Alexandria's Blog (AK)

Research Paper Synopsis- Social Media is causing teens and young adults to develop anxiety and depression. The last assignment that was given in class was a research paper on whatever topic I was interested about. Could you guess what it involved from my previous posts? There's a trend... and it definitely has to deal with social media. I took this chance to really dive into the risks that social media is having on teens and young adults. What are the two main concerns you ask? They are depression and anxiety. Now some of you may be thinking that there are a ton of factors in life that could cause these two conditions, but social media is at the crux of it. Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are the applications to blame for teens and young adults anxious behavior because it is an escape from reality. I see a lot of people reaching for their phones and retreating to social media sites in group settings just to pass by time and entertain themselves. Beca...

Closing in on the End You all may be wondering why I am titling this blog, Closing in on the End. It is because I just wrapped up the last exam in my Intro to Digital Media class. It is such a bittersweet feeling that truly has not hit me yet, but I am so glad I took this class. I learned about different terms and I previously did not know about and have read some amazing articles that have really made me be more aware about so many different topics on media and how it is changing our lives and world. I would say that my favorite book to read that was assigned was Convergence Culture by Henry Jenkins because it talked about so many concepts about three different cultures coming together and the evolution of them all. My favorite articles that I read in this class were "Does the Internet Make You Smarter?" by Clay Shirkey and "Is Google Making Us Stupider" by Nicholas Carr. If you read my other posts, you could probably guess that just because I wrote on different ...

Transmedia Storytelling: Is it Important?? Recently I learned about a new topic that I have not heard of before: Transmedia Storytelling. When I first heard this term I thought it meant something totally different from its actual definition. If you're like me and you did not know what this term meant, you're in the right place because I am about to tell you. Transmedia Storytelling is the concept of telling a story or plot across all different types of media platforms and all coming together to form one huge storyline. An example of this could be The New York Times covering the story that incorporates video interviews with people that are vital to the story line, and have other interactive features that add on to the story. If you want a better idea of what Transmedia Storytelling is watch this link . I personally like the idea with Transmedia Storytelling because it aids in adding value to the story to learn a little bit more about the situation or event that occurred. Now...

Music streaming apps have become more and more popular as years pass and technology changes. Remember those days where you put a CD in and played all the tracks to an album!? Well that is no longer a thing unfortunately. (My 2018 car does not even have a CD player in it... I was so shocked) As this shift in technology has occurred, it has forced more people to adapt music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, or Sound Cloud on their devices. This makes listening to music SO easy. It even allows people to create their own playlists for certain occasions: working out, doing homework, or relaxing with friends. Although these streaming services offer free or premium options, if people choose to go with the free plan, they have to listen to ads every couple of songs which is a total mood killer if you ask me. So all in all, I fully believe that paying for these music streaming apps are totally worth it. I use Spotify and love all the curated playlists that pop up going ...

Cyberbullying is a issue that continues to be a problem all over the world, and is most prevalent in the United States. This type of bullying can happen through text messages, social media sites, and even in gaming chat groups. There have been a lot of suicides all over the world just because someone is being picked on or threatened by someone else or a group of people. This is an issue that is not talked about enough. I believe that immediate, strict punishment should be put into effect if cyberbullying occurs. The severity of this punishment should be determinant on to what effect the bullying had on the person being targeted.  The law that was put into effect in Michigan is the perfect punishment for people that cyberbully others. For a first offense, people can face up to 93 days in jail or a fine of $500 (or both). If it is their second conviction they can face up to a $1,000 fine or a year in jail. If someone causes death to the other party, it could be 10 years in jail ...

The internet surrounds us in our daily lives whether we use it or not and it continues to grow larger each day. A lot of people think that the internet is not making us smarter because everyone has access to information at the touch of their fingertips, which in some cases, does require us to look up anything with a book anymore. This, in turn, is also making people lazier, and just overall distracted when trying to complete tasks that require more attention. After reading an article titled   Why the Internet Is Making Us Smarter   on Forbes, I soon found out that its' reasoning for why the internet is making us smarter is that the "visual syntax and grammar is more sophisticated than it has ever been." Although this reasoning is true, I do not think it is a good enough reason for the internet making us smarter. I believe the real reason why the internet is making us smarter is that so much information is so accessible that it is easier for people to grow their knowl...

Being someone who utilizes social media daily, heck, almost hourly, I was curious to know what the most popular social media platform in the U.S. is. I did some "Googling" (haha-- only if you read my last post) and it showed me the top results from a Pew Research Center study from 2018.  **Drumroll Please** It came up that YouTube was the most popular social media platform. I was a little surprised by this. I assumed either Facebook or Instagram were going to be the highest, but YouTube swept them away by 68%. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest all trailed the first place winner in the rankings. Even though this study is from 2018, I still wonder if YouTube will stay at the number one spot for 2019. My prediction is that Facebook will grab the #1 ranking this year with YouTube trailing and Instagram in the third spot. What do you think? Leave a comment below. Which Social Media Platform Is The Most Popular In The U.S?

My alarm goes off, I turn it off and lay in bed for at least five minutes to check Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and my e-mail. As I get ready for the day, I listen to Spotify, grab something quick to eat, and head out the door to go to school. Sometimes when I stop at stoplights I will open any notifications I get and send a few texts. When I get to school, I park and check all of my social media again. After class, I text, look on social media for at least the fourth time of the day, get in my car and turn on Spotify. This is just half of my day and it is already filled with being connected to and on my phone for most of the first half of my morning.  Technology is consuming our lives and it is very unhealthy. When I walk into restaurants or fast food places almost everyone has their phone out, either on it or sitting next to them. It is sickening to see, but we all do it. The technological advances, which connect us with friends and family near and far is...

Google -- a wealth of information, a place where almost everyone goes to find directions, the best places to eat, events happening around me, definitions, and more. If you do not know the answer to a question most people say "Google it." This place of reference, information, and knowledge has provided the population with a go-to place to find seriously everything. I think Google has helped the lives of many with having questions answered within milliseconds.  Some may argue that Google is hurting the lives of some, being able to look up anything at the touch of a button. I could see how this could affect human lives and contribute to relying on Google for every answer. Although this could be true, I find that you have to take Google with a grain of salt sometimes. People cannot believe everything they see on the internet just because of the fact that ANYONE can be a content creator and post on the internet. Fake news is just one example that could deceive the public into ...