TED Talk Reflection

Despite my efforts to practice and familiarize myself with the content of my speech, I let my nerves get the best of me. When I rehearsed on my own, my speech was over five minutes long, so I was hoping to shorten the time by about a minute, but when I started, I noticed my pace was far faster than originally anticipated. This in combination with my unintentional exclusion of content, lack of eye contact, dull visual aids, and failure to display poise left me feeling disappointed with the outcome of my TED Talk.

While I am aware of my shortcomings, I feel that my content, when presented in its entirety, has a strong message and my decision to approach the story from a third-person point of view before personalizing it at the end offers a unique perspective on the stigma surrounding mental health. If I were to give this speech again, I would focus on slowing down (physically and verbally), making eye contact with my audience, and displaying confidence in my presentation. When well-practiced and calmly presented, I feel that my TED Talk would have great potential… I just need to calm down!

Circle Prompt #5: A Need to Know

Mercer, while unpopular among Circlers, offers a true “outsider’s perspective” on the Circle’s focus on a social-media-driven-culture. In his letter to Mae, he identifies a “new neediness” for information about herself and others, stating, “[y]ou don’t want just your data, you need mine” (436). While Mae and her followers find Mercer’s frustrations to be misguided and unwarranted, there is some truth to his claims: social media has created a “need” for immediate and complete gratification. When Circlers seek information, they expect a quick and complete answer. After all, their mission is to “fill the gaps,” regardless of whether it is truly in good conscience or ethics.

This intense neediness or desire for completion is evidenced in all aspects of the Circle’s day-to-day operations. From simple things like consumer follow-up surveys in the CE department to innovations like SoulSearch at the end of the novel, Circlers are constantly seeking answers. The assumption that people will respond quickly in social interactions and demand for frequent social media engagement creates a dependence not only on social media, but electronics as a whole. Technology enables Circlers to develop a social media dependence, and the two go hand-in-hand.

The term “neediness” can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Neediness can refer to a desire to be up to date on information, remain in touch with others, quickly answer questions, or use social media as a way to interpret self-worth. In Mae’s case, neediness means all of these things, not to mention a need for attention, as evidenced by her behaviors after going “transparent” and overreaction to finding out that three percent of the Circle did not find her to be “awesome.” Mae, like many people in modern society, uses social media as a means for seeking approval and validation when she lacks self-confidence.

Similar to as illustrated in The Circle, social media today has emerged into a common and somewhat essential component of American culture. While it is by no means “required” or “mandated” by law, it has soared in popularity as people are identifying a “new neediness” for current information, communication with others, social participation, validation of self-worth, and feelings of inclusion. Engaging in a social-media-driven-culture means that people can pick up their phones, send out a post, and have responses in minutes, thus providing immediate gratification. The power and availability of social media has created a “need” to feel engaged and in-touch, often serving as a means of gaining social acceptance.

Full immersion into this “needy” culture with distorted perspectives and limited privacy is not only becoming increasingly common, but reaching a younger audience. Self-disclosure and a desire to know more about others is starting early as evidenced by children publicly snapchatting, tweeting, and engaging with others on social media. Social interaction is evolving into an expectation, as people are constantly grabbing their phones to snap the perfect picture and scrolling through Facebook while in line at the store. Mercer was right – like the Circle, society too, has a need for (arguably a dependence on) social media.

Life Through a Lens – ‘The Circle’ Prompt #4

Upon being employed by the Circle, Mae is hesitant to self-disclose though social media and has strict boundaries between her personal and professional life. However, as the plot progresses, she is faced with pressure to increase self-disclosure as a means of maintaining her position and advancing in the field, thus compromising her values and blurring the division between different parts of her life. Eventually, with the encouragement of Eamon Bailey, one of the Wise Men and founders of the Circle, Mae agrees to go completely transparent, completely erasing all privacy in her life. So eager for success and brainwashed by the Circle’s mission, Mae forces the Circle’s beliefs onto other people in her life, unwilling to accept differing views yet bothered by the distance developing between her and people from her “past life,” that is, life before the Circle.

While Mae’s intentions of helping people and contributing to the greater good remain consistent, her means of achieving those goals shifts throughout the novel. At first, helping people by answering queries and engaging in positive activity on social media is enough for Mae to feel like an active member of the Circle community, but as the plot progresses, Mae’s role shifts to a portraying a rehearsed depiction of her daily life, which not only causes her to change her habits, but lacks a meaningful contribution to society at large. In a sense, Mae’s transparency, a never ending invasion of privacy, changes her as a person. It makes her less sensitive to people like Mercer and her parents, who wish to maintain their privacy and puts a strain on her relationship with Annie, who is increasingly distant in her interactions with Mae following her return to campus.

Mae’s perpetual role as a Circle ambassador not only affects her interactions with those close to her, but increases self-confidence to a point of feeling superior. As evidenced by the text, Mae feels that Annie’s hostility is actually jealousy through the line, “[j]ust when her envy of Mae–and it was that, it was so abundantly obvious–was growing, she could cut Mae down to size again,” perpetuating Mae’s newfound assumption that people are distant because of jealousy surrounding her sudden rise to fame (362). However, when people are idolizing Mae, labeling her as a role model, “[being transparent gives] her more of a feeling of responsibility, and that feeling of responsibility–to the Circlers, to their clients and partners, to the youth who [see] inspiration in her,” it is difficult to take a step back (331). Mae is constantly immersed in life at the Circle, even living on-campus full time, which leaves no room for taking an outsider’s perspective.

Despite dramatic shifts in Mae’s behavior throughout the plot as she progresses to a totally transparent lifestyle, the end of the assigned reading indicates that her concern for family remains intact, as she attempts to reach them upon returning to the Circle’s campus. As subtly mentioned throughout the section, the “tear” Mae is experiencing, a tear of her conscience, will hopefully prevail and help her to find her true self – a self free from the constant stress of being a Circle ambassador.

A Cloudy Perception: The Circle Prompt #3

Mae, much like many millennials, struggles to separate real and stimulated life. Her fixation on social media and most notably, her PartiRank and InnerCircle interaction, highlights a connection between online portrayal and her sense self-worth. This is evidenced when she is second in her CicrleSurvey participation and rather than accepting the ranking as solely a number, immediately seeks validation in the fact that “…her PartiRank had been in the 1,900s all month, and Sebastian has yet to crack 4,000” (Eggers 236). While this definitely highlights a blur between the lines of real and stimulated life, Mae’s need for validation through means of social media is not limited to the plot of The Circle – it is present in the lives of young people today. In an article published by The Guardian highlighting the correlation between social media use and low self-esteem, Essena O’Neill, an Australian teenager, reported that when she posted her first Instagram, “[she] remember[ed] [she] obsessively checked the like count for a full week” (Gajanan 1). She explained: “[The picture] got 5 likes. This was when I was so hungry for social media validation” (Gajanan 1).

While O’Neill was too dependent upon social media for her sense of self at one point in time, she reported to The Guardian that after previous experiences, she was done with social media and wanted to shift her focus to “real life projects.” Mae, on the other hand, seems to dig further into a blur between real and stimulated life, as she began at the Circle with little desire to self-disclose or use social media and now has obesses over her PartiRank, uses social media during family time, and most notably, has agreed to “go transparent” after her conversation about behavior and privacy with Eamon Bailey. It is even pointed out that with the Circle’s decision to stream a live feed from the workplace, Mae lives at her desk, constantly working – whether it be related to Consumer Experience or social media, Mae is married to her job.

With that being said, Mercer is right in asking Mae if she realizes “how incredibly boring [she has] become” because she truly has no balance between work at the Circle and life outside of the technology-centered company (Eggers 263). The Circle conveys a message that success in stimulation reflects success in real life and Mae is all-consumed by her media portrayal to ensure success and advancement within the company, as well as to avoid the public humiliation associated with a lack of or negative media usage.

In both The Circle and society today, social pressure plays a significant role in the rising usage of social media as a means of documenting daily life. With the normalization of this trend, a connection between stimulation and real life has developed, as users feel as if online interaction discussing interests, activities, and events is the equivalent of engaging in face-to-face interaction with others. For Mae, this means a loss of everyday behaviors that reinforce the idea that stimulation and real life are two separate entities – a concept she most certainly needs to rediscover.

‘The Guardian’ Article

The Circle: Prompt #2 – Data and Privacy

At the close of the first section of reading for The Circle, readers are introduced to Eamon Bailey’s idea of the “SeeChange” surveillance system. SeeChange, a camera operation designed to allow users to see everything at all times, is presented with the idea that “all that happens must be known” (68). While Circlers view this as a huge technological advance, the unauthorized use of camera data to spy or “learn more” about others, is a major invasion of privacy, an issue that becomes increasingly evident as the plot progresses.

The Circle employees embrace the idea that “knowledge is power,” but struggles to identify the boundary between using technology for good and collecting data as an invasion of privacy. While some technological advances, such as Francis Garaventa’s idea to install microchips into children’s bones to prevent abduction and the health center’s use of wristbands to monitor health aim to collect data with a positive intention, there is a difference between obtaining information with consent and forcing people to – knowingly or unknowingly – self-disclose.

While the Circle is a technologically-centered community, the heavy emphasis on sharing information to thrive in the workplace brings the value of privacy into question –  does the Circle respect the separation between personal and professional life?

I agree that it is important to develop a sense of community in the workplace, but the idea of “transparency” as conveyed by the human resources department of the company, is demanding a degree of self-disclosure beyond what is generally acceptable or appropriate. Even more frighteningly, chastising Mae for her desire to keep personal matters, such as her father’s health issues, off social media is representative of a blurred boundary between using data to learn more about others and respecting individual privacy.

Most Circlers, however, are painfully unaware of boundaries or personal space. This is evident when Denise, a member of the Circle’s HR department, questions Mae’s emotional status because of her lack of participation on social media. Her judgment that Mae’s attitude is the type of attitude that “…sometimes stems from a low sense of self-worth,” is manipulative and inappropriate for the workplace (189). If Mae is working hard and producing positive outcomes, that should take precedence over pestering her about her social life.

It could be argued that the Circle abuses data in a blatant invasion of privacy. For example, at Mae’s first visit to the doctor, the medical clinic already had all of her health records, which they obtained without her consent. This activity, which embodies the words displayed on the clinic’s wall, “To heal we must know. To know we must share,” displays the company’s tendency to abuse their technological influences to obtain personal, private information about their employees (151). There is a difference between using data to answer a question and finding details about a person’s life without asking their permission. The first method would be classified as resourceful, the second would be considered an invasion of privacy, if not completely illegal in some cases.

As the plot intensifies, I am eager to see the evolution of the Circle’s relationship between data and privacy relative to overall company success and functioning.

Civic Artifact Speech: ‘Love Your Tree’ Campaign

Civic Artifact Speech Outline (A VERY rough draft…changes to come)

Topic: Sheppard Pratt Hospital’s Love Your Tree Campaign

Purpose: To promote positive body image and media literacy in an effort to combat the eating disorder epidemic affecting individuals across the country.

Thesis Statement: Sheppard Pratt’s Love Your Tree campaign attempts to redefine self-perception as a call to action in combatting the eating disorder epidemic by promoting body-positivity and gratitude on college campuses.

Introduction

Attention Strategy:  When I was growing up, I was often much taller than my peers. People used to compare me to a tree, a giraffe, a giant, anything they could think of that would describe my height. Back then, it actually hurt; why would someone equate my body to a tree?

Today, I wear the tree of life on a necklace. I received it as a gift when I finished treatment for an eating disorder in August. The tree of life meant a lot to me in treatment, and it still does today. Like a tree, my body is strong and resilient. Like a tree, my body will heal from the damage and stand tall.

Orienting Material: The Love Your Tree campaign, developed by the Sheppard Pratt Center for Eating Disorders, uses a combination of eating disorder research and art therapy concepts to ask individuals to complete the statement: “Like a tree, my body is…” While it is designed to promote positive body image, the campaign is not just for those struggling with disordered eating; body gratitude and media literacy can be beneficial to anyone.

Preview: The use of intrinsic proofs and awareness of the rhetorical situation allows Sheppard Pratt to spread its ideas surrounding the emergent ideology of body-positivity rather than media-conformity.

Body

Main Idea – Sheppard Pratt’s effort to target young people allows their campaign to achieve full effect due to the vulnerability of the selected population.

  1. With the National Eating Disorders Association reporting that 25% of college-aged males and 32.6% of the female collegiate population struggle with disordered eating, targeting college campuses like Towson University provides the campaign with the exigence and audience necessary to share the mission of the Love Your Tree
  2. Because of the rising statistics and emergence of body-positive advertising, like #AerieReal and the Dove Real Beauty Campaign, kairos is rhetorically significant in sharing Sheppard Pratt’s message.
  3. In the video, the Sheppard Pratt staff speaks briefly, but aware of the constraints associated with licensed professionals conveying the message of body-positivity, several students are also interviewed to provide a more relatable perspective on the campaign.

Main Idea – Ethos is not only important to the rhetorical situation, but to the intrinsic proofs surrounding the campaign and promotional video.

  1. By including explanations about the campaign from eating disorder professionals and interviews with college students participating in the Love Your Tree mission, the audience can better relate to the mission, thus making them more likely to consider the emergent ideology.
  2. In addition to ethos, pathos is evident in the video through music choice, facial expressions, diversity in people interviewed, and open responses to the statement, “Like a tree, my body is…”

Main Idea – The Love Your Tree campaign is reflective of the emergent ideology of body-positivity and gratitude rather than succumbing to the societal pressure to be “perfect.”

  1. The movement to redefine the way young people view their bodies is a not only a movement in self-acceptance, but a call of action to our civic duty to promote body-positivity and work to prevent of eating disorders and related mental health issues.

Conclusion

Summary Statement – Sheppard Pratt’s awareness of rhetorical situation, intrinsic proofs, and emergent ideologies fuels its call to action to combat the spread of eating disorders and promote body-positivity through the Love Your Tree campaign.

Concluding Remark – And so, I ask you to finish the sentence: “Like a tree, my body is…” (show picture of my tree from project on PowerPoint)

Sources (formal citations to come):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNZulupvzfU

http://eatingdisorder.org/love-your-tree/

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/CollegiateSurveyProject

loveyourtree (Microsoft Word version of outline)

“Newbies” – Circle Prompt #1

From my first time stepping foot on Penn State’s campus, I was in awe. The size, the students, the facilities, the reputation, the tradition, all of it, felt like a dream. Seldom can you find a school that is known and respected in the way that PSU is viewed by the public. With alumni relations across the world and branch campuses throughout the state, I find it difficult to comprehend the global influence of the Penn State community.

Much like my first visit to Penn State, Mae’s first reaction to the Circle is filled with disbelief. Taken aback by the size and population of the Circle campus, she finds herself in a time of adjustment and transition to her new way of life. With the shared value of community, the Circle and PSU promote socialization, but also require significant time commitments to accommodate the increased demands work and study. Although late nights are common, it does not stop students or Circlers from attending parties, concerts, and other events.

Mae’s first days as a Circler are much like a freshman’s first days as a Penn Stater. In The Circle, Annie uses the analogy that introducing Mae to the Circle is like installing wood floors. She explains that you have to let the “wood” get acclimated before putting in the nails and finishing installation as a way to relate Mae’s early experiences as a Circler to a foundation for further advancement. For freshman at PSU, the Welcome Week activities, First-Year Lectures, and general education courses serve as the groundwork for the entire Penn State experience. Without the beginning pieces to help us get acclimated, advancing to the point of earning a degree would not be possible.

With mantras like “Dream,” “Participate,” “Imagine,” “Find Community,” and “Innovate,” the Circle parallels Penn State’s values. While being a “newbie” in an unfamiliar environment was overwhelming at first, much like Mae as Circler, I am so excited to see where the future takes me in my time as a Penn Stater. The journey starts now.

Civic Artifact Ideas

Passion Blog Ideas: The Middle Path

My passion blog, The Middle Path, will focus on topics such as stress managmenet, mental health, and overall well-being, specifically among college-aged students. I hope to use this platform to bring attention to relevant issues and promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle, an idea important in both my personal life and intended major of psychology.