Looking At Youtube

After watching "An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube," I realized a couple of things. One thing is that the internet is not just about providing information for people who use it, but it is also a way to link people. I never really thought of it that way, but I now understand what it is talking about. I used to only think of the internet as a place where I would go for information before I ever joined any social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, or even YouTube. Once I joined these sites, I got the feeling of a community through an online site and being able to connect with others. After watching this video, I understand just a little bit of how the internet connects people. There are other ways than what I understood. Another thing I got out of this video was the talk about context collapse or talking into a camera and not knowing where this is going, who is going to see it, when they will see it, or where this will be posted. I know from personal experiences that I have been video taped for volleyball interviews in high school and I never thought it would be on YouTube. I have been taped for different activities to represent my high school and I never knew it would reach YouTube or other places, but it did. I only thought these would go on the sports sites. I have never actually talked into my own webcam, but I have talked into cameras and it is odd at first because you know that you are really not talking to anyone. I think what made it easier is because the first time I talked to a camera, someone was holding it that when I moved to a webcam for Skype, it was easier to talk because I have experienced talking to a camera and someone was there. Another topic he talked about is the looking glass self. This was very interesting to me because I learned about this in my sociology class. I never thought about how we can see who we are by other people based on how much people look at a video we have uploaded. After watching this video, I learned new things about YouTube that I never knew before.

Problems With Digital Writing

There are many problems when it comes to the internet. To begin, one problem is being able to access the internet. People who are in lower classes or less financially stable have difficulties finding a way to use the internet because they cannot afford it. The internet is becoming so popular and used so much that everything is shifting over slowly to being online. Those that cannot afford to own a computer or have fast running internet will not be allowed to access some of the important or interesting options online. Studies have found that some factors such as race, class, and where someone lives plays a role in internet access. Those who do not have access lose out on information and advancements in technology that other people have access to. This can be trouble for those that cannot afford internet because soon everything will be on the internet. As stated in the article "The New Digital Divide," many job applications, teachers giving lessons through videos, and even video chatting with doctors will all be on the internet. In my Chemistry lecture class, my teacher records her lectures and puts them on the internet for those who choose not to or cannot make class to watch in order for them to learn. It includes the slides that she talks about in order for her to explain. If I did not have a computer, I would not be able to access the lectures online. I think that the expenses of the internet are getting crazy and we should find ways for everyone to be able to access the internet so no one is left behind.
Another problem with communicating on the internet is that once something is posted, people can see it. Sometimes the things that someone posts gets into the wrong hands. Like in the article "Minnesota Girl Alleges School Privacy Invasion," a young girl posted something on Facebook and someone screen shot what she said and turned it into the school on multiple occasions. After people in charge of her school saw these posts, they punished her. Sometimes people have to be careful what they post online because sometimes you cannot trust those you think you can. I think that schools shouldn't be able to punish a kid for what is being said outside of school but should talk to them about what the problem is if it concerns the school. I feel like people should be able to express what they want, but yet should also be careful because sometimes what they say could get into the wrong hands.
Another problem similar to the case of the girl in Minnesota is for some job interviews. During some job interviews, like in the article "Job Interviewers Seeks Applicants 'Facebook Password,'" the people actually ask for your Facebook username and password. They want to look at your profile and activity to make sure that you can be a good representation of their company. With this being done, people can see this as an invasion of privacy because what they might do on Facebook does not always mean that is how they act. I think that is an invasion of privacy because someone cannot tell what type of person you are based on the internet and what you post. I think that there is more to someone than what they post online. I think that it is all about how the person acts on the job and during the interview, not on the internet.
Social media sites can be very public and people can take things that are posted the wrong way. In the article, "Parents of Expelled Student Say Guns Weren't Real," brings up the problem of how pictures can be misunderstood. The parents and students that were involved explained what they said was going on, while the school assumed these students were involved in a gang and using drugs. This might be the case, but sometimes a picture or a post can be misinterpreted by someone that does not get someone else. I think that people really do misunderstand posts that are on the internet because you do not know in what kind of context someone is speaking.
One big problem with social media sites is cyber-bullying. The article, "As Bullies Go Digital, Parents Play Catch Up," talks about cyber bullying. I think that cyber bullying is a big issue because it causes many people to have problems with their self confidence. I think that parents watching over their kids on the internet can have pros and cons. I think that kids should be punished for cyber bullying because they can take it too far and make other kids hurt themselves.

"Blogging and Mass Politics"

Being new to blogging has been a learning experience. Just like getting a Facebook or Twitter, you have to learn how the site is used. After reading many articles on blogging, I have learned more and more about how it works. In the article "Blogging and Mass Politics," I learned how blogs have been a way for people to state their opinion on certain topics and issues that they might not feel comfortable with saying in person to someone. There are so many different types of blogs and blogs for all different kinds of things. Even though there are many blogs, we sometimes still stick to what we know and what we like. After reading this article, I realized even though there are blogs for just about anything, there are times where we cannot believe if things that are said are actually true. The article compares blogging to a coffee shop because people find a common ground where they can talk to each other about certain topics. The big difference is that they are not talking in person when they are blogging. One idea that the author talked about that was very interesting was that there are different types of bloggers. People can be put into different groups based on three categories. Within each of these three categories, there are two subcategories to help make more groups. When I read this, I was very shocked because I always thought that people were just people who posted blogs or commented on blogs. I never knew that the way they responded determined what kind of blogger they are. When I continued reading and began reading the descriptions of each type of blogger, I connected one specific one with the people who commented on the blog I am using for my paper. Being a baking blog, the people who are commenting are usually saying good things about the recipes. Sometimes the people even add their own recipes that are somewhat different than the one given. One thing I found kind of different was the name "egghead." This is one of the groups and after reading the different names, this one stood out most to me. I thought about it and I don't think I would ever like to be called an egghead. Another interesting fact that struck me was about how people in different places go to dangerous levels, like risking their life, to blog about certain issues they face. One of these issues is the abuse of human rights. These people want to get their views out there and make others aware of the types of things they have to go through. This really shocked me and even made me think about my rights and how lucky I am to have the freedoms I do. All together, I found this article to be very interesting and a lot of this information I never knew. I always thought blogging was so easy and so simple, but there is much more behind blogging than just posting and commenting. Everything you do can reflect what kind of person you are.

College: Freshman Year

Everyone says that college is different from high school and boy are they correct. It is a little more challenging because it requires a lot of responsibility on you as a student and person. There aren't teachers hounding on you about not turning in homework; it is either you turn it in or you don't. People say teachers don't care, but in reality, they do. They want the best for you as a student and as an individual, but they cannot baby you anymore. They want us to succeed, but in the working world, if you don't do as you are told or finish what your boss wants you to do, then there are consequences. It has only been a week, but I can tell that life as a college student is more relaxing in a way. We get to choose whatever classes we want to take and when we take them. That is such a relief since we don't have to sit in school for seven hours. College: Freshman Year.