Bumper stickers are known for being a source to voice your opinion yet not necessarily having to face the consequences or judgement of saying your opinion out loud. Many of them tactfully use humor to get their point across, while some may be blunt and get straight to the point. This bumper sticker, while it uses religion and humor as a selling point, brings light to the attention of texting and driving.Texting and driving is a serious societal issue that seems to get blown off, especially by the younger generations who swear they can multitask. In reality, nobody is that crafty, and crashes and deaths because of distracted drivers haven’t been going down.

At first, I thought that this sticker would be a perfect fit for one who was just a major follower of Jesus and also wanted the roads to be safe. But after thinking about this sticker over a few days, I realized that you don’t even have to believe in Jesus to want to have this sticker on your car. That part is only to catch your attention. The whole “honk if ____” idea is to get people’s attention and get them involved. That part of the bumper sticker, even if the reader does not believe in Jesus, gets them to at least read the sticker. It’s like the thesis statement of bumper sticker humor.

After getting your attention, the bumper sticker takes a more serious turn, as the second part states “text if you want to see him.” Texting while driving is an epidemic that has swept across the nation with the growth of smart phones in the past 10 years. As we all know, it became such a big issue that laws have been passed regarding the use of cell phones in motor vehicles. There are a lot of bumper stickers out there that bring attention to larger issues such as political views, abortion, war and violence… the list goes on. But what can you do about those things while you are driving? At least not texting and driving is something you can do right after you read this bumper sticker, which not only makes it a true statement but also it is aiding in the issue it is bringing up. Once you read the sticker, you should feel obligated to put down your phone, or keep it down. Even if the person put the bumper sticker on for their personal gain, it is also helping out anyone who reads it. If such a simple thing can make an impact, whether it be on one person’s day or every car that gets behind it, then I will support a Jesus against texting bumper sticker movement any day.

I have always thought that Google’s “Year in Search” videos at the end of the year were solely a wrap-up of what us as a society searched throughout the year, as it states in the title. They are always full of interesting points that, by the end of the year, you may have forgotten happened in the earlier months. After watching their year in review videos from 2014-2017, I noticed one major shift. As the years progressed, the videos went from merely stating what we searched that year, but they began to manifest into who we were as a society. Searches went from celebrities, movies and the newest iPhone, to how to aid those affected by hurricanes, earthquake, wildfires, and everything in between, plus how to house refugees, how to stop the building of the wall, and how to be fearless.

This is a fantastic example of the changes in society’s understanding that they needed to change. Not to say that everyone watched Google’s videos and were suddenly a more caring person, but Google’s videos shows that something did happen like that – an overall epiphany. Within the past few years, the world has faced so many struggles that have allowed people to care about more than just themselves. This shows through our Google searches. It also is a great example of how us as a society saw our decline and went out of our way to fix the problem… or at least try to. The effort is there from millions of people, and not just the ones who had to Google search how to make a protest sign.

Some argue that people should have seen these issues sooner, done more about them quicker, or have spoken out about them rather than merely walked in a protest about it. But honestly, no matter what small part you play in giving aid to people affected, or speaking one word against the wrongdoings of people in power, it makes an impact. How do I know this? Even Googling a question about it made an impact. Not only does this show that people want to learn and change the world that they live in, but also they aren’t afraid to ask questions. Especially when it comes to such sensitive topics where most people don’t even feel comfortable talking about them with other people, questions are vital to knowing how to approach the situation. With an outlet such as Google, people can ask their questions with anonymity, but also know that the answers and information they gain about the topic is valid and informative.

While it doesn’t matter which way people were influenced to help their society, Google’s Year in Review videos, especially 2016-2017, are one of those things you watch that makes you feel empowered, moved, and determined to go out and change the world. What makes it even more soul shifting is that the data isn’t made up to motivate you, the data is real and shows that there are other people out there just like you. So when you feel like your one speech, small act of protest, one welcoming home or a small act of kindness will not make a difference, know that thousands of people felt the same way. But they just went on Google, looked it up, and then proceeded to have an effect on the world larger than they could have ever imagined.

When people think of cellophane, there are many things that come to their mind before children. It is used to wrap oddly shaped gift that don’t fit in boxes or wrapping paper, not babies. DuPont cellophane came out with a series of ads in the 1950s that portrayed babies and young children wrapped in their cellophane, stating that “you see so many good things in DuPont cellophane.”

While parents do tend to think that their children are “good,” there is no way to comprehend why they would be better off wrapped in plastic. No matter how parents felt about their kids, wrapping them in cellophane is child abuse. Yes, the babies in the ads look happy and adorable, but this is also an illustration, not a live picture. Why isn’t it a live picture? Most likely because they couldn’t get a family to let the ad makers wrap their kids in actual cellophane.Even on the off chance that they did find someone willing to endanger their child like that, I am sure that the family and the company would get sued for an arm and a leg.

Another aspect of the ad that doesn’t really do its job is the fact that the company chose to use the word “good.” Good? There are so many more words that could capture the attention of your consumers better, or be used to describe a baby wrapped in cellophane (again, not moral, but as a selling point, most parents describe their kids better than ‘good’!)  Obviously the company thought that the rest of their ad would make people buy their cellophane, so why not think about the words they are reading, too? In order to be effective, the ad has to be a whole idea rather than a controversial picture and some mediocre words.

The one idea in the ad that I do understand is the small words at the bottom, stating “You see the good things you buy… no guesswork. They come fresh, stay fresh longer – less waste. And cellophane keeps them extra clean and sanitary.” Brand new, clear cellophane right off of the roll does give a clean and fresh look, which can also be associated with newborn babies. The idea is right their in the palm of the creators’ hands, they just decided to take it in the wrong directions by actually wrapping the babies in the dangerous plastic. Overall, if you tear apart the ad, you can find the intended message. Even so, the ad is meant to be easily understood and widely accepted at first glance… and at first glance, it is still just babies wrapped in cellophane.