xtra blog 6

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/02/15/brain-damage-in-former-players-fuels-soccer-heading-fears.html

   In the article, "Brain damage in former players fuels soccer 'heading' fears," by Fox News' Reuters, comments are allowed to be made under the piece. These comments are directed towards soccer's head injuries. The majority of the comments are arguing against the article and suggesting second guesses. It is hard to assume the attitude of someone through the internet but the people who commented seem to be somewhat mad, and maybe not agreeing with the piece. One comment draws attention to the clear assumption that hitting your head on anything will cause damage no matter what.

   I believe that posts can have retain value. Feedback is not always a bad thing, it can give people an insight from a different perspective. I think critique from others can have value to the given topic. "A critique is not just a response but a close look at the quality of an argument someone else has made." (Huillet, 261)
   Critiquing could even make the audience second guess their set perspective. The comments in sections provide various thoughts and feedback in the larger argument. Arguing and angry feedback aren't the only things found in the online comments. I do believe people should be cautious of they comments and how to word them, some people may get the wrong idea or start something because of the comment. Being online causes misunderstanding and such. It is difficult to communicate online if you are not careful about it. I also think people should be mature and polite towards other's opinions. Respect is key online.

Sources
Huillet, Michelle. Communicating Online. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. Print

Reuters. "Brain Damage in Former Players Fuels Soccer 'heading' Fears." Fox News. FOX News Network, 15 Feb. 2017. Web. 05 Mar. 2017. 

xtra blog 5

"Stephen Toulmin describes several key elements of an argument... the claim and the reasons and evidence (also called data) offered to support the claim." (Huillet, 249)

   I believe the Toulmin method is a very smart and healthy way to handle an argument. It allows one to break the argument apart and understand each aspect. I feel as if people in general use facts and proof to back up their argument. If their argument has no evidence, it might be hard to support and prove right; but people still have their right to an opinion and sometimes do continue with their argument.

   I could use the Toulmin method to dissect an argument that bothers me and a mass majority of others every day. Let's say:

 Caim: College in the America should be free for students.

Reason: College debt is a major problem in the United States.

Evidence/Data: The statistics in 2015 show seven out of ten seniors who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in America had an average of $30,100 in student loan debt.

    This argument has been brought up across the country many times. Some states have turned their schools to have free tuition. An article published on trade-schools.net speaks on the pros, cons, and alternatives that go along with the idea of free college. I'll leave the link here for you curious to check it out, <http://www.trade-schools.net/articles/should-college-be-free.asp>

• Some positives listed are: "people would be able to take the good-paying jobs that often go unfilled," "could result in billions of additional dollars circulating throughout the economy since people tend to spend more money when they have higher incomes and little or no debt," as well as the possibility of better focus on the education rather than the money stress on students, and the percent graduating on time could rise.

• A variety of negatives: "State budgets could become strained, which might lead to cuts and decreased access to the programs that students want to take," "If a lot more people are able to earn college degrees, then the value of those degrees could decrease," as well as the possibility of students not taking college as serious as they do now due to the money invested.

• Suggested alternatives: "Greatly expanding the existing Pell Grant program while cutting back on student loans," "investing in better pre-college education that teaches students, in greater detail, about all of the realistic options that are available to them," 

  THIS second option I selected is my favorite. Don't get me wrong, the Pell Grant expansion would be so nice and helpful  But, being taught ahead of time on how to handle financial issues and how to be an adult could REALLY help future students. I wish I was taught in school how to apply for a lot scholarships ahead of time, take out loans, pay bills, and learn more options for financial aid, and learn more information about grants and such. This argument has both negatives and positives. I know it might be hard for the country to decide fully on free college, and I don't have ALL the information on it. I do truly this could benefit millions in the country. I believe there are more positives than negatives to support the argument. I also believe the decision would have to come with strict rules as to achieve the free tuition, and how to maintain it throughout the educational journey.

Sources

Huillet, Michelle. Communicating Online. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. Print

Redd, Luke. "Should College Be Free? Pros, Cons, and Alternatives." Should College Be Free? Pros, Cons, and Alternatives. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. 

"The Institute For College Access and Success." State by State Data | The Institute For College Access and Success. N.p., n.d. Web. /.latest_citation_text

be a lover not a hater

"Cyberbullying leads to Pueblo teen's suicide"

(http://www.koaa.com/story/34368479/cyberbullying-leads-to-pueblo-teens-suicide)

    This article is about a girl named Ariana DeHerrera. This 13-year-old girl committed suicide  this past month after being constantly bullied online. Someone had earlier made a fake account to purposely send her hurtful messages. The article describes Ariana as trapped. This story is very emotional. It is so sad to know that people turn to end their life due to harassment. This shouldn't exist in the world.
     In our communication book, Brian Feinstein holds an experiment to see if Facebook is bad for college students health. He retained much information from the results, one being "that individuals engaging in negative social comparisons while using Facebook placed themselves as risk for rumination, and, consequently, depressive symptoms" (184). This study can tie into the article about Ariana DeHerrera. Although she was only 13, she experienced the negative side of social media and has the most horrible outcome of all. Her whole life was taken away due to the feelings and symptoms she experienced.

    The Cyberbullying Research Center released statistics of lifetime cyberbullying victims from 2007 to 2016. The highest percent was reached in 2014. Although rates have gone down from them, cyberbullying should still be considered a serious issue in the U.S.
    Back to the article by Laura Wilson about the cyberbully victim, the overall fact that someone went out of their way to make someone else feel horrible could have been easily avoided. If you're feeling hatred or anger, write a letter and never send it, get a stress ball, or work-out until you can't feel your body. The taking your anger out on another human go-to should be avoided as a whole. I don't respect or support that. No one should let their emotions fully control them. We allow social media to be an outlet for many problems and feelings. Instead of abusing the power of the internet, we should be utilizing it to make our world a better, more advanced place.












Sources

"Cyberbullying_victimization_all_studies_2016." Cyberbullying Research Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 

   Huillet, Michelle. Communicating Online. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. Print

@LWilson_TV, Laura Wilson ReporterBioEmailConnectBiographylwilson@koaa.comFollow. "Cyberbullying Leads to Pueblo Teen's Suicide." Home - KOAA.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

that blog 3

   “The Internet allows us to see what other people actually think.” I agree with this quote by Shirky. Through the internet, we are able to learn what the world's opinions are. We are able to connect and gain knowledge from not only the news and media, but through other humans. 

    I have heard that sites like Reddit are full of millions opinions every subject one can think of. I believe that hearing others opinions is good for oneself, you are able to gain different perspectives and see what others feel about a certain topic. I think it broadens one's mind set and allows us to expand our knowledge. 

  Comment sections on websites such as news articles and social media are always going to be a mess. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and some feel as if there opinion is superior to others, thus causing something like a "social media war". 

  For example, my mother recently ranted about a Facebook argument she had. A friend of hers posted about saving the wolves in America and petitioning against hunting. My mother, on the other hand, believed the wolves being hunted was apart of the circle of life and it is good for our ecosystem. The argument went back and forth, both standing their ground and not moving from their opinion. The argument ended as one friend blocking another, thus on bad terms. This outcome of the "social media war" is quiet familiar nowadays. Usually things end on a bad note.

It can be pretty funny to watch though...

everyone at some point has snooped on an online argument.

The link attached is an opinionated page created by Alexandria Limonite. She lists 20 pet peeves of hers within the social networking world. It is opinionated, of course, but it shows how people's opinions can develop into pet peeves, and maybe even a future argument. Believing your pet peeves and letting them get to you could even cause some serious damage in your virtual world! 

 http://forevertwentysomethings.com/2014/11/04/20-pet-peeves-when-working-in-social-media/

  The online world can both create truthful stories and false stories. But today, a lot of people believe what is on the internet. The face that "there are no rules restricting the range of possible interactions," (Kaplan and Haenlein, 64) allows us to create and believe just about anything. It is scary how the internet world works. You really have to double check everything and anything before you truly can believe it.









Sources

Huillet, Michelle. Communicating Online. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. Print

Kaplan, Andreas M., and Michael Haenlein. "Users of the World, Unite! The Challenges and Opportunities of Social Media." Business Horizons 53.1 (2010): 59-68. Web. 

Shirky, Clay. "Shirky: ‘We Are Indeed Less Willing to Agree on What Constitutes Truth’." Poynter. Poynter, 08 May 2016. Web. 08 Feb. 2017. 

N.d. Forever Twenty Somethings. Web. 08 Feb. 2017. 

EC Blog 2

Social information processing theory claims that whether you’re communicating face-to-face or online, you can communicate the same degree of personal involvement and develop similar close relationships. 

    I disagree with the theory above. I feel like online you can say whatever you want but the person may not know who you are. On social media people can perceive you differently. In person you can be talk and act different. Being in person and communicating is real and you can tell emotions through faces and reactions. Through the internet, you only see what us on the screen. 

    I feel as if the world "real" contradicts the theory. It reminds me of the song "Real" by Kendrick Lamar. The hook, "Look in the mirror and know I'm there, "With my hands in the air, I'm proud to say yeah, I'm real, I'm real, I'm really, really, real," relates to my thoughts of differentiating face-to-face and online. You cannot know a real person by just communicating with them through a screen. I believe you can get to know a virtual side of someone, but you won't get to know the actual person until you face-to-face meet them. 

    Although, I do believe you can form a bond with someone online. You form a bond with whoever is on the other side of that screen; whether it is who they actually are or who they pretend to be. An example of a bond going wrong would be called a "catfish" (credits to the MTV show). I have seen this happen in life. I know a girl in high-school who was talking to this boy for a few months through social media. She thought she fell in love with him and talked to him every second throughout the day. Eventually she found out the truth about who she had been talking to. She had fell in love with someone totally different than who she had thought him to be. My friend was devastated and went through a tough patch once she found out. I felt horrible for her. How can people do this? Why pretend to be someone who you aren't? Maybe because it is easier online to pretend than it is in real life.

    In Chapter 7 (pg.114) of the book, Communication Online, characteristics of social media are listed in a chart. One characteristic is "allowing access to a range of individuals". This characteristic lists a disadvantage that can relate to my post right now is:

"you may trust someone who lies to you and pretends to be something he or she is not..."

I love the way this is worded. I believe communicating in person is the best way to communicate. While being virtual, it can be fun but is often misunderstood in many ways.

Sources:
Dow, Bill. "Category: Project Management." Bill Dows Blog Site. Word Press, 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.

/.latest_citation_text

"Good Kid, M.A.A.d City (Deluxe Version) by Kendrick Lamar on Apple Music." ITunes. N.p., 01 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2017.

/.latest_citation_text

Seabright, Patricia. "What Is Virtual Communication?" Archimedes Consulting. N.p., 15 Nov. 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.

/.latest_citation_text

Huillet, Michelle. Communicating Online. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. Print.

Self-Disclosure

   In this age, everyone is somehow intertwined into the web. We use social media as a key communication tool. I do believe we put too much of our life online. Twitter, for example, has an average of 6,000 tweets published per second. That calculates to 500 million tweets sent per day. Most tweets I view on a single dashboard consist of personal information and comments about the user's current life. I often find myself questioning why people share all of this private information on a public website. I think it's odd to let a huge audience know details about one's life. I see people venting about interpersonal relationships a lot, as well as other life problems. Once you put something on the internet, you can't take it off. It stays there forever. I have learned that putting so much detail of one's life allows others to poke their noses in your business. Also, it can effect your future more than one knows. Employers are one reason to be careful what post. Family is another. Both could have an easy access to one's social media. Your past posts could haunt you forever.

   I don't share much on social media. I usually keep to myself and don't post much but I do scroll through a few apps throughout the day. I think what I do have on my social media account, Instagram, is already enough to share with the world. It's weird to think about it, but I don't even know who half my "followers" are personally. I have never met them or seen them in my life. I like to limit what I see though, I only follow who I know and have met. I am particular about what I share with the world, considering my family follows me and my account setting is public. I was not always this quiet on the big social M. I learned to be like this the hard way. In high school, I used to have a Twitter and I posted a little too much insight in my life. My parents ended up finding my account and weren't too happy with what they found. I soon lost interest in posting all the time. Now, I always overthink what I'm about to share... I think about how my family could be sitting on the other side of the phone...

   In the article, "Are we sharing too much online?" by Dean Obeidallah, we learn about self-disclosure taking a new route. A recent victim is known to log onto an anonymous questionnaire site to talk about her scary life changing event. I believe a lot of people typically self-disclose online rather than in person because it tends to be easier to write things out. Some prefer to be alone but communicate through online so they don't have to confront face-to-face. I like to keep my problems off line. I would rather talk face-to-face than online. But that's just me! Everyone has a unique way of coping with certain events and living life. 

SOURCES: Obeidallah, Dean. "Are We Sharing Too Much Online?" CNN. Cable News Network, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2017. 

"Twitter Usage Statistics." Twitter Usage Statistics - Internet Live Stats. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.

"Cat GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY." GIPHY. N.p., 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 18 Jan. 2017. 

Huillet, Michelle. Communicating Online. N.p.: McGraw Hill, n.d. Print.

"50 Great Blogging Tips." Bergh Consulting. N.p., 31 May 2015. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.