Final Blog!!!!!

     I am so thrilled that this is my last blog! I have mixed emotions about this class.  I enjoyed it as some points, but was very frustrated at others.  I liked discussing things with my group, but when we did whole class discussions I would often feel like screaming at certain people because I disagreed with them, but that was kind of the point I think.  I thought the books we read were common in theme, which included a sort of above the influence sort of mentality.  All of the books had a powerful entity in charge, and the protagonists were fighting against that entity or idea.  Hunger games was very entertaining and I may even read the rest of the books, but as for the others such as Culture Jam and 1984, I was thoroughly bored.  The stories were good, but they just weren't my style so I really did not find them entertaining.  This class has sort of taught me to stand up for myself and make my own decisions based on what I think is right, not what the media or other figure heads tell me to do.  When I added this class I was expecting to read Poe, Frost, Whitman, Tennyson, and other literary figures that I am familiar with, but I think this class was more relevant to the present rather than the past.  I would say that over all I had a good experience with this class. 

No Books?!

     If there were no books in the world there would be a lot less entertainment.  How many movies were first books? People would be very illiterate and communication would become much more difficult.  The world would essentially fall apart at the seems.  Books can also be dangerous because a good book makes the reader feel like he or she is part of the story.  If the story is compelling enough, and enough people read it, a new idea will be implanted and can cause people to act in a certain way  based on their reaction to the book.  I know that I have read thriller books and become apprehensive and nervous in situations where I wouldn't have cared before, but because of the tension in the book I look over my shoulder just in case.  Books with political and religious viewpoints can have a similar effect.  If you are immersed in a story that you like, you begin to accept the views of your favorite character.  This can effect large numbers of people.  In history such situations have caused revivals, revolutions, and revolts.  Everything you take in influences you even if you think its just for entertainment. 

Hunger Games

    I chose this image because I think it's kind of how Katniss would have felt, and all the emotions she would have experienced. 

    I loved the Hunger Games book.  It was by far the best one yet. I personally was quite upset that we didn't find out which guy Katniss ends up with.  The common theme in the novels we have read seems to be a dictator figurehead that forcefully controls the population against their will.  The protagonists seem to be the few people who have the tenacity to stand up to the dictators.  I think that because I'm a girl and also because I have a younger brother, I related to Katniss in the story.  If I were in her position I think I would have made many of the same decisions that she did. 

Reality TV

I didn't understand all the references in the article because I don't watch the shows that were used, but I understand the concept.  I chose teen mom 2 for my link because it's the only reality show with which I am familiar.  My roommate watches it faithfully.  I don't watch much reality TV. I HATE Jersey shore which my roommate watches also, but I am starting to realize that I'm getting hooked on teen mom.  The season finally is this week and I'm definitely going to watch it because I want to know what happens next.  The article mentions that we are fascinated with TV that is a true story.  I always thought shows like this were scripted, but my roommate knows Kailyn personally, they went to high school together.  Knowing that its real makes it more fascinating to me.  Whether I think she is an idiot or if i feel sorry for her, my curiosity comes because i feel that for an actual person.  Other than that i really don't find reality TV appealing at all. 

Advertisements on my Feed

      Last semester I did a project with a group in which we volunteered at a local animal shelter.  Some of the stories were very tragic and touched my heart.  I've always had a passion for animals.  I rescued hurt animals when I was little such as birds, mice, and rabbits.  My family has never been without a pet.  We purchased most of our animals from pet stores, with the exception of my dog Buddy.  We found him emaciated and very scared with several cuts and bruises.  He has come a long way since then but he is still very tense around men he doesn't know.  He is what got me started on helping abandoned and abused animals.  Who knows, I may even open a shelter of my own someday. 

      I chose this clip because I love soccer.  I have been playing since I was four years old and have gained love for the game.   Being captain of my senior squad and getting MVP in my annual tournament last year, however was not enough to convince me that I am good enough to play division 2 for ship.  I would like to play next year but I haven't decided yet.  I also have an appreciation for Nike.  I think their advertisements are inspirational.  They make you want to be better.  This one in particular at the end it says "Write the Future."  This applies to sports but also other aspects of life as well. 

    I have read 6 of Nicholas Sparks' books.  I really like his work.  I'm into sports and things like that but deep down I'm a hopeless romantic.  I appreciate the way he can express the emotions of women.  If there was ever a man that was able to figure out females... it is Nicholas Sparks.  When I first started reading his novels I felt like they were very sad and also very similar, but then I read The Lucky One and The Wedding which both have very unique plots, and very happy endings. 

 

        I think this one is pretty self explanatory.  What girl doesn't love chocolate?  Well I'm sure they are out there, but I love it.  Everything is just better when chocolate is involved.  Most girls expect a dozen roses for valentines day, but my man knows me best and this year I got a dozen chocolate covered strawberries <3.  

Blog #4 Feed

“Then you’re walking around alone. You know there’s this weird moment where you realize that you’re alone, and no one else has been walking for a while. You realize that the moment, the exact moment, when you became alone is already over.  You’ve been that way for a while.  So you’re walking around this empty house, and all the towels are folded up, and the soap is still wet on the soap dish.  That’s the creepy thing." - Feed 

                Since the feed took over people are a little more isolated and they don’t have very significant human connections so they feel very alone.  This is kind of the way the internet and video games are starting to make us feel.  For example when my brother was younger he would always be hanging out with friends, and going outside to walk in the woods.  He is 16 now and hanging out with friends consists of putting on a head set and playing Xbox live for 3 hours.  At best they get together and all sit at the same screen playing live.  Social networking is so much easier now, but it also detaches us from each other and we don’t even realize it. 

Blog #3: Dumbest Generation

"Something new and disastrous has happened to America's youth with the arrival of the instant gratification go go go digital age. America's youth know virtually nothing about history and politics. They have developed a brazen disregard of books and reading."

This is true because whenever a paper is due or info is needed we look it up for that purpose and then forget about it. But we remember almost everything we see on facebook that day.

"The problem is that instead of using the web to learn about the wide world, young people instead mostly use it to gossip about each other and follow pop culture."

Continuing on the previous quote, facebook and the like can be distracting. I know I personally use it to procastinate rather than write a paper due the next day.

"There are also some keen insights into how the new digital world really is changing the way young people engage with info and obstacles they face in integrating any of it meaningfully."

We are more computer literate than the previous generation and we have more information available to us. We have the potential to be the smartest generation, it just depends on how lazy we are or aren't.