Isolation in a Digital Age

We are all connected through technology, but is this perk leading to a greater issue? In a Ted Talk presented by Sherry Turkle, technology has made us connected but we have become isolated as a result. Turkle evaluates her experiences with technology, beginning with her daughter and incorporates examples from her studies regarding mobile technology along with her studies from hundreds of people. Her main points are drawn from people's dependency to not be alone. All of us are subjected to what technology offers us in the form of three fantasies; putting attention where we want it to be, always being heard, and never being alone according to Turkle. When we use technology we become enveloped in the virtual worlds and avatars, advertising the relationships we crave as humans.

After watching this Ted Talk about technology's consequences, I am persuaded to take action and change my lifestyle regarding my use of technology. I know that it is easier said than done, but if we just take the time to spend time with loved ones, we can fill void of being alone. Turkle's research experiment where she presented "social robots" in nursing homes was an example that really drew my attention to how desperate we were to just have someone listen to us. These "social robots" that were designed to act as companions were treated as real people by the elderly that talked to them. These robots had no understanding about the concepts of life and death but were seen as empathetic by its speakers. What a world we live in where we turn to the illusions of social media to comfort ourselves, when the solution could just be hanging out with a couple of friends. We have lost the old fashion way of creating relationships and friendships and we choose the easy way of filling the void we have. I agree with Turkle's solutions to combat the issue of isolationism and that is to establish places for conversation, listen to what people have to say, and spreading the word to others. As Turkle explained, technology has made us vulnerable but we have the decision to redefine how we choose to live that matters in the end.

Let me know your thoughts on technology's effect on our communication! That's all for tonight, this is Leonard Yalong, signing off!

Yik Yak: An Anonymous Threat?

Throughout the years, social media has been constantly evolving. From the "Bulletin Boards" of Myspace, to the tweets of Twitter, and selfies of Instagram; a new social app has risen its way into popularity. A new social app that allows users to post messages anonymously without fear of being exposed. What seemed like a harmless social media app however has spawned a variety of vulgar threats, harassment, and abuse.

If you are not familiar with the app Yik Yak, it is basically an app that combines the functions of GPS and instant messaging. People are given the ability to socialize with others around them through different proximity. The basic app features post voting, popular topics tabs, a tab that measures the activity of the user as well as the ability to view other people's "yaks" in different locations. The controversy of this app begins with the cyber bullying among its users. Yik Yak's anonymous posting capability allows its users to make a variety of posts, but there are users who take advantage of this feature. Users feel as if they are protected behind this feature and as a result, comment posts of various vulgarity. Not all users post negatively but as a former user of the app, you can't help but see a vulgar post with each scroll.

From personal experience with the app, I can definitely see its ups and downs. Just last semester, I was browsing through the posts of Yik Yak before seeing a post with a lot of comments. There was a threat against the school with an exact date and time. I was skeptical at first, questioning if the post was just some sick joke or not. It turns out that someone reported this post to the school authority and they took action to ensure the safety of its students. People have the ability to write whatever they want without fear of consequence. I guess this can be a positive aspect for the app because it allows users to stay connected with each other in close proximity. The rest of the day browsing Yik Yak posts however, I was met with various posts regarding sex, comments about professors, and just people commenting on people they saw. If someone were to read a post and know for a fact that they were the ones being talked about, it would be not only awkward but also be considered harassment. The negative aspect of this app is that there is no way to point to the user of the vulgar comment, which leads to anxiety and paranoia for other users who feel they are targeted.
The question begins with, are the users to blame for the negative effects of this app or was this app just a bad idea from the start? Leave your comments below on your thoughts about Yik Yik. This is Leonard Yalong, signing off!

The Simple Power of Hand Washing

There are many things we as Americans take advantage of here in the US. Most Americans live in excess of water, food, and other utilities that other countries consider precious. After watching the speech, “The simple power of hand washing” by Myriam Sidibe, my eyes were opened to a precious commodity everyone takes for granted, soap. The purpose of her speech was to emphasize the use of soap in order to prevent sickness and cut down the risks of pneumonia, diarrhea, cholera, etc. Her attention getter was a statistic that got people’s attention through an emotional means. Sidibe described what the topic had meant to her as well as why it was important. Her presentation used some humorous interactions with her audience. Sidibe used a family in India as an example in order to give the audience an idea of the uses of soap in other countries. The use of soap, a commodity we take for granted, are bought by mothers to protect their families, a fact repetitively used to emphasize Sidibe’s argument. Sidibe had visited Ghana with the Minister of Health, which increases her credibility. She did not use note cards in her speech which allowed her to give more eye contact towards her audience. There weren’t a lot of pauses in her speech, so her speech flowed well as she enunciated her words and brought emphasis to certain ideas and statistics. Sidibe used many gestures while holding a soap bar and her body was upright showing confidence in her speech. The thesis and main points were easy to follow as she elaborated what the problem was, its history, background information, as well as a solution to combat this problem. The speech concluded with a emotionally pleasing conclusion. The conclusion provided no new information and re introduced the main points from the introduction. In the end of the speech Sidibe showed how much the topic had meant to her after explaining to everyone that she had a high degree in health in her country. Overall, she had a very persuasive speech that flowed naturally, appealed to all emotional standpoints, was structured nicely, statistically backed up and provided the audience with a commodity that although is common, is one of the most important inventions in combating epidemics. 

I recommend this video to people of all ages to consider twice when using commodities for granted. What seems plentiful in one country, is a precious commodity in another. Leave some comments below on some other commodities you think we take for granted or what you thought about video. That's all for tonight, this is Leonard Yalong, signing off!