How did I get into videogames?

My first videogame I played was a handheld Dora the explorer super spies. When I was little the game was a bit easy. Yes I finished the game. Gameboy advance

All bottled up inside 

Matters filling inside me 

Abruptly I shatter 

Into a million pieces 

Hit the ground with a loud clatter 

I can’t take it anymore

I can’t shake it anymore

I’m rattled 

sweat dripping down my face

A look of despair in my eyes

keeping secrets no one should have to hide

crushing under the pressure

i can’t take it anymore

Equality 

Telling me I’m different based on the color of my skin 

The texture of my hair 

The breast on my chest 

A lecture on perfection 

Constantly told I’m nothing but the lesser 

And I need to be taught the lesson 

To be prim and proper and to tie my hair 

Holding my dreams back 

To suppress myself

For the comfort of my 

oppressor

Constantly told I’m nothing but the lesser 

That I am gold but not the original 

Forced to fit a mold That im nothing special

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another week of blogging here at Falling for Fashion. Today’s post is going to be a bit different from my usual fashion trend posts. I took the time this week to reflect on my social media appearance and appearance over the media in general. Let’s take Instagram for example. When you are viewing someone’s Instagram profile, you are looking at some of their best pictures. As I was reflecting upon my media appearance this past week, I realized that the pictures I post are usually posed, rather than pictures captured within the moment. This realization gave me the opportunity to reflect more on living in the moment rather than just living through the moment.

That being said, one way to capture those moments while still living in them is through film cameras. My favourite part about having a film camera is the idea of not knowing how the photos turned out until you get them developed. This has allowed me to live in the moment without caring about what I look like in the picture and how the picture turned out. What I also love about film is the fact that half the time you forget about some of the pictures you took on that roll. It’s always the best when you’re looking at through the developed pictures and you are pleasantly surprised and excited when you see one you forgot you took.

Why I chose film – you may be wondering why a 17 year old girl chose to buy a film camera. My parents make fun of me all of the time saying, “why would you use a film camera if you can take a perfectly good photo on your phone?” or “film is so old school!” Not only is film a way for me to capture the fun moments in life, but it is also a way for me to remember those times as a teenager. There was one day where my sister and I were over at my grandparents house looking through old photo albums for fun. I got to see what it was like growing up for my grandparents and also my parents. I have taken my film photos and placed them in a photo album. When I am older, I hope to keep this album within my family for future generations to look back on!

If you are new to film cameras and just want to try one out and not have to invest in a real film camera, I suggest you grab a disposable film camera from your local Walmart or London Drugs. These cost no more than $15 CDN and they come with 27 shots. If you are still unsure about purchasing a film camera or a disposable, I suggest downloading the apps David’s Disposable by David Dobrik or Huji Cam.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Hey there, my name is Mehtab and I welcome you to my website/blog. I know you’re probably confused… like, “where am I?… this is a car site thingy”.. well let me explain. This blog, titled “Vancity Exotics” was created as an assignment for school. I have had a deep rooted love for automobiles since a young age, which is why I chose to create a blog about cars when asked to create a blog about something I am passionate about. I used this platform for my previous Publication Course to post my assignments, weekly process posts, essays and of course pictures of the hottest rides roaming our streets.

Moving forward into a new semester, I decided to take another Publication Course in which I have been tasked to create a type of blog post or to comment on a public domain about something I am passionate about. Now I know what you might be thinking like, “is this guy seriously going to make another blog about cars?… what a weirdo”. Well, let me be the first to say NO, I will NOT be doing that, instead I will be writing about something else I am passionate about, technology. In today’s modern day, technology has shifted our world into an unrecognizable place. Communication technologies have had a dominating effect on the lives of individuals, resulting in them becoming more dependent on such technologies to maintain a standard of living. I came across an article written by Yalda T. Uhls and others (cited), titled “Benefits and Costs of Social Media in Adolescence”. This article discusses how social media is intertwined with adolescent development and assess both the costs and benefits of adolescent social media use. The article was very interesting, and I enjoyed reading it, as it resonated with me in many ways. I decided to do some more research in hopes of potentially adding to the ongoing conversation about technology, social media and the following is what I came up with. 

Technology gives us easy access to information and news, through our smartphones, tablets, laptops and other smart devices, overshadowing the more traditional ways of doing things (Uhls, 2017) Before this era of technology and social media, information gathering and the sharing of ideas happened at a much slower rate. The evolution of technology has been beneficial to society, as it opens up a new spectrum of the world. We are able to communicate efficiently, research and gather information we are interested in through online articles and blogs; not to mention, we are able to stream videos, share pictures and expand our knowledge about global issues.

Departing from reality is necessary to achieve the standard of interconnectedness that is the current state of society. Social media has created a lot of opportunities, as it gives recognition to small businesses and brings people from every corner of the world together in instances of crisis and awareness. However, I also believe that modern forms of communication are negatively impacting modern societies by eliminating the need for interpersonal communication skills, and creating an environment that lacks awareness of social surroundings, and lacks a sense of identity. 

Technological advances are highly demanding of an individual’s attention and take up much of our time. Social processes, people, and their social arrangements are seen as factors that collectively promote change and affect our society. Communication technologies cause individuals to disconnect from reality, negatively impacting our perception of the world, making humans less willing to learn by themselves since ‘google knows the answer’, inevitably decreasing effort and promoting dependence. ”Unlike facet-to-face interaction or even the telephone, the internet offers opportunities for social interaction that do not not depend on the distance between parties” (Kraut, pp. 1019). 

Technology is intertwined in daily life, so much so, that escaping modernity is nearly impossible. Regardless of the ease and interconnectivity that communication technologies may provide, it takes away from our perception of reality and our surroundings. With the ever increasing use of technology and social media, there is an increased dislocation of oneself from reality (Connerton, pp. 124). For instance, there is a disjunction between the production and the final product of goods; in that, there is “a telling contrast between the personal signature of the artist, the stamp of the creator, and the anonymity of those in manufactur[ing]e who leave no trace on the product” (Connerton, pp. 125). Technology is both beneficial and detrimental, it all depends on how one uses it and how one misuses it.

_____________________________________________________________________

References:

Connerton, Paul. How Societies Remember. Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Kraut, R, et al. “Internet Paradox. A Social Technology That Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well-Being?” The American Psychologist, vol. 53, no. 9, 1998, pp. 1017–1031.

Uhls, Yalda T, et al. “Benefits and Costs of Social Media in Adolescence.” Pediatrics, vol. 140, no. Suppl 2, 2017, pp. S67–S70.

________________________________________________________________________

Community guidelines are crucial for maintaining the quality and image of that community. Without guidelines, anarchy can occur, and at that point the creator has lost all control. Community guidelines for my blog are not super strict and are also not explicitly mentioned. I have implemented my guidelines by showing rather than telling. Through my writing style, I hope to have influenced others who want to engage with my blog what kind of thoughts and ideas are relevant. As well, I have steered clear of using profane and vulgar language in hopes of showing everyone else that respect and humility are most important. Besides this, any thoughts and opinions on music are welcomed. People are open to give their feedback or engage in dialogue through the comments and I believe this has led to a good environment for my blog to welcome such things.

Oddisee is a refreshing, unique artists in the hip hop game. The Iceberg is Oddisee’s 11t studio album. The album features exciting instrumentals and acoustics that add to the overall quality of the project. With his previous live album Beneath the Surface in 2017, Oddisee’s experience with acoustics and live music show through vividly. Some tracks such as “Digging Deep” are heavily acoustic based whereas tracks like “Things” are more modernly produced. It’s a nice change to hear a rapper, especially a lesser known rapper, exhibit their skills in live and acoustic skills on top of their modern production skills. The overall sound of the album is well supplemented by the production. Oddisee has calming but exciting flows and displays his ability to rap over more jazzy beats like in “Built by Pictures” as well as more rock beats like in “This Girl I Know”. Oddisee’s influence from A Tribe Called Quest in this regard is quite apparent and the Sudanese-influenced rapper adds his own personal twist as well. All these qualities of this project and Oddisee’s overall career are incredible and deserve more recognition, but the most impressive quality of his music is his lyrics. Oddisee offers incredibly insightful and conscious bars that are provoke deep thought from the listener. Tracks like “Like Really” and “You Grew Up” exhibit this in an exceptional manner. “Like Really” is a personal tale that talks about the problems with discrimination against African Americans and the disconnect between their society and the Caucasian society within America. He touches on issues with the legal system and how the relationship is between white and black communities. “You Grew Up” is a beautiful song that talks about how different upbringings can lead to certain ways of life. He talks about how he was friends with a white boy as a child, but as they grew up in the “cult” that America is, their natural roles in society spread them apart. His friend became a police officer and years later shot a black man in a park. This is the crux of the separation that started from the father of the white friend prohibiting their friendship by racist merits. The song also talks about a kid who was bullied for being Muslim. The kid was approached in a mosque after graduation by a man who showed him that “life is a weapon” and turned him radical. This track brings new perspective to the listener and shows that just because you raise a child in a house full of love, doesn’t mean they’ll do well in this world full of hate. Overall, I would rate this album a strong 4.4/5.

Notable Tracks: “Like Really”, “You Grew Up”, “Rights & Wrongs”, and “Want to Be”     

A public image is a versatile matter. One can choose to build their own public image, or have it be determined by the public. Whether one chooses to paint their own self through their media and online activity or lay dormant and allow the public to build this image, one thing is for sure: A public image is not optional. Once a user has posted, commented, or participated in online activity in any way, their image is public. What one decides to do with their image is by their discretion.

My public image before this class was not very exciting. I do have Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and LinkedIn, but I’ve never been super outgoing on these. I’ve never seen value in sharing online. My public image was solemn. I’ve always considered myself a “lurker”: someone who views content online, but who doesn’t engage with it. This is part due to my background and how I have been raised. The less information you share, the better off you will be is one of the principles that has been ingrained in me since childhood that has led to me to be more reserved online and keep to myself. Making re-inscribes familiar values. (Chachra, 2015) In my case, the absence of making and creating exhibited my own values. This heavily contrasts the present norm where many teens use social media abundantly to network and be recognized. They are like online flaneurs: “individuals who came to the streets not to go anywhere in particular but in order to see and be seen.” (Boyd, 2014) Starting a blog this semester has given me new perspective as, prior to this, I had never shared much online. The blog forced me to step out of my comfort zone and write about what I am passionate about. I had a new public image that was separate from what I had previously established. A fresh start online with a new purpose allowed me to build a whole new public image. Instead of being reserved, I was open. I was open about my thoughts on music, what appealed to me, and even the emotions that music provoked from me. In some sense, it felt like this was part due to dissociative imagination. Nobody knew who I was, what my past was, or even my other public image. John Suler uses the analogy that “It’s Just a Game” (Suler, 2015), and, to me, that’s what it felt like. It felt like a game in the sense that the stakes were low, and I could do anything I wanted with little repercussions. It allowed me to find comfort in sharing my online self.

Going into this class, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As a business major, my experience in publications was quite minimal. Being thrown into the fire was a bit intimidating at first. Trying to figure out what I should post about, how to run a blog, and how I wanted to present myself was all very challenging. I conquered the steep learning curve simply by writing. Once I decided on a topic, I would start writing. I wrote music reviews and had no idea what I was doing, so I just wrote. I wrote about the background of the albums, how they sounded, and how they made me feel. I felt like I could offer value to a broader audience if I provided different aspects of a review. I imagined my audience to be quite like me in the sense that we both share a passion for music. The music itself is not enough and we crave an experience beyond it. Reading and writing reviews helps satisfy our craving for more. My focus was on underground music with a few exceptions, and I wanted to bring light to lesser-known artists who I believe make incredible music. I think they are underappreciated and underrecognized, and I wanted to contribute to spreading their work to a broader audience however I can.

Overall, I have found a new appreciation for publications. Without this class, I would have never gained perspective into what it takes to create a public image. I have been exposed to the value of publishing and sharing one’s views, and over the course of this semester, I have found that I have become more engaged in my other online communities. Through an increased participation, I have felt more satisfied and discovered a more rewarding experience online. This has changed my online presence, and I have begun developing a new self. Becoming more comfortable and confident in publishing myself online has transferred over to my other media platforms outside this class. I believe if others like me are exposed to an experience such as this one, they may also find the value and satisfaction that comes with engaging in and contributing to their own online communities.      

References

(n.d.).

Boyd, D. (2014). Searching for a publc of their own. In D. Boyd, It’s Comlicated (pp. 213-227). New Haven: Yale University Press.

Chachra, D. (2015). Wny I Am Not a Maker. The Atlantic , 1-2.

Suler, J. (2015). The Online Disinhibition Effect. In J. Suler, Psychology of the Digital Age (pp. 321-326). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• Process Post Prompt: Develop community guidelines for your site. Why are those the right guidelines for you? How will you implement them?

No Trolls

No Sale of Illegal Goods

No harassment

Essay #2

“A Lazy Girls Guide to Self-Care” is a blog dedicated to holding myself accountable for being kind. The blog content can be split into two categories, Self-Care Tips and Stories. Self-Care tips include various bits of advices that I am either giving myself in that moment in time or pieces of advice that have been given to me that I felt the need to share. The Story posts are more personal journal like entries about time I felt I was successful in being kind to myself by doing simple tasks and am able to share with my audience. The blog is similar to a journal for me and as the about section says, it’s dedicated to holding myself accountable for self-care this semester.

This blog wasn’t written with the intent of an audience, more just a personal reflection. I feel if anyone where to read the publication, it would be those in similar positions as myself; a female, in their twenties, in university. Realistically the audience of my blog is students of Publishing in Everyday Life in addition to the professor and teaching assistant. Since my audience most closely resembles myself the design and content of the blog reflect my personal style. The site design and layout are minimal, providing a personal journal atmosphere. The colouring, yellow, is there to provide warmth, and the floral pattern to add a feminine aspect to the design. The design of my blog is in line with my personal preferences, which is fitting since those similar to me are the intended audience. The content of “A Lazy Girls Guide to Self-Care”, is written informally, in first person and in a way that doesn’t take itself to seriously. As I have no formal training or professional knowledge in the realm of self-care, I am only really qualified to give advice that is from my own experience; Because of this it is fitting that my writing style is not formal or academic. In addition to this the content present on “A Lazy Girls Guide to Self-Care”, is very anecdotal in an attempt to resonate with multiple people rather than only those who know me personally, I tend to stay with topics that would allow others to relate to, regardless of whether they knew me or not. The value I am providing through “A Lazy Girls Guide to Self-Care”, is relatability. I want someone who reads my post to be able to fit the advice into their life or feel less alone.

That being said I think this marks the end of my blogging. I think the tricky thing with producing content is that you need to produce content that you actively consume. A book author wouldn’t be able to write a book never having read one, the same goes for blogging. I do not enjoy reading blogs, I very rarely consume media in that for which made it even harder for me to produce media for this platform. In addition, I recall on the first day we were instructed to write our blog about something that we are passionate about, I did not take this advice. I don’t think there is something I am so passionate about that I would choose to spend my time writing about it, if I’m being honest I hate writing, I have never had a way with words or the want to write down my thoughts.

In regard to social media I am of the opinion that whatever you put online is up to you as long as you can acknowledge that it is there forever and will always be linked back to you. This class has made me realize I do not want my name attached to my blog, I don’t want someone to stumble upon a story I shared and be able to link it to my name. I admire those in this class who have boldly put themselves out there and will continue to do so with their content, but I would rather have my online presence kept to the minimal.