I am blogging about the book Alone Together written by Sherry Turkle. We are on chapter 10, titled no need to call.
Has technology caused people to be more introverted? Are shy people even more shy because technology has inhibited them to branch out and develop social skills? Turkle makes a very interesting point when she talks about shy people only opening up to a screen... I am trying to place myself in a reserved/introverted person's shoes. Do they feel more confident because no one can look them in the eye? They do not have to see the other person's reaction? Why does an electronic unlock that personal connection where one can let go? I have often wondered if many people do not make the connection that people are on the other end reading what the are writing.


She also mentions that electronic messaging allows people to take their time in responding. They can edit their message without the humiliation of someone critiquing their thought process. A screen allows one to "reflect, retype, and edit." If only someone saw me typing and deleting everything I was wanting to say to my boyfriend when we are having an argument. Lately, I have really been struggling with the thought that I need technology to communicate. For example when I am trying to tell someone something, I do better typing it out in a text than saying it. It gives me a second to process what I am feeling and how to word it to where it makes sense.

Picking up the telephone is something that is not done very often. Instant messaging, Facebook, text messaging, and e-mailing have all taken the place of verbally speaking to someone. I do often feel like a phone call is in a way of demanding something from someone. Nowadays if you receive a call you may think someone needs to ask you for something or its an emergency. I also, feel as if people are so busy that they do not have time to talk to me and me wanting to chat for a bit is inconsiderate. Making a phone call can be intimidating, a text is so much simpler. Other than making phone calls, no one ever writes a hand written thank you card anymore. People will not send a text or write on one's Facebook. Why are we so impersonal these days? Why is technology crippling us in a way of being social and polite?

I have truly tried to make an effort in picking up the phone and calling my friends to check on them and see how they are. To be honest the first few times were slightly awkward because many of my friends were not use to receiving a call. Also, many of my friends struggle to carry on a natural conversation without being noticeably uncomfortable. Sometimes when I call my friends and they do not answer, I will leave a voicemail. I will not hear back from them for days but I will get a text saying, "Im so sorry I have not called, I have been so busy. Please forgive me?" If I miss someone's call, I feel pressured to call them back within the next day... Where does the pressure to call someone back come from? Why are phone calls a nuisance when the main thought is just to check on you and catch up?

The little girl Audrey she writes about describes how she has a lot of fun putting fake information up and stepping outside herself. This allows her to talk to people in other countries and say things she usually would not.  Why would a sixteen year old feel as if they need attention from strangers that live across seas? If a child does not receive the attention it needs, it will look to other places for it. Why the internet that is impersonal and then will connect you to impersonal people? Turkle does describe how her trip to Europe allowed her to leave her identity behind. She was able to step out and be anything she wanted without risking her reputation. Technology allows you do this every day without making a trip across the world. You do not have to leave "your world" any more.


Is there a time that people ever turn their technology off? Do people enjoy the continual connection and "being on call?" Turkle speaks of a wife who carried he Blackberry wherever she went. Even hiking she had her phone on the hip. Her husband made continuous call to check in and when she hit a point of no cell service, she was relieved to be left alone temporary. Is this a feeling that is popular in todays society? Do we like to have a break but are also addicted to the feeling of never being disconnected?

 I will occasionally turn my phone off to refresh my mind and register that I am unreachable. With certain people I will leave my phone in my purse and not care too much of what is going on in the world around me. There there is other company I will be around and my phone will never leave my hand. It is strange to think of the habits we develop and how we are so attached and dependent on a device. Not to mention the comfort it gives us. This if you left your phone at home by accident, you just got to the interstate and remember. What feeling immediately floods you? Do you contemplate turning around? Say you do decide you do not have time to go back and get it, how many times throughout the day do you reach for it? Think about it? How alone do you feel?

"A cyborg, short for "cybernetic organism", is a being with both organic and cybernetic parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space." Turkle goes about describing a cyborg as a person who carries a computer and radio transmitter in their backpacks along with a keyboard in their pocket. Digital displays were clipped onto their eye glasses allowing them to always be wirelessly connected to the Internet. “Always online, free from desks and cables.” This experiment is now a phenomenon that takes place every day in this age. We are now all cyborgs who use this digital outlet as a way of being better prepared and organized in an “increasingly complex information environment.” 

I got my first cell phone when I turned 13 years old. This was a tool my mom used in a way of staying in touch and as a way of feeling more secure about my location and activities. The new technologies of connection have revolutionized buisness by allowing meetings to happen in a online chat room, digital screen calls, and consistent emails. No longer are face to face meetings necessary when you are not required to leave your home. Education has been transformed by online schooling. I had to take Algebra 3 online when I was a senior in high school. There was a digital white board that the teacher could interact with me on. I also could plug in head phones and here the lesson taught to me while she visually would write it out. When it was time to turn on homework, I would digitally scan my homework into a drop box where she would then grade it. I would not have to change out of my pajamas. In the medical field, customers are able to take a picture of their prescription bottle and have it refilled without any heavy lifting. Being digitally plugged in has opened many possibilities. 

I love how she brings up the point that we have named cell phones after flavors such as: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. There is most certainly a sweetness to them that lures buyers in. Cell phones have changed lives forever in bringing peace of mind, availability, easiness, and instant answers. No wonder we name such devices as yummy flavors. They have changed the dating scene. No one comes by to sit on your front porch and talk to get to know you, no one asks you out for ice cream after school to catch up. Kids now just text their “crush.” If they decided to take it to the next level they then may call but no one truly has to go out of their way but just to simply push call. 

Traveling is now more actively social. Turkle speaks of her trip to France with her daughter. One of her daughter’s friends calls and asks if they can do lunch at the end of the week. Her daughter accepts and they make plans but Turkle points out that her daughter’s friend has not the slightest clue her daughter is out of the country. Turkle reminisces on her first trip to France. She spoke about how much she enjoyed separating herself from “home.” Her daughter cannot relate to that separation but only know the constant connect with anyone and everyone. 

I would enjoy sometimes to not have a phone and not to always be on “call.” I then again would love to be brunette some days. I would think it would be nice to be in my own world and not have a constant buzzing on my side, wanting answers. But just like my blonde hair, I cannot let it go. I am always in wonder of who may need to reach me whether its my family, boyfriend, friends or my job. I did put off getting a smart phone until I needed directions instantly and realized the many applications that could be of help such as, gas buddy. It is an app that allows you to find the cheapest gas in town. Instead of calling my brother each time, I can now find out in a total of 10 seconds. 

I enjoy being able to text my friends daily wishing them a wonderful day or that I am praying for them. If I am at a doctors appointment and do not have the opportunity to call, I can shoot a quick text. This new age is just beyond convenient.

Since we are now so dependent on this finger tip technology can we live without it? I like many others check my email before I get out of bed. I will glance at Instagram before I go to sleep. Why are we so dependent on what goes on around us? The idea of putting a stop to it and being still sounds appetizing but does anyone have the discipline to put it into practice?

Since when is the physical person next to you the absent one instead of the person that is technologically connected to you and possibly thousands of miles away? Turkle described a situation of being on a train. She felt as if she was the one being made invisible by the engrossed conversation the man next to her was having on the phone. She felt as if she was completely transparent sitting in the seat beside him. How are we so good at becoming so absorbed in our technological worlds? The man on the train either made Turkle feel invisible or he had already made himself absent from the scene that he was physically present in. I will admit when my mom is talking to me, I can be so engrossed in a text message that I can barely managed to look up or even focus on her being right in front of me. Why the urgency when I could set the phone down for five minutes. It’s not like the text will send itself half way typed!

This chapter hits the nail on the head by being titled, "Always On." We are a society that is always on and constantly connected to one another. Do we ever turn off?

To begin to comprehend the word Cyberspace and all that it entails is a overwhelming idea. Cyberspace can be produced by mobile phones, electronic surveillance, and video conferencing. As of September 8th, 2012 there are 7,038,044,500 people in the world. To think of all those individuals are putting their own input on cyberspace makes it hard to wrap your mind around the depth of the compacity it contains.  

The U.N telecom agency says there were about 6 billion cell phones subscriptions by the end of 2011. This means roughly one for ever 86 of every 100 people have cybercultures in the palm of their hands and access to the virtual worlds at any given point. Facebook is a perfect example of a piece of cyberculture that over 500 million users take a piece of. Facebook is now used by 1 in every 13 people on earth, with over 250 million of them (over 50%) who log in every day. 48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they wake up, with 28% doing so before even getting out of bed. 72% of all internet users have a Facebbook account. 

With having the Facebook application installed nearly 20 million times a day on cellular devices. This number alone says that our phones have changed from making phone calls but to a device that allows one to have constant contact with the virtual world. Phones have also taken on the different worlds of a personal diary, a health indicator, entertainment device, and a status symbol. I have several friends who have the My Fitness Pal application on their phone. This application allows them to track calories and log their daily exercise. With me working for Country radio, I have a a Country news application that allows me to stay up to date and receive breaking information that I can then update the station’s social media. Lastly, the type of phone that one carries is a status symbol of how “in” they are with the current trend. My cousin who is 16 and in public, high school will vouch that if you do not have an iPhone you are not cool. Any other kind of phone is not nice enough as the iPhone and if you do not have one, you must not can afford it. 

 Everything now a days is customizable so everyone can make it their own. I have an iPhone but to make it different from all of the other hundreds, I have a case with polka dots and I have not seen one like mine yet. Just like my phone, I want a e-mail ID that is personal to me. That is why when I was 18, I made sweetgeorgiapeach90@yahoo.com. This allowed me to set myself apart from all other accounts. I felt like I got to summarize and distinguish myself from many other emails that get seen everyday. When I first started working at Kicks 101.5 that is one way they remembered me, by my e-mail. Consumer culture plays on the need for people to want to be individualists. Cell phones allow for customized ringtones, Facebook allows profile pictures and Twitter allows you to make a username. Is anyone truly being an individualist when they are becoming part of these digital worlds? Are they not just following the rest of the crowd and joining along? Yes, one may make their Facbook unique but at the end of the day its still a Facebook and they are part of that culture.

It is crazy to know that Amazon.com does not have a physical store. It is a unique company that links itself between globalization, technology, and commerce. They use a flexible screen geography that is designed for and by the individual user. What an amazing tool that the individual can mold and make to fit their own. Amazon. com has threatened so many different franchises with their low prices that now Target and Best Buy will now match any of their prices. 

I do wonder, who governs Cyberspace? You hear that some text messages you send that “someone else” reads everyone of them. If you put certain words in a text message about the President then someone could knock on your door.  Also, once something is put into Cyberspace you can never retrieve it. Can Cyberspace ever get overloaded. Does someone need to be going through everything and deleting stuff before there’s too much and we cannot put any more on it?

When one thinks of cyberculture does gaming cross their mind? Video games went from public places to the home in the 1990s. This drastically changed game culture forever, Whether its war games or Disney games from the movies, gaming is a integral part of digital culture. In addition to video games there is computer, arcade, and handheld games. Men have been the main pioneers in bringing this phenomenon to this day in age. Video games have taken cyberculture from a television and a flat computer screen to another complete world. Games take the player into an interactive world and allows different roles to be played. Response from the games of course have shown that kids have shown anxiety and less interest to be outside. my brother would be a good example of this. He started playing video games when he was about eight year  old. He went from Nintendo to Playstation to Wii and now, Xbox. My brother hates to be outside and is a quiet individual. I do believe him playing games as a kid has molded him into a person who is a withdrawn homebody. 

I am Kaitlyn Henderson. This is my Senior year and I am very excited! I have gone to Reinhardt all four years and have loved every second of it! I currently work for the country radio station, Kicks 101.5.

If you know me personally then you know I have a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I am a major social network junkie. Digital culture plays a role in my life on a day to day basis. There is not one day that I do not reach for my iPhone, Laptop or iPad to check these outlets.

These social media outlets that are a part of the digital culture are a vital part in allowing me to "stay connected" and up to date with the world I live in. If these particular outlets were not available I would not be able to connect with my friends and family.

                                    

Technology has created a digital culture by allowing society to link to one another behind a screen. It is on a non personal level. Social websites' attempt was to be personal but people have flocked to the idea of hiding behind the identity of technology. The advancement of the digital world has therefore created an identity for every aspect of a person's life.
                                              How Does Technology Create Digital Culture?

The older generation who choose to be ignorant towards social media still get lured in to other outlets of the digital world. If you do not understand this said world, you will be one step behind. To isolate yourself from this world of technology is impossible. It is all around us and constantly advancing. One needs to be aware of the growing world because it it becoming more and more essential to succeeding in life.

                                                   

Digital culture allows for personal expression which makes Facebook and Twitter intrinsically appealing. These social outlets allow for anyone to express their thoughts and beliefs freely and to their disposal. Digital culture is a pervasive technology that allows us to assume their is always a solution. This culture is apart of ourselves and an extension to society. Welcome to the age of information. 

Video

Does Immigrant Mean Not Human?

   First, let’s cover the three categories of migration. Internal migration is the movement within country bounds. International migration is the movement across country boundaries and transnational movement is the movement in which a person regularly moves back and forth between two or more countries and forms a new cultural identity transcending a single geopolitical unit. 

    Rural to Urban migration is the most popular form of internal population movement. The availability of work is a main factor in why people move. International migration has grown. Around 100 million people, this including legal and undocumented immigrants in the world live outside of their home countries. Most of transnational immigrants are effected by economic factors. When immigrants choose the transnational route they take the chance of their identity, sense of citizenship, and entitlements of being hurt. 

     My reaction to the movie in class really brought my attention to why immigrants are treated so badly? Whether they are in their own homeland or are deported to another country they are still treated as a disease. Many say they have no problem with immigrants but illegal immigrants are who they find problems with. Illegal immigrants are thought to have the attitude of entitlement to benefits of citizenship without any obligations. 

     Citizens of America feel that immigrants should go through a legalization process or sent home. I agree with having them legalized but sending them back to worse abuse does not seem right to me. I am not saying immigrants or every person should have a red carpet rolled out but at least for them to be treated as humans with rights. On the video, the immigrants were living in holes and being beaten. No one deserves to live that way. Prisoners who murdered another human being live in better circumstances. I know America cannot help everyone but we can at least set an example of how to treat them the right way. 

    I hear so much talk about the health care and how immigrants are stupid. They are taking advantage of us and need to leave. I want to know if anyone has taught them how to live here correctly? Think of a teenager who lived in terrible circumstances and tried to live out his dream and by doing that he came here. He does not speak any English but is just finding his way barely through America. Maybe, all of the immigrants do no know they are doing wrong. What if it was you living in a country under oppression? Would you stay or try and find something better? Let’s try and put ourselves in their shoes. 

    “People look at us like ignorant and worthless. Let me tell you that we are hard working and very intelligent. We too have dreams, hopes, and ideas. You think we don’t want to go to school and learn and get degrees and make good money and be respected and feel *free*? Of course we do. Do you know how hard it is to get here legally? Did you know that you have to prove to your country that you are very wealthy in order to visit with a Visa? Did you know people in immigration offices have the applications in their hands and deny them without even looking at them? Nobody tells you this right? 

    It took me 12 years to get a work permit. It took me 13 years to become a resident. It took me 22 years to become a citizen. Do you think that’s fair? I hate all these people’s comments about how we need to get out of here and get back 
inside legally. It’s so hard. It takes for ever.”




Immigration Lawyer

Immigration Help

Chapter 3 and 8

   Reading Chapters 3 and 8 brought many topics to my attention. Simple things such as: private property, agriculture, the world within women work in, punishment, and the term nation. These few topics will be touched on to give a full idea of what chapters 3 and 8 consisted of. 

 First off, private property is a concept that is still prevalent today. From the mountains to the beach, private property signs are stuck in every bush or pile of sand. The words represent the privilege of owning somethings that can be sold to another. This concept does not exist in foraging societies. The term is “used rights”. This term is more appropriate and it means that socially it is accepted in access to particular resources, like gathering places, and fishing areas. 

    Moving on to agriculture, growing up, I took several tests that would predict what field, I would be in when I got older. Every time it turned out to be, agriculture. I thought it meant to be a farmer but it is a little more than that. Agriculture is a way of living that deals with growing crops on permanent plots by plowing, irrigation, and fertilizer. Farming is another term that can be used to describe this way of life. 

     Farming is an intense way of life that involves the same plot of land to be used repeatedly without losing it ability to grow things. Animals that are tamed such as: cows, horses, ox, and donkeys are used for plowing, transportation, and organic fertilizer in the form of manure or materials that are composed. Water sources that are artificial are very depended on by farmers. Irrigation channels or terracing the land are examples of this method. To be involved in agriculture it involves to be very knowledgeable about plants and the environment. 
    
      Soil types, precipitation patterns, plant varieties, and pest management are all other fields that a participant in agriculture has to be familiar with. Family farming is another branch off of agriculture that is a way to support a family and to produce goods for sales. More than one billion people choose this as a way of life. Developing countries are more apt for this concept more than industrialized countries. A cross-cultural variety is exhibited in family farming. Their days consist of harvesting crops, weeding, plowing, and terracing. 

 


Thinking about the families that are involved in farming, 
I just assume the men are the ring leaders in that field. So 
what do the women face or experience? In my personal experience I have observed that males make more than females. In the outside job world males make a significant amount more compared to women who work just as hard but discriminated because of their gender. Women are expected to work outside the home if required and also perform the duties of the home such as: cleaning, laundry, and taking care of the kids. 

     Single moms have it the hardest. They are discriminated against in the work force and then come home to work even harder. My mom for example works outside of the home to help provide for our family then comes home and takes care of our home and family. She cleans, cooks, takes care of my brother and I and keeps the house running. 

   Speaking about the different sexes in Papua New Guinea, specific foods are labeled as “men” and “women”.  The disease was named kuru. Men were allowed to eat the better food such as the meat from pigs while women were left with a scarce population of pigs. It was acceptable for women to cook and eat deceased people.Shirley Lindenbaum finally pinpointed the disease that women were the victims of poison by cannibalism. Researchers  discovered that kuru was a disease categorized as neurological.

      Subject change once again. If you were just wondering, the term "pure gift" means to give a gift with not one thing in return. I feel as if I should give any gift as a “pure gift”. I never try to expect anything in return from anyone. A pure gift is a generalized reciprocity. Donating money, giving blood, or giving to a food drive are all examples of a pure gift. Many debate this idea because they say the giver always gets something in return, even a good feeling. 


   For two of my friends birthdays, I gave them both a gift. I expect nothing from them in return. For my birthday only one out of the two friends gave me a present back and that is totally okay. I did not set my emotions on receiving anything in return. For Christmas I will do the same. I will give my friends a gift and not expect anything from them. I enjoy blessing them and letting them know they are loved. 

Chapter 8

    Moving to the next chapter, I found interesting the two systems that are in a political organization that is between tribal and cheifdom. This would be the big-man system or the big-woman system. Individuals can build a political base and gain prestige, influence, and authority through a system of redistribution based off of ties and grand feasts.  

    A law is a binding rule that is created through custom or official enactment that defines correct behavior and the punishment for misbehavior. The system of las are more likely to be known and are more elaborate in state-level societies. 

     When children are little they are punished when they do wrong. Punishment is administering something unpleasant to someone who has broken a law or rule. The most extreme form for punishment is the death penalty. For those in the Islamic culture, if them rob a family,they must pay compensation
back to them. 

     Prison is another form of punishment. It is a place for those who disobeyed to spend time, think about their mistakes, and restricted from doing certain things.  Castles and dungeons are examples of the power some individuals had and the pain the could inflict on a wrongdoer. The first prison was built in Philadelphia in the late 1700s. The United States holds the record for have the most people attained. The prison population, of 1.6 million has doubled since the year of 1985. In England the most race that is incarcerated are Muslims and Louisiana has the highest rate for incarceration.  

     Talking about the punishment that happens, what about the place this takes place in? The United States is one nation under God. The term nation specifically means a group of people who share a language, culture, or territorial base, political organization, and history. A nation is homogeneous, and which really means that the United States is not a nation but more of a political unit  that is made up of many nations. Nation-state is another term that refers to a state that compromises only one nation. Others think it compromises other nations. 

      I enjoyed learning and thinking about the variety of topics covered. So many thoughts were entertained that brought even more insight. The particular topics I went over, gave the proper induction to the two chapters, touching on what stuck out to me personally. I learned more than I was expecting to and the topic of new guinea came up in a conversation I had this week. I new exactly what my friend was referring to!

Intercultural- Year of Ireland

    I attended the seminar with Dr. Corrie who focused on conflict and peace that took place in Northern Ireland. Dr. Corrie talked about the East Belfast Mission. She worked at Emory University and traveled to Northern Ireland in 2011. Her trip was affiliated with Emory’s journeys of reconciliation program. She is extremely knowledgeable about the conflict that took place and then she covered how the mending went. I will discuss a few of the points she presented and what I found interesting.

• Dr. Corrie talked about the portion in 1921 in Northern Ireland and how it is still separate. 
• The Northern Ireland and the non-violent movement happened. The British Army then entered and in 1972, when Bloody Sunday happened. 
• The non-violent march happened to go wrong and twenty six people were killed. All of the civilians were shot in the back and were said to be innocent.
•  In 1998, the Good Friday Peace Agreement was signed. Everyone was pressured to vote. When the Peace Agreement was eventually signed a bombing ended up happening. 
• The Titanic was built in Northern Ireland, they were very proud. Everyone was very excited about the ship being built because 63% of those around the shipyard are now employed. A titanic quarter is now being made that is suppose to be for the future. 
• Inner East Belfast is the most impoverished neighborhood. 
• Skainos is a Irish word that means tent. It was very interesting to find out that you can go your whole life being segregated. 

Curt Lindquist signed my paper to prove I was there. 

My next event I attended was the Ghost Stories told by Betsy Doty. She told tales from Ireland that described the many superstitions they have.The one tale she told was about  two monsters named, Lunachar and Munachar. They would carefully pick berries and Lunachar use to eat all of them. Munachar had enough and decided to hang Lunachar. She was very animated in describing all of the different levels, Munachar had to go through to hang Lunachar. He needed an axe to cut the limb and a limb to make a gallow and a gallow to hang Muncahar is a small part of the list he needed to go through to finish his mission. After all he went through Lunachar ended up exploding from eating too many berries so he ended up not being hung. 

The next story is about a woman who looks for a lonely soul to take back with her to her land. She searched all of the world for a soul. She found a farmer whom she awoke and then took his soul.  

The Librarian signed my paper to prove I was there.