Month: September 2019
Unhealthy Smart Phone Obsession
I remember my mom always told me “put down your phone it is rotting your brain!” Obviously, I would disagree with her and continue to play on my phone. It was not until later in high school that I had an epiphany. People really are obsessed with their phones. In school, my classmates would play on their phones to avoid social interaction. They thought that if they looked like they were texting a friend, then it would seem like they had friends. I never contemplated how the use of our smart phones really affected our social skills. Now, I notice my younger cousins use their phones at dinner instead of conversing. Although they are eleven and six, they still use their electronics as if it is a part of them. They do not go anywhere or talk to anyone without them.
The paradigm shift associated with the use of smart phones revolves around how we interact with each other. The article explains how the Boomers and GenX generations spent more face-to-face time together. This led to a decrease in loneliness, depression, and suicide, and the interaction between friends becomes crucial in order to learn how to socially interact with adults in the future. This eventually takes a drastic shift as soon as the first iPhone was released in 2007. When looking at the statistics, the trends all drop dramatically at the 2007 mark. This includes hanging out with friends, loneliness, less sex, and less sleep.
The thought process of adolescences after the release of the iPhone becomes warped in a way. They begin to worry about what people think of them online. They stress about how many likes they get on Instagram or what people may comment on their posts or if someone Snapchats them back. The fact that teenagers care more about their status online than in real life concerns parents. They do not form healthy relationships and would rather be alone in their room than spending time with their friends and family.
It is now considered a norm to have a smart phone. The article stated that in 2017, approximately three in four people owned a smart phone. They have taken over the lives of all people, especially in adolescences. As a result, people may feel “lost” without their phone, and they form an obsession over and inanimate object. Instead of dating, people may just text each other. Instead of simply having fun with your friends, you must document how much “fun” you are having. Instead of loving yourself for who you are, you compare yourself to models on Instagram. All in all, the use of social media creates higher depression rates and lower self-esteem. So, why are people so obsessed with social media? No one seems to know the exact answer; however, the impulsive “need” for them will lead to further dangerous risks in the future.
Confederate Monuments
My artifact revolves around the controversial Confederate statues that have been taken down in the past couple of years. These statues usually depict famous generals or representations of the Confederacy; however, in modern times, they represent the questionable ideologies of the south. The statue shows General Robert E. Lee and “Stonewall” Jackson riding horses next to each other. This monument was made in 1948 by artist Laura Gardin Fraser.
The Confederate monuments were originally created to honor the great generals for their courageous acts in war; although, it is speculated that this monument was established around the same time the African American population began to rise in Baltimore. In present times, this monument portrays only one thing: white supremacy. The Confederacy’s main purpose for the Civil War was to obtain freedom from the government. As long as they were free, they were able to keep their slaves. Because of their radical beliefs, these monuments are viewed as disrespectful towards the minorities. Although, there are people who believe the monuments are harmless and contrast those who recognize a deeper meaning. They think that we are supposed to honor the statues for their bravery and honor the history that it displays. In front of the Lee and Jackson monument there is an inscription saying, “They were great generals and Christian soldiers and waged war like gentlemen.” These two contrasting values later ended up being a dangerous controversial topic after the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia.
I believe the monuments do portray ideologies such as white supremacy. The soldiers and generals that are depicted on these monuments fought for disgusting reasons, and they should not be so glorified today. I was intrigued on how Baltimore handled the situation after the violent protests in Charlottesville. The mayor of the city, Catherine Pugh, decided to take the monuments down discreetly. She ordered for the removal of all five Confederate monuments to restrict any violent outbreaks that could occur. Although some statues were already vandalized, Ms. Pugh thought it was “in the best interest of my city” to remove them right away. I am also interested in investigating the two opposing opinions regarding the monuments. The very diverse ideas will demonstrate just how divided our nation is.
The artifact I am planning on comparing to the Confederate monuments is the Cecil Rhodes statue. Located at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, this monument represents a similar grotesque background. Cecil Rhodes founded the land that the university is currently located on; however, he slaughtered Africans in order to obtain his land. Students began to protest the monument claiming it displays white supremacy. Students threw excrement on the statue and fought against the school president. Eventually, the statue was successfully taken down on April 9, 2015. The Confederate monuments and the Cecil Rhodes monument both share the same ideologies. They both represent white supremacy, and they have both been taken down after vigorous protests against them.
Coexistence
We are gifted with the ability to express different ideologies and religions. The world is filled with a variety of diverse people; therefore, it is a necessity to live peacefully with each other. Unfortunately, a peaceful world seems to be a far fetch idea. There are organizations whose main priority is to one day obtain world peace. As a small step towards that goal includes the bumper sticker which displays the word coexist.
The sticker shows the word coexist written in different religions and ideologies. The letter “c” represents a crescent moon which displays Islam. The letter “o” depicts a peace sign which alludes to World peace. The letter “e” describes the importance of gender equality with the male and female symbols. The letter “x” is the Star of David which is a religious symbol of Judaism. The letter “i” shows a pagan symbol. The letter “s” portrays the Chinese yin-yang symbol. Finally, the letter “t” portrays a cross which represents Christianity. All these symbols coincide with each other to illustrate the importance of peace in a diverse world.
Peaceful coexistence tries to abolish all hate. Hate and judgements restrict people from expressing themselves, most people feel uncomfortable accepting those from a contrasting background. Because of this, people cannot live to their full potential; They must conform to society’s standards. The ideal goal is to teach people to accept all different types of populations in the world. People risk everything to immigrate to the United States to have the opportunity to live freely and to express themselves without rejection from their society. However, even in a free country, people may still discriminate against those who appear different.
The bumper sticker strives to get people thinking about diversity as well. If people become more world conscious, they may realize that diversity adds richness to our society. Different cultures bring different perspectives to our lives; They allow us to learn more about our World. Having a more diverse outlook on the World results in thinking in an openminded way.
The use of logos in this sticker is discrete. The representation of peace is portrayed through the various ideological symbols. They try to persuade those who see the logo to think about the world in a different context. Coexistence results in living in a peaceful and openminded community. This message is supposed to allow people to think about how much ignorance blocks the ideal society of a peaceful world.
Although a bumper sticker will not create world peace, the intentions behind the logo are meaningful. The organization alludes to the luxury of peace as an ideal goal. The ignorance of hateful people restricts the possibility of a more peaceful future. In a recent poll including 15,000 people, 64% of them believe that diversity will improve America in the future, for diversity will grant the ability to approach problems in a new perspective. Together, we can eradicate the hateful segregation and hopefully come together as a family on Earth.
Billie Eilish Triggers Controversial Subject
While doing research to find examples of what artifacts would fall under Kairos, I came across the popular singer Billie Eilish. Billie is a seventeen–year–old singer-songwriter who rose to fame after her song Don’t Smile at Me reached the top fifteen in 2017. She soon became world–renowned and even became the first artist born in the 2000’s to have a number one single in America. However, her music is not the only reason she became the most talked about artist, she also exhibits her sense of style in an interesting way.
She is known for wearing quite conservative but baggy designer clothing. The world began to question her style and were curious as to why she would cover herself from head to toe. Her response sparked a controversial debate. She claims, “I never want the world to know everything about me.” By this, she wanted to remove all judgements about her body and not be sexualized. She wanted to ensure that no one could have an opinion about her, and she could live peacefully knowing she would not have to deal with any sexual harassment.
In an ideal society, women should not have to worry about what they wear or how men perceive them; however, since Billie is such a sensation, she must take precaution, so people do not judge her body image. Most women stand with Billie saying she is an inspiration to try to abolish the stigmatism of body shaming, but others also think it is weird how she presents herself in such a masculine way. She explains how people say, “Dress like a girl for once! Wear tight clothes you’d be so much prettier, and your career would be so much better!” Although, to Billie, her appearance is not crucial; Her main priority is to make music to satisfy her fans.
Billie Eilish uses her fame to further familiarize the public about the issues of body shaming. She loves herself, and she does not want the world to harass her for wearing tight clothing. She creates curiosity amongst her fans since they truly do not know what she looks like underneath her baggy clothes. Billie wants all women to feel comfortable with their body, and she wishes the topic of body shaming would disappear so women can live free of judgement. To me, Billie’s message to the world concerning the topic of body shaming has motivated me to be more aware of society’s unrealistic standards of women. I agree that raunchy comments can lower a women’s self-esteem, and she is trying her best to eradicate body shaming using her fame and fashion.