Tag Archives: facebook

How technology has made us better than our parents

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Ok, we get it . This generation has been “ruined” by technology. We no longer communicate face to face, we cyberbully our peers, we are always “connected” through the ipod, the computer, or ” that Nintendo” ( as my dad insist on calling every gaming console).

Everyday that I read a new article or blog the message is always the same, We have reached our demise via technology. Ironically enough most of the articles or forums where this complaint can be read are online…via” that damned technology.” Not to mention it was their peers who helped to usher us into this new technological age. My favorite teachers cried and boohooed at the death of the walkman and inevitable fate of the cd player due to the arrival of the ipod. Back then the concept did seem a little egregious. Is it necessary to have a music device that holds 1,500 songs?! Now 9 years later, could you  imagine if your ipod/iphone only held 1,500 songs?

 

Every time I text for too long in the kitchen , my sister , 38, says the same thing ” all you young people do is text , text, text, that thing is gonna get you guys in trouble.” I playfully argue with her that it makes everything better to which of course she vehemently disagrees. Later she sends me a text with a picture of my 9 month old niece. They say that we no longer communicate, we lack interpersonal skills.  This past summer however, I spoke to a friend located on a different continent ,4 hours ahead of me nearly all month through blackberry’s BBM. Time and distance never seemed a problem.

The irony is that for all the complaining and somewhat condescending remarks. The argument can be made that technology has made us better. I am not even sure students of this generation get the credit they deserve. The distraction of the babyboomers consisted of noisy dorm hallways and inconsiderate roommates blasting music . How can my mom relate to trying to write a 8 page paper in this technological climate? When Facebook is in the background, my blackberry is flashing a new message notification, a roommate laughing from another funny cat video on YouTube and someone is trying to reach me through skype or ovoo. Oh, the hallways are still noisy and the music still blares from the other side of the  room.

So next time your grandparent,parent or professor starts up on their technology has ruined us bit, just remember (whispers) they are just jealous we’re better than them. In the mean time. I am going to go microwave some food and Facebook a before class. Technology, gotta love it.

Constructive Criticism

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I think they truly have. See  I am student writer. One in the process of learning this craft, learning the mechanics and on a simpler note just learning how to write period. There is a difference between having good thoughts and articulating them in an efficient manner. My major says journalism but it also says student. Hence there must be a learning curve. Every post I write will not have a disclaimer to this fact. I will not make known the fact that everyday I learn new rules or find more habits that need to be broken. The point is to learn on the go and put what you learn into practice. The best piece of advice given to me when I told a mentor of mine at a previous school I wanted to write , was to do so everyday. Make it a daily habit. That’s kind of what this is about. That and to be truthful I have an unique perspective that I wanted to share with others. My college experiences are CRAZY.

HOWEVER what has annoyed me the most since starting this blog. Have been the comments. Not those by my peers I love them . Good and bad I love when people post comments on a post. It lets me know that you are alive , you are part of this little writer and reader relationship. Of course I see the amount of people that read my post and that always amazes me that so many people would read the blog. My issue however is with the Alumni. They kind of disgust me to be honest. As I write this someone is saying there goes his networking out the window( it was in my head as well) but to be truthful in edu domain friendly words “I don’t care”.

Countless amount of times my post has been featured on the school Facebook page. Whenever that happens I get more pedestrian views than usual. I sometimes don’t realize till a few days after. Usually when I see the numbers shoot off the chart. So I then take my little web stroll over to the school page and see it for myself. That’s when it always happens. Never fails that I see some Alum go ” ahhhhhh grammar grammar grammar” or “this shouldn’t be posted there are way to many mistakes” I can go on but I’m sure by now you get the point. Probably even have seen such. I then look at that comment and see about 5 “likes” . That is when I stew. Not only because that is about the only time that the alum is probably getting “likes” which some probably are still struggling to understand, but because for one the comments are never left on MY post. Which to me says “ego driven” . There is no reason I should have to go on the school page to read the criticism of my post. When I have a comment section! It’s senseless to me! That leads me to believe you are “like hunting”. More importantly is this. If I know or become aware of a typo or mistake, I fix them. After all the point is to be able to fix and correct. This is why we have the ability to edit articles already published.

The biggest issue I have with this stems from the above image. I could be wrong but I thought alum were here to uplift , encourage and be of help to current students. Simply telling the world but not the student writer of the problem will not fix or solve the current “ahhhh grammar grammar grammar” problem. I one time got so upset. That an English major graduate would take to Facebook to cry over the mistakes. Yet he didn’t think to help a current journalism major student right his wrongs or steer him in the right direction. Do you see how that sounds? What good came out of his comments. I didn’t see them until a week later and still didn’t even know what he was talking about 0_0 .This is all with out me adding in the fact that this is a BLOG. A BLOG! Not the New York Times. I am speaking to my peers: current students and soon to be’s . Where as you are still trying to remember how to change your current system preferences. I cld tlk like ths 2 my ppl nd still every1 wld get me, things like gifs, u dnt undrstnd but we do. u call it social media we use wrds like web , online, “goin on the computer during library hrs. So u c its not alwys bout wat u like but wat we like. Aii.

Moral of the story. If you are going to criticize or critique make sure that it’s function is to help and not to tear down. After all who we become or what we learn is a direct reflection of what you didn’t teach us.

p.s. Nobody likes a troll.Troll and get troll’d . Srsly