Author: nyahterrilyn

We all know what the internet is. In fact, I’m 99.9% sure that you are utilizing the internet to read this blog post right now. However, not many people are aware of the vivid history of the internet, or simply what it took to get to where we are today. It almost seems odd that the details of the startup of such a widely used platform are not as publicized. When considering just how much we use the internet in our daily lives, you’d think that we would be more informed about its origin story. I can speak for myself when saying that I had no clue that the history of the internet was so interesting, or on that note, that it contained so much drama.

My main source of enlightenment came in the form of the documentary Browser Wars . The short film tracked the stories of two major browsing networks: Netscape and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. I’ve heard of the latter, but I’ll be the first to admit that this documentary viewing was the first I’ve ever heard of Netscape. This, unfortunately, speaks to just how extreme their downfall was.

In summary, Netscape was once one of the first biggest browsing platforms on the Internet. They dominated the industry, and thus dedicated most of their time and resources towards developing new software and updates for their product. I believe this was the era when the Internet was at its purest. There was little need to worry about exploiting customers or besting competition. The industry was simply a bunch of tech-nerds gathering together for the common challenge of figuring out this whole internet thing. It was an exciting time of research and discovery and innovation. But, like most pure things in this life, it did not last for long.

Once Microsoft realized just how big, and thus profitable, the internet would grow to be, they decided they wanted in. And all hell broke loose. It wasn’t a matter of Netscape having competition, this was something they expected from the beginning; the problem was with just how grueling this competition was. According to the Netscape engineers, Microsoft essentially offered them an ultimatum. They pressured them into joining their team, or eventually having no job at all. That’s no way to conduct business.

And thus began an intense competition between Netscape and Microsoft as each browser fought to stay on top. They went back and forth updating their respective platforms in extremely petty attempts to attract more customers. Because this was the business of competition and not collaboration, this created an era where it was common to see the notification “this feature is not supported by your platform” since both Netscape and Microsoft fought to have their own exclusive tricks and gimmicks.

I believe there should have been a point within in this time frame where both companies should have flown the white flag and agreed to cut the childish antics. The collaboration of two tech giants of that nature would have been revolutionary. However, they spent all their potential fighting each other instead of working together. They lost track of why they started in the first place, which was the exciting challenge of figuring out the Internet. Like many markets, it quickly became taken over by promises of wealth and fortune. Both companies let their greed and pride get in the way.

Ultimately, Microsoft came out on top and Netscape, a company that was integral to the formation of the internet browsing services we utilize today, became an unheard of name.

It turns out, stories like that of Netscape and Microsoft are not uncommon when analyzing the history of the internet. It didn’t take long for the discovery of such a game-changer to become, well, catty. Companies began to fight each other for dominance over the web realm, essentially eliminating the chance of collaboration. For example, Bob Metcalfe, an engineer for ARPANET which was one of the first packet-switching networks that set the foundation for the internet, told the story of how bigger companies like AT&T were almost rooting for the downfall of smaller internet initiatives like ARPANRT. When showing the software to a dozen AT&T executives, Metcalfe recounted how the room full of men in suits began to laugh once the demo crashed. This image, of a bunch of men in suits laughing at the failure of a tech company, is the epitome of how unnecessarily petty the industry was at the time.

While this competition was quite cutthroat at times, perhaps it wasn’t all bad. Without the competition, as brutal as it was, there likely wouldn’t have been as much motivation to keep creating new internet updates. The pressure created by so many tech companies vying for the upper hand created a space of internet platforms constantly coming up with something new to improve people’s online experience. Without the catty conflict, we may not be as advanced as we are today.

No matter how you view it, learning more about how the internet came to be did force me to look at companies like Microsoft in a different light. It’s interesting how something so pure like online innovation could turn to something so intense like driving a company out of business. That’s human nature for you.

I’m two minutes into the Black Mirror episode entitled “Nosedive” and I’m already shook. While I am well-accustomed to the dystopian drama television series, I am always surprised at the multitude of each episode’s shock value, having the seemingly impossible ability to be so close and so far from our present reality. This episode was no exception.

The story revolves around our protagonist Lacie (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she attempts to better her personal and social life through the tedious task of seeking approval from those around her. In this world, your social rating means absolutely everything. Your very identity is attached to a numeric scale, with 5 stars being the highest, that determines almost every aspect of your life. From living conditions to job opportunities to car rental services, your rating indicates how you should be treated, thus, influencing the quality of your life.

Lacie begins the episode around a 4.2 rating, which all things considered, is not a bad stance at all. While watching the show, I couldn’t help but wonder about where my rating would stand on this warped social scale and concluded that I, like Lacie, would likely be in the mid 4 area. I’d like to think I’d be quite comfortable with that star value. Lacie, however, is not.

As Lacie complains about her 4.2 social rating, I couldn’t help but wonder about another character who lost his job because of his lower 2 ranking. This character, who was also black and gay, seemed to be going through a lot worse of a situation than Lacie. He was shunned, friendless and jobless, and still the main conflict of the show was Lacie not being liked enough. Perhaps even this virtual social ranking still disproportionately affects the black and LGBT and yet, the white woman is still complaining.

She lives her life in a constant state of wanting to be amongst the elite. Signs of this yearning are subtly sprinkled throughout the season opener in shots of her admiring those on social media, who rank in the upper 4 category. Her main attempt at a leap to the other, more affluent, side of life comes in the form of her efforts to move out of the living unit shared with her brother, and into a more wealthy part of town. When she discovers that she needs to bump her rating up in order to be considered for a reduced rent payment plan, she embarks on this journey of virtually sucking up to anyone and everyone around her, in hopes that they will return the favor and increase her rating. As you can likely presume, this plan of action has no choice but to end in disaster.

Merely witnessing Lacie’s superficial way of interacting with those around her was painful enough. Coming to the realization that her behavior was not so different from that of my peers, and even myself at times, was just the icing on top of the cake. So often do we act only with the consideration of how our actions will be perceived by others. Lacie simply became a victim of this exaggeration of a habit we all know too well. We all pretend that our lives our better than they actually are by painting them in unrealistic colors on social media. What’s even worse, is that we spend so much time complimenting others on their inaccurate online personas, even though we know good and well that their life cannot possibly be that picturesque.

Social media has this strange way of making us pretend that life is perfect, even when we know for a fact that it is not. We judge others by their internet profiles rather than genuine interactions that we have with them in person. For Lacie, she took careful consideration into ensuring that every detail of her online identity was exactly how she wanted it to be. Even down to the way that an image of her breakfast looked. As I watched her meticulously bite into her breakfast cookie, I held back a laugh. However, I immediately thought to the dozens of friends I’ve seen put great attention into snapping a picture of their meal before even thinking about taking away a bite. The reality is, we’re not so far from this dystopian reality as I’d like to think.

Even the mere color scheme of the show plays into Lacie’s priority of perfection over reality. The vivid pastels of the show are so unlike the color scheme of the real world, that their only possible purpose is to be aesthetically pleasing. As the show progresses, and Lacie falls further down her spiral towards the real world, the pastels begin to dissipate and the regular grays of everyday life begin to set in.

The refreshing contrast to Lacie’s character came in the form of her brother, Ryan (James Norton). Whereas Lacie was consumed with how she was perceived by others, Ryan could not care less. He constantly chastised his sister for her superficial behavior, and behind the jests and insults came a desperate plea from a loved one, begging his sister to remove herself from the grasp of social media. Yet, like many people who have adapted to this technological age, Lacie had to learn the hard way.

I think we’d all like to think we are a Ryan. We’d all like to pretend we’re not as caught up in our social images as we actually are. However, at the end of the day, almost everyone could benefit from taking the moment to stop and consider if they’re acting for themselves or for other people. If it’s the latter, then perhaps it may be best to pull an end-of-the-episode Lacie and start speaking your mind, no matter what that may be.

When evaluating almost all of the friendships in my life, I think it’s safe to say that technology plays some part in our relationship, in some way or the other. Whether it be through FaceTime calls or Instagram likes or iMessage group chats, my friendships would not be what they are today without the aid of technology.

I’ve sat through far too many family reunion lectures to know that this has not always been the case. As my grandmother would say, “back in her day” people would actually have to get up and pick up the phone or go outside to communicate with their friends. Thus, those of my generation have redefined what it means to make friends and form relationships since most of the work is now accomplished through a screen, not face to face.

So, is this change a bad thing?

I would have to agree with Teen Vogue’s Julie Pennel in saying not necessarily. While feeling the pressure to showcase your entire life online in an effort to create an idealistic image of yourself and perhaps even make friends can amplify feelings of depression or anxiety, at the same time, online forums can actually be a sort of safe haven. Technology allows us to access platforms like Facebook or Twitter where people dealing with mental health issues can find others going through the same thing, forming connections through their common struggles. Thus, even if technology may heighten the mentally deteriorating aspects of making new friends, it also provides a space for people to cope with these mental health symptoms.

Moreover, for college students leaving home for the first time, technology can be the only thing holding together friendships from back home. For example, in this interview, freshman Hannah Brown says that social media helps her stay connected to her friends across the country. Since Brown came to D.C. from. Florida, she said without the use of social media and group chats, her relationships from back home would likely begin to weaken. Hence, our access to more methods to keep in touch can be utilized to strengthen bonds that were already created.

When my mother thinks of the concept of “internet friendships” her mind immediately wanders to the worst place. In her mind, she is still stuck on the age of internet predators and devious schemes disguised as online relationships. However, as Brown as well as St. Johns University freshman Maya Johnson mentioned, technology is mainly used to initiate opportunities for friendship or strengthen bonds that were already there. Rarely does the entirety of the relationship rely on technological communication. Oftentimes, people reach out online and work towards meeting in person.

Johnson highlights an interesting point, which is that she does not credit online platforms completely for forming friendships. Instead, it’s the in-person interactions that come after the online introductions that solidify the relationship. Thus for her, and many of my peers, technology is merely our way of getting our foot in the door. This can dissipate many people’s fear of social anxiety or rejection that typically accompanies the process of making new friends. Online, it is sometimes easier to make the first attempt at friendship, adding an extra layer of confidence since you are allotted the comfort and protection of a screen. However, this doesn’t take away from the work that is required to maintain the friendship once the relationship moves to the real world. It’s true that technology makes making friends a whole lot different, but it is still important to learn how to interact with your peers outside of a screen. Therefore, this move from online conversations to actual in-person interactions is very important in building necessary social skills.

Freshman Tysyn Cartier said technology aided her in making new friends when she came to college. She said many of the people she constantly saw on her social media feed, are now the same people she hangs out with. Thus, technology helped her get accustomed to their presence long before they even met

Whether it’s maintaining long-distance friendships or making new ones, technology is definitely a big help in building relationships. Many of my daily interactions with my friends is in the form of group chat messages. Technology provides a way for someone to always be there, even if they are not physically present. In a way, it allows your friends to always be right there in your pocket.

Mark Bauerlein said that I am a member of the “dumbest generation” and I got upset. Who is this guy to call me, a college student at an institution with an esteemed curriculum, stupid?

Immediately, I became defensive. I began mentally listing every academic achievement and accolade to formulate an argument that I would likely never articulate with a man I would likely never meet.

It wasn’t until I began reading the fourth chapter of the essay, appropriately named “Explaining the Concern,” that I began to see where he was coming from. In this chapter, Bauerlein defined the difference between ignorance and knowledge. I will be the first to admit that while I was fully aware there was a distinction between these two terms, I was not fully aware of what that distinction was.

Knowledge, as Bauerlein describes, is what you know while ignorance is what you do not know. Because we live in what Bauerlein calls a knowledge society, the scale of everything there is to know is constantly growing. As generation after generation develops, mine included, more and more intellectuals arise that found their own studies and add to this never-ending pool of research. Even if you dedicated your whole life to studying one specific subject, you would still not be able to claim that you know everything about this topic. There’s simply too much information out there, and not enough time nor motivation to consume it all. 

Thus, as our knowledge increases, or, as we continue to learn more and thus produce more intellectual content, our ignorance also increases. This is based on two factors that are attached to the increase of knowledge. One being that the more time we focus on studying one field, we are neglecting some other field of study and thus increasing our ignorance in that field. The other factor is that with knowledge comes the production and public release of academic studies. This adds to the pool of available information I discussed earlier, and thus, adds to the list of topics someone somewhere will never learn about. A phenomenon deemed the knowledge-ignorance paradox. Thus, even though we are still educating ourselves and making intellectual advances, we are simultaneously making it harder to combat ignorance. 

This paradox is not necessarily a bad one, however. Our fear of ignorance should not veer us away from continuing to expand the realms of knowledge. Because we are attending college more than those our age in the past, by default, the standards of college admissions are slightly more lenient to accommodate the influx of applicants. In more simpler terms, those that are accepted to major universities today, may have not been accepted hundreds of years ago. So does that mean we should stop attending college to re-establish that sense of elitism? Of course not. Our search for knowledge should never be limited in any manor, even if in this search, we are subvertly erasing the lines that define what it means to be a scholar and making that definition more mundane than it’s past counterpart. 

On the same not, as this generation stays in high school and later college more frequently, we are making intellect the new normal, and thus expanding the chasm between the educated and uneducated. This, in effect, makes the uneducated appear a whole lot dumber than they would have in previous generations, where not receiving a higher education was slightly more common. Thus, when looking at the uneducated in my generation, it only seems like it’s a lot worse than it was before. This judgement, however, is merely an illusion.

It’s not that this generation is necessarily less smart than others. We just find ourselves in an odd paradox where in our pursuit of knowledge, we are creating more and more topics in which we could not possibly learn and leaving more and more young adults behind who fail to keep pace. This, unfortunately, is just the price of knowledge. A price we are willing to pay. Of course it is easy to categorize this generation by our dimmer moments, but when you zoom out, you may discover that these moments of ignorance are only products of our extended learning in other areas.

This week, I explored the elephant in every room: my generation’s use of technology. It is not uncommon for me to enter any space, and to easily point out at least one or two of my peers with their neck bent down and their head in their phones. I admit that sometimes I am in that person. So, this week I explored this relationship between the young adult and their cell phone. In the video below, you will find some of my discoveries.

This was my first time utilizing the production site Animoto and I will admit that it was easier than I expected. The site has easy-to-follow guides that allowed me to insert my own content within their pre-made themes.

The difficulty in this project, thus, did not come during production time but rather as I was gathering my content. I found it slightly uncomfortable to take pictures of strangers on their phones; although, looking back, this fear was slightly nonsensical as my subjects were too deep into their phones to even notice my discreet picture-taking.

Furthermore, this project pushed me to have conversations I would have never had with my peers. When they saw me documenting people on their phones, it forced them to evaluate their own relationship with technology. While some were quick to defend their screen time, most were unashamed with their technology habits

This revelation is what brought me to the subject of my video above. All too often do we deem public use of technology as shameful behavior. We shun people all the time for being on their phones rather than “living in the moment.” And while I do agree with this sentiment to some extent, this project also brought me to recognize the beneficial aspects of using our phones in public.

I do not think we should be on our phones 24/7 instead of engaging with the people and environment right in front of us. But sometimes, when engaging in social interactions, there are points in the conversation where no one feels like talking. Points where you personally have nothing productive to contribute. Instead of trying to force an interaction, I noticed that instead, people would just turn to their phones. As if it was some sort of security blanket.

If not overused, perhaps the use of cell phones in public is just a mechanism of getting through awkward social situations. It is natural for there to be dead spots in a conversation. A time where no words are needed. So why not utilize the resources that technological advances have provided to us, and entertain ourselves within these otherwise awkward moments. I noticed in my short study that by taking a quick phone break, people may find a topic on social media or in their group chats that can then spark up the conversation again. Thus, the cell phone isn’t inhibiting social interactions but supplementing them.

After making this video, I am less quick to attack someone for going on their phone when they are around people, so long as they are not cutting themselves off completely from any further social interaction. Oftentimes, however, I found that when people check their phones, they are still receptive to their environment, they just needed a little technology break. And honestly, who doesn’t need one of those once in a while.

We all have that one friend. The one who makes you stand in the hot sun so they can take advantage of the glories of golden hour. The one who refuses to eat their taco without first snapping a selfie of them mid-bite. The one who can’t go shopping without documenting their changing-room chronicles through a flood of mirror selfies, showing the world what they **almost** purchased. These people have all mastered the art of loving their selfie.

A selfie is a quick flick of yourself, taken by yourself, usually of your face or upper body. They have gained momentum in this digital age, I believe, because of how easily they can be taken. The only person you need to take a good selfie, is yourself, and these pictures can be taken anywhere and everywhere.

Perhaps it is because of their convenience that selfies have gained a bad reputation throughout the years. This, combined with the nightmare that was the duck face phenomenon painted selfies as nothing more than a widespread show of narcissism.

While this may be the case for some people, this is not the case for everyone. For some, selfies are how they learned to love themselves. When you’re surrounded by people who don’t look like you flooded into every form of media possible, it can be incredibly easy to become self conscious of your looks. With the use of selfies, people of all ages, shapes, sizes and colors can take matters into their own hands. By simply snapping a picture of themselves and posting it online, people of color and other marginalized communities can instantly increase diversity in online spaces, and encourage others who feel misrepresented to do the same. Even if it is in the form of a selfie, if I rarely see myself represented in the media, I’m going to feel more “seen” when scrolling down my Instagram feed and seeing pictures of minorities who look just like me.

While this may be the case for some people, this is not the case for everyone. For some, selfies are how they learned to love themselves. When you’re surrounded by people who don’t look like you flooded into every form of media possible, it can be incredibly easy to become self conscious of your looks. With the use of selfies, people of all ages, shapes, sizes and colors can take matters into their own hands. By simply snapping a picture of themselves and posting it online, people of color and other marginalized communities can instantly increase diversity in online spaces, and encourage others who feel misrepresented to do the same. Even if it is in the form of a selfie, if I rarely see myself represented in the media, I’m going to feel more “seen” when scrolling down my Instagram feed and seeing pictures of minorities who look just like me.

Furthermore, selfies can be a major confidence booster. As Instagrammer Emily describes in BBC’s piece on selfies, when you are feeling good about yourself and how you look, you want to share it with the world. Even if you are feeling down about your appearance, by snapping a selfie and posting it on platforms like Instagram, the chances are very high of someone liking the picture or commenting a positive affirmation, which can end up boosting your self esteem. Thus, whether the confidence comes from yourself or other people, a quick selfie can make you feel a lot better than you think. By normalizing the use of selfies, you can normalize this idea of feeling comfortable looking at yourself at close angles and accepting all your flaws for who you are.

At the end of the day, selfies are a quick form of communication. By snapping a picture of you in a suit, you can let people know you are on your way to to work. By snapping a picture of you in front of a stage, you can let people know you are at a concert. Words aren’t always necessary because the selfie does all the talking for you. Thus, selfies are only increasing our efficiency in terms of communication, which is only a sign of progression. I will admit that there is a time and place for everything, and that every occasion is not keen for communicating with the use of a selfie. For example, funerals are probably not the best time to whip out your camera. However, this is a matter of sensitivity and knowing how to behave accordingly to your environment, not a valid reason to abandon selfies as a whole. As long as you’re selfie doesn’t purposely offend someone else, or isn’t disrespectful in nature, then by all means go for it.

The selfie does all the talking for you.

For me, selfies are also the perfect way to build a brand for yourself. What’s an easier way to promote the face of your own brand online than to share endless pictures of your own face? In my vlog (below), I discuss further how selfies can help you build an online presence. In this vlog, I discuss how selfies can help you build a name for yourself online. Especially within the app of Instagram, selfies can be utilized as a tool of brand building and entrepreneurship, maybe even helping you make money.

Whether it be through empowerment, brand building or simply quicker communication, a selfie is a way to share the human experience while building confidence in the way that you look. A selfie means being proud in the person looking back at you through the camera, and being unashamed to share that pride with the world.

Furthermore, selfies can be a major confidence booster. As Instagrammer Emily describes in BBC’s piece on selfies, when you are feeling good about yourself and how you look, you want to share it with the world. Even if you are feeling down about your appearance, by snapping a selfie and posting it on platforms like Instagram, the chances are very high of someone liking the picture or commenting a positive affirmation, which can end up boosting your self esteem. Thus, whether the confidence comes from yourself or other people, a quick selfie can make you feel a lot better than you think. By normalizing the use of selfies, you can normalize this idea of feeling comfortable looking at yourself at close angles and accepting all your flaws for who you are.

At the end of the day, selfies are a quick form of communication. By snapping a picture of you in a suit, you can let people know you are on your way to to work. By snapping a picture of you in front of a stage, you can let people know you are at a concert. Words aren’t always necessary because the selfie does all the talking for you. Thus, selfies are only increasing our efficiency in terms of communication, which is only a sign of progression. I will admit that there is a time and place for everything, and that every occasion is not keen for communicating with the use of a selfie. For example, funerals are probably not the best time to whip out your camera. However, this is a matter of sensitivity and knowing how to behave accordingly to your environment, not a valid reason to abandon selfies as a whole. As long as you’re selfie doesn’t purposely offend someone else, or isn’t disrespectful in nature, then by all means go for it.

The selfie does all the talking for you.

For me, selfies are also the perfect way to build a brand for yourself. What’s an easier way to promote the face of your own brand online than to share endless pictures of your own face? In my vlog (below), I discuss further how selfies can help you build an online presence.

Whether it be through empowerment, brand building or simply quicker communication, a selfie is a way to share the human experience while building confidence in the way that you look. A selfie means being proud in the person looking back at you through the camera, and being unashamed to share that pride with the world.

Featured image via pexels.

To be completely honest, I’d forgotten the need for blogs prior to reading Mark Brigg’s “How to Blog.” As Naive as it may sound, I thought that blogs were a thing of the early 2000’s; something that, as with flip phones and and boomboxes, have lost their significance in our modern technological sphere. However, Brigg’s article reminded me just how important it is for journalists to occasionally take a break from the rigid mechanics of traditional print reporting.

Blogs provide a space for writers to relay the same information, but in digital form, giving way to experimentation with style and design which can oftentimes be a relief for both the blogger and the audience. Through a blog, journalists can be more conversational in their pieces, which paves the way for more intimate and loyal followings. What particularly interested me about blogs was the point Briggs brought up about the differing dynamic between the journalist and the reader.

Whereas in traditional print fields, criticism comes across as argumentative and offensive, on online forums, readers seem to carry better intentions, wanting only to help the blogger not correct them.

– Briggs

As someone who is very protective about my writing, this aspect of blogging appealed to me the most. Furthermore, blogs are much easier to keep track of than daily print stories, as their short and sweet composition practically begs for consistency (music to a busy college student’s ears). All this to say, perhaps blogs aren’t as outdated as I conjured them to be in my mind. 

I’m not typically so easily swayed, but I do believe that the blog can be an integral tool in my digital media journey. This read, like many other experiences in my digital media literacy course so far, has been enlightening to say in the least. I find it interesting how a generation of teens like myself, born and raised deep within the era of technology, can know both so much and so little about the electronic devices that control so many aspects of our everyday life.

I never fail to be surprised about how much I continue to learn in this course, no matter how much I already thought I knew about the equally exciting and terrifying world of the internet. I almost wish that more people my age could be exposed to the same knowledge, as I’m almost confident this would lead to the decrease of ignorance I see daily on my Twitter timeline.

Alas, this is only a dream.

Featured image via pixel.com