Political Polarization

I always had the suspicion that Facebook wasn't the best place to discuss politics. Though it seems like it would be a good way for people to stay politically connected, I wasn't surprised when I stumbled upon this study that people of certain parties tend to be surrounded by their own party's material in their own social media.

I think this could lead to a serious problem. A lot of political topics are discussed over Facebook. A lot of controversial topics are discussed over Facebook as well. From what I've seen, Facebook discussions don't really help anyone. People just get fired up and verbally tear others apart because they forget they're addressing a real person. No matter what you say to these people, they are hard to sway. They seem to walk away with a greater conviction than before, whether right or wrong. I think this fire is fed by their feeds; the majority of the posts and tweets they see are in agreement with their own political views. This could lead to serious political polarization.

I wonder how social media will continue to change the way that campaigns are run. It would be interesting to see studies that analyze the impact that social media has on voters. For those who want to learn about both parties from a non-biased source, I would stay away from social media. And the internet.

Food for thought!

E-Books: Friend or Foe?

I remember my first response to E-readers. I think it matched the typical reaction that the average person generally has to new media. When I was in 11th grade my mom got a Kindle for Christmas. I wrote an entire paper about why I thought this wasn't a good idea. No, I did not show it to my mom. It was for class.

But even then I had a hard time writing that paper. I poured out my love for books onto those pages as I wrote. I described the feeling of euphoria that accompanies picking up a new book and smelling its fresh pages while fanning them out in front of my face for the first time. I described how I loved the simple act of turning each page to let the story unfold before my eyes. I loved books.

I still love books! But I actually don't mind E-readers anymore. At first I thought they were a terrible idea. I saw them as a threat to my beautiful books. I saw them as mediums that could not convey the same message as a book, even if they contained the same words. I thought that the world would become a world of solely e-books and that I would have to build an underground shrine to my Harry Potter collection.

That actually sounds kind of fun. But I no longer think it's necessary.

I still agree that the message feels different depending on the medium. I have yet to read one of my favorite books online, but I have switched to online Gospel study. I have noticed that as I have read the Book of Mormon through the Gospel Library App that I feel the exact same Spirit that I feel when I read a hard copy. I learn just as much. I love how I can quickly mark and make notes into the text, go back and add things, delete old notes, and revise my writings. That would be kind of a fun trick for an e-book.

So, if I feel the same Spirit while reading the Book of Mormon online, I wonder if that would hold for my other favorite books. I will always love the smell and feel of hard copies. But it might be kind of fun to put my entire library online and carry it around with me on one device.

How Kids Want to Change Their Bodies

I love kids. We as adults have a lot to learn from their childlike innocence. My fiancé showed me this article that I absolutely love. The video portrays both children and adults responding to the same question: what would they change about their bodies? The adults responded almost automatically and focused on what they did not like about their bodies. The children, on the other hand, would give themselves fantastical superpowers. This serves as a reminder that beauty certainly isn't everything. We should be grateful for the bodies that we have been given. And, if we find ourselves daydreaming about changing our bodies, we should focus more on our desire to sprout wings and fly. That's what I've wanted since I was a child!! 😊

Enjoy!

http://time.com/3558383/video-adults-kids-change-bodies-question/