We all need somebody to lean on

Today in class we discussed the different facets of support we receive through face-to-face (FTF) interaction and also EMC. All types of support were put into categories: emotional, esteem, information, tangible, and network. We were then instructed to think of people who provide us with different types of support and whether it was FTF or EMC. By default the first people I thought of were my friends and family back home. The most common type of support between them was emotional and esteem, which is to be expected. When we feel homesick or alone we find comfort in our friends and family back home. Most of the time we are comforted through reassuring phone calls and motivating text messages. The exercise made me realize that most of the support I received originated from FTF connections but has transitioned to being through EMC. There is a stigma to EMC connections is that they are not real or as real as FTF connections. When I receive support from my friends and family back home it still feels real. It keeps me going knowing they are still there whenever I need them. And it entertains me seeing my mom hold the camera really close to her face whenever we FaceTime.

While also analyzing the different aspects of support I struggled assigning one type to one individual. It's impossible to say I am friends with someone for one reason and one reason only. My friends are people I can laugh, cry, and steal food from. They support me in every way possible. Learning about social support made me appreciate and miss my family and friends a little bit more. I never really thought about the different ways I receive support until now. This class is really making me think about all types of relationships and connections. It's dope though.

Real life vs. Internet life

On Wednesday we had a guest speaker by the name of Julio Appling come in and talk about the history of blogs and why we should do it. After hearing his presentation and seeing his Twitter feed and made me realize the true purpose of social media and how it has lost its way a little bit.
The true purpose social media is to connect with people with the same interests, learn new things, and find entertainment. Nowadays I feel more and more people, specifically the younger generations, are building profiles simply to get attention or become popular. Now I am not complaining about the funny memes and the addicting viral videos but I do admit to spending a long time on a clever Instagram caption that would get me the most likes. When did likes become the focus of social media and not the people? It seems that at times we become less and less connected to our followers and more connected to the likes they give us, but it makes a feel good about ourselves seeing the amount of likes shoot through the roof on one of our posts. The focus of social media needs to shift back to its roots.
We should all openly be the weirdos we know we are. That's how we make stronger genuine connections through social medias. We should visit the Twitter page of something educational once in a while. Technology makes everything easier to access so lets use it to expand our minds.

Time Flies, Things Change

In class on Wednesday we discussed an article that dove into how language and interaction is changing from what it used to be. An article by Sherry Turkle titled Stop Googling, Let's Talk she analyzes how interactions between people are becoming more and more dull due to the distraction of cell phones. The article was rather harsh. It seemed to take a concerned tone, making it feel as if people aren't connecting as deeply anymore. The more we talked about it the more I began to realize that it is true. People can not fully focus with a cellphone present. However we should not be ashamed by being distracted, we should embrace it. These devices were made to keep us occupied and entertained.
Back in the day people were forced to interact with each other so it is natural that the older generations would be better at it. My mom tells me all the time that if she had the same technology as I did now she would act the same way. She acknowledges that things are changing and we interact differently now, but I'm still not allowed to bring my phone to the dinner table.
Time continues to fly and things are bound to change. With that being said I do believe in moderation and being able to disconnect from the devices when the time is right. So instead of panicking over the fact that people are more distracted by phones embrace the fact that this is a new era of how people connect. Now look this funny video I found.

Welcome

In Southwest Portland that's where I stay and Pamplin is where I spend most of days. Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool, keeping my grades up so I don't drop out of school. When a really nice teacher told I should make a cool blog and make it really good. I posted one little blog nice and easy now you're on The Fresh Blog of LC.

Welcome to The Fresh Blog of LC. I am the author Zeke2fresh. Here you can expect humor, random tangents, and provoking thoughts. The topics you may see the most are sports, music, politics, and urban culture. This blog will be lit!