Monday, February 3, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Adbusters: American Psychosis
I strongly believe that social media has the ability to contribute to a larger social problem because it is one of the main formats that American’s get a large amount of information from. I don’t think the problem lies within the entire social media however. There are many positive things that come from the media as well as bad. I think the main issue has to do with celebrities. Celebrities are made to be icons and heroes in the eyes of America, so when they do something unethical these vast fanbases that they have established follow their lead. In the article it states, “Once fame and wealth are achieved, they become their own justification, their own morality. How one gets there is irrelevant.” Everyone is in some way trying to become rich or famous. People see these celebrities, lets say, sleeping their way to the top *cough Kim Kardashian cough*, and think that as long as you become rich and famous, it won’t matter how you got there. Morals get thrown to the side when money and fame are involved.
I also think that social media has the ability to be a solution to the problem as well. If they get their priorities in order and start using the media to share meaningful and ethical news, then I think eventually we can change the way America thinks.
I’ll conclude by sharing my favorite quote from the article, “A society that cannot distinguish reality from illusion dies.” Hopefully one day the media will be used to spread reality to the world instead of lies and deceit.
Project 1 Ideas
For my project, in order to express who I am without showing myself, I decided to find three different qualities that I find define me as a person and build projects off of those qualities.
1) For the first idea, I chose to express the fact that there are two sides to me. I am both an outgoing and lively person, but I also enjoy my alone time. That being said, since these two sides play an equal factor into my character, I decided to show them using Yin-Yang as a reference. "In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin-yang, which is often called "yin and yang", is used to describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world; and, how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another." (quote from http://www.sacredlotus.com/theory/yinyang.cfm) The details of the idea are laid out below.
Theme: Yin & YangPics: Half of my pictures will show the lighter side of me (Yin) and the other half will show a deeper side to me (Yang). Some ideas for my Yin side pictures include my hobbies (longboarding, yoga, cooking, sports etc.), concert pictures, friends, and family. Some ideas for my Yang side include meditation, dreamcatchers, writing, drawing, my boyfriend, and singing. Presentation: Cardboard, frisbee, foam circular disk, or any other circular or shapeable material that I can find. Special Effect: The Yin side will be lit up with bright white lights either behind the pictures or around them. The Yang side will be lit up with a black light.
2) For my second idea, I chose to play off of one of my best qualities; the ability to see light in a dark situation. When something terrible or unfortunate happens, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason so it is easy for me to stay positive. I chose to use the theme of sunlight to express this trait because the sun may not always be seen, but you know that it will come back again the next morning. Just like if you are in a dark situation, it helps to think that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Theme: SunPics: The pictures will consist of things that brighten my life. Each picture will be happy and have a story or meaning behind it.Presentation 1: On a posterboard, each point on the sun (triangle) will be a different picture, the middle of the sun (circle) will be the most important, and brightest picture which all of the other pictures relate to.Presentation 2: Make a yellow/orange paper mache around a foam ball and stick the pictures into the sides to make a 3D sun. The pictures will be in the shape of triangles. Special Effect: I will put copper wire lights either around the edges of the pictures or behind all of them to make them seem to glow.
3) For my third idea, I chose to express my need for adventure. I am constantly craving to explore the world and do anything and everything this world has to offer. I haven't traveled much yet, but I have a very extensive bucket list! The presentation of this idea is pretty self explanatory.
Theme: TravelPics: Each picture will be a place that I have been, they will be double sided (same picture on the back of the pic)Presentation:I will print the pictures big enough so that I can fold them into paper airplanes and tie a string on each one that will hang from something that is sturdy and straight (like a ruler or a stick) so that it is easier to present.Special Effect: Cover the stick in cotton balls so that it looks like clouds.
1) For the first idea, I chose to express the fact that there are two sides to me. I am both an outgoing and lively person, but I also enjoy my alone time. That being said, since these two sides play an equal factor into my character, I decided to show them using Yin-Yang as a reference. "In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin-yang, which is often called "yin and yang", is used to describe how seemingly opposite or contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world; and, how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another." (quote from http://www.sacredlotus.com/theory/yinyang.cfm) The details of the idea are laid out below.
Theme: Yin & YangPics: Half of my pictures will show the lighter side of me (Yin) and the other half will show a deeper side to me (Yang). Some ideas for my Yin side pictures include my hobbies (longboarding, yoga, cooking, sports etc.), concert pictures, friends, and family. Some ideas for my Yang side include meditation, dreamcatchers, writing, drawing, my boyfriend, and singing. Presentation: Cardboard, frisbee, foam circular disk, or any other circular or shapeable material that I can find. Special Effect: The Yin side will be lit up with bright white lights either behind the pictures or around them. The Yang side will be lit up with a black light.
2) For my second idea, I chose to play off of one of my best qualities; the ability to see light in a dark situation. When something terrible or unfortunate happens, I truly believe that everything happens for a reason so it is easy for me to stay positive. I chose to use the theme of sunlight to express this trait because the sun may not always be seen, but you know that it will come back again the next morning. Just like if you are in a dark situation, it helps to think that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Theme: SunPics: The pictures will consist of things that brighten my life. Each picture will be happy and have a story or meaning behind it.Presentation 1: On a posterboard, each point on the sun (triangle) will be a different picture, the middle of the sun (circle) will be the most important, and brightest picture which all of the other pictures relate to.Presentation 2: Make a yellow/orange paper mache around a foam ball and stick the pictures into the sides to make a 3D sun. The pictures will be in the shape of triangles. Special Effect: I will put copper wire lights either around the edges of the pictures or behind all of them to make them seem to glow.
3) For my third idea, I chose to express my need for adventure. I am constantly craving to explore the world and do anything and everything this world has to offer. I haven't traveled much yet, but I have a very extensive bucket list! The presentation of this idea is pretty self explanatory.
Theme: TravelPics: Each picture will be a place that I have been, they will be double sided (same picture on the back of the pic)Presentation:I will print the pictures big enough so that I can fold them into paper airplanes and tie a string on each one that will hang from something that is sturdy and straight (like a ruler or a stick) so that it is easier to present.Special Effect: Cover the stick in cotton balls so that it looks like clouds.
When I Googled my name I was not surprised at the results. The only sites that popped up were Facebook, Twitter (not mine), and Pinterest.Most of the images that came up were Facebook pictures and Pinterest posts that I have made, so that wasn't very surprising. I thought the Twitter one was funny because the person that showed up was a girl with my name who's username was HaleighDP with five posts total. I think I have around a couple thousand posts and my username is haleighpurvis. So, I was confused as to why her Twitter would pop up before mine since the name matches exactly and I use my account much more often. Then I started to think about it and I realized that my Twitter is private. Maybe private accounts don't show up on Google. While I'm on the subject, privacy is something that I would definitely look into when using online sites. You may not get the most followers or the most likes, but at least you don't have people looking at your information that shouldn't be. It is a good safety precaution and also good for applying for jobs. Employers will be able to see that you have a site, but only the content that you choose for them to see. I thankfully didn't find anything bad, not that I expected to. It's good to know what comes up when I Google myself because now I can be even more careful about what I put on those specific sites.
I think that having an online presence is important when living in the 21st century because it is so prevalent in todays society, that you are almost "out of the loop" if you aren't online. Especially since most jobs nowadays require computer competency, being online is a way to show that you are knowledgeable and prepared to assist with any online work necessary for that particular position. It is also a great way to know what is going on in the world and can also be used as an outlet to express your feelings and beliefs publicly. When doing this, keep in mind that anyone can view what you post, so remain respectful of others when posting online.
Whats more important than having an online presence, is having a positive online presence. Employers today use Google, Facebook, and other online sites and search engines to find out more about you. If you have a poor online presence and have bad pictures or inappropriate posts, an employer will be turned off and you may not have a very good chance of getting that job. If you have a positive online presence, however, employers will look at you as responsible at work and outside of work as well. A lot can be said about a person just by Googleing their name and seeing what pops up. It can either make or break a job opportunity. In conclusion, it is really important that people aren't being ignorant on the internet, because once its on there, it will be there forever.
I think that having an online presence is important when living in the 21st century because it is so prevalent in todays society, that you are almost "out of the loop" if you aren't online. Especially since most jobs nowadays require computer competency, being online is a way to show that you are knowledgeable and prepared to assist with any online work necessary for that particular position. It is also a great way to know what is going on in the world and can also be used as an outlet to express your feelings and beliefs publicly. When doing this, keep in mind that anyone can view what you post, so remain respectful of others when posting online.
Whats more important than having an online presence, is having a positive online presence. Employers today use Google, Facebook, and other online sites and search engines to find out more about you. If you have a poor online presence and have bad pictures or inappropriate posts, an employer will be turned off and you may not have a very good chance of getting that job. If you have a positive online presence, however, employers will look at you as responsible at work and outside of work as well. A lot can be said about a person just by Googleing their name and seeing what pops up. It can either make or break a job opportunity. In conclusion, it is really important that people aren't being ignorant on the internet, because once its on there, it will be there forever.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Introducing the iPhone
Smartphones have changed life in many ways because they give people access to millions of resources from one device. The fact that I can be anywhere, have a question about something, and be able to Google it on my phone has changed daily life for sure. I probably use Google at least five times a day. Also, smartphones have opened the door to social networking beyond text and email. People can update all of their friends from anywhere and because of this I think people (including myself) have lost appreciation for face to face communication.
I don't use many apps, I usually just stick with the basic social networks and music apps. One of the apps I use regularly is Instagram. It is a place to edit and share photos with friends and It's cool because instead of having a ton of pictures from your vacation, you have to be picky about which ones you share. This way, you can look back at your photos and it serves as a sort of a "best-of" snapshot timeline. I also use Pandora daily. It is a music app that plays music based on your favorite artists or genres. It plays songs by artists who are similar to the one you chose and as a result exposes you to many new artists. I would highly recommend these apps to anyone.
I don't use many apps, I usually just stick with the basic social networks and music apps. One of the apps I use regularly is Instagram. It is a place to edit and share photos with friends and It's cool because instead of having a ton of pictures from your vacation, you have to be picky about which ones you share. This way, you can look back at your photos and it serves as a sort of a "best-of" snapshot timeline. I also use Pandora daily. It is a music app that plays music based on your favorite artists or genres. It plays songs by artists who are similar to the one you chose and as a result exposes you to many new artists. I would highly recommend these apps to anyone.
Honestly, I would love to imagine myself without a smartphone. I think that people have become so dependent on their phones that they are missing out on real life experiences and conversations. That being said, they are also convenient and very resourceful. Life would be harder without my smartphone because we live in such a digital age where having a smartphone is almost necessary in order to be efficient.
Introduction
Hello! My name is Haleigh Purvis and I am a sophomore Communications major. I am from Ohio and I transferred to UT in the Spring of 2013. I took this class in hopes of expanding my knowledge about the digital world and how it impacts society since it is becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives. Judging from the first class, I am excited to get started with the projects and to be exposed to multiple types of media in the process. I can't wait to get to know everyone in the class and have an awesome semester! :)
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