H.w #30- Psychological and Philosophical Theorizing of Cool

*I'm still thinking about this, so ill post more up soon*

   What is emptiness?

 

   Feeling empty is what seems to be the worst feeling. Sometimes we dont know why its there, whats causing it, but we feel it. Emptiness is confusing, you try once and once again to know and try to understand it, but you cant. I guess we can say its a hole (it describes it perfectly) that needs to be filled, but its definetly not like a stomach that just accepts whatever, it TRIES to accept whatever, but at the end you still feel it. To me its a lock with one key, that you try over time to open with a set of keys that are just too big or too small, you try to fill it in with what you think its missing, but you cant. Emptiness is like feeling that noone, absolutly noone is there. Do you ever go home and noones there? your soo used to all the noise of your family, but its just silence, i guess thats loneliness, so emptiness and loneliness are very much alike. One can say they might even be the same, but lonesliness passes,people eventually come home and the noise is back, but does emptiness? Are we always carrying this and just learn to eventually forget about it since we are so wrapped up into our worlds?

 

   Sometimes we dont face the problem, we make that quick turn back and just avoid it. I think we are scared of going deeper into emptiness. I hate feeling sad, its horrible, and i could say for myself that if i were to look really deep into what this empty feeling is i would be terrified about what i could find out or really saw. Its like we close the curtains to the sun beaming in on our windows. What will realizing what this emptiness truly is lead us to? Will we be able to fix it and never feel it again, i dont know, but i do think this empty feeling will always be there, wheter is be for the smallest thing or the biggest, we cant escape it. 

    When thinking about this empty "hole" i dont know i described it as a lock with one key but Im not sure if what can fill it is one specific thing, i don't think its many holes that must be filled for different aspects of our lives, it might be one that has its specific fit, like a puzzle, but then it might not be. 

 

   It gets tricky, what if someone grew up with no dad or mom, they live their lives knowing that that hole is there due to the lack of a parent , are they right though? or is there more to it? if their right , how come someone who has everything they need to be happy, feel that emptiness as well? Like i said , everyone probably has this empty feeling, realize it or not, but while writing this Im realizing that there is much more to it that i dont know about.

 

  

    

H.w #29- Merchants of Cool

* I had trouble actually watching the video, so im sryy its very late* 

     So while watching the "Merchants of Cool" video, I thought "we all kind off know this was/is happening." Not only are they making us want to buy the newest, latest fashion, but they sell an image of the way we should be. What I found interesting though was the idea of all these groups of teens being interviewed in order for companies to find out what was "cool" so far, when that information is found they do all they can to bring out this idea of "cool" and make people believe it, twhat there doing is "killing cool" thisreally struck me. There killing cool and making it so that a new idea of cool has to come out, changing it constantly so that nothing is truly cool, or can be cool for much. 

    Its hard to point fingers and say "your wrong! what your doing is sooo wrong!!" when it comes to situations such as though talked about like Britney Spears. Yes its an image that i dont agree with at all, no teen girls should be taught to be "sexy" and dress a way that will make them liked by guys. Why must girls feel like the HAVE to be that girl guys want to sleep with, that girl who looks good and everyone knows it? it doesnt make sence at all. But whos to blame? sure we can say "its all the corporate culture, everyone behind ppl such as Britney Spears" but is it? I mean teen girls are just as wrong for actually following this trend, sure there "lost" they dont even know who they are yet, but shouldnt they be smarter and say "woah, i honestly dont want that to be the image i want to portray." I dont believe what was done to Britney can be said "oo thats wrong" im pretty sure she was fine with doing what she did in order for her to seem more appealing , to get more attention but there should be a line that shouldn't be crossed (though i doubt this line will EVER be put ) it should be a line where celebrities are who ever they want to portray and customers should be who they want to. (seems kind off impossible tho)

   

    Should advertising to teens stop? i honestly dont know, we have been soooo used to having all these different types of advertisements that without them, as sad as it is, we will all def be lost, we would be like wandering souls with no idea where to go and whatto do, even what to be like, what to talk about. Advertising will NEVER stop. Its money, something everyone wants, the reason all of this is happening, it just cannot be stopped. 

    What they do is target our "lost-ness" our thoughts off " idk what to do" and tell us this is what you HAVE to be/do, is that evil? in certain parts i believe so, but i honestly dont know where i am at this. I cant say its soo wrong, because then I go watch MTv and follow on the newest show, and I try to look nice everyday (though not to the extreme of some) i would just be lying saying i dont fall for some of these things aswell. Wheter this will ever change ? We all know it wont and we will all have to keep following it. 

Street Interviews

3 Interviews of strangers-

Stranger 1-
* This lady was standing waiting in line for food just like I was, she looked nice so I just went straight for it....*

Me- Excuse me, I was wondering would you say your cool?
Stranger- Oh, I'm not sure actually.
Me- So then what would you say is cool?
Stranger- I guess cool is being yourself, not trying to blend yourself into what people want from you.
Me- Do you achieve that?
Stranger- Not always, with the people I COMPLETELY trust I do, with others not always.
Me- So with strangers do you feel like you have to put up a wall almost ?
Stranger- Exactly
Me- Do you mind me asking? But why do you think that is?
Stranger- So they can like me, because in the end we all want approval.
Me- Ok thank you for your time.
Stranger- Np 

Stranger 2- 
*waiting for the train*

Me- Excuse me, who's the coolest person you know?
Stranger- Definitely my best friend,
Me- And what exactly makes then the coolest person you know?
Stranger-  That she's soo fun, easy-going, her style is not original but its her, she makes it work,
Me- Would you say that your cool?
Stranger- I have. Of those qualities, but not all, I can be cool at times, everyone has there ups and downs of cool.
Me- Ok that's all, thank you
Stranger- Welcome

Interview of Friend-

Me- So, what's behind being cool?
Stranger- Being cool is not meant to be about the physical, it should be whats inside, your true feelings, who you are?
Me- Does anyone achieve this?
Stranger- People can achieve this, but it doesn't last more like 5 minutes, we are still so worried about those around us.
Me- What about you? 
Stranger- I'm trying to achieve that
but its hard, like I said were constantly looking for approval
Me- Any other thought?
Stranger- Imma think about it , ill def. let you know though.
Me- Ok ill be waiting thanks


Coolest Family Memeber-

Me- R you cool?
F.M-  Im pretty fun, People seem to think i'm cool

Me- So do you think in order to fell cool people have to accept you?

F.M- Yes they do, b/c people all have ideas of cool, so the people you want to be friends with or impress have to think your cool? You sorta have to mold yourself.

Me- Do you do that?

F.M- i try not to. But sometimes i do.

Me- is there anything anyone can do about it?

F/M- Not sure, most likely not/ 

Informal Research

http://www.whatiscool.org/Cool%20%20Defined.html

   What is cool is stated as "hard to define."  They go on to say that the true cool is deeper than what's inside. ( Something that i don't think people now realize) At the same time though they state that insecurity can lead to feeling like you not cool, or not being cool at all, sort of contradicting i believe. The website fives tips on how to be cool, they are as follow:

1. Know your limitations. 
2. Pose for long enough and eventually you become the real thing.  
3. Create a soundtrack for your life and listen to it constantly. 
4. Always stay one step ahead of the pack. 
5. Be gracious to those less cool than you.

  These tips are mostly focusing  on how to make people believe your cool, not really, as they stated at the beginning, being yourself and focusing on what's on the inside.  Honestly i wouldn't even bother taking these advices. There cant be a "5 step rule" to becoming cool that will work and fit for everyone in the world. I've been trying to find a deeper meaning of cool and here i come across a website that kind of states the obvious. 

 http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/doyle-buehler/mytego-nation/youre-not-cool-i-am-what-cool-finding-cool-factor

   This one was different, claiming that every single one of us believes we are in fact cool. We think we are better than others and that's why our cool level is so high up. He goes on to give us a "formula for coolness":

5% aspiration + 95% self-perception + 10% public awareness + 46%
individuality + 15% actions + 22% verbal + 99% what others think about
you.

  The biggest part of cool is what people think of us , so he claims, which i believe is true, but shouldn't make you cool. Reading further he explains that there is no precise cool, it all has to with the way you see the world , so its about you finding yourself cool and believing you are (contradictory to the 99% of what people think of you making you cooler). Based on what i read cool is seeing things your way BUT being accepted as well, which doesn't make much sense, unless we are able to find a good balance of these two.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_(aesthetic)

   Cool is attitude,behavior, comportment,appearance and style. Pretty much a balance of the inside and out. This is the overall idea of what cool is, though an exact definition of cool is neither known or found. so what i got from this website (it was pretty boring towards the end) was the break down of what can make cool. Such as body movements , posture etc. The way your physical and outer appearance contributes to being cool. The idea that coolness can be enhanced by or made by what people see outside. I guess confidence, thinking "I look cool, so I'm cool" and acting upon that statement. Pretty much the same I've been hearing and finding so far.

    I'm curious to see if coolness can exist without the physical being there. Like if someone is considered unattractive but is very confident would that be cool based on this? Its easy to say cool is feeling cool, but once its put into place does any of this honestly work for us? Can we make people think we are cool, if its based on the looks and appearance. 

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/how-to-be-cool-3148.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_effect_of_coolness

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool

Photos and Interviews

Person 4:
Name: Cindy (Cousin) 

(Interview taken over text)

Q- I love your outfit, where did you get it?
A- Thanks, all at H&M.
Q- Nice, so do you see your style as "cool" ?
A-Of course bitch 
Q- -_- , well den lol...what makes your style "cool"?
A-Well my style is cool because I'm cool.. Lmao.. I'm confident in everything I wear ...
Q- So cool is confidence?
A- Cool to me is making sure u are up to date with the latest fashion With your own special touch to it ....holllaaaaa 
Q- So the latest fashion? Does that mean everything has to be designer? Expensive even?
A- Not necessarily but it would be better ;-)
Q- Ok so how much did you pay for an outfit like the one your wearing?
A- around 130 including accessories
Q- Ok last thing.....do you think your "cool" way of dressing is for you to feel good or do u dress that way to show ppl that your capable of dressing good? So in a way to be noticed?
A- No I dress the way I dress because that's what I want to wear...I have other features that get noticed on their own lmao, kidding :).. Nah but I don't do it to get noticed I honestly wear what I wear cuz I feel comfortable in it
Me- Lmaooo ok thanks for being  honest :)
Cindy- Anytime =) hope everyone enjoys my answers.

Photos and Interviews

Person 3-Name: Yadi ( Friend )

Q- Do you think your style is "cool"?
A- Cool? I'm not sure, comfortable yes. I mean I can dress down when I need to and dress up when I want to, I'm versatile and no matter what I feel confident.
Q- So what do you think "cool" is?
A- Cool is being confident of course, being able to wear anything and make it work.
Q- So when you get dressed, what do you have in mind? Do you want to impress people?
A- It depends where I'm going. I love dressing nice, but on days like today when I'm going nowhere special I just pull on w.e and make it work. I don't want to impress anyone, but I guess I do want the approval of people around me, I don't want them to think bad of me in a way?
Q- Ok so peoples opinion matter when It comes to cool?
A- It sorta does , though I can say I don't care about it
Me- Ok thanks Yadi :)
Yadi- No problem love, anytime.

Photos and Interviews

Person 2: Name: Johnny && Mark 

Q- Ok real quick, do you guys think your style is "cool"?
A (From Both)- I like it, so yea it is, we look good. ( They laugh) 
Q- So being cool is looking good?
A (Johnny)- Its a big part, but its also how you are on the inside, they way you act .
(Mark) - I Agree its a huge part tho, but not the MOST important.
Q- Would you say you guys "dress to impress"?
A (From both)- Everyone does, though they might deny it, subconsciously we all do.
Me- Ok thanks , that's all
Them- Np

Photos and Interviews

Person 1:
Name: Vielka (Cousin)
  She's the one in da middle

Q- So do you see your style as "cool" ?
A- Yea
Q- Ok and what makes your style "cool"?
A-That I don't try to be like everyone else I try to be my self :)
Q- So based on that what exactly do you think "being cool" is?
A-I think been cool is something that changes almost everyday with new experiences and it is just being yourself not like others.
Q- Nice, so you think you achieve that or do you sometimes fall for the ideas that ppl want ?
A- Not really because even though I might like what other ppl do or wear I'm not gonna go and do or dress exactly like they do ill have my own way.
Q- Ok & who would you say is the coolest person you know?
A- Umm I don't know anyone that's cool or think there is someone who is the universal cool...I just think everyone has their way of doing things that should make them cool ( does dat make sense?)
Me- Ok , I see what your trying to say, thanks that's all.
Vielka- Welcome :)

HW 25

Part 1-

Juliette,

  Your idea of cool is shown very clearly in your story. Its short but your idea was put out there. You think cool is mostly the way you present yourself, as I thought most people would think. It was interesting to read how you portrayed "looking good" and "feeling good." I did notice that the girl was dressed the way you tend to dress, so your comfortable with the way you are and they way people see your right? That's good to know lol.

Elvis-

  Your story seemed to follow what we talked about in the last unit. Has your idea of cool changed?or has it as been that?  I thought it was interesting to see how maybe a life without technology might be cool or lead to being cool. How people would react to someone who didn't pay attention to technology. I liked how you didn't use cool as being the bad boy or a similar stereotype. You did use the "unique" aspect of being cool, but I think it worked out.

Katherine-

  Wow your story was different but I liked it. I don't know exactly what you were trying to portray as cool, but I'm guessing it has to with being understood, for a guy to have feelings and show them, not hide them ( I for one don't see many guys who react that way,usually the roles are switched) Maybe you were just trying to say cool is being open and having the same feeling thoughts etc. I haven't heard that idea ok cool yet, so that was "cool" lol. 

Moe-
  
  Hahaha your story seems so familiar in some aspects. I liked that you seemed to relate it back to what your life is like. Your idea of cool is being yourself.

Jacara-

    I liked your story a lot. It showed someone just being sarcastic and themselves. It reminded me of a lot of people whom I've thought to be funny because of the things they say AND the way they say it. It was realistic.


Part 2-

  One thing I realized from everyone's story was that somehow it seemed to relate back to them. Juliette's story described a girl with skinny jeans and heels, just like her, and it showed that she thought she was cool. The same can be said for Moe, his story talked about someone who does the same things he does, once again showing that he believes himself to be if not "cool" accepted, which seems to be cool either way. Most of the stories ( juliette, moe, and jacara) showed qualities of people that I have come across, people that actually are out there. While the other two( elvis and katherine) seemed to show a "cool" that in a way may not be as popular and as known. These stories were of what we would want to be cool, maybe what we are looking forward to becoming or having. 
  
  All the stories though, seem to go back to the "cartoons" in our heads. We can say we have the "girl who dresses nice," "the one who's always late," " the funny one," "the different one," and the " softer one?" (Idk how to put that one exactly lol ) its like there a certain number of "cools" we can write about  and then that's it. Can we make a truly original "cool" story though? Is that possible with our mind set always bringing us back into this "cartoon world"?

H.W #24- Short Story

Trynna be Cool:

  He walks in, looks over, no ones looking.
  " Damn" he thinks, someone should have noticed I came in. 
He shrugs it off, they aren't important anyway.
  "What's up matt?" He yells. 
"What are the plans for tonight, anything interesting?" 
He tries to ignore the weird look Matt just made.
  " Nahh, nothings going on, imma just b chilling" he replies.
  " Oo iight can I chill too?" He says while hoping he agrees to it.
  " I dnt think dat will work, anyway I have to go to class, ill c u around?" Matt then speeds off.
  " His loss, shyt would have been fun" 
  He walks off, no need to go to class on time. 
  " Uggh here he comes " some girl whispers.
  He looks behind him " must be talking about some loser behind me" he thinks.
  "What's up ladiessss" he says leaning into the prettier of the two.        
"Umm g2g" she says and runs up the stairs while her friend follows giggling. 
  " Guess ill go to class" he murmurs.
  As he opens the door everyone looks over , disappointed in what they see they go back to work, he tries to crack a joke, it doesn't work. 
  "Take a seat" his teacher yells.
  "Fine" he says while walking towards his seat. He doesn't bother taking notes, he just lays his head down and sleeps through the class dreaming of how great his life is.

Cool IS many things. I don't think we can just say cool is a specific thing or idea, we can't just be like if cool is red, then yellow , blue and green are uncool. There's no specific cool, its different ideas, thoughts,feelings, style, likes, dislikes, but then again one thing I think "cool" def is, is confidence, but what I do believe is that we do know when something is cool. For example if you see someone walking down the street with bird feathers on there head and a bird suit you know that's not cool. Its something like a "cool-radar" sure I guess for everyone its different but most times I do believe people all agree in a certain thing being cool or uncool. What I'm trying to say is that cool can't be put into a specific section, you can't say listening to hip -hop is the only cool thing because ppl listen to rock, country, r&b and all believe its the "cool" thing.

I guess when it comes to how people see "cool" it is being known, looking good, having a massive amount of (sometimes unneeded) friends, being loud, and being "bad." I think these ideas are the ones that society view as "cool" ( though I don't agree with them.) These ideas I believe are the negative of "cool". Why can't "cool" be having a friend you can trust everything with, and keeping things to ourselves but at the same time being confident? When it comes to "cool" most of us forget that there are other ppl who like different things and believe they are "cool."

Am I cool? If we follow what society thinks cool is, no. I'm not loud, my group of friends is small , and I'm overall shy, but I love my "uncool" lifestyle, its how I want to live it and its what makes me happy, I guess thats cool? Sorta lol. Overall honestly I could care less if people think I'm cool or not, just because its kinda pointless to try and make yourself into what others think Is right and "cool." We shouldn't mold each other in pieces that "work" with what others want. Ok , so i know i dont wanna be made fun of everyday and deep down i want to be accepted BUT just because this may be treu i choose my friends who are like me, who understand me, and like me for me. I know who thinks they are "cooler:" than others and just want to bring people down, so i don't want to associate with them. Cool shouldn't be about who's better, it should be about accepting everyone's uniqueness and embracing it.

Art Piece

So my art piece is supposed to go back to what was said in class at the beginning of this quarter. It has to do with most our our videos and how we looked using technology, I think it was something like "we all look like zombies." So my goal for the art piece was to show what all of us looked like and didn't realize. The piece is of someone so into their technology that they have been sleep deprieved, they dont focus on anything but their technology and they don't realize anything of their background (thats why i chose the black background) The black background is supposed to be everything fading into the back,into complete darkness. Its supposed to be just how technology brainwashes us into believing everything they say, hence the words going in through the ear , and getting stuck in our heads with no escape.

Now the second piece of art was supposed to be connected to the first but i couldn't figure out how to do that exactly. Its supposed to symbolize our real feelings and thoughts not being able to come out, thats why their mouths are covered, and how we only experience our true feelings in our heads or in this case the blue dream bubble. The dream bubble is blue, a color i believe to be serene , so thats why every head is in it, trying to escape, but once again fading into the back, into complete darkness.

Big Paper

*It's Kinda late but I got really stuck -_-*

Digitalization In Our Lives: Pretty Much the bad in it. 


Introduction-

   When it comes to our lives and what we want/ need almost everyone will say "I WANT to be happy." We base our daily lives and our daily routine on things that we believe will genuinely make us happier.  But we never think deeper into where we all got these "genuine ideas." Have you ever realized that the ideas that we think are unique, aren't really? How many people want to be happy? how many people really believe happiness is what we need? the answer is sooo many, and though I do believe happiness is what we want/ need and will really make us better, I also believe that TRUE happiness is what we should be looking for. So where do we get this idea of what happiness is? Technology, and Digitalization are brainwashing us into becoming beings that THEY see as "happy."     

  We honestly don't know any other form of happiness other than what we are told, and even though most of us will deny it, that is usually how everything in our lives works. We are told something, it is proved and we automatically believe it. Why doubt it huh? Why question it when its soo much easier to just follow it? We believe that if we think someone knows more than us or proves themselves to us we need to follow them. We look up to people with power, they seem better to us, almost as though they know more. “Power is everything in life” thats something I’ve heard people say so many times, so could this be the reason why technology has had such a big effect on us throughout time? I believe so.        

Argument 1-

  The truth is that the digital world IS very powerful, one can say its power shines over others. It has become the center of pretty much everything we do, we rely on it to do many everyday things. Nowadays everything is digital. We meet new people in websites such as, Facebook, Myspace and an endless list of more, with these we can also keep up with the people we already know. AIM,Yahoo Messenger, MSN, all help us do these things as well, not only with people here, but even with people from other countries. Its power expands from more than just us here, but everywhere around the world. With power like that how easy can it be to transmit a message, make it popular, and make everyone believe it with out them thinking, realizing, KNOWING that  what you are doing isn’t good for them? How is easy is it to manipulate everyone by having them just click a button on a device? Because that is what they are doing to us, MANIPULATING us into believing EVERY THING they say.          

  On a day to day basis we are surrounded by more than one kind of digital device. We are so used to having these devices that without them we feel different, maybe even empty. It sounds drastic but that is just what our society has come to. For a school assignment we had to interview strangers about their digital lifestyle. During the interview of a stranger these were some my results:  
..........  
Me: How many hours would u say you spend on things such as your phone,ipod, internet, t.v?   Stranger #1: A lot of time! Its my whole life in this one simple device, it can't get better than that. 
  Me: Really? So you don't see any harm in it? You don't think ppl are too addicted? 
Stranger #1: Hmm , there might be some harm and ppl might be addicted but honestly I dnt see myself without all this technology. Where would we be?
  Me: Ok, so on that note, do you think well ever go back to how it was before?  
Stranger #1: I hope we don't haha, its too useful.  
........

  The answers the stranger had given me weren’t much different from what I saw other people had gotten. It just goes to show us how much we rely on the digital world. 
Its something that we just can't hide from due to the amount we see all around us. That is already a problem. How can we do simple everyday things when they are made to be EVEN MORE simple, even though that can work for our benefit, think about how everything is making us dumber. Do we really need to make things sooo simple? The only thing we are getting out of it is STUPIDITY. We won't be able to do anything by ourselves and well end up relying even  more on the digital. Something soo big as this can make us believe anything. Even something so personal like what makes us happy.
  
  Happiness is something we all look for. We want to enjoy life, be free, be ..happy right? Its a powerful idea that we all want/need, technology knows this. It portrays a vision of what they see as "happy" puts it out there, and we FOLLOW. This vision is of having the BEST digital item, getting things done quickly and as easily as possible, having things rite then and there, as well as feeling like YOU have the POWER to do ANYTHING. 

Argument 2-

    In the well knows movie "Wall-E", we meet a robot named Wall-E who "lives" on earth cleaning up a huge mess that was left. There is no, we can say, "real"  life there, all the humans have moved to this EXCITING, EXTRAVAGANT, NEW world in outer space, where everything seems to lead to what's best for them. One day Wall-E meets and falls in love with a robot called Eva who leads him through a journey into this new world, once there we see what/ how this world really is. After living so many years  in microgravity and relying on the ship's automated systems, the human passengers have suffered severe bone loss and become extremely obese. The humans are able to get anything they want by just clicking a button on the chairs they ride in, they don't even have to walk. They have these huge screens on there faces were they see the latest trend , best new device etc. and can easily get it. This is suppose to be our happiness. On an important scene in the movie Wall-E is trying to get past an obese woman but she doesn't even realize he's there, he turns off her screen and for the first time, in what seemed to be a long time, she gets up and really notices her surroundings , the things around her , she even says "I didn't know we had a pool!"

  Does this not remind you of anyone? When were on our phones, texting, IMing, checking facebook our emails, playing video games at home, at our computers, watching our favorite tv shows, listening to our Ipods, we are so ENGROSSED in these things that we don't NOTICE anything around us. Our surrounding fade into a dark background in which we don't hear, see , acknowledge anything. Just look into the beginning of this course, we recorded our selves performing our daily digital activities. ALL of us were staring , sooo concentrated in whatever we were doing. Our faces resembled does of zombies almost. It was as though for the minutes in which we were REALLY into whatever we were doing nothing else mattered, nothing else was IMPORTANT. We are pulled by these digital hands and are held in place until something finally breaks it off.  Is that what happiness is supposed to be? Not ACTUALLY experiencing life first hand? 

Argument 3-

  Feed by M.T Anderson is a great example of how our lives are NOW due to the digitalization. Titus is a young boy who travels with his friends to the moon to have some fun. They want to live "brag" lives, where they try to show off how many places they've been to and who knows the most about how they can live "brag." A problem occurs though when they are hacked and can no longer hear there feeds and must fend for themselves. Titus, with the help of Violet (the only one who can fend with out the feed) must try to overcome the lives they have and truly live and experience for themselves. The feed would control them, help them make something possible, with out it they felt lost , alone, empty,confused. We see the idea of happinnes being "brag" easy and simple , being able to do things that other wise would seem impossible . At the same time though we see that Anderson is trying to tell us to live our lives in a way were we experience and get out of it the most. Happiness isn't depending on an object and what it can do for you now is it?
  
  So what is true happiness? Honestly, I don't think I know that just yet. I'm also a victim of technology and its idea of what is being "happy." I find myself wanting a new phone ( the new blackberry I have for example) and sometimes wanting to get a better ipod, I'm not only pointing fingers at others, but at myself. That's because I don't think we at this point at least, can get over the digital lifestyle we have become so accustomed to. I can't tell anyone "THIS IS HAPPINESS!!!! OPEN YOUR EYES TO IT!!" But I can tell people that the way we are living isn't being TRULY happy. Constant depending on what we see on a screen to tell us what's new, what's in, what's old news, what we should look like , isn't what we need to strive for. We should be able to have our own ideas of what we think is all these things. Happiness should be genuine , not superficial or shallow , it should just be US and our individual and original thoughts, but technology doesn't allow that.
  
  Of course everyone should have their own idea of happiness whether we will get to that point I'm not sure. I do believe though that a start should be having less technology , depending/ relying LESS on it. Imagine how different thing would be, sure it will be hard at first, but idnt that how we BECAMe addicted to technology to beging with? We didn't know about it, we just got used to it, so now we have to get used to beijng WITHOUT it. Maybe then, and only THEN will we experience TRUE HAPPINESS.

Works Cited-

Feed- M.T Anderson

Wall-E

Interviews

Blogs

Comment on Elvis' Draft

  

   Elvis, 

 

     The paragraph you wrote had important information that proves what you designed to be your thesis. I am a little confused about wheter that is your intro? or maybe an argument based paragraph? try to make that clear. In the case that that would be your intro , i would say to make it a bit more  catchy. You  start out straight with important information, maybe  you should make your first sentence like a hook that brings us in and maintins our attention, i think that will help your big paper seem more than just you listing ideas. Once you have an intro that reels us in you can add these two paragraphs. 

     

    Both paragraphs are good but make sure you add more evidence, make it flow. I know you have alot to say in your paper and you will make good points , its just a matter of making them different,once again so the reader can be interested in what you  are saying and proving. Maybe go more in depth with your ideas. Such as when you say "Society needs less technology and more active and safe environment where people can interact and work their minds without having to heavily depend upon technology." Talk about how we can make this possible. What things/ activities can be done in which we dont need technology as much, maybe even at all.

    Try to make your paper personal (i think i said this before?) but i belive the more personal it is the more people can connect and the more they see that this is something going on NOW affecting US,all of us. Add in some ideas you have, some insight you have gained. Maybe you remeber some thoughts said in class that struck you, just add those in aswell. I know you will be abe to pull off a good big paper, im just giving you some advice that i think will make it just  a bit stronger. im looking forward to seeeing your resulting paper. Good luck. :)

Big Paper Draft

    

   When it comes to our lives and what we want/ need almost everyone will say "I WANT to be happy." We base our daily lives and our daily routine on things that we believe will genuinely make us happier.  But we never think deeper into where we all got this "genuine idea." Have you ever realized that the ideas that we think are unique, aren't really? How many people want to be happy? how many people really believe happiness is what we need? the answer is sooo many, and though I do believe happiness is what we want/ need and will really make us better, I also believe that TRUE happiness is what we should be looking for. So where do we get this idea of what happiness is? Technology, and Digitalization are brainwashing us into becoming beings that THEY see as "happy." 

     We honestly don't know any other form of happiness other than what we are told, and even though most of us will deny it, that is usually how everything in our lives works. We are told something, it is proved and we automatically believe it. Why doubt it huh? Why question it when its soo much easier to just follow it? We believe that if we think someone knows more than us or proves themselves to us we need to follow them. We look up to people with power, they seem better to us, almost as though they know more. “Power is everything in life” thats something I’ve heard people say so many times, so could this be the reason why technology has had such a big effect on us throughout time? I believe so.

    

    The truth is that the digital world IS very powerful, one can say its power shines over others. It has become the center of pretty much everything we do, we rely on it to do many everyday things. Nowadays everything is digital. We meet new people in websites such as, Facebook, Myspace and an endless list of more, with these we can also keep up with the people we already know. AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN, all help us do these things as well, not only with people here, but even with people from other countries. Its power expands from more than just us here, but everywhere around the world. With power like that how easy can it be to transmit a message, make it popular, and make everyone believe it with out them thinking, realizing, KNOWING that  what you are doing isn’t good for them? How is easy is it to manipulate everyone by having them just click a button on a device? Because that is what they are doing to us, MANIPULATING us into believing EVERY THING they say.      

    On a day to day basis we are surrounded by more than one kind of digital device. We are so used to having these devices that without them we feel different, maybe even empty. It sounds drastic but that is just what our society has come to. For a school assignment we had to interview strangers about their digital lifestyle. During the interview of a stranger these were some my results:

   ..........

   Me: How many hours would u say you spend on things such as your phone,ipod, internet, t.v?

   Stranger #1: A lot of time! Its my whole life in this one simple device, it can't get better than that.

   Me: Really? So you don't see any harm in it? You don't think ppl are too addicted?

  Stranger #1: Hmm , there might be some harm and ppl might be addicted but honestly I dnt see myself without all this technology. Where would we be?

  Me: Ok, so on that note, do you think well ever go back to how it was before?

  Stranger #1: I hope we don't haha, its too useful. 

  ........

The answers the stranger had given me weren’t much different from what I saw other people had gotten. It just goes to show us so much we rely on the digital world. 

*( This is only a draft im planing on talking about what happiness is shown by the digital, what thi skind of happiness can do to us not only now but in the future, as well as what TRUE happiness is/can be/should be and if we will ever get to that point, will things get better, worse? can they even change?)*

Hw # 17 - Outline Suggestions Part 2

* My 2nd Triangle Partner has not yet done her work, soo im going to comment on someone elses outline*

Ellen,     Your thesis caught my attention. Disembodiment is not something most people  think about when talking about technology and how it affects us, so good job  with that. Also your idea on corporate propaganda and "the fostering of  capitalist values at a young age" is a very good point to add on. It will make  your paper that much stronger. I can tell that your going to focus on what you  believe is important for us as humans, which is to be able to feel , have  emotions, and realize the things the going on around us, pretty much being  aware.    The evidence you are planning to use in your big paper is good. You are using  feed which we primarily looked at and I like that your using a specific part of  the book, like the lesions and how they prove your point of disembodiement. With  this beng said though, try to add more evidence. I know its your outline but I  would like to see what other evidence you can use to further prove each  argument.    One thing I think will make your paper that much interesting is making it a  bit personal. I know your thoughts are personal but I know that you've  heard/seen/done things that can also prove each argument and overall your paper.  Also try to compare the digital with ourselves to prove your point. What if the  digital is actually part of what makes us feel etc these things? Idk just look  into something like that. ( Even though u seem to have your mind set on what you  believe, which either way I agree with lol)   Overall I know your paper will be powerful. Just addd on the ideas you believe  are helpful and that will work. I'm looking forward to reading what your paper  will end up as.

H.w # 17- Outline Suggestions

Elvis,

Your thesis is strong. The fact that you said "digital obsession is a disease" was very good. Its kind off what Andy was talking about, making your thesis confrontational. Its going to make people wonder why your comparing it to a disease.

Your first argument about society seems to be good. I know its an outline, but maybe talk about specifically what kind off technology makes us impaired. Also talk about your self. What have you done that makes you believe all these things? What do you see? What have you heard? Keep does in mind. Make sure to go in depth on Feed because I know it will help your arguments stronger.  

Connect your second argument to your first. It is a good. Compare the world from now to before and talk about how bad it will get. Our planet is important but will the change of technology make great change. Try thinking about that as well.

 
  When talking about what the world will become ask yourself, How can we fix what we started? Go into detail about that because it can make your paper a bit stronger.

Good start for your big paper. Go in depth with your arguments and make sure to talk about more than one source and your paper will def be strong. Good luck.

H.w 16- Big Paper Outline #1

Thesis:

We are being brainwashed by the digital world into becoming beings that they portray has "happy."

Argument Brainstorm;

Argument #1-

* What does society believe is happiness?
Having the new, best most expensive thing. Showing off to others as well as having more than does around you. This makes you superior than them. The more you spend the better you are.
Easy, and Fast is better. You can know or even have everything you've ever wanted with the click of a button. No hard work is needed when it comes to knowing.

Argument #2-

*Wall E:
In the movie we see what technology can possibly/ or has already made of us. These are fat, lazy beings who don't even realize what is going on around them.
The scene where Wall -E pushes off the woman's screen and she "sees everything for the first time" shows us this. Before that she was sooo engrossed into her little screen, button clicking, object appearing world that whatever went on around her was just a blur.

*Related back to us?
We have everything in this little square screen, we are all at fault (I'm doing this assignment on my phone -_-) With an object such as a cellphone we can control more than just our phone calls. We can do so much, when this happens we don't even realize what goes on anywhere other than the screen. We are pulled in by these imaginary screen hands and they hold our attention in place until something finally breaks that off.



Argument #3-

*Feed
In the book Feed we see that these teens go to the moon to have fun , to live "brag" lives. When they get there they want to show off where they have been. Each of them requests a place to have fun, and even though they go along with the idea we see that Titus is not happy. He's bored, he thinks its stupid, yet he doesn't complain , he stays there with his friends and doesn't say a word about the way he truly is feeling.

H.W 15 Treasure Hunt

My two partners are Elvis and Katherine:
Elvis,

I really enjoyed reading your posts 10-14. I understand what you are trying to show us. I really relate to much of what you have to say, if not your posts open my mind up to new thoughts and ideas. i liked the fact that you found Feed to be a great book and that showed me that you not only read it but understood it well.

Post number 14 was very interesting. You said " We are known for how we speak and if you don't know how to speak very well than you will have a problem finding a "good" job." I believe this is very true and the digital world isn't really enhancing this isn't it? You also said that the digital world is beating the non- digital but is that for our benefit or there's? sure they make money but we get.....? a fun time? . I agree with you when you said that people who read attend museums and what not more. I don't think that just because your read you spend more time at these places, sure it probably is more likely but not 100%.

For your self experiment you decided to do the opposite of what i did. You doubled your time, i personally thought this wasnt the best idea, but it was interesting to see how someone else dealt with that. While i read i realized that what i had thought was right. It didn't work out for you. " i would never recommend anybody doing what i did because it will kill you or mess with you mentally and physically." i found this funny. After doing this will you try to do another experiment where you do less of the digital, do you think you will still be able to know what your friends are saying? and maybe even understand them more?

Overall your posts are very insightful. You think of things that sometimes i let pass by or you open my mind to new ideas. I enjoy reading them and i am looking forward to seeing how your ideas grow in your newer posts.

Katherine,

I enjoyed reading posts 10-14. They had many facts more than anything, and I thought that was something very good. I can tell you really read Feed and thought about what the author was trying to portray. I also like how u related some of your ideas to something like falling in love. ( I didn't even think about it in that specific way lol)

In your response to feed being art you said "Art is not a Mirror with which to reflect the World. It is a Hammer with which to shape it." i think this book was meant to be a mirror and not a hammer. a mirror being the reflection of who we are in the digital world, allowing us to see what we have really become"
I thought it was interesting how you thought differently from myself. I think that they sort off balance each other out, but you believe its just a mirror. Could it have been a hammer as well? Why do you think it is not a hammer?

Your ideas on how Anderson failed to portray his true message on Feed made me think about something new. Maybe the point of us not understanding that it is our lives now is just part of the book, making us just prove once more how dumb we truly are getting?
If this is so, wouldn't you think he actually succeeded in what he was trying to do? Maybe that just proves his point more.

I did notice our self experiments were very alike. We both decided to turn down the digitization and you seemed to think you succeeded, while i not so much. Your experiment seemed to affect your next day, you said it felt good to not be behind on your schedule, while my experiment didn't affect my schedule the next day at all. I was back to my same late to school self (-_-)

Katherine, your posts are interesting to read. I enjoy seeing how different, or alike we may see certain things, it really helps expand my thinking. Thanks :)

H.w # 14

   So I decided to read the longer text, and honestly towards the end I pretty much just tried to pick up the most important points. While reading though, my mind kept wandering back to the beginning of the school year when we had to do the partner responses and Elvis' post talked a little about the good in technology. I thought "ok so that might be true, but there's nothing beyond that" but this text opened up my mind.

  Johnson brings up some very interesting points that I would honestly not think of otherwise. First we find out that reading for pleasure has declined, which wasn't much of a surprise to begin with, but also that people who read are more "active" So I thought "ok this is someone else saying we should read more often"
But I was wrong. Johnson pretty much wants us to see that video games and such could be just as helpful, or even more than reading books. He states "Non-literary popular culture is horing different mental skills that are just as important as the ones exercised by reading books" so video games are actually helpful, they keep our minds thinking , we must "decide, choose, and prioritise" between things in this video world. Even though we still think about the game after playing were actually planning and finding strategies that can help us win. 

  He claims that there's a four part process that enhances these mental skills as well. These are to probe, hypothesise, reprobe, and rethink.  I thought this was very interesting because before I thought of being game being simply addictive, nothing beyond that. It didn't even cross my mind that behind those addictive noises and graphics there was something more. Something that gets us hooked and makes us think, without realising we are actually thinking , or better yet without realising that were thinking in a smart way.

  Even though I don't really play video games, I do occasionally fall into the trap of SIMs and the Wii and what not, but I do enjoy reading. I don't think I gain knowledge from doing either though, unless I'm reading a non- fiction text. I read to pass time, enter a different world, kinda the same thing someone who constantly plays video games would do. I think we learn some things but on occasions more then for learning, its more like an escape almost.

Anderson unlike Johnson, does not believe technology brings any good. Feed tells us that teens today are becoming mindless, stupid, dumb beings who don't have emotions and can't feel what life truly is. Its like a game of tug a war, we are being told on one side "stop and realise what's going on! How fucked up your lives are turning out to be!" While one the other side we hear " actually its not that bad." So which side do we listen to, which side do we pull with?
    
  I guess we can be in the middle, learn to balance out, even though were so far failing at it. We can learn that there's always two sides of the story and that one might not necessarily win. Technology will always be around and people will keep debating about its good and bad points.

  I still believe technology isn't the best for us though, I mean sure video games can help stimulate mental skills, but what about ipods? Phones? What's the good in that? It seems as though there's so many little sections in the technology issue that can help or not the issue of how good/ bad it is. I don't think one side will ever truly win.

Feed B- H.W # 13

   Art is pretty much what we want it to be. From the way we make it, the meaning we believe is behind it and what people think of it. What makes art though is the audience understanding what the artist was trying to portray. If not exactly , something that relates to it, if this cant be done, then its pointless. Trying to portray what you believe and seeing the different ways people see that in your art work must be really rewarding.

   The book feed is a piece of art, not your typical, but art non less. The way it was written shows us the similarities between Titus and ourselves.  This paints a picture in our heads. Most importantly , we get the idea the author is portraying, we get what hes trying to shows us, making it a true piece of art. I guess for an art piece adding simple words that hold such strong meanings can make a difference, other than just having a picture. I for one wouldn't do that to my art piece because i wouldn't know how to make it work the way i imagine it. 

 

  I think due to the fact that feed was written as a allegory also has to do with making it a piece of art. This also has to do with it speaking to a mainstream audience of both adults and teens. We are all being sucked into the technology, but teens especially the victims. So while reading the book adults will probably judge us and we will probably not even understand whats being said.  

 "Art is not a Mirror with which to reflect the World. It is a Hammer with which to shape it." is such a true statement. With this being said i think that Feed is both of these things. We see the teens and how they are affected but at the same time we see how dumb they are. I think that just like a hammer is helpful to keeping the mirror in place, they need to be togeatheror else they just ont work. In my own art piece i think i will try to make it so that it is both.

Feed A-H.W # 12 (Draft 1)

    Feed, it pretty much shows us how we live our lives now just with a clever touch, one that may not be so obvious to others , or that some people just wont get until they are told. Knowing that Feed is just mocking us can makes us get a bit angry. Who likes to be told the truth of the way we do things right in our face ,right? The truth is though, we need to be shown the flaws of our ways inorder to become better, in this case become...smarter maybe?

  While reading Feed we are told our lives are meaningless, that we depend on technology sooooo much to a point that we dont function without it, we cant even fight it. At the same time though we see these ideas of things that seem so unrealistic for us. Things that seem impossible for us to do now, such as going to the moon. At first someone may think how this even realates to us? or that this is something that will happen in the near future, when truth is this is our lives now.

  I believe that in many aspects Feed is right on about our digital lives. Were so drawn into these technological things that we forget or not even notice our surroundings, they become part of the background. We are no longer experiencing things through our own bodies, such as in video games. We arent doing anything imporant just sitting there pressing buttons that make the person in the screen do all these awesome moves and do things that will help/ change the world, while were doing nothing for this cause. The lesions in feed are sort off like this, they are eating away at whats left of there human bodies, of what they feel and can do on their own. When it comes to us not having all these things we turn into beings that cant function, we feel out of place, lost, bored. Kinda like in feed once they are hacked. 

  Im sure that when it comes to the tragic level of feed most teens lives either wont get to that point, or they wont even care or notice about it. Most teens arent bothered by the fact that technology is making us dumb, they dont see it as a problem , more like a solution to things. Teens , kinda like Titus, arent noticing the things around them , they do what other teens are doing , even though they are not enjoying themselves or see the point in any of it. We believe we are living "brag" lives beacuse these are the lifestyles society is showing us, but we wont truly enjoy ourselves until we figure out what makes us happy, whether most of us will ever reach this? im not so sure.

H.W # 11-Self Experiment

So for my self experiment I knew that doubling my digital time wouldn't be the best idea for me, so I decided on doing it less. I decided to start of small, with my phone and possibly ipod ( I didn't want to cut myself off from the digital world completly) My initial thought was that this wouldn't be so difficult. I don't have a working computer at home, but my phone has internet so I spend most of my time on it. With this is mind I remembered how I would get bored of being on the internet and aim on my phone easily, so I thought maybe I can cut that off completly at a time in which I spend on it the most. This is usually from 5- 10 or later depending on when I fall asleep. My small digital fast didn't really work out.

I was planning to try to not listen to my ipod on the train. I has a book so I thought reading it would be good enough. When I got into the 6 train I sat down and opened up my book. Usually when I read my book I have my ipod plugged in and time feels as though it was flying by, this wasn't the case. I really wasn't very interested on the book so I just put it away. I felt really ackward. I didn't know where to look and I felt as though I didn't have a choice but to stare at people. I couldn't even really think because the 6 train got really loud and crowded so I decided to put my ipod on.
Once I got home I tried not to use my phone. I placed it on my kitchen counter and helped my mom out a bit. It was actually refreshing. I realised that I enjoyed helping my mom cook, which I don't usually do because while she does that I'm laying on the couch texting, and I actually listened to her more through out dinner. Once that was done I helped clean up and decided to watch t.v , here it got alittle more difficult. I found myself wanting to text people the most random and stupid things such as " I just saw this and that on this show" or " omg did you just see what so and so did in blah blah blah" . I have never realised that some things I text people or people text me are the most pointless things, but at the time they have great importance.

One thing I do wonder was how different this experiment would have been if I was faced with a different situation. What if I was outside or at a more social event and I didn't have my phone or ipod? Would my feeling be different? Would I be able to deal? Many times my phone is a life savour for many awkward situations, so what would happen if I didn't happen. Maybe that will be my next experiment and ill be able to compare the outcome.

H.W # 10

http://healthmad.com/addiction/cell-phone-addiction/

This article mainly focuses on the addiction to cell phones. The addiction to cell phones affects teens more than adults or younger kids. Just as discussed in class this addiction is because of the handiness of it all. All these things in one simple devise. It also talks about the unhealthy part of this addiction. Such as cancer and possible brain tumors.
I thought what was interesting was the fact that the said the signs on being addicted to cell phones were feeling empty, anxious, even depressed with out your phone. I really that even though not to that extreme, many people I talk to, including myself, do say that when there not with there phone they feel very different. Also interesting was that even though we know this is an addiction going on everywhere, there's no way known to stop it or even help it.


http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/sexting-poses-risk-to-teens-health-warns-expert_100190519.html

This article focuses on "sexting." It is a new trend going on with many teenage girls, in which they send nude or semi-nude pics to male teens. This new trend is even more likely in the younger teens and goes on more that what we may imagine. What is interesting of this article is how teens say that "sexting" is actually helping them in person. They seem to be more forward, having a new found confidence. Many teens do this with out any fear of these pictures being exposed to others, which in almost all cases males will show their friends these.
What I believe is worse is that due to "sexting" some people even consider suicide. Its sad to see how technology and our normal lives collide to make such a disgusting trend.


http://www.csudh.edu/psych/tnp55.htm

This article focuses on Myspace. Based on some studies done we see the down side of myspace. It affects our life at home and schoolwork negatively. People are constantly on it, and its become one of the most popular internet sites.I found interesting the fact that myspace is a place where you can show off your self in many ways, and even though this is so, it causes more and more people to be ver insecure. Maybe its the fact that you have people constantly checking out your profile for new pictures, songs, thought. I guess that could be intimidating to some.

Comment on Elvis Comment to my Video: H.W #9

I appreciate the fact that you took the time to watch and comment on my
video project. Also that you realised what i was trying to show/put ot
there with my video and thoughts. Thanks for relating to it aswell.



Your comment on how i should have added more of my digital lifestyle
into the video was helpful. I guess in order for people to really
relate to it I have to add more things which more people do. I know a
lot of people text and listen to there ipod, but you are right, I could have done something even more creative I guess.


Sharing the idea of you learning to multi-task through the years really
made me think about how we priorities things. We can easily multi task
by listening to our ipod, having phone conversations , and being on the
computer all at the same time, but can we do multiple things at once
when it comes to more important things, such as school work. I don't
think we can as easily, I for one get stressed out faster.

You focus on neither the bad or good, while primarily I try to see how it
all affects us in a bad way. I think your way of seeing this helps you
learn more about it. I do think though that we are both interested in
why we use technology so much and what causes this?

Comment on Ellens Video project HW #8

(*I commented on Ellens video so i could finish the triangle partner hw*)

Ellen,

I liked how in your video whe can actually see how your feeling. It shows that even though you into this whole digital world, you still have emotions and your still thinking about the long day you had.So in some occasions all this technology doesnt keep our minds off of things, for too long atleast.

I can see where your coming from when you say that as conversations started to get more interesting you felt even more pulled into it. Sometimes even though you really arent into it you keep do it, and eventually your oulled in. 

The video connects to mine cuz where are doing the same things. I connect to you worrying about your sister, as do i with mine. It just seems as though technology is just affecting kids even earlier than before. When i was gone the only digital device i was hooked on ws tv, and it wasnt even fr too long, i was ended up playing "house" or what not with my cousin.

Your video wa good, i guess like mine you could have added scenes with other digital use. Maybe develop your ideas on how digitalization makes you feel better,worse, the same during the day. When your feeling dow, happy? what does it do to you?

Your video helped me think about not texting so much, especially if i really dont feel like it. Sometimes im just on my phone with nothing to do, when i pould easily find something to do elsewhere.

I enjoyed your video. Thanks.