Following the Trends: a Steady Decline of Authenticity.

My social media presence differs from network to network, depending on what is socially "cool" or acceptable on that website. I really didn't realize that until Eric asked us how social media has framed us. I want to run you through each of my social media accounts, and give you an inside look into what I'm thinking when I post certain things, and how outside forces have effected that...

Facebook: So we'll start with Facebook, because I feel as though it is the biggest social media outlet that I have, and probably that even exists. Every once in a while I'll get a notification of something that I posted as a Facebook status in the past. Back in my middle school days, Facebook had more of a twitter like feel. People posted what they were feeling, or what they were doing. I feel as though I've seen less and less of that as the years have gone on, and because I've seen less of that, I've done less of that. For me, Facebook is just a dumping ground for things from other social media accounts. For example, things that I post on Instagram get dumped onto Facebook. I think the main two reasons that I even keep my Facebook account is because I get a lot of business off of it, and because EVERYONE has a Facebook, and it's great for looking people up. I think that if more of my friends still used Facebook as an active form of social media, the way that I present myself on Facebook might be different. I definitely pay attention to how my profile is presented, though, because I know that people will probably stalk me from time to time. For a lot of people, Facebook IS the first impression that you get of someone, before even meeting them. I'm really aware of that, and because of that I'm careful about what is in my "about" section, and what photos I allow to show up on my page. If I were being totally 100% honest, and authentic, I wouldn't filter these things.

Instagram: This is where I notice the most framing. I'm really careful about what I post on Instagram, which is funny because I have 1212 Instagram posts, to date. I've noticed that I've followed trends on how my Instagram photos are posted, what filters I use, and things like that. For example, there was this huge trend throughout a large group of people that I followed on Instagram, where it was "cool" to post your photos with white bars on the sides. Basically the idea was that you could post the whole photo rather than having to crop it into a square. Then people went through a phase where cropping them into squares was cool... things like that. Instagram has also effected the way that I photograph things, as a photographer. Simplistic shots with white or textured backgrounds is really popular, this is something that I've noticed through Instagram, and I've geared myself more toward that style of photography. I feel as though Instagram is becoming similar to Facebook, in that people use it to pre-stalk other people before they meet. I find myself posting things that exemplify the kind of person that I want to be, whether I am that or not. I post a lot of art, with quotes, and pictures of the adventures that I go on, because I feel like that makes me look interesting. I'm not saying that I'm' not those things, because I totally am, but I'm also a lot of other things that I DON'T post. I also notice myself looking at who, and how many people have liked the photos that I post. I have an average "likage" of about "60-80" people, and if I have less than that, I stress out a little bit, and wonder what was wrong with what I posted. So vain, I know, but that's our culture!

Twitter and Snapchat: I'm putting these two together, because out of all of my social media outlets, I'm the most authentic on these two. I  think the reason is, that less people see what I post than on any other social media site. I say whatever I want on twitter. I definitely subtweet at people all the time (unless they follow me, and I know that they'll know what I'm saying is about them.) I use twitter as a place to dump all of my thoughts, and say things that I wouldn't necessarily say to someone's face, or on another social media site, for more people to see. Snapchat is just fun... I love recording little snippets of my life, and I feel as though I catch a lot of funny moments through snapchat. I think it's less intimidating than more permanent forms of social media, because whatever I post on my story disappears after 24 hours. People can't look back on the things that I've posted like they can on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I definitely use both of these websites to express myself, and to effect the way that people see me. I think that I'm less of a trend follower on these two social networks, but I also feel like there are a lot less trends to follow through these networks.

I think that the fact that i even have ALL of these networks says something about me, because I feel like I have more social media accounts than your average person.
 

Wow. I don't think I've ever been so honest, as to what I'm thinking as i post things.... But it was definitely interesting to take a look through things that I've said, and wonder why I've said them, or why I have posted certain things. I think the biggest thing that I realized in regards to how I've been framed, is that I follow the trends, rather than walking to the beat of my own drum. I don't know how I feel about that. What does the fact that I let myself be so influenced by people mean about me as a person? What does it mean about me as an artist? Maybe it's time for a change.

Facebook Page Analysis

I've had my page since 2008, and I did not even know what Facebook Analytics was. I had never even tried to click on the tabs to find out what they did! It was really interesting to go through and look at this. It is definitely something that I will pay attention to in the future. I found that as I recognized the trends that were forming, I was better able to make decisions on what, when, and how to post things to get the most reaction from people.

 Posts: I tried to post one or two photos per week. I found that I had much more success with both my post reach, and my post likes when I tagged people in the photos. I also found a lot of success from sharing the posts to my individual page. The only thing that I noticed that really did not work, was only posting the photo. I got much less reach, and few to no likes if I didn't tag the clients, or share the image to my personal page.

Post Reach: As I noticed trends in the times that people saw my posts, I began to post things at those times to optimize the chances that they would be seen by more people. 

 I think that posting at the right time, and cross promoting to my own facebook page has a lot to do with the fact that as the project went on, my  posts were seen by more and more people.

People:
 I decided to take a look at all three categories. The percentage of men that my posts reached was slightly higher than the percentage of men who like my page, or engaged with the post. I thought this was interesting, but not surprising. I would guess that a majority of the men that my posts reach came from me cross promoting my page onto my personal page, and by tagging people in the photos. My people insights are spot on with what my target audience was.

 As far as where people were from, it was very consistent with who I listed as my target audience. Mostly people from St. George, with a few scattered throughout Utah.

*Side Note* Apparently NSW is a place in Australia, and I get a few Australian viewers.

 I don't find it surprising that more women engaged with my posts. This is something that I've found to be pretty consistent for as long as I've had this page. Maybe that will be my next experiment. How to attract more male fans, and get them to engage with my posts.

 The percentage of male vs. female fans that I have does not surprise me. I do think it's interesting that a majority of my page fans are 18-24, but maybe not surprising, seeing as I fit in that age category myself, and a lot of the people who like the page are my friends.

Visits:
I definitely see more page visits when I post things, but I get a lot more reach, and engagement than I do page visits. In retrospect, I wish that I would have researched what to post or say to get people to visit the page more.

 Likes, Comments, Shares:
I received a lot more comments and likes on posts when I tagged my client in the post.

Page Likes:

 I can definitely see a trend in that I gained more and more followers as I posted. I haven't much payed attention to the analytics in the past, but I feel that my page had sort of hit a plateau of likes, and as I started to post more consistently, I started to gain more and more likes.

Facebook Ad:

Sustainable and Natural Built Environment

Vancouver:

Greenest City 2020 Action Plan approved in 2011.

• Vancouver is set to bring the community-based greenhouse gas emissions down to 5% below 1990 levels, even as the population has grown by over 27% and jobs have increased by over 18%.
• Vancouver’s electricity is generated in British Columbia- 93% of it from renewable sources. We are also developing neighborhood-scale renewable energy projects. Conversion to renewable sources will create new green jobs.
• The city has implemeted the greenest building code in North America. Vancouver is rising to meet the green transportation challenge by creating compact neighborhoods with higher density to provide easy access to work, shopping and recreation. The City has shifted investment to walking, cycling and transit infrastructure.

GREEN BUILDINGS

• Require all buildings constructed from 2020 onward to be carbon neutral in operations.
• Reduce energy and greenhouse Gas emissions in existing buildings by 20% over 2007 Levels.

Insulation, Heating and Lighting system upgrades, and energy-efficient appliances, as well as on how people operate buildings.

Canadians spend the majority of their time indoors, so how can changing the way that they spend their time effect the enironment.

GREEN TRANSPORTATION

• Make the majority (over 50%) of trips by foot, bicycle, and public transit.
• Reduce average distance driven per resident by 20% from 2007 levels.

Transportation effects the air we breathe, the amount of land we need, our physical health and well-being.

Safe, Convenient, and Enjoyable travel by foot/bike.

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• Reduce solid waste going to the landfill or incinerator by 50% from 2008 levels.

Garbage has become so common that it can be hard to imagine life without it.

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Enjoyable, promote neighborhood socializing.

http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/Greenest-city-action-plan.pdf

http://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/renewable-city.aspx

Los Angeles

http://www.environment.ucla.edu/reportcard/

Sustainability: "Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." - from United Nations WCED 1987

L.A. County: Most populous county in the nation, and consists of 88 individual cities.

2015 Report Card

Water - C

Air - C+

Ecosystem Health C-

Energy & Greenhouse Gasses - B-

Environmental Quality of Life - C+

Ecosystem Health

• Over 35,000 acres of land are at high risk of vegetation type change due to over-burning
• LA County has lost >96% of its total wetland area from 1850 to present
• Lows in greeness values since 2013 indicate vegetation is experiencing extreme water stress due to the drought.
• Urban Streams throughout the county exhibit very poor function, and poor viological condition.

Waste

• Total hazardous waste generated in LA county in 2013 was 2.2 million tons, two times as much as in 2011
• There is a lack of county-level data on actual quantities and final disposition of municipal waste diverted from landfills.
• Contaminated soils from site clean-up comprised themajority (68%) of hazardous waste in 2013

OTM - Automatic Attitudinal Response Assessment.

As I read through all of my On The Media posts, I realized that I probably had somewhat of an AAR (Automatic Attitudinal Response) to a majority of the subjects that I discussed. Some of my opinions changed, as I listened to the segments, and some of them didn't. For example...

OTM 1 was about Donald Trump. I remember thinking, oh great... what has he done this time? Donald Trump scares me a little bit, and that's a big deal coming from a girl who doesn't get scared by much. As I listened to the article, my opinion of this man did not change, in fact, it was probably validated a little bit. The only surprising part about the Donald Trump story, was that he brought the reporter back into the room after, and let him speak.

OTM 2 was the story of the Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi. My AAR to this story was heartache... as the broadcast went on, the heartache only increased for this poor boy, and made a shift to sympathy for everyone involved in the migration crisis.

OTM 3 was about the 9/11 Memorial. I'm not going to lie... I think that when I first started listening to this, there was a voice in the back of my head that questioned if the 9/11 memorial was a capitalization scheme. All I could think about is the fact that someone is probably making money off of it... but as I listened on, I realized that it was so much more. I truly believe that the memorial will help bring closure to the families of the victims. I also feel that it's an important monument to help society remember the events that occurred that day.

OTM 4 was about Exxon's denial of Global Climate Change. Ironically enough, I think that my AAR to this segment, was that I didn't care, really. I say that this is ironic, because in my post I say that people care, and the people who don't care just really don't know much about it. I definitely had a change of heart as I listened to this segment.

OTM 5 was about Darkode. I actually am not sure that I had an AAR to this one... The only experience that I've really had with hackers, is when a friend's facebook or twitter account gets hacked, and spam's out tweets or status's, or tags me in dumb pictures. I've never clicked on one of them, and I've never been hacked. I was really neutral to this topic, I mean I know it's wrong, and it sucks, but upon hearing what the segment was about, I really didn't have any overwhelming thoughts.

OTM 6 was about the life experience's of the Justices. I was pretty neutral to this one as well... I do remember that this particular week, most of the segments were about the Justices, and my initial thought was, oh great... what have they done now? I'm still not sure...

OTM 7 was about Playboy, and I DEFINITELY had an AAR to this one. A super, super strong one... Playboy disgusts me, and the otm segment just validated that. I stand by what I said... my opinion of their announcement is that at least it's better than nothing.

As I re-assessed my writing, I realized that I do have Automatic Attitudinal Responses to certain issues, but I do think that I went in to researching each of these events with somewhat of an open mind. (Aside from the Playboy one.) I've also noticed that the discussions that we have in class have opened my mind more. My opinions on certain subjects have shifted, and I think that this is not only because of the critical thinking that I've been doing as I research these events, but the facts, and knowledge that I've been gaining about the subjects that we have discussed as a class.

This class, and my OTM research has helped me to realize that my opinions are changeable, and research, and discussion is what has helped make those changes. I've gained a greater understanding for the importance of individual research. I feel as though in the past, I've really just taken my dad's opinion as gospel, because I trust him, but I've realized that just because I value his opinion, and trust his knowledge, doesn't mean that I have to have the same opinions.

When we first started this assignment, I dreaded it a little bit. Listening to the News, and researching current events were one of my least favorite things to do, but the OTM assignment has helped me to realize that it's sort of necessary. It's really important to search the facts out yourself, so that you can better form an informed opinion.

On The Media: Playboy Covers Up

Physical: Playboy has decided to stop printing full frontal nude images starting in March of 2016. Playboy found, from re-vamping their website last year, that the website was viewed more, without the nude images.

Psychological: A quote from Harvey Cox, which was stated in the broadcast: "moralistic criticisms of playboy fail, because it's anti-moralism is one of the few places in which Playboy is right, thus any theological critique of Playboy that focuses on it's lewdness will misfire completely. Playboy, and it's less successful imitators are not sex magazines at all, they dilute, and dissipate authentic sexuality, by reducing it to an accessory, by keeping it at a safe distance. We must see in Playboy, the latest and slickest episode in man's continuing refusal to be fully human."

Hefner states in the interview, that the intrigue in Playboy is the fantasy. It's a motivation to dream, he says.

Temporal: Hugh Hefner's career in the industry began back in WWII, after seeing pin-up mags like Esquire. He wanted to see real women in magazines that looked like the Vargas girls. Playboy became a magazine for the "sophisticated" male society. Women, not only in Playboy, but in other sexual magazines as well, have been depicted clothed is less, and less clothing as the years have gone on.

Cultural: Though culturally, society says that pornography, and other things such as Playboy are unacceptable, they are still viewed, and purchased a whole lot.


I mean, if we're being completely honest here, Playboy disgusts me. It not only disgusts me that men look at magazines like Playboy, but it disgusts me that women let themselves be photographed for the magazines.

My mind keeps wandering back to an episode of The Fresh Prince off Bel-Air, where Hilary (Will Smith's cousin) is asked to be photographed for an edition of Playboy, spotlighting local weather girls. Her father (uncle Phil) is adamant that she should not be in the magazine (even though he definitely had a subscription to it). In the end, Hilary ended up sneaking to the Playboy mansion, and being photographed for the magazine. When the print came out, Uncle Phil hesitantly opened it up, and was relieved to see his daughter's bits and pieces covered up by graphics. But before the mag had been shot and printed, Uncle Phil found out that Hilary went down to the Playboy mansion shortly after she had left, and he ran down there to try and stop her. While he was at the mansion, Phil ran into Hugh Hefner, and Phil tried to explain to him that he did not want his daughter in this magazine. Hefner responded by saying, "Mr. Banks, don't worry, the images will be tasteful."

TASTEFUL?

You know what's tasteful? Put some flipping clothing on... that's tasteful. Nothing about Playboy is tasteful.

My attitude toward the no-more-nudes announcement is that it's better than nothing, I guess.

Now, in relation to Social Media, I definitely think that the development of technology has helped in the spread of Pornography, like just about everything else. People have devices in their hand that can be used to access Pornography at any time of the day, and in just about any place. 

Climate Change 1.0

Discussion: Discussion about climate change, on the internet, like any other topic, seems to get really confusing. I literally just typed "climate change" into google... and these are the search topics that came up.

Climate Change Facts
Climate Change Definition
Climate Change Hoax
Climate Change 2015
and a few others... 

Sort of all over the place, but through these "most searched" terms, we can see that people are at least trying to educate themselves.

But basically, what I have deduced from my research on this topic is that people care about climate change. Some people care that it's happening, and want to reverse it, some people care that it hurts them financially, and the people who don't care probably would care if they put in the effort to learn a little bit more about it, because it effects us more than we think. It seems to me, that climate change has become more of a political agenda, rather than a cause.

I want to relate back to my On The Media post about Exxon's climate change controversy. Like I said in this post, I wonder if the leaders of Exxon factor in the fact that their future posterity are going to have to live with the consequences of their actions today. I'm sure that Exxon is not the only one. In fact, I know they aren't. Take Volkswagen, and the deceit that has been coming out of that company lately. They literally proved that they do not care about the environment, and outlets like social media helped to spread that like wildfire.

Position: I think it's great that society has tools like the internet, and opinions stated on social media to help educate them on important topics such as climate change. But like I've said multiple other times, relating to various of research, I think it's important to be careful what you believe. Big corporations who have a financial agenda, or uneducated people can say whatever they want, and if you don't get the actual facts from PRIMARY sources, such as credible scientists (I saw that NASA has a page up about climate change) it's easy to form an opinion that you otherwise wouldn't have formed if you were accurately educated.

I think that social media has been a great help in spreading awareness about climate change, and I think that this is one of the most important roles that the internet plays today. It gives people the option to care. It gives people an easy outlet to go to, to find out what's going on in the world, and then it gives them the opportunity to do what they want with that information.

On The Media: Life Experience of the Justices

Physical: They talk about how Justices are portrayed in films, and other fictitious media outlets. The media often makes legal issues seem extremely dramatic. Elements are added into these forms of media to make the world of the supreme court, and other legal segments extremely interesting, and involved. The fact that, in these shows and movies, we see the intimate lives of the characters, creates the understanding that maybe it would be important to understand the views, and lifestyle choices of the Justices.

Psychological: Media depictions of the Justices help us to understand the shut-off, and seemingly secretive world of the Supreme Court. Supreme court Justices have a huge impact on what goes on in our society, so their views, beliefs, and actions should matter to us as citizens of the country.

Temporal: As time progresses, more and more questions arise about the government, and this is another form of that. People are beginning to understand that it is important to consider life experience, along with views and beliefs when appointing Justices to the Court.

Cultural: The legal world isn’t one that society necessarily identifies as interesting. There are several court room related television shows that are extremely popular. We place an extreme importance on life experience, so it makes sense that we would care about understanding not only the legal knowledge that the Justices have, but also the life experience that they have obtained.

I think that it is important for us to understand that Judges are human. Their lives, and their views and beliefs have the ability to change on the daily, just like ours do. It’s also important for them to understand the responsibility that they have to the country to make fair judgments. To be really honest, I’ve not thought about this topic before, but I agree that it’s important to understand, and consider the life experience that any person who enters the political/legal world has before they are appointed. Life experience is what we take our views and beliefs from.

Religion 3.0

Discussion:
Social media is used by both leaders, and members of many different denominations. People make the argument that social media has become a way to contact, and fellowship outsiders of any particular religion. Various forms of social media have also been utilized to inform the public about certain religious beliefs. Social media has also become a place where hatred of opposing beliefs is expressed. I recently read an article about a Jewish Group who was trying to identify the authors of some anti-semetic messages that were sent via twitter. Like any opinion or belief based topic, both positive and negative messages about religion's are displayed on social media. Churches have the opportunity to create apps to help their members connect with each other, and stay up to date on current church topics. They also post documents, and sometimes even daily messages for members to read.

Position:
I've heard the argument before that people should keep their religious views off of the internet, because of the controversy that it starts, but I feel like who we are online is becoming a representation of who we are in real life, and if religious views are a part of that, I say, talk about them. No matter your opinion, or belief, social media is a great way to connect with people from around the world, and have educated (and sometimes non-educated) discussions about religion. In my own religion, I have seen facebook used as a tool to reach out to people, and fellowship them. I hold a position in my religion, and I use instagram, facebook, and twitter to communicate with the people that I go to church with. We have even used Facebook to put faces with the names on our roll, so that we know who they are when they walk in. I also follow various leaders from my church on social media websites, and I love reading their uplifting messages throughout the day. I think that utilizing social media to stay connected with other people who share your beliefs is a really great use of social media.

OTM Replacement: Darkode

Physical: Hackers are getting into private computers and holding owner’s files for ransom. They hack into the computer, capture the data, and lock the owner out of the data. Until the owner pays the ransom to retrieve their data back, the files will be locked. Sometimes, there is even a timeline in which the owner has to pay the ransom, or the files will be lost forever.

And then there’s Darkode… which hackers use to communicate, and trade information.

Psychological: I would imagine that this would have the similar, if not the same psychological effect on someone, as physical theft would be. They’re devastated that their files, or family photos, and other data have been stolen. I can imagine, that especially for the older generation, it would be quite confusing to figure out.

Dan speaks about how he became intrigued with malware and viruses. I would imagine that his story is quite similar to that of other hackers. You start with a computer enthusiast with a curiosity, and they find a way to make money off of it.

Temporal: With the progression of technology, people have started to store information, sometimes sensitive information in a technological form. Like a burglar can break into your home and steal your items, hackers can break into your computer and steal your files.

Daniel Placek was one of the creators of Darkode, and speaks about his involvement. He started his hacking career by playing video games in his parents basement. He meets a guy on an online game who is into malware, and viruses on computers.

Cultural: This is theft, and at least in our culture, theft is illegal. This is a really confusing, and somewhat hard type of theft to track, because it’s so indirect. People use the internet to enact their thievery, and although we can track IP addresses, and things like that, it’s hard to identify the thief.

As they are talking to Dan, they speak about the progression of hacking, and how it started out as spam, and then the hackers realized that they could use these programs to do other things to people’s computers.

This is so wrong, and so sad. Like I said earlier, this IS theft! And theft is wrong. I constantly see my friend’s Facebook and Twitter accounts hacked into. I don’t know that it’s really had any ill effects on them, other than having to create a new account, but it sucks, nonetheless. This is the number one reason why I back all of my information up on an external hard drive. I don’t know what I would do if I lost a client’s photos, or even lost the ability to work on them for a while. That would be absolutely devastating. I hope that with time, we will create a safer system for navigating the technological world, and there will be an easier way to identify these thieves. I thought that the section about Darkode was really interesting to hear, especially the part about the progression of computer hacking.

Privacy 2.0

Discussion:
From what I understand, after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the government instituted a set of actions in which they called "The Program." which started out as a way to monitor phone calls, and other various forms of communication for potential terrorist action. The original plan for the program involved a set of parameters that would protect U.S. Citizens. It sounds like eventually somewhere along the way, or perhaps even for the entirety of "the program" the parameters that would protect citizens were bypassed. Some people in various government agencies found out about what was going on, and questioned it's legality.

 Position:
In watching the "United States of Secrets" documentaries... I feel as though the majority of what I heard was a constant back and forth of  "This is Legal." "This isn't Legal." "Wait, is this legal?" Although I watched these documentaries, and have a small amount of background knowledge about this subject, the amount of knowledge I have is just that. Small. Nevertheless, here's my opinion, based on what I know...

In class, the question was asked, Can we have both safety/protection and privacy at the same time? I would argue that we can't. I sort of have the viewpoint of the fact that I don't have anything to hide, so I don't really care if my phone calls are monitored, and my e-mails are read. I do, however, think that it can go too far. I also think that a problem arises when our phone calls and e-mail information is stored, and not taken care of, making it subject to theft, or hacking by outside parties. I've often thought, well, if the government would have just let us know that they were reading through and listening to our information, rather than keeping it a secret, maybe people wouldn't have a big of a problem with it. But then I wonder... if people knew they were being listened to they probably wouldn't use those forms of communication to plan terrorist attacks. I do think that this infringes on our first and fourth amendment rights, but I also think that maybe we place too much emphasis on the law. I can't help but think about the saying from Pirates of the Carribean, "The code is more of a guideline." Either way, if you consider this it's a sticky subject... As far as the President using his wartime authority to authorize "the program" I think that sounds sort of sketchy... I think that more people should have approved and talked about it.

I guess, bottom line, my opinion is that while I don't necessarily think that it was wrong or right that the government was watching us, I do think that there should have been more honesty about it. This is where people like Edward Snowden come in. I'm not sure that I've formed a complete opinion of Snowden and what he did, and the way in which he did it, but it sure has helped spark conversation and somewhat of an understanding of what's going on in our government right now.

On The Media: Munchausen

Physical: Taryn Harper Wright tries to stop people from raising money for people with fake illnesses and fake tragedies. She contacts these people, and confronts them about the issues. Some of the people, she even became friends with. Munchausen syndrome is when somebody makes themselves physically sick in order to get attention from doctors, or loved ones. Munchausen by proxy is when someone tries to get attention by making a loved one sick.

Psychological: Sometimes people start these campaign’s for the money, some for attention. People see these campaign’s online, and unlike Wright, don’t do the research before they donate. People with Munchausen syndrome often times look to the internet for support. The internet is such an anonymous place, and so it’s really easy for these people to join support groups, and seek support from people that they don’t know, and that don’t know what is really going on with them.

Temporal: As they said in the broadcast, this is a psychiatric condition that was understood before the age of the internet, in the mid nineteenth century. Though this syndrome was not created by the internet, it has become another tool for people with Munchausen Syndrome to use.

Cultural: It seems to me like a lot of people would think that these people are lying, and see them as dishonest, untrustworthy people. But as Wright suggests, these people are not terrible people, and we’ll never fully understand what they’re going through. From what Wright explains of the syndrome, it seems like a serious psychological disorder, and more than often, professional help is needed to sort through those problems.

I’ve actually watched a few documentaries about this Syndrome, and an episode of Dr. Phil (don’t judge me) where he basically interrogates a woman with Munchausen Syndrome. To me, it saddens me that people feel the need to resort to lying about their physical state, and in extreme cases actually harm themselves in order to get attention. It really sounds like all of these people just need a friend. Someone to listen. I don’t think that it’s right when they raise money for fake illnesses. That, to me, qualifies as stealing. I think this topic brings to light the fact that people should do their research before donating money toward any cause or charity.

Well Informed 2.0: Democracy 2.0

 Discussion:
In this video, Mancini makes the argument that politics is solving today's problems with yesterday's tools. She then goes on to say that we should be able to solve today's problems with the tools that we use every day, such as the internet as a whole, and social media.  She states that citizen engagement is the first step to getting elected officials to truly listen. Politics is something that is widely discussed through social media, but are we saying the right things, and are we saying them to the right people? Through social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and even E-mail, we should have the opportunity to contact our elected officials, and inform them on what decisions we want them to make.

 Position:
Technology really should be something that we can use to create a bridge between citizens and their elected representatives. I definitely think that opinions aren't heard. This is one reason why I'm not a fan of the electoral college system that we have in place to elect our officials. That's a story for another day... We have this great opportunity to better connect with the people running our country, through technology, but technology itself isn't going to do it for us. We have to use it, and become involved in the process. I know so many people who have no faith in the governmental system, because they feel like they aren't heard. I think that elected officials should make it a priority to listen to the opinions of everyone who they represent, and social media is a great way to do that. We just have to utilize it.

*Insert Lightbulb Emoji Here*

One of my most recent "A-Ha" moments happened over the summer. I bought this really cool car... only problem was, it was a manual. My dad reassured me that learning to drive stick would prove to be easy... but if you were to go back in time and ask brand-new-car-owner, Nicole... I would definitely disagree. The first day was really, really terrible. I killed that thing more times than I should have, and I about had a mental breakdown. Seriously. I had this rad car, and I couldn't even drive it. So I decided to turn to YouTube for some additional guidance on how to drive my car. I watched probably a good three hours worth of instructional videos about how to drive a stick. The videos really told me basically the same things that my dad was telling me the day before, but the next day when I got in the car, something clicked, and I just figured it out. I'm not sure if it was the extra time spent, or something that one of the guys in the videos said, or maybe a combination of the two... but something happened, and the next day I was a heck of a lot better than I was on the first day.

On The Media: Exxon's History of Climate Change Research

Physical: Science has proven that the use of fossil fuels has a negative effect on the world’s environment. Temperatures are rising, ice is melting, and science has deduced that the burning of fossil fuels is a factor in why this is all happening.

Psychological: By denying that the burning of fossil fuels effects the environment, Exxon is playing a part in the misinformation that the public is receiving. Questioning and denying the scientific research that has been done on global climate change, will no doubt, have adverse effects on our environment’s future. The way I see it, it’s like going to the doctor and getting a diagnosis of cancer and choosing to deny it, and not work to get it fixed. The consequences would no doubt be fatal.
Social: Exxon Mobile directed millions of dollars to dozens of front groups that worked to seed public doubt on the atmospheric impact of burning fossil fuels. They wanted to make it seem like the environment is okay. They have taken the approach that there is not enough evidence, and the scientific research is not solid enough to make such potentially costly economic changes in their business.

Temporal: 1970’s to current day. In the early stages of the conversation, Exxon’s scientists were at the forefront of doing research, and they were sounding alarms. Something changed, and Exxon saw this happening, and knew that eventually laws and limitations would be put in place on how fossil fuels were used, and they wanted to have a say in what was going to happen.

Cultural: I think that sometimes our society is pretty gullible, and many people don’t like to put the time in to do the research themselves, so they just listen to whatever they’re told. Like we often say, no matter if it’s right or wrong, the loudest voice is the one that gets heard. It’s really important to let the facts be known, and from this broadcast, it seems like Exxon is trying to prevent that from happening.

As I listened to this broadcast, I couldn't help but wonder if the heads of Exxon have children. I get trying to keep a business successful. That's how businesses usually work... but even if you're the richest man on the world, it doesn't matter if the world is an unlivable place. I wonder if they've considered the ramifications of their actions. I think that the state of our environment should be taken more seriously, especially by companies that have influence like this one does.

Well Informed 2.0: Learning 2.0

 Discussion:
Seemingly, our whole lives take place on the internet in today's world, so it seems only fitting that a large part of our learning would happen online as well. Tutors are available to students from just about anywhere around the world, and they can connect via online social networks. Networks such as Skype allow teachers and students to connect no matter where they are. Learning with the assistance of a social network can make it easy to apply visual learning aids, and immediate assistance from a tutor or teacher. Websites such as Khan Academy, can be used virtually as a replacement for a whole course. Through Khan Academy, a student is able to watch videos, read text, and participate in discussion with other "classmates" who are also enrolled in the online course.

There is an article on Gigaom about 5 tutoring startups.
The article can be found here: https://gigaom.com/2013/03/19/tutoring-2-0-5-startups-bringing-one-on-one-instruction-to-the-web/
It basically just talks about the growing want for online tutors, and some of the companies that are providing to those consumers. These social networks make learning more accessible to those who might not have the means, transportation, or other opportunity to take part in learning.

On a non-formal educational note, social media sites such as Youtube and Pinterest provide Do-It-Yourself videos or tutorials for just about any topic. These DIY websites are a way that people from around the world can connect, share creative ideas, and teach each other how to do things.

Position:
I think that the ability to utilize online resources for learning is one of the greatest benefits of the internet as a whole.We literally have just about all of the world's knowledge at our fingertips. I think that it's definitely something we take for granted. If I could go back in time and tell my grandfather that I have a device in which I can plug in any question, and receive immediate answers, he would be shocked. He would be even more shocked to see that I use this magical piece of technology to play angry birds, take photos of my breakfast, and watch stupid 6-second Vines. One critique that I have of learning online is that literally ANYONE can write basically whatever they want, and present it as fact. I remember back in middle school, I had a class in a computer lab, and the boy next to me would hop onto Wikipedia when the teacher wasn't looking and edit the information on various pages. I think that it's really important to check and validate sources when attempting to learn something online, because there is so much inaccurate information out there. I think we see huge problems with this especially when people use websites such as WebMD to self diagnose illnesses, or research other fragile things on the internet like at-home medical care. In certain situations, this is completely okay, but in others, harm can occur if we're not careful. As a whole, I think that learning over the internet, and especially through social media has the potential to help society grow, and gain knowledge. It's all in how we use it.

On The Media: Museumification of 9/11

Physical - The 9/11 Museum lays in the area that the Twin Towers Fell. The Museum opened on September 11, 2011, 10 years after the even occurred. This broadcast depicts a visit to the museum, taking a look back 14 years later.

Psychological - This monument and museum is to memorialize all of the lives lost on 9/11/2001. The museum is not only there to capture the history of that moment, but also to help people of the present and future remember what happened that day. I would think that this museum would effect people who lost family members, friends, co-workers, and other people in the incident. I'm sure that it has helped people find a way to cope with the tragedy.

Social - 9/11 was a huge tragedy, and it effected the nation as a whole. It seems to me that everyone knows, or has met someone who was directly involved with the event. So many lives were lost, and as a nation, we have really had to band together to get through the tragedy.

Temporal - This museum was opened 10 years after the event, but the wounds were still fresh. I think they're still fresh today. This event was a part of history. A part of our history as a country. To me, the 9/11 seems surreal. I can hardly believe that something so tragic, and so historical happened while I was alive.

Cultural - We love to remember. We need to remember. Our culture as a nation has a need to memorialize, and honor heroes, and people lost in tragic events. This museum is one one of the ways that we are able to do this.

I was in first grade. I remember waking up, and my mother was on the phone with my aunt. I watched her grab the remote control and turn the television on. I saw a picture of, what I assumed to be New York, and it looked like a building was on fire. I didn't understand the magnitude of what was happening until I went to school, and the administration sat us down and explained to us what was going on. All I could think to do as a little first grader was pray. At the time, I don't think that I had even met anyone who had been to New York, let alone lived there. But it's what I felt that I could do to help.

Several years later, as a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to hear from a fireman who was on the scene that day. Hearing him depict the tragic, terrible things that he saw made the event seem so much more real. Meeting someone who had been there, seen everything made it so much more real for me. I think that's what this museum has the potential to do for others.

I remember when talk was happening about what to do with Ground Zero after it had been "cleaned up." I think that a memorial like this was completely necessary. It's events like this, events that sting, that we can learn from. These are the things we need to remember. We need to remember them, so that we can prevent them from every happening again. To me, 9/11 represents how the country comes together in time of tragedy. I think that it's beautiful to display photographs, and even portions of the building, that seem like art in the museum. Artifacts make an event real for some people. Through seeing these things, even people who weren't there can somehow connect with the event.

Facebook Campaign Proposal: NSW Photography

Page Name: NSW Photography

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/NSW-Photography/308121304889

Mission: Our mission is to provide the public with great photography. We want to relate to the clients, develop an understanding of what they are looking for in a photographer, and deliver that to the client.

Communication Objectives: We want to create an inviting environment between potential client and photographer, and welcome communication between the two. We will help the audience get to know the photographer through various "get-to-know-me" posts and videos. By communicating this, the audience will feel like they know the photographer, thus making them more comfortable with the idea of shooting with her.

Theme: Objective of the page is to advertise for NSW Photography. The objective is to create an awareness of the business, in a way that relates to the customer.


Audience/Market Persona's:
Aimee - Aimee is a mother who puts an emphasis on creating memories with her children. She will see this page and business as an affordable opportunity to create long lasting memories through photography. She will be most attracted to family photo examples.

Emily -  Emily is a High School Senior, and is about to graduate. She will be looking for images to send to friends and family, notifying them of her achievement. Emily will be most attracted to artistic modeling photographs, head shots, and single portraiture.

Meghan - Meghan is looking for a fun, and creative wedding photographer. She's looking for a photographer to take her engagement, bridal, and Wedding day photographs. Meghan will be attracted to detailed wedding shots and bridal photos as well as some of the engagement examples.

Tactics: Create a series of consistent posts. Maybe do a post every other day. Possibly have "macro monday" Where a more artistic, macro photos is consistently posted every week. Possibly do a how-to video on improving i-phone photos, and a video introducing the photographer, maybe showing a sped-up example of how the average shoot is formatted. Cross promotion with other pages such as hands of silver. Shooting products for other businesses and posting them as portfolio pieces while mentioning their name, and have them do the same for the photography page. "Shout out" type stuff, or Photo Credits linking the text to the photography page.

On The Media: Aylan Kurdi

Physical - The photograph depicts this deceased baby boy in a red shirt on a Turkish Beach. His face is face down in the sand as the waves push up against his tiny lifeless body.

Psychological - More than 2,600 people have died trying to migrate to Europe this year, so why has this one little boy made such an impact? Some say that it is because he is so young, so small. Some say that it is because he appears to be alone in the world: that society has failed this tiny spirit. Either way that you look at it, this single photograph has stirred up awareness, comassion and discussion about the Syrian War Refugees.

Socially- This young boy is now a recognized face as a refugee. He represents all of the loss that has happened in this region of the world. He is not the only child lost, but because of this photograph, he is representing them all.

Temporal - This photo was taken on September 2nd, but refugees have been fleeing Syria for much longer than that. Because of this photograph, and the influence that it has had on people around the world, the U.K. has already agreed to change it's policy and accept thousands more refugees, and I believe that this is just the beginning.

Cultural - Most cultures view children to be innocent, and worthy of adult protection. I think that this photograph has had an extremely emotional effect on many different people around the world. This photograph is the epitome of unprotected, lost innocence.

 It is interesting to me that social media has such an effect on everything in our lives. Political events, emotions, international affairs, literally everything. This photograph has spread over social media like wildfire, creating awareness throughout the world. Social media has helped create an awareness about this event that I think could not have been created any other way. It's so immediate, unlike newspapers, or even televised news events.

This photograph is so poignant. It makes me so sad, and so sympathetic for everyone who is in his situation. So many lives have been lost, and it's a shame that it took an image like this to enrage the world about this event going on. This photograph makes people feel for and connect with these refugees.

As a photography major, I've had countless discussions on the ethics of photography. Many of the photographs that we have discussed deal with deceased children in natural disasters, or situations like this. I think that photographs like this communicate to the world that these people need our help. It's just such a shame that it takes the death of a child to create such action.

This photo makes my heart hurt.

Well Informed 2.0: Racism 2.0

 Discussion:
Social media and the topic of Racism are definitely connected in today's society. With the development of the internet, and websites such as Twitter, Tumbler, Facebook, and other social media outlets that allow people to anonymously state their opinions and start campaigns, we see an increase in what I understand to be Cyber Racism. I just read an article that states that over 10,000 racist tweets are sent every single day. This number includes tweets that include racial slurs, violence or hatred toward any one racial group. Social media gives people the opportunity to state their opinion without having to answer for, or justify what they've said. Social media is also used to make the public aware of racist acts by celebrities or public figures. For example, the photograph of Paula Deen and her son pretending to be Lucy and Ricky Ricardo. Her son was dressed with heavy dark makeup to make him look more "cuban." This event occurred solely on Social Media, and the employee of Deen who tweeted the photograph was fired.
Much like social media, racism can be seen in the world of citizen journalism. For example, in 2012 ESPN ran a headline that read "Chink in the Armour" after the Knicks/Hornets game. Jeremy Lin, an Asian-American athlete was an MVP for the Knicks, and this headline seemingly directed at him was quite uncalled for. The editor who ran the headline was fired, and the network apologized, but the damage was done. We see this in mainstream media all the time. People are identified for their skin color, or their geographical background rather than who they are as a person. Another example that I've recognized on a more local setting is that the amount of criminals that I see on the news that identify with a Hispanic background outnumber those that I see with a Caucasian background. I'm sure that there is a more equal percentage of each, but it seems like the minority groups in this area are publicized more for the crimes that they commit.


Position:
I definitely think that racism in any form, whether social media, journalism, or expressed verbally from person to person is uncalled for and wrong. Like I stated earlier, too often people are judged for the color of their skin and their geographical or ancestral background, rather than what they have accomplished in their life, or who they have become. I think that social media gives people a platform in which they can hide behind. Posting a racial comment anonymously is much less intimidating than actually taking ownership of it. Because people can cower behind anonymous names and IP addresses, they feel as though they have the right, to say whatever they want. Ultimately, I think that this has to do with the people behind the words. It's a beautiful desire to want and wish for change in society when it comes to racism, and I do wish for that, but in the end people have their beliefs, and people don't want to put the effort into changing. Much of this has to do with pride, and social media enables that.

On The Media: Toddler Tantrum

 Physical - This event occurred in Iowa at a Press Conference. Donald Trump was speaking, and answering questions. Jorge Ramos started speaking out of turn and was escorted out of the room.

Psychological - One side of the argument is that Trump was extremely rude to Ramos, and that  Ramos should not have been removed from the press conference. He is a reporter, and he is there to ask questions and help the public gain more knowledge about the candidate. Another side of the argument is that Ramos acted in a manor that was completely unacceptable. This side takes the argument that Ramos being removed was necessary because he was acting unprofessional and disrupting the conference.

Socially - As a candidate in the running to be the republican candidate in the next presidential election, it is Donald Trump's job to educate us on his stance on the issues. His role in this situation is to answer the questions that are asked of him. As a reporter and spokesperson for Univision, Jorge Ramos has the responsibility to ask the questions that his viewing audience has. Likewise, he is a big voice in the Hispanic community and is an activist on the topic of immigration.

Temporal - The press conference took place on August 25th, but dialogue about the conference is still happening in the social media sphere, as well as on major televised political outlets.

Cultural - Donald Trump has a bold personality, and often says things that people are not expecting, and often times comes off as mean, impolite, and insensitive. He often says things that are not politically correct, and because of this people have come to expect him to act a certain way. Throwing Ramos out of the press conference was something that falls right into the category of something expected of Trump to do. However, I think that bringing Ramos back into the room and speaking with him was something unexpected on Trump's part.

I find the subject of Jorge Ramos speaking out of turn at Trump's Iowa press conference this week quite interesting. As far as the fact that the vast majority of journalists take a side on any particular issue that they are reporting on is obvious, and clearly this reporter has taken a side on the subject of immigration. However, the way that I see it the main issue in this situation involves breech of proper etiquette when dealing with formal interview-like, or press conference situations.

Whether a Republican Candidate, or Democratic Candidate was being questioned matters not. I feel that this reporter was extremely out of line in how he dealt with stating his opinion on the matter, not to mention the fact that I feel he shouldn't have been stating his opinion in the first place. I get that he is an activist for this issue as well as a journalist, and I understand that this is what his viewers want him to do, but was this really the time and place for it? I feel that the purpose of a press conference Q&A is to have the opportunity to ask any one person questions so that the public is educated on their stance on a particular or series of issues, not for a reporter to voice their opinion.

I feel that all Ramos did for himself is make himself look unprofessional. I watched the portion of the press conference where he interrupted Trump and was escorted out of the room, and I felt like I was watching a video of a toddler throwing a tantrum and being taken out of the movie theater. After the incident, Ramos was interviewed, and said "What I would expect is that I can ask a question as a journalist, because I have a responsibility..." and I agree. He should be able to ask questions, because that's his job, however there is an expectation on Donald Trump's end as to the decorum that reporters should have during press conferences like this. Though I won't state my opinion of Donald Trump as a candidate, I will say that I was impressed that he made it a point to bring Ramos back into the room so that his statement/questions could be verbalized.