws in the viewer. When the boy asks, “Who is going to take care of Mom’s roses?” the dad responds with “We are,” carefully digging up the rose bushes, putting them into a box, and placing them in the back of the Chevrolet pick up truck.

The other Chevrolet commercial I remember watching was about a dog named “Maddie.” The first scene of this Lovemarks commercial is the woman (owner) with her dog in a vet’s office. The rest of the commercial features events of the woman’s life—including her graduation, breakup with her boyfriend, playing with leaves in the park, and moving into an apartment. In all of these scenes, Maddie is with the woman—such an emotionally appealing commercial for all viewers. Next, the commercial shows the woman learning to drive with Maddie in the backseat, going back and forth between the car and the woman, as a young girl, choosing Maddie’s name and kissing her on the nose. The car Maddie is driving is, of course, a Chevrolet SUV. The final scene that truly hits so many viewers is seeing the dog again, back in the vet’s office, being kissed by its owner, as it passes away in the office. When I first saw this commercial, it almost made me cry.

Lovemarks are a common advertising technique because they allow for the audience to feel something while watching the commercial, and not just mindlessly state at the TV screen while the person narrating the commercial annoyingly rambles on. In the dog commercial, Chevrolet captured the entire relationship of a woman with her dog, allowing us to feel the pain and heartbreak of the situation. In the other commercial, Chevrolet allowed us to feel the pain of the boy and the father feel with their mother gone, but warms our hearts when the roses are put in the back of the truck, bringing a part of their mother with them to their new home. Although these commercials are very enjoyable, and I could rewatch them over and over again in my free time, I don’t think they are particularly effective in convince viewers to buy their products. I actually feel they are less effective than traditional commercials, because the actual product has such a minor role in the commercial as a whole. A boy and father moving, and a young woman with a sick dog does nothing to convince me to buy Chevrolet cars in the future. The overall story barely mentioned the Chevrolet car, and even though the appealing stories of the commercials did feature these vehicles, it didn’t do anything to show why a Chevrolet car is better than any other ordinary car. For example, what if a Toyota pickup truck, or a Subaru SUV was used in the commercials? Does the brand of the car actually mean anything in the storyline of the commercial?

If the commercial talked about its low cost, efficient gas mileage, quiet road noise, large amounts of interior space, or unique technological features, it would have been significantly more convincing to a viewer looking to buy a car. Obviously, these commercials are much more boring to watch, but they’re more effective than Lovemarks commercials.

How social media is causing risky behavior

Recently, I’ve been hearing my family tell me about another person tragically die at the Grand Canyon, while taking a selfie on the edge of a cliff or lookout. Sadly, this trend is not just happening at the Grand Canyon, where four deaths have already happened in the past month. It’s happening in many places, whether it’s Yosemite National Park, the edges of skyscrapers—a phenomenon known as “Rooftopping”—or doing reckless activities such as riding on top of cars. Just about a month ago, my dad saw a patient who was in a coma, for riding on top of a friend’s car as a risk challenged by his group of friends. The reason for the huge increase in recent deaths of young teenagers and adults is very likely the increase in the usage of social media platforms.

The increase in social media risk-taking culture is increasingly prevalent among young and impulsive teenagers, wanting to take that perfect Instagram selfie to have attention from one’s followers and gain the most likes for their viral post. Since 2014, social media and YouTube have posed several dangerous “challenges” such as the “Fire Challenge,” where people actually set themselves on fire, or the “Tide Pod Challenge,” where, again, impulsive people consume laundry detergent Pods. Other stunts, driven by social media and the need to impress their followers or acquaintances in social media have included posing on railroad tracks, posing with dangerous weapons, posing on rocks on beaches with large waves, diving off rooftops into swimming pools...the list goes on. Social media has made us increasingly more impulsive and has dramatically increased our desire to impress our friends and acquaintances on social media, in hopes of gaining more likes and followers. The question we ask: “Is our life worth just one photo? Just one post?”

What’s even more tragic about the links between social media and risk-taking deaths is that it starts a chain reaction among the person initiating the risk to their entire friend group. For example, if one person posts a video of them taking on the Tide Pod Challenge, it can lead to many more doing the same—almost “daring” others to risk the challenge. Because social media can be such a powerful place for developing our own self-esteem, not participating in these challenges and not succumbing to our friend’s dares can cause us to be ridiculed and feel lonely, left out, and inferior. For me, social media is beginning to take over our lives, and in some cases, take away our lives as we strive to stay afloat in the whirlpool of social media.

In some cases, the risk of putting your life on the line pays off. For example, a British YouTuber Jay Swingler performed a stunt where he placed a plastic bag with a breathing tube over his head, gluing his head to the inside of a microwave with the plastic bag and plaster set. The result: a team of paramedics coming to rescue and free the man. But he woke up the next day with 70,000 new YouTube subscribers, the video with nearly six million views, and a new channel with 4.5 million subscribers. Was it worth it? To many, yes. Sadly, this drives many people to attempt the same stunt and enjoy the same rewards, but in the process, it takes away so many young lives that could’ve been saved without the presence of media.

Going back to the Grand Canyon, High risk selfie publicity allows for the quintessential model of a person in this increasingly digital age. Risk taking becomes part of our lives, striving to become famous in our social media platforms, competing with others and competing with our own lives just to be seen and our posts and videos to be viewed and liked. Our own narcissism and internal crisis drives this deliberate risk taking for an audience, and enjoying the rewards of likes, clicks, subscriptions, and followers. So what is the lesson: Of course, I’m not saying to not use social media, but always be aware of our own lives outside this digital network, and take a minute to think about the potential consequences of our risky actions and tragic effects a simple desire for popularity can entail.

Immigration Policy: How the news takes on this controversy

Trump Immigration Policy from Fox News and The Washington Post

In two recent articles regarding the policies by the Trump Administration on immigration policy, it was very clear, through the diction and style of writing, as well as the evidence used to create an argument, that the two news sources had a very one-sided view of the current situation. The news sources, Fox News and The Washington Post, took on Trump’s deportation orders of Central Americans setting off on the dangerous journey to immigrate into the United States. For me, reading these two articles simultaneously was actually an eye-opening experience, allowing me to realize how biased news sources today are, and how we cannot simply trust every news article that we read or every study conducted and put into news articles to “back up” one’s argument. In addition, the language used between the two articles was vastly different, with the Fox News article author actually stating that Trump’s immigration policies can “truly make America great again,” which is an extremely biased statement that caused me to seriously doubt the credibility of this author’s article on such a controversial issue.

The Fox News article’s opinions, clearly pro-Trump and pro-immigration policies, can be seen with the specific diction David Bossie uses throughout the article. From the very start of the article, Bossie states that it is “imperative” that we keep “America safe and strong,” stating that it is “clear to me” that we must fix our “broken immigration system.” Right from the start, not only does Bossie establish himself as a writer without credible ethos, but presents statements that are so general, one-sided, and connoted in a way that strongly supports Trump. By saying, it’s “clear to me,” Bossie makes it hard for us as readers to truly believe his opinions and accept his argument when we bases his components of his argument based off his own opinions. In the next paragraph, Bossie states that “I have been inspired” by Trump’s “courageous efforts” to end the “flood” of “illegal immigration, drugs, and human trafficking entering our country.” I actually found this statement to be rather humorous, since it was such a selective, incomplete/one-sided, and extreme paragraph regarding Trump’s policies. The positively-connoted diction of “courageous” and calling the wall a “big beautiful door,” presents an heavily unfair bias, while providing very negatively-charged words and phrases, such as “flood” and solely presenting the negative effects of letting illegal immigrants into our country. By calling Trump’s immigration as “imperative” to make America “truly great again,” Bossie is almost superficially writing an article, merely taking Trump’s views and “spitting” these words and opinions/reasons behind his policies into this poorly-constructed article.

On the other hand, the Washington Post provides a viewpoint almost opposite to the opinion presented by David Bossie, filled with diction with a specific connotation that allows the reader to see the author’s take on this controversial issue. In the title alone, the Post calls the immigration policies and recent changes as “punitive policy,” later described in contrast to “pragmatic policy.” Punitive is a very negatively-connoted word, a word that means intending to inflict some kind of punishment, rather than being practical and effective policy for our country. Rather than presenting facts, statistics, or studies--objective information--the Post provides a very opinionated piece, focused on the negative aspects of the policies, without providing a wholesome, factual-based, and multifaceted argument with multiple perspectives. For example, the Post calls the immigration pronouncements as “great sound bite” but not, in any way, resolving this “bona fide crisis.” Essentially, differing greatly from the Fox News article, the Post sees his policies as impractical and ineffective towards truly helping our country, while Bossie states that his policies are “imperative” towards making America “truly great again.” Reading these two articles centered around the same issue was an eye-opener for me on realizing how biased our news sources are, and how even a simple word with a strong connotation can greatly affect the way us as readers comprehend the argument being presented.

Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/william-barrs-immigration-order-is-the-latest-example-of-trumps-punitive-policy/2019/04/21/1e1d9dc8-6149-11e9-9412-daf3d2e67c6d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7d3297d6f297
Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/david-bossie-an-america-first-immigration-policy-looks-like-this

Us: Jordan Peele’s creative take on our current societal conditions

Us: How Jordan Peele incorporated societal flaws into a thriller masterpiece

I recently went to see the horror film, Us, directed by Jordan Peele with a friend this past weekend, and watching this movie allowed me to see how much movies and media in general are a reflection of our society and the problems we face. On the surface level, the movie was an exciting thriller, with occasional jump scares, killings and murders, evil antagonists, and suspense, also filled with humor along the way. I found this movie rather strange, in terms of the concept of the movie’s plot, and not as horrifying when comparing it to other horror movies I’ve watched, such as The Conjuring or slasher films like the Halloween franchise, but I realized that the “strange” concept behind the movie’s terror was actually a reflection of our society.

In Jordan Peele’s film, we are introduced to two main families that are friends, a middle class Black family and a wealthier White family. Each of these humans and everyone else across the nation have a doppelgänger, or an exact carbon copy of themselves. They’ve lived underground for many years, and are called the Tethered, sick and tired of being forgotten and ignored by their human counterparts. When the Tethered call themselves “Americans,” I actually laughed, since this statement seemed so paradoxical in the circumstances of the plot. However, after watching the movie and talking with my friend about that line and the overall meaning behind these strange characters, I realized that these Tethered people were a reflection of our nation and our people. I watched an interview with Jordan Peele about what this movie meant, especially after the change in social commentary from his first film, Get Out, and he called ourselves as our own worst enemy. This concept was integrated into this film to present commentary vital for understanding our nation’s current situation.

For me, I felt that each of these human “reflections” demonstrate how uncomfortable we are with our true selves. We don’t want to look at ourselves in the mirror and recognize and accept our flaws, our mistakes, and our warped mindsets and opinions. Peele turns these human clones into savages or monsters with an uncivilized and chaotic demeanor, but in reality, they are us, which is ironically the title of the movie. They are the people of our country. The Tethered are hungry for power, acceptance, and recognition, just like the conflict between political parties, genders, and races/ethnicities, and each conflicting group to be recognized and accepted wholly. Furthermore, the endless conflicts we face in our society today are caused and worsened by the very people that make up this nation. We have become our worst enemy, fighting our own reflections.

While watching the movie, I also saw commentary regarding the insecurity and shallowness of wealth and high status. As middle class families, the Wilsons’ family’s (The main Black family the movie is centered around) sense of inferiority and need to be recognized as higher in status, stems from their affluent white friends we meet on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. When Gabriel, the comical father of the Wilson family, buys a boat just because everyone else had one, it symbolizes the desire many of us have to satisfy status through materialistic possessions. Again, like the concept of the doppelgangers, Peele provides plot details, this one being rather humorous, to bring in deep social commentary necessary for us Americans to become actively aware of. I believe this film highlights Peele’s criticism of America’s obsession with status, and the arrogance that affluence can breed especially in our society nowadays. Even though the boat Gabe buys barely works, he is still able to brag to his rich friends that he possesses an item that raises his status.

Movies and entertainment in general often provide insightful social commentary that provides for a fun experience to hang out with friends or get a good scare, but many movies go much deeper than surface level fear. Movie producers like Jordan Peele delve into why it is that we fear certain things, or more specifically, the psychology behind these general fears and the resulting societal norms that are especially prevalent in our society today. During the movie, I was mostly waiting for  the jump scares during the tense scenes, who would be murdered next by these Tethered people, or what was the significance behind some of Peele’s most creative aspects of the film, but afterwards, while discussing with my friend and watching an interview with Peele, I realized the depth these thrillers have that reflect the situation of our society today.

My relationship with Media

My Current Relationship with Media- April 11, 2019

Media certainly has had a profound impact on my daily life, being exposed to so many different platforms, from YouTube and Instagram, to using technology for homework, communication, and entertainment. Each of these platforms has changed several aspects of my daily life, in both positive and negative ways.

Like many teenagers, I use social media daily, using it often in an unhealthy manner. With any free time or downtime I have, I often go onto Instagram and look at my favorite accounts to pass time, whether it is my friends, mere acquaintances, celebrities, or accounts to get a good laugh. However, like many other social networking sites, Instagram often sucks me down into a trap, causing me to spend a large amount of time “hopping” from one account to the next, watching comedy videos, reading comments of the new posts that constantly appear on my feed, or sharing posts with others I think would relate to them. Unfortunately, this trap becomes more and more difficult to get out of, which ends up distracting me from doing homework, studying, or any task in general. This unhealthy relationship, to me, is almost like an irresistible addiction, pulling me into this abstract world away from reality like a magnet.  In addition to being a large source of distraction and short term attention span and focus, social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook often immerse me in a world of competition. Often, I see posts of an acquaintance’s selfie, accompanied with hundreds of comments commenting on that person’s beauty. Or it’s a post of someone having the best time ever hanging out or seeing a movie with a group of friends. I see Instagram “stories” of people asking their followers to like and comment on their recent posts. For me, Instagram has almost become a competitive platform where I, as well as those around me, try to gain the most followers, whether or not I’ve even heard of the person I’m requesting to follow, and get the most likes. Often, social media platforms cause me to feel jealous of others, leading to feelings of self inadequacy. Therefore, my current relationship with social media is largely negative.

However, there certainly are positive aspects of media that have ultimately benefited me in my life. Media can be an escape from realities and stress, if, of course, used in healthy “doses.” Whether it’s watching my favorite movie online, scrolling through YouTube videos, or playing games with friends, media is a way for me to engross myself in a world away from my often monotonous daily life.

Media also exposes me to the world outside the bubble I live in, as reading the news headlines is one of my most common relationships with media. However, in our modern society, almost all of the news articles I read are based around opinions and biases, presenting the facts and statistics, but written in either a positive or negative viewpoint. I would say my relationship with the news is unhealthy, because often, these opinionated articles strongly influence my viewpoints and opinions of the world, as I don’t take the time to truly separate fact and reality from opinion. Despite this, media has allowed for me to become somewhat aware and understanding of the complexity of our world’s situation, able to develop a self-perception
of current events, people, or changes to society, whether or not these perceptions are credible.

YouTube also benefits me in several ways, including education, new music videos, and entertainment. I watch YouTube to view recent movie trailers, listen to music videos, watch clarifying videos on difficult school subjects, and watch inspirational running videos. Although this can definitely be a distraction, I strive to develop a healthy relationship with the media I use, not centering my life around media and substituting enjoyable forms of media for much more important parts of my life, using media as a supplement rather than the way I live. Media has also allowed for me to communicate effectively with others, whether it’s asking a friend for help, asking a friend to go see a movie with, or asking my parents for something important. Overall, I would say that I have varying relationships with many different forms of media, that has become integrated into the way I live, in both positive and negative ways.