Comments on Other Blogs

Blog Posts that I commented on:
Natalie - Paparazzi
Stephen - Twitter
Sherri - Public Shaming
Heidi - Stereotypes
Kevin - Artificial Intelligence

Selfie!!!

Selfies. They are a beautiful thing. Before, people could only take pictures through the back camera. Even before this, handheld devices could not take pictures.  This fact actually amazes people, and we find it difficult to live in a world where we can't take selfies. Then, the front camera became a thing. People could now look at what they are taking a picture of, and even take pictures of ourselves. This new trend has consumed our lives, and there are even people who are famous for selfies. What a world we live in! Kim Kardashian is probably the most famous "selfie taker." She even has a book on selfies!

The cover of Kim Kardashian's book Selfish.

Selfie sticks are devices used to extend a person's arm, so they can take a selfie and find a better angle. Apparently, they have been considered dangerous and banned from some places. I find this completely unnecessary. EVERYTHING is a danger if used incorrectly. Why do we need to ban selfie sticks, but not other things that are even more hazardous. There are so many other problems in this world today that definitely outweigh the selfie stick. I think that it is a wonderful invention that is very useful. When we can't take group pictures because our arms aren't long enough, we have a selfie stick. When we can't find someone to take a picture for us, there is a selfie stick. When we can't find a good angle, to take a decent selfie to post on our social media, there is a selfie stick.

Selfie sticks should not be banned! They shouldn't be a problem that is focused on in a world full of many other issues.

-Stephanie

The Future?

We all know about the future. The very famous movie, Back to the Future, excited people and they thought that in 2015, (the future is literally now), we would have hoverboards, self tying shoes, food hydrators, auto drying jackets, wireless video games, handheld tablets, and even flying cars. Sadly, we don't have all of these yet, but many of them have actually come true, while others are in the works. What they thought was so fascinating back then is now considered common, like the tablet. Apple has released a lot of innovating technology, two of them being the iPad, and even an iWatch! Nike is planning on releasing limited edition shoes inspired by Marty's shoes in the movie, although they don't self lace. It is even believed that flying cars are going to be made in the future.

A tablet shown in the movie Back to the Future

An Apple iPad that 

Humans are very obsessed with convenience, and we are always looking for ways that can help us get things done easier and quicker. We want robots who can do all the work for us, and gas stations that are automatic. Really, all we are is lazy. We don't want to move, and we spend all day sitting on our laptops, lying on the couch watching television shows, and scrolling through our phones. However, there are always negatives to everything. The movie Wall-E shows a world in the future where there are robots are doing all the work. It follows the life of the last robot, who spends his time cleaning the garbage that humans have created on Earth. The humans are overweight, sit in hovering chairs, and never exercise, so they do nothing with their lives because they don't have to. This gives us a realistic and contradicting picture of the future, if we don't consider the negative results of our actions and new inventions.

In the future, it will be even easier for us to communicate. Advancements are constantly being made, and robots will have as much knowledge as humans. The thought of artificial intelligence is scary, and so is the future. It is mind-blowing, but it is also fascinating, and it can be a very positive part of our lives if we do the right things.

All we can do now is wait and see, and the future will be here in the blink of an eye.

-Stephanie

Stereotypes...

Blondes are dumb. Nerds wear glasses. Tall people are good at basketball. Stereotypes are everywhere. Whether we want too or not, we hear these things been told by so many people. We can even be a victim of stereotypes, and be told something about ourselves that is assumed only because of our race or physical appearance. This means that people actually believe stereotypes to be true. This is a major problem, and people who think that it should be taken lightly are wrong. 

Many advertisements use stereotypes to attract viewers and for humor. Some people laugh. But most people are offended by such messages. They can even lower the self-confidence of young children. Often times, the writers apologize after they put out an offensive ad, and their advertisements are banned for good. However, there are still many commercials being shown that offend people. In this truck commercial, people are asked about the personalities of the men based on the kind of car they have. This already is a terrible message. The car someone has, or even the way they look, is not who someone is. And why is it so important for men to be "manly"? Many stereotypes in commercials are directed towards women, and the fact that men are more stronger than them. Women are believed to be weak and need a man for support.

But let's focus on the positive. A commercial by Always, shown below, shows how they want to spread a positive message. They are trying their best to change the phrase "like a girl", that is an insult to everyone. Instead, they redefined this phrase so that nobody will use this phrase in a negative way. They want to empower girls all over the world and educate adolescents. This campaign has gotten a very positive feedback. 

Personally, any advertisement that has offensive stereotypes will not attract me to their products. Humor is not insulting! Why give such bad messages when you can influence everyone through positivity?

-Stephanie

Useless Shaming

We all know how difficult it is to raise a child, and all the stereotypes surrounding it. Loud babies, painful pregnancies, and rude teenagers are things we are all familiar with. But what do parents do when their children misbehave and start misbehaving them? Most people teach their children at a young age what is right and what is wrong, and they do everything they can to make sure they grow up remembering these values.

But what do parents do when their children break the rules? Usually, they would discipline them. More recently, parents have decided to incorporate social media, and this has become a new trend. This would mean that they would embarrass their children and post it on the internet for the entire world to see. Viewers are intrigued by this, and they find it entertaining.

The following is a viral video of a father punishing his daughter.

But the question becomes, "is this a good way to discipline children?"

In my opinion, no. There are never good results from public shaming. In this case, the daughter will be even angrier and continue to be disrespectful to her father and talk to her friends behind his back. In addition to her broken laptop, she will now have lower self-esteem and a bad relationship with her father. Although she was wrong and it was reasonable for him to be angry, there were better ways to solve this problem.

There is only one result from humiliating children, which is embarrassment. This makes them feel unworthy for the rest of their lives, because content being uploaded online is permanent. It is also harmful emotionally, and children will lose the trust of their parents. Public shame and humiliation does not teach anything. Discipline is not punishment!

-Stephanie

Humorous or Hurtful?

In recent years, there have been many new inventions and innovations, both negative and positive. One of the major things that have quickly taken over the world is social media. Before, it was very difficult for people on other sides of the world to communicate to each other. Today, with the use of the different social networks, it is easier than ever and even possible for people to make friends or relationships from the Internet. However, it can become a problem when people become addicted, spending all day on their phones, constantly scrolling through their Twitter timelines, double tapping on Instagram pictures, and reblogging Tumblr posts. Another more important negative side to social media is cyber-bullying. It has been so common for people to anonymously send people hate, and this is especially evident on Twitter.

I believe that people bully on Twitter, or any other form of social media for that matter, because they are behind a screen doing it out of their own enjoyment, not knowing that they would hurt someone's feelings. Many people actually, after one of their "Mean Tweets" are featured on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, receive a lot of hate themselves. When asked why they tweeted something so mean, they respond saying that they did so for comedy, and they did not seriously mean it or they didn't want to offend anyone. Some people even say that they didn't expect anyone to see that tweet, especially the person the tweet is directed towards.

Cyber-bullying is a problem that only continues, and could even get worse as time goes on. There are options to report or block users on Twitter, but this doesn’t make a difference. Even if there were laws, there will always be people trying to find new ways to hurt others online. All we can do is to ignore whatever hurtful things we receive, but also always remember not to continue the cycle.

-Stephanie

An Expensive Snapshot - The Paparazzi

The paparazzi have been a very controversial topic for many years. There are many arguments that could easily support both sides. Most people say that celebrities are humans too, and they should be treated in the same way, even when they are out in public and doing normal daily activities. They should be given privacy, so people don't have the right to follow them around.

However, in my opinion, people who want to make a living in the music industry or show business should know what they're getting themselves into, and they should be aware of both the positive and negative sides of being a celebrity. They need to accept the circumstances that come with having their career, and use it to their advantage positively, instead of focusing on the negatives. A great example of this would be Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield. (pictured below)

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield use the paparazzi to promote organizations.

Although it can get very annoying, most photographers are respectful to celebrities, and take their photographs and leave. Following people around and taking pictures of them is pathetic, as many people say, but it is their job, and they make a lot more money if they are able to take a good picture. In special circumstances, the photographers take it too far and irritate the celebrities, but this rarely ever happens. I think the line is crossed only when the paparazzi gets too close or verbally abuses the celebrities.

Kanye West is a great example of someone who could no longer handle the paparazzi, and took it out on them. This is a video of one of the many times that Kanye West has attacked a paparazzo. Many people agree with his valid point, but he could have covered his face and went on with his day.

There are always different ways that celebrities could deal with the paparazzi, whether they simply ignore them, or even be creative and think of new ways to avoid photographs!

-Stephanie