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/

Disney Princesses with Real Waistlines

I came across this article the other day that I thought was really interesting. Artists went back and drew in realistic proportions for several Disney princesses, and they all look great! I think the realistic human body is much more beautiful than the body portrayed with no waist at all. Seeing the pictures side by side is fascinating too. You don't realize how unrealistic their waistlines are until you compare them with what a normal waistline looks like.
I think drawing Disney characters with a realistic waistline would also help the characters be more relatable to young viewers. It may also help with self-image by giving little girls an accurate idea of what an average body looks like.

Read it! It's fascinating. :)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/disney-princess-real-waistline_n_6076634.html

Interstellar!!!!

This post may not even be coherent because it is super late and all I want to be right now is unconscious. BUT. I have to post about Interstellar.

That movie is so good. It is one of my favorite movies directed by Chris Nolan thus far, though I still say Inception remains my favorite. However, there are so many things about Interstellar that I absolutely loved.

First, I saw it on Imax. So it was even more beautiful because I got to watch it on a giant screen. The filming was fantastic. Each scene was beautiful, and I was so impressed with the special effects. Secondly, the music was phenomenal. The music itself conveyed themes portrayed in the movie. When you watch it, pay attention to the music. The two-tone music reflects a binary theme. Pretty appropriate, no? Genius.

Thirdly, the themes of the movie were beautiful. I love how it weaves in love of family between a father and a daughter, the power of love in general, the importance of overcoming fear, of choosing love over survival, and more. I love the dynamic of each individual character. Almost every character in the film was incredibly well-written, and they all act upon different motives, which diversity reflects the different characteristics  of the human race.

Technology in the Hands of Two Year Olds

I'm already amazed how technology has managed to fall into the grasp of toddlers. Take my nephew for example. He is the cutest child under the sun. He's about age 2, and he loves technology more than any toddler I have ever seen. If you have a cell phone, an i-pad, a laptop, or any technology of any sort, he is right at your side. I'm not sure what enthralls him so much. Probably the light, the sounds, and the colors. My nephew loves touch screens in particular. He loves to scroll through screens with his finger, and most of all, he loves to take pictures.

In fact, he loves to take pictures so much that he actually made up his own sign language that signals to us that he wants to use a camera on someone's iphone or ipad. His parents taught him several signs, and sometimes he makes up his own. When he wants to take pictures, he will stick out his right hand and stick out his pointer finger and point down several times, reflecting the motion of pushing a button. It's the cutest thing ever. And terribly difficult to say no to. Which is why it was hard for me to pay attention during a few general conference talks a few weeks ago.

What's the point of this post? I'm not sure. Just the fact that it's amazing how toddlers will now entertain themselves on ipads, iphones, and other media that others would suggest are not for kids. It makes me wonder how technology will continue to influence young children in the future.

Facebook: Fact or Fiction?

Facebook is fascinating. We use it to connect with other people and to share how we are doing, yet it still gives us a warped view of reality. Now I can't speak for everyone, but I would assume that many people post their ideal lives on Facebook. They announce all the exciting news and the joyful moments to celebrate, but once hard times hit they quiet down. We seldom can understand what others are going through scrolling through their Facebook wall.

I will even admit to this. Last Friday I got engaged to my fiancé, and naturally Facebook was the medium I chose to let most people know. We posted pictures, I wrote a blog post, and my notifications exploded. We received a lot of incredibly validating feedback. Which was awesome. Well, since he proposed his car has broken down twice and I have been facing some of my most stressful academic days of my life. Did I post all that on Facebook?

Of course not! Why ruin the joy of the moment by posting a complaint? I want everyone to see that I am still happy. Because I certainly am! I've never been happier. Doesn't mean I'm not incredibly stressed or that my life is perfect, though. Which is what we tend to see when we scroll others' Facebook pages. We see what is on the surface, but we rarely see the difficult challenges that are going on back stage. Some people are incredibly open with their challenges on Facebook. I, however, tend to keep those to myself. 

So this post is just a little reminder to never compare your life with the life you see someone else living on Facebook. Because you are only seeing a piece of reality.