Wish you were here Heidi

So in the beginning of this course I was way too excited mainly because I did not know what to expect. One of the assignments our Professor gave us for this course was to start a new social media that I haven't previously used before and since my friends have been bugging me to start an Instagram I decided well why not. So I started an Instagram account but for two weeks I never was on it. Throughout the semester I developed a love and hate relationship with social media because it consumed a great deal of my time (it's my own fault) at the same time I need it to keep in touch with family and friends all over the world.

In the midst of this social media experiment with Instagram I started posting photos and I just couldn't stop. I tried to catch up with my friends and family's 2 year worth of IG posts and so when I went with one particular friend to the cafeteria, the library, shopping, beach  even just hanging out in the hale she would always say, I wish you were here Heidi. 

In the beginning I just shrugged it off but the more she said it to me the more I began to think about it. Before I continue with this I want to share an experiment I did with social media for one of my Psychology courses last semester. So we had to give up something we really love for a week and then keep notes about how we feel, if we had cravings, withdrawals etc.

I decided to have a Facebook fast for a week and in the beginning it was easy but by day 3 I was extremely craving it. I found I had so much more time on my hand and I didn't know what to do with it. I was not as much of a procrastinator that week and matter fact I did not last the whole week. I broke my fast 12 hours earlier then when I should have.

I shared that experience because it has dawned on me just how much social media has influenced my life. I don't want to admit it but it's happened, it's addictive, it's enslaving. My friend was a gentle reminder that I need to disconnect to reconnect. So as a result of this class, I have made the decision to deactivate my Facebook for a month after this course. Well, I will try at least but I really know that social media is taking a lot of my time and it's just so hard to stay away from it. I will keep my IG because it's my new favorite and also Snapchat but Facebook will have to go, at least for a month anyway.

The deep dark net

This week we had a guest teacher as our Professor was away on business with all the other Psychology Professors. Our guest teacher taught me something I never knew truly existed. Since that lecture, I have been shocked to the core with this new discovery and has even sparked curiosity as it would many people but my fear of what I might find is greater than my want to research so I won't even try.

So he taught us about TOR which previously was shortened for The Onion Router but now it's just T.O.R. Pretty much what it is is a free software that enables online anonymity and censorship resistance. Anyone who uses it will be very difficult to trace down their internet activities, websites they visited etc. It is not impossible, but it is very difficult. Then he goes on to say that TOR is truly the deep deep dark of the internet. You can if you want to, order someone to kill an enemy if you have the resources. It was frightening for me to find that out because although the world is not very friendly I was ignorant toward the fact that what I once saw on movies actually happens in real life. I have always loved action and thrillers and when the teacher was talking about assassins, human trafficking, mafia etc I thought of some of my favorite action movies such as Taken,  Kill Bill, Hitman, Shooter and the list goes on.

The lecture also took me back to my mission where my companion and I came face to face with a member of the mafia gang. That was also a shocking experience. I don't know if it seems that I have been living under a rock but before that encounter I truly believed Mafia only existed in movies. Man was I wrong.

So far we have been talking about the good social media does and it sure does a lot of good. I am convinced that the internet in and of itself is good, matter fact I believe it is a gift to enhance our learning. The 'bad' really comes from those behind the internet, 'us'. The internet is a tool to be acted upon not the other way around. When we allow what it out there to control our lives, that's when its bad. TOR simply provides a way for us to remain anonymous in all our online activities but at the end of the day, it is our choice to search for whatever it is we search for.

I am thankful that modern day prophets and apostles touch on this issue conference after conference because it is a real danger when we allow ourselves to be acted upon by the internet.

Because of social media ____________.

So this week our Psychology of Social Media class has been mostly focussing on the positives that social media has brought. It's easy to think of our world today and associate social media with negative things but I'm actually grateful that in many ways social media has made our world a better place. We discussed in class how Social Media has helped bring awareness and information to people quicker and easier than ever before.

Ok I want to be honest and say this. Before this class, I already had a love and hate relationship with social media particularly Facebook because it's so addictive. Now I'm not putting blame on Facebook for 'my' addiction but sometimes I wish I didn't feel the need to check it every 5 minutes. Matter fact on Sundays, I don't look at my phone until I get home from church. I just wish that I could do that every day.

Back to my confession, so I have always had a love and hate relationship with social media. Can't live with it, can't live without it type-a-thing. So far as a result of this class, I have grown to appreciate social media rather than hate it. I always use to think negatively of it. This class has helped me to appreciate social media in a way I never did before.

I genuinely now am thankful for it. Through social media lives are changed for the better. There are countless individuals who use social media for good. Uplifting and inspirational posts, blogs, comments, videos, tweets are posted everyday. I now see social media as a tool to build a peaceful virtual world. Even if peace seems impossible to be established in the real world right now, the little difference that social media makes sometimes is all the difference we need.

My classmates and Professor have posted uplifting articles, videos and posts on our class page on Facebook and watching it makes me feel good. Social media help capture and store beautiful memories that we otherwise would not be able to store without it. I absolutely believe that because of social media lives are changed for the better. Because of social media stories are heard. Because of social media families are reunited. Because of social media love is found. Because of social media friends are connected. Because of social media, peace in an otherwise non peaceful world can be made possible.

Be steadfast

During class this week  we did something super fun. Our teacher assigned us into pairs of two and gave us each an article to read and present to the class. One particular discussion stayed with me and as I walked away that day. Now I apologize in advance that I’m going to take this from a religious point of view however I do not apologize for the things in which I believe to be right. Walking away that day I had mixed emotions about my faith in humanity. Earlier in the week I watched a documentary about the prisoners that were held captive at Abu Ghraib. That really left an impression on me as regards to humanity and just how far people can go doing something so evil. So already I was challenged with that thought.  Distressed, sad and worried I wrestled in my mind with what I as an individual can contribute to help make the world a better place. 

The article that left a lasting impact on me was about Jaime, a 13 year old boy who had never had his first kiss but is currently on the Sex offender Register for viewing pornography. After being exposed to it only at 10 years of age at a friend’s house, he became addicted without his parent’s awareness. As his addiction grew, he became involved with children porn. A simple mistake has potentially ruined this boy’s adulthood. 

Now you may wonder, what does this have to do directly with humanity. At first I thought, well maybe it doesn’t but the more I thought about it the more apparent it is to me that the core of all pornographic problems start with those in the porn industry. Never mind the internet, the magazines that distributes their pictures. I’m talking directly about those involved in the business. Do they not realize it is detrimental, degrading and has no real benefit for the good of the whole human race? It destroys the innocent and corrupts the mind like a plague. I know pornography is no new thing but I truly wonder whether those involved in the business genuinely enjoy what they do. Perhaps my ranting on won’t change anything but I learnt the importance or the role we need to play in our homes, communities and nations. I truly believe that as Christians, we ought to live more vigorously what we believe especially while we're in the midst of extreme immorality. We must be steadfast in always choosing the right because although we may feel no one is watching, someone is and a simple example can touch even change people's behavior. We must never give up on the good cause in which we are engaged in because in the end, good has already and will again triumph over evil.

Again I apologize that this blog is very focussed on this one article and not so much about social media and technology but I believe it will only get worse and for us, the best we can do is continue to do what we’re already doing, live in such a way that others may see us and know exactly what it is that brings true happiness and fulfillment. 

It saddens me that the younger generation are growing up in this digital age where pornography is  so accessible. I am hopeful that if we do our part, the difference we can make, whether great or small can determine the difference between addiction and freedom.

"O be wise, what can I say more?"

This week in class we watched a lot of different videos about social media evolution and had great discussions about how social media and technology affects our world, even behaviors. During our 10 minute break I made a comment to one of my class mates saying that I am feeling overwhelmed just learning about everything digital, the history, the current and what may be in the future. Because of this Psychology of Social Media class, it has dawned on me how dependent I am on technology even social media. Before receiving assignments to use social media in this class, it never occurred to me how much of my time is consumed by social media. I feel now I am using my time more wisely as a result of this class because I am on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube and Blogger. Trying to keep up with everything that goes on on these social media sites I somehow am becoming less and less motivated to go on Facebook everyday. I don't feel the need to constantly refresh my newsfeed. Rather I sign in, click on my Psych Social Media page, post or read something and then sign out. I use messenger to chat to my family and friends but I am no longer just on the newsfeed page for hours at a time. So to be honest, these assignments are helping me to be wiser and more cautious mostly about the amount of time I spend on the internet, especially Facebook.

Last semester for another Psychology class I was asked to choose one thing I really like and abstain from it for a week. I chose Facebook and it was difficult, actually very difficult the first two days and then after that I fell life was fuller. I actually interacted with people in person rather than through Facebook. I had more time to complete assignments because I did not have that distraction anymore. I often found myself with free time and so I would go hang out with my friends, even go to the beach. It was one of the best weeks since being here because I felt like I was disconnected from the internet and connected with real life. I must admit that at some point I had craving for it but it left pretty quick.

One thing that stood out to me throughout this week in class even though we never actually talked about it is the importance of managing time, moderation and just being wise about using technology. I hope that apart from learning about how social media influences our world, our homes etc that it will also influence our personal choices with regards to our daily use of technology.