To Point b

Why do we have social media? Why did I create a twitter account? Why did you create an Instagram account? Did you create it for fun? Did you create it because someone told you to? Or was it because you wanted it to keep in touch with friends? Or maybe, you wanted to join a conversation… or even start one. Twitter is a bekon for controversial live events and it gives us an opportunity to share and hopefully make change. In this day and age, so many young people doubt their influence on others. However, what they don’t understand is that they have this beautiful tool to let their voices be heard. Before the internet it took a long time to make change, but now we can get our opinion out in seconds. Take, for example, the Florida school shooting. The students are using social media as a platform to raise their voice and make a difference. They are getting a lot of attention, but if it weren’t for social media they may not have that chance. Social media gives us a place to s...

When I was younger and webkinz stuffed animals were all the rage, I remember trying to register my account and feeling so defeated when I came to a 60 page long privacy policy. I thought I had to read the whole thing… and I did, or almost did. I got to page 40 when my little 10 year old brain thought, “this is just atrocious! There has to be an end to this madness!” Okay, maybe not in those exact words, but still I was peeved. So, I scrolled to the end and sure enough, there was a button that read ‘I agree.’ “SUCCESS,” My 10 year old self thought. I clicked it and went on my merry way, until now. 10 years later, as social media has skyrocketed and pretty much taken over everyone’s lives I’m realizing the importance of privacy, or the lack thereof. My 10 year old self had the right idea. When we sign up for new websites, how many of us take the time to read and understand the binding contract we are signing? Even if we don’t believe it, it is a contract and if we break it w...

The definition of context: NOUN; the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. Context. Is. Everything. It’s just that plain and simple. Gaining just a little bit of context can save us from so many messy situations, yet we still do not give it the credit it deserves. Context supplies our over imaginative minds, boundaries so we do not get out of control and create something out of nothing. Consider this situation for example, you invite your boyfriend to a party. He goes to get you a soda, while you start mingling. As he walks  back into the room  to meet you he sees you hugging another guy and before pulling away this guy kisses you on the cheek. Your boyfriend gets angry, he makes a huge scene and leaves only to break up with you the next day without ever asking for context. Meanwhile, you are utterly heartbroken because it was a family party and the guy who kissed you on th...

If you’ve ever experienced a twitter fight you know how hilarious they can be. People go back and forth saying things they don’t mean, just so they can win a fight they don’t care about. The intentions are usually good though, people just genuinely want to share their side. However, with the way society has taught us to handle media we’ve lost sight of the proper way to share correction. We rather attack, not understanding that what we say and how we say it, can have dire consequences. So much good can be done through correction. It offers the ability to be better! However, how you deliver your message is almost as important as the message itself. In twitter fights people rarely think before they post. People just want to be right, but in reality, what they say makes them look stupid and the person they’re criticizing feel stupid too. Taking correction and even giving it is already difficult, but it’s a hundred times worse when it’s available for the whole world to see. When you cr...