Coexisting

Traditional Hmong shaman curing ceremony

As I was flipping through my latest copy of National Geographic, title “The Healing Power of Faith”, I couldn’t help but stop and stare at the picture published above. The picture is part of an article within the magazine called “Mind Over Matter”, which discusses different forms of medical treatment and their effectiveness as opposed to the placebo effect. This specific picture shows a Hmong shaman performing a traditional curing ceremony.

While the dead pig in the center of the room is not hard to miss, it is the pig (and shaman’s) presence alongside the young girl playing on a smart phone that makes this picture so interesting. The coexisting nature of the traditional healer and modern technology shows the infiltration of technology, even within the most sacred of circumstances. It is scenes like this that show us that though the world has been launched into an unimaginable age of technological innovation, tradition and faith remain deeply rooted in the lives of many.

Trump vs. Twitter

It will never cease to amaze me that the President of the United States of America is accessible through a single tweet. For so long, the President’s words were valuable treasures, fought over by journalists digging for the next headline. There was hardly such a thing as “off the record” for the president, but twitter and other social media platforms have opened the doors to the President’s thoughts and ideas.

President Elect Trump is no stranger to twitter and neither is Hillary Clinton, throughout their campaigns the 140 character messages were heavily scrutinized and studied. Though politicians of their magnitude  have a staff that monitor most of what they tweet, Twitter gives political campaigns a feeling of personal connection not reached before. Politicians can reply and interact with supporters with only a few buttons and can share their thoughts without the distraction of PR specialists, press conferences, and media twisting their words. While twitter can sometimes cause more trouble than it is worth, there is not doubt that it brings politicians closer to their supporters.

Kim K

Kim Kardashian, for years, has been endlessly mocked for her “bear all” selfies and provocative outfits. Her pictures and styles have been deemed inappropriate and selfish, but could there be a silver lining?

There is no denying that a majority of what Kim Kardashian does comes from a desire for the spotlight but intentional or not, her selfies and style represent a woman taking control of her femininity and body image. Kim Kardashian has used social media to manipulate how people view her body. She has used this power to protect herself from tabloids who, on many occasions, have commented on her weight, body, and style.

While provocative clothing and selfies aren’t for everyone, celebrities who have embraced their bodies such as Kim Kardashian have posed as representatives of the idea that women should not be ashamed of their bodies. Women should not feel as though the gender and appearance of their body determines the respect that they receive from others.

Food, Water, Oxygen, Internet

The internet has become a sort of vital life source, almost everything revolves around it. It’s hard for the newer generations to remember a time without the internet, and some have never known a world without the internet. Of course there are many things that we could claim to “not live without”, but not many innovations are as significant as the vital rise of the internet.

What is so unique about the internet is that though it was invented by specific people, Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, it isn’t actually owned by any one person. The internet is owned by everyone and no one at the same time. It is like oxygen, existing everywhere and continually. It is (arguably) vital to life in the new age and is so important because it is owned by everyone. There is no level of intellectual freedom like the internet, even with magazines there is always someone to answer to. Though there are guidelines, virtually anything can be posted to the internet. While this allows for a lot of idiocy and foolishness, it allows brilliant people, who otherwise would not have the resources, to share their ingenious ideas, thoughts, and creations. Regardless of how you feel about the internet (and older generations definitely do have strong feelings  towards it), it is a vast and extensive collection of the perceptions and creations of citizens all across the world.

Professor iPad

My Sophomore year of high school, we were given iPads. The idea was to enhance the class room dynamic and to catapult the 187 year old school into the 21st century. The irony was not lost on us that the introduction of the iPads was happening in a school that still had chalkboards, nuns, and a population of only girls. Although the iPads offered technology at our fingertips, many of us felt as though something was taken away from our learning experience

Classes became optional. Before the iPads, unless you enjoyed doodling or day dreaming, the only option was to pay attention. With the iPads, it become so much easier to completely block a teacher out and shift interest towards social media websites and apps. It wasn’t easy to take notes when Twitter was simply a few clicks away. It became routine to zone out for over an hour only to return to the lesson with no knowledge of what was said or what you were supposed to be doing. Avoiding this took persistence and hard work. I don’t doubt that there are ways that technology can increase learning, I do know that although we enjoyed the way that the iPads let us escape a boring lecture, we all missed (even if only a little bit) the distraction free, productivity of pen on paper.

 

Millennials, Memes, and Modern Political Awareness

To begin this post, I believe it to be very important that I explain what exactly a meme is. A meme, according to dictionary.com is “a cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.” and Urban Dictionary defines a meme as “a running joke carried out not by a solitary comedian, but by the collective online community”.  Memes, centered around ironic and sometimes obscure popular culture references or people, have emerged as the primary ways that the millennial generation reacts to world events. Some of the most popular memes  (Pictures below) include: Pepe, Bad Luck Brian, and The Arthur meme

These memes, despite how ridiculous and cheesy they appear to be, are part of millennial culture  and serve as a vehicle for increased political awareness among the younger generations.

I have always loved politics, especially election season, but there are many millennials who are intimidated by the process or are simply uninterested. According to an article from The Daily Texan ,”When done well, memes do not require many words to convey a humorous message. Many millennials are turned off by long-form print journalism, so a visual and conversation-driven approach to news — humorous or not — can be more effective.” My generation likes information in the most straightforward way possible, extra points if the information is presented in an enjoyable and entertaining way. The nature of memes make them the perfect way to inform millennials on political situations and information about the world in general. I will admit that memes certainly aren’t the most prestigious way to spread awareness, but hey, they get the job done.

 

 

FaceTime Friendship

My best friend went to college 748 miles away. This girl became my best friend half way through senior year, but our friendship most of the time seemed as though it had been around for ages. So many times we would show up at each other’s houses, unannounced, to share our heartbreaks, or tragedies, or successes, and milestones. We were as close as sisters. Many people, more often than not older generations, will say that technology is breaking down relationships. I, however, think the opposite.

My best friend who lives 748 miles away is still able to contact me when she needs me, whether it’s through text, call, or FaceTime. We share photos of the friends we have made at our separate colleges, I have even met her roommate over FaceTime. Technology has made sure that there isn’t a lag in our friendship. Most importantly, to me however, is that I can keep in touch with my little sister. My little sister has just started her Freshman year of high school, a milestone filled with good and bad experiences that she can still talk to her older sister about because of technology. Of course nothing will beat hugging and laughing with my little sister in her room or talking about life with my best friend as we get Dairy Queen late at night. Those things are irreplaceable, however the blow of being separated is softened by the ever present connection of technology.

 

The Real Reality TV

We live in a world where a majority of the media that appears on television is intended for leisure. Television is, now, more than simply another tool in which to spread information. It has become one of the biggest forms of entertainment and this generation has a specific interest in “reality” television. Reality shows such as “The Bachelorette”, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”, and “Dance Moms” are popular because people love the overdramatized and wild world of people who seemingly “have it all”. These shows create an atmosphere where “reality” is expected to always be entertaining, but this is not a reasonable expectation.

There are events that are broadcasted on television as a way to keep the public informed, but television shows have created a thirst for wild scenarios and dramatic situations. A prime example of this is the way that this years Presidential Debates have unfolded. Most Millennials are at the voting age now and the way to appeal to this generation is to entertain. Turning on the presidential debates this year is similar to turning on TLC or MTV, the broadcasts are filled with name calling and yelling. Though much of this can be attributed to the characteristics of the candidates themselves, it is the love of entertainment and drama in this generation that has allowed people such as Donald Trump (and many other politicians who use outrage to get ahead)  to grab hold of the nation’s attention and win over the affection of so many people.

 

Evolution on Demand

Welcome to the 21st century  where evolution happens, not because it is necessary for survival, but because our minds are trying to keep up with a never ending string of technological innovations. In, Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid” he discusses how technology effects the way we think and process information.

Millennials know better than anyone that innovation never stops and even though there are more than enough hi-tech gadgets to chose from, there will always be several more right around the corner. The interesting thing about this break neck speed of ingenuity is that a large portion of it is not completely necessary. Apple didn’t enhance the processing speeds of the iPhone or create a revolutionary hybrid of the average cell phone and computer because it was essential to survival, they did it because they hadn’t done it before and it meant more money.

These changes, as mentioned in Carr’s article, make our brains to evolve to keep up with these changes. To put it simply, we are forcing ourselves to evolve. It isn’t happening because it is a matter of life or death or because of outside natural forces, we are evolving because we are presenting ourselves with new knowledge in a way that requires our brain to play a constant game of catch up.

I love being able to pull out my phone and obtain immediate information as much as the next person but much like Carr, I miss the days when I could spend hours lost in the world of a good book.

 

Mr. Pathos, Mr. Anger

There is no doubt that the invention of television has changed the way that President’s run their campaign. Aside from being able to run campaign ads and be covered in the news, citizens can watch the candidate’s speeches and the presidential debates and when millions of people are able to have immediate television access to presidential events, there is an exceptional standard of charisma that must be met in order to gain votes.

Donald Trump is a pro when it comes to tapping into the emotions of the voters. He appeals to voters’ anger and distrust in the government and uses it to catapult himself into success. Just last night, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took the stage in their first presidential debate and although there were considerably less candidates, the narrative was the same: Trump’s logic was questioned and he responded immaturely through insults and anger. While this use of the Pathos appeal is effective way to rile up your supporters, it fails to demonstrate one’s knowledge and attract millennial voters.

In order to catch the eye of millennial voters, a candidate must show that they care and that what they are planning to do will work. Let’s face it, the millennials are the ones who will have to deal with the aftermath of this election and because of this, the best way to appeal to the younger generation is through facts as well as emotions. While it troubles me that I have yet to watch a debate that has more fact than immature name calling, I am still hopeful in trusting that American voters will choose the best candidate for the job.