Unsocial Media

It’s kind of crazy how the world we live in today has changed when we compare it to the world we used to live in 10 or 15 years ago. I have very vivid memories of being a child and not having a computer in my home, no one having a cell phone, and of course no internet. My friend who lived across the street from me had a computer and even had the internet, but it was connected through dial-up where it seemed to take 5 minutes just to dial in to the internet then at least another 5 minutes to download a page. Nowadays we have wireless high speed internet that can download a webpage in a blink of an eye while kids these days have no idea what dial-up even means. I can also remember that when I was a kid and I wanted to hang out with my friends I had to either physically go to their house and knock on the door or I had to go to my own home, pick up the chorded phone and dial up my friends and actually talk to them, but now kids simply just text each other and can do so from anywhere. These advances in technology have drastically changed the way we now communicate with each other especially with the use of social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. Looking back at how we lived and communicated with each other back then it amazes me how far these social media sites have come and how many of us use them, in fact, 71 percent of Americans have a Facebook account (“Facebook Statistics…”), but how much do we use them? Too much. Now I won’t be a hypocrite and say I don’t like to use Facebook or watch videos on YouTube every now and then, but it seems that we are beginning to spend more time talking to our friends that live five minutes away or neighbors via the internet than we do actually talking to them which can deprive us of the quality of relationships that we have with them. I mean, staying in touch with someone who lives a great distance away from us is one thing, but when our main way of communicating with people that live right around the corner it takes away from certain experiences we could have with them. We just don’t have the same, complete experience. It’s more personal to actually be with someone. We can see, touch, or even smell (hopefully not) them, but behind a computer screen we can’t. So, if we’re not actually talking and socializing ourselves with others because of social media, then has social media actually made us less social? Yes. While I believe we have become a less social society, my hope is not to bring down social media sites because I believe much good does come from them, but I do hope that we can take a step back and look at how it has changed us and that we can reevaluate ourselves about how much time we spend on such sites and instead physically involve ourselves in events and other people’s lives by pondering on how our relationships with our family and friends could change by making them more personal.

            Social Media is Great, but Does it Isolate Us?

Through social networking, people can stay connected from all around the world which is an amazing thing. People can stay in touch with old high school classmates, relatives, and, well, even their next door neighbor. For example, I lived in Peru for two years as a missionary and I came to know and become friends with many people there, but once the time came for me to return home I felt sad because I probably wouldn’t see any of them again, but thanks to Facebook I have been able to stay in touch with many of those people. So instead of me having to spend a fortune on long-distance calls, I can communicate with them for free.   But sometimes we talk to our friends that live close by only through social networks and that is precisely the problem because we tend to seclude ourselves from others by spending countless hours on the computer. Who hasn’t had an experience when in a group with friends or family someone seems isolated because they are glued to their phone or on the computer?

Are We Now Less Human?

While being on Facebook for frequent, extended periods of time can isolate someone, we can still get to know a lot about someone by looking at their Facebook page. We can know their interests, where they work, where they go to school, etc. but we really wouldn’t know them, but it’s still amazing how it keeps us connected as it is now one of the top ways people stay up to date on today’s issues. We use it as a way to express our opinions and let our voices be heard and we even use it to let others know of special events that may be happening, so clearly there are many good things that come from it, but we just may be using it too much and not actually getting to know others. Commenting on someone’s picture or video is not getting to know someone. I have no problem with using it to stay up to date on important things that may be happening in the world, but I believe it many ways it dehumanizes us because it does not allow us to personally talk to someone, but instead electronically communicate. Recently, I had a very good family friend that was diagnosed with breast cancer and she had posted updates on Facebook about her surgeries and chemotherapy treatments and I saw many posts on Facebook describe how badly those people felt for her and wished her the best. A few days later our family brought dinner to their home and we had the opportunity to talk to her and she told us of how bad she felt not because of her cancer, but because so few people had come to visit her in her time of need. Those people who posted on her Facebook felt that that was sufficient enough. This is what I mean about dehumanizing us. I think often people feel that reaching out to someone via social network sites is the same as them being there by their side, but it absolutely is not because, for instance, if someone is having a very trying time in their life it would not be the same or as comforting to have a message posted Facebook in support of that person as it would if that friend actually went over to their house, gave them a hug, sat down and had a conversation with them. This makes me recall an event that happened in my family a couple of years ago. My Dad had a really good friend who was having a failing marriage and his wife had been cheating on him and eventually left him and her kids to go off with another man. This devastated my Dad’s friend and one day he told my Dad he was going to commit suicide so my Dad went over to his house and spent hours talking to him and eventually talked him out of it. What would have happened if my Dad had just said sorry for what had been going on in a text message and left him alone? While this is an extreme case, it still applies to even the smallest cases because even chatting with your buddy on Facebook is not remotely the same as actually sitting next to them holding a conversation. It’s like having a robot pet or something. There’s not any emotional attachment because we are essentially talking to a computer screen pretending it to be someone.

We Have Less "Complete Experiences"

            It seems to be a bit of an oxymoron for me to say we are less social through social networking, but I am not alone. Dr. Brian Harke from the University of Southern California says that social networks have a way of cheating us out of complete experiences. He tells a story of a student who was at a dinner party with various professors from the university and even prominent business men, but instead of making a good impression in front of these people, this student began texting at the table, updating his Facebook status, checking his emails, and tweeting about what he was having for dinner instead of engaging himself in a meaningful conversation with his superiors. Harke says that this student may have been there physically, but he wasn’t “present” because he was mentally in a cyber-world. Harke went on to say:

In short, he wasn't present. Since he wasn't present and was not aware of his impact, he didn't recognize that he was being rude. He wasn't aware enough to see that he was making a bad impression and being disrespectful. I'm sure it never occurred to him………….as a result, he missed out on good conversation and more importantly, the opportunity to make a good impression on instructors and business professionals. (Harke)

Social networking can distract us from what’s really around us and can deprive us of personal interaction. My little brother is a prime example of this. My brother has never had a job that has required him to work more than five hours a week. He is now nineteen years old and is more than a year removed from high school and does not attend college. So what does he do with his time? He spends it all on the computer playing online games and on Facebook. When he is playing his games it is nearly impossible to get him to talk to you or come and eat dinner with the family. The minute he gets up in the morning he’s on the computer and stays there until the early morning hours when he goes to bed. He hardly ever leaves the house to do anything and when his friends come over to our house the only thing they do is play video games together. So, in my eyes, he is completely isolating himself from the world caused by an addiction to the computer. My other siblings and I like to be on the computer every once in a while too, but we have lives. We work, we go to school, and we do things with friends. I love my brother very much, but he has become so unsocial because of this that it scares me. My brother is not alone either. Countless people spend way too much time with computer games and social networking sites, isolating themselves and essentially do nothing valuable with their lives. So when people tell me social media doesn’t make us less social I get extremely frustrated just by thinking of what’s happened to my brother, but Rachel Stoll from Social Media World says that we are merely reorganizing the way we meet people when we use social media and also answers the question if social media is making us less social:

… no: social media is not making us less social. Online gaming didn’t make us less social. Forums didn’t make us less social. The invention of books didn’t make us less social. We are just learning how to better find the information and people we are looking for and when we find those people we still want to meet them in real life. (Stoll)

I couldn’t disagree with her more. I wholeheartedly believe online gaming has indeed made us less social and forums can do the same. But here comparing social media to books, to me, is almost comical. Books do not “connect” us to anything as social media does. And she also later says, “Some people will always feel more comfortable behind a computer screen, but those people aren’t becoming less social they just exist within their comfort zone” (Stoll), clearly there is a comfort zone for people behind the computer screen (otherwise, why would people spend hours on the computer?), I believe it does in fact take us away from interacting with others. For example, I find that I am most “comfortable” lying in bed, but if I spent the majority of my time in bed and never left the house, would I be able to make the argument that I am not less social, but I was just existing in my comfort zone? I think not. The fact of the matter is that the more time we spend entranced behind a computer screen, the less time we have to actually form real relationships with people. Some people I have talked to say they have made great friends through Facebook, but what kind of a bond do they really have with those people? Could a mother develop a strong bond with her child without ever holding it? In fact according to the National School Boards Association, only about .08 percent of kids have actually met a friend that they encountered via social networks (National School Boards Association, Creating and Connecting). Additionally, if you meet a friend through Facebook you never really know who the person is. There have been a countless number of scams that have happened to people by people who lie about who they really are. Some adults pose as children and vice versa. This has even happened to me. Once I sold an item on eBay and the buyer sent me an email that said he was out of the country in Nigeria, but needed the item and would pay extra to have me ship it there. Thankfully I wasn’t that stupid. I had heard about Nigerian scams and didn’t fall for this imposter’s tricks. My point being, we don’t really know who we’re talking to out there whereas if we met and talked to people the old fashioned way, we would know exactly who they are, but we are too unsocial to do so.

It's Not Just Me

            I recently had the opportunity to talk to Tim Simmons, a fellow college student at Dixie State College, about if he believes social networks have made us less social. He said:

Yeah, I think so. I mean people don’t really get out as much. A lot of times we just go hang out on the computer and watch videos on YouTube or whatever. I mean, I don’t think we’re completely anti-social, but I think a lot of my friends do spend more time talking on Facebook than they do on the phone or anything. (“Is Social Media…”)

It’s exactly what some recent statistics have shown about Facebook. It says that 57 percent of people talk to each other more online than they do in real life (Facebook Statistics, Stats, and Facts for 2011). But sometimes these cases can go to the extreme. One CNN article gave one account of a mother that was extremely addicted to the use of Facebook. It tells about a mother who would check her Facebook page at least ten times per day and about twenty hours per week and she says it would even interfere with her responsibilities as a mother. The article says:

One day recently, Cynthia Newton's 12-year-old daughter asked her for help with homework, but Newton didn't want to help her, because she was too busy on Facebook. So her daughter went upstairs to her room and sent an e-mail asking her for help, but Newton didn't see the e-mail, because, well, she was too busy on Facebook. (Cohen)

Clearly there are some issues there if she couldn’t turn away from the computer to spend some time with her own daughter , but does everyone have issues with social media? No, of course not. Not everyone has such extreme cases as this, but everyone is not guiltless of never having become less social because a form of social media. If anyone has checked a text while with someone, they have isolated themselves from others. If anyone has checked their Twitter account on their phone while at dinner, they have exiled themselves. There are countless examples of how we can exile ourselves from others because of social media, thus making us less social, but what can we do about it in today’s world? Well, to be quite honest, not a whole lot unless we are willing to make some serious changes and sacrifices to our lives. We all are affected by social media so we should all make a concerted effort not to stop social media, but to relax a bit, get out and do things, and disconnect from the world.

Social Media Can Change How We Act and Treat Others

            Social media can also in a way make us less civilized. If you’ve ever read a comments post on a YouTube video you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. I have seen some of the rudest most inappropriate comments in my life posted on YouTube and I’ve often wondered to myself if that is really how these people talk to others that they don’t know or have just recently met. A few weeks ago I saw a video of a kid do simple little kickflip on a skateboard which would be nothing to a professional skateboarder, but is pretty good for an amateur, but some of the comments were so rude I couldn’t believe myself. They all criticized him for how bad of a kickflip he did and once again I wondered to myself, if these people saw this kid do that in real life in the park, would they go up to him and tell him how bad he sucks? I think that because people are behind a computer screen they can pretend to be someone they’re not and this often leads them to being entirely rude or uncivilized.

Once again, social media is not all bad. But too many people have become fixated by it. If we could all just spend a little more time actually doing things with our friends and family it would change the world dramatically. It could even hypothetically change the economy because people would be out socializing, going out to dinner, movies, sporting events, etc. while developing better, longer lasting relationships with those around them. I do not wish for the pre-Facebook days, but I do wish that people would become more social and get out and do things. 

Unsocial Media

It’s kind of crazy how the world we live in today has changed when we compare it to the world we used to live in 10 or 15 years ago. I have very vivid memories of being a child and not having a computer in my home, no one having a cell phone, and of course no internet. My friend who lived across the street from me had a computer and even had the internet, but it was connected through dial-up where it seemed to take 5 minutes just to dial in to the internet then at least another 5 minutes to download a page. Nowadays we have wireless high speed internet that can download a webpage in a blink of an eye while kids these days have no idea what dial-up even means. I can also remember that when I was a kid and I wanted to hang out with my friends I had to either physically go to their house and knock on the door or I had to go to my own home, pick up the chorded phone and dial up my friends and actually talk to them, but now kids simply just text each other and can do so from anywhere. These advances in technology have drastically changed the way we now communicate with each other especially with the use of social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. Looking back at how we lived and communicated with each other back then it amazes me how far these social media sites have come and how many of us use them, in fact, 71 percent of Americans have a Facebook account (“Facebook Statistics…”), but how much do we use them? Too much. Now I won’t be a hypocrite and say I don’t like to use Facebook or watch videos on YouTube every now and then, but it seems that we are beginning to spend more time talking to our friends that live five minutes away or neighbors via the internet than we do actually talking to them which can deprive us of the quality of relationships that we have with them. I mean, staying in touch with someone who lives a great distance away from us is one thing, but when our main way of communicating with people that live right around the corner it takes away from certain experiences we could have with them. We just don’t have the same, complete experience. It’s more personal to actually be with someone. We can see, touch, or even smell (hopefully not) them, but behind a computer screen we can’t. So, if we’re not actually talking and socializing ourselves with others because of social media, then has social media actually made us less social? Yes. While I believe we have become a less social society, my hope is not to bring down social media sites because I believe much good does come from them, but I do hope that we can take a step back and look at how it has changed us and that we can reevaluate ourselves about how much time we spend on such sites and instead physically involve ourselves in events and other people’s lives by pondering on how our relationships with our family and friends could change by making them more personal.

            Social Media is Great, but Does it Isolate Us?

Through social networking, people can stay connected from all around the world which is an amazing thing. People can stay in touch with old high school classmates, relatives, and, well, even their next door neighbor. For example, I lived in Peru for two years as a missionary and I came to know and become friends with many people there, but once the time came for me to return home I felt sad because I probably wouldn’t see any of them again, but thanks to Facebook I have been able to stay in touch with many of those people. So instead of me having to spend a fortune on long-distance calls, I can communicate with them for free.   But sometimes we talk to our friends that live close by only through social networks and that is precisely the problem because we tend to seclude ourselves from others by spending countless hours on the computer. Who hasn’t had an experience when in a group with friends or family someone seems isolated because they are glued to their phone or on the computer?

Are We Now Less Human?

While being on Facebook for frequent, extended periods of time can isolate someone, we can still get to know a lot about someone by looking at their Facebook page. We can know their interests, where they work, where they go to school, etc. but we really wouldn’t know them, but it’s still amazing how it keeps us connected as it is now one of the top ways people stay up to date on today’s issues. We use it as a way to express our opinions and let our voices be heard and we even use it to let others know of special events that may be happening, so clearly there are many good things that come from it, but we just may be using it too much and not actually getting to know others. Commenting on someone’s picture or video is not getting to know someone. I have no problem with using it to stay up to date on important things that may be happening in the world, but I believe it many ways it dehumanizes us because it does not allow us to personally talk to someone, but instead electronically communicate. Recently, I had a very good family friend that was diagnosed with breast cancer and she had posted updates on Facebook about her surgeries and chemotherapy treatments and I saw many posts on Facebook describe how badly those people felt for her and wished her the best. A few days later our family brought dinner to their home and we had the opportunity to talk to her and she told us of how bad she felt not because of her cancer, but because so few people had come to visit her in her time of need. Those people who posted on her Facebook felt that that was sufficient enough. This is what I mean about dehumanizing us. I think often people feel that reaching out to someone via social network sites is the same as them being there by their side, but it absolutely is not because, for instance, if someone is having a very trying time in their life it would not be the same or as comforting to have a message posted Facebook in support of that person as it would if that friend actually went over to their house, gave them a hug, sat down and had a conversation with them. This makes me recall an event that happened in my family a couple of years ago. My Dad had a really good friend who was having a failing marriage and his wife had been cheating on him and eventually left him and her kids to go off with another man. This devastated my Dad’s friend and one day he told my Dad he was going to commit suicide so my Dad went over to his house and spent hours talking to him and eventually talked him out of it. What would have happened if my Dad had just said sorry for what had been going on in a text message and left him alone? While this is an extreme case, it still applies to even the smallest cases because even chatting with your buddy on Facebook is not remotely the same as actually sitting next to them holding a conversation. It’s like having a robot pet or something. There’s not any emotional attachment because we are essentially talking to a computer screen pretending it to be someone.

We Have Less "Complete Experiences"

            It seems to be a bit of an oxymoron for me to say we are less social through social networking, but I am not alone. Dr. Brian Harke from the University of Southern California says that social networks have a way of cheating us out of complete experiences. He tells a story of a student who was at a dinner party with various professors from the university and even prominent business men, but instead of making a good impression in front of these people, this student began texting at the table, updating his Facebook status, checking his emails, and tweeting about what he was having for dinner instead of engaging himself in a meaningful conversation with his superiors. Harke says that this student may have been there physically, but he wasn’t “present” because he was mentally in a cyber-world. Harke went on to say:

In short, he wasn't present. Since he wasn't present and was not aware of his impact, he didn't recognize that he was being rude. He wasn't aware enough to see that he was making a bad impression and being disrespectful. I'm sure it never occurred to him………….as a result, he missed out on good conversation and more importantly, the opportunity to make a good impression on instructors and business professionals. (Harke)

Social networking can distract us from what’s really around us and can deprive us of personal interaction. My little brother is a prime example of this. My brother has never had a job that has required him to work more than five hours a week. He is now nineteen years old and is more than a year removed from high school and does not attend college. So what does he do with his time? He spends it all on the computer playing online games and on Facebook. When he is playing his games it is nearly impossible to get him to talk to you or come and eat dinner with the family. The minute he gets up in the morning he’s on the computer and stays there until the early morning hours when he goes to bed. He hardly ever leaves the house to do anything and when his friends come over to our house the only thing they do is play video games together. So, in my eyes, he is completely isolating himself from the world caused by an addiction to the computer. My other siblings and I like to be on the computer every once in a while too, but we have lives. We work, we go to school, and we do things with friends. I love my brother very much, but he has become so unsocial because of this that it scares me. My brother is not alone either. Countless people spend way too much time with computer games and social networking sites, isolating themselves and essentially do nothing valuable with their lives. So when people tell me social media doesn’t make us less social I get extremely frustrated just by thinking of what’s happened to my brother, but Rachel Stoll from Social Media World says that we are merely reorganizing the way we meet people when we use social media and also answers the question if social media is making us less social:

… no: social media is not making us less social. Online gaming didn’t make us less social. Forums didn’t make us less social. The invention of books didn’t make us less social. We are just learning how to better find the information and people we are looking for and when we find those people we still want to meet them in real life. (Stoll)

I couldn’t disagree with her more. I wholeheartedly believe online gaming has indeed made us less social and forums can do the same. But here comparing social media to books, to me, is almost comical. Books do not “connect” us to anything as social media does. And she also later says, “Some people will always feel more comfortable behind a computer screen, but those people aren’t becoming less social they just exist within their comfort zone” (Stoll), clearly there is a comfort zone for people behind the computer screen (otherwise, why would people spend hours on the computer?), I believe it does in fact take us away from interacting with others. For example, I find that I am most “comfortable” lying in bed, but if I spent the majority of my time in bed and never left the house, would I be able to make the argument that I am not less social, but I was just existing in my comfort zone? I think not. The fact of the matter is that the more time we spend entranced behind a computer screen, the less time we have to actually form real relationships with people. Some people I have talked to say they have made great friends through Facebook, but what kind of a bond do they really have with those people? Could a mother develop a strong bond with her child without ever holding it? In fact according to the National School Boards Association, only about .08 percent of kids have actually met a friend that they encountered via social networks (National School Boards Association, Creating and Connecting). Additionally, if you meet a friend through Facebook you never really know who the person is. There have been a countless number of scams that have happened to people by people who lie about who they really are. Some adults pose as children and vice versa. This has even happened to me. Once I sold an item on eBay and the buyer sent me an email that said he was out of the country in Nigeria, but needed the item and would pay extra to have me ship it there. Thankfully I wasn’t that stupid. I had heard about Nigerian scams and didn’t fall for this imposter’s tricks. My point being, we don’t really know who we’re talking to out there whereas if we met and talked to people the old fashioned way, we would know exactly who they are, but we are too unsocial to do so.

It's Not Just Me

            I recently had the opportunity to talk to Tim Simmons, a fellow college student at Dixie State College, about if he believes social networks have made us less social. He said:

Yeah, I think so. I mean people don’t really get out as much. A lot of times we just go hang out on the computer and watch videos on YouTube or whatever. I mean, I don’t think we’re completely anti-social, but I think a lot of my friends do spend more time talking on Facebook than they do on the phone or anything. (“Is Social Media…”)

It’s exactly what some recent statistics have shown about Facebook. It says that 57 percent of people talk to each other more online than they do in real life (Facebook Statistics, Stats, and Facts for 2011). But sometimes these cases can go to the extreme. One CNN article gave one account of a mother that was extremely addicted to the use of Facebook. It tells about a mother who would check her Facebook page at least ten times per day and about twenty hours per week and she says it would even interfere with her responsibilities as a mother. The article says:

One day recently, Cynthia Newton's 12-year-old daughter asked her for help with homework, but Newton didn't want to help her, because she was too busy on Facebook. So her daughter went upstairs to her room and sent an e-mail asking her for help, but Newton didn't see the e-mail, because, well, she was too busy on Facebook. (Cohen)

Clearly there are some issues there if she couldn’t turn away from the computer to spend some time with her own daughter , but does everyone have issues with social media? No, of course not. Not everyone has such extreme cases as this, but everyone is not guiltless of never having become less social because a form of social media. If anyone has checked a text while with someone, they have isolated themselves from others. If anyone has checked their Twitter account on their phone while at dinner, they have exiled themselves. There are countless examples of how we can exile ourselves from others because of social media, thus making us less social, but what can we do about it in today’s world? Well, to be quite honest, not a whole lot unless we are willing to make some serious changes and sacrifices to our lives. We all are affected by social media so we should all make a concerted effort not to stop social media, but to relax a bit, get out and do things, and disconnect from the world.

Social Media Can Change How We Act and Treat Others

            Social media can also in a way make us less civilized. If you’ve ever read a comments post on a YouTube video you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. I have seen some of the rudest most inappropriate comments in my life posted on YouTube and I’ve often wondered to myself if that is really how these people talk to others that they don’t know or have just recently met. A few weeks ago I saw a video of a kid do simple little kickflip on a skateboard which would be nothing to a professional skateboarder, but is pretty good for an amateur, but some of the comments were so rude I couldn’t believe myself. They all criticized him for how bad of a kickflip he did and once again I wondered to myself, if these people saw this kid do that in real life in the park, would they go up to him and tell him how bad he sucks? I think that because people are behind a computer screen they can pretend to be someone they’re not and this often leads them to being entirely rude or uncivilized.

Once again, social media is not all bad. But too many people have become fixated by it. If we could all 

just spend a little more time actually doing things with our friends and family it would change the world 

dramatically. It could even hypothetically change the economy because people would be out socializing, 

going out to dinner, movies, sporting events, etc. while developing better, longer lasting relationships 

with those around them. I do not wish for the pre-Facebook days, but I do wish that people would 

become more social and get out and do things. 

Interview: Becoming Less Social Through Social Media

I have chosen to write about how social media has changed the way we interact with people now days as opposed to how we communicated with people ten or more years ago. Some may argue that social media is for the better while others say that it is in fact making us less social. So I tried to think of various people whom I could interview about the subject and who could give “expert” advice, but since Mark Zuckerberg (the founder of Facebook) wasn’t anywhere to be found, I thought who would be better to interview than those who use social media everyday. So I interviewed a few random people that I know about the way social media has affected their personal lives and today’s society in general and if it’s for the better or for the worse.

Most of the people that I interviewed tended to agree on nearly every question. I asked them a variety of questions including, “Has the word ‘social’ in itself changed over the past 5 years?” and “Are people more social or less social now than they were 10 or more years ago?” The general consensus was that yes, the word “social” has changed drastically and depending on which aspect you refer to in regards to being social, most people said we are less social. For instance, if we’re talking about people posting every little detail of their lives then yes, we’re more social, but if we’re talking about actually going to someone’s house and visiting then we are definitely less social.

Overall most people thought that Facebook and other social media networks can be used for a lot of good, but that it has drastically changed the way we interact with people and many are concerned that we will become an unsocial society thanks to social media. That is the stance that I plan to take on this paper is that while there is a lot of good from social media, it will eventually make us less and less social.   

Do Americans Care Where Immigrants Come From?

In America these days immigration can be a touchy issue.  Many people are against our current immigration policy while others say it is not strict enough and that we should round up every illegal immigrant and deport them back to their own country, but I propose that we as a nation should consider many things about these immigrants, such as where they come from (and I say that more on an economic or standard of living kind of level and not necessarily by nationality or ethnicity) and not stereotype them into one group and also give them better options to immigrate to the United States. I say this because many people think that all immigrants are destroying America. I recently spoke to a person about our immigration policies and this person had some harsh feelings towards the immigrants, especially those of the Latin American countries. This person said that those immigrants come into our country illegally and are stealing jobs that Americans could have, thus making our economy and unemployment rating worse. But one thing that also seemed to irk this person was the fact that these people do not speak English. While I agree that it is not right that those immigrants come into our country illegally and that they should at least put forth the effort into learning the national language, I started to wonder about why they do it. Do they have some type of vendetta against our country and have some secret plot to take our country down from the inside by stealing our jobs and destroying our country? Is their sole purpose to annoy the Americans by speaking Spanish next to them in the grocery store and make them think they are talking about them? I highly doubt that. I believe that they do it because we are too strict on our immigration laws thus leaving them no choice but to cross our borders illegally because these people come from extremely poor areas and are looking for better opportunities for their family. To that person with whom I had that conversation and to those who may share the same views I say there may be some things you should at least consider.

            I recently had the great opportunity to serve a mission for my church in the South-American country of Peru. I still remember very clearly my first impressions of my bus ride from the airport to my new home in the capital of Lima. As I looked through the window and I looked at the streets and houses I thought to myself, “Wow, this place looks like a war zone”. I saw unfinished buildings where families lived, sheet metal roofs and doors, and people lying in the streets with no place to live. During my two years there I came to love those people and better understand them and their circumstances. Many people who lived there had no running water or electricity, they lived in mud-brick houses, and had to work twelve hours a day, seven days a week just to make sure their family was fed. Not everyone had equal opportunities either, such as the rich being the only ones able to play for their cities soccer team. We as Americans take our country and the privileges that we have for granted. Have you ever thought about how great a luxury it is to have a hot shower every day or heating and air-conditioning in your home? Not one house that I ever stepped foot in Peru had heating or air-conditioning and most people did not have hot showers. My point being is that before we start thinking about those illegal immigrants, we should think about where they come from and how lucky we are to live where we do. Did those people choose to be born where they were born? Did they choose to live in those poor conditions? But do they have the right to seek better opportunities for their families? Is that not what made our country great was having people immigrate to our country from all over the world?

            Obviously, when immigrants come into our country illegally it can cause problems in the economy, the health care system, and even the education system. For this there is no argument. But couldn’t we do something for them so that they can better their own countries? When I was in Peru I met a person who’s dream was to study in the United States and earn her degree, learn English, and then go back to Peru to use the knowledge that she gained to help people in her own country, but sadly she had applied and been rejected multiple times for a student visa. The reason she wanted to study in the United States is because the universities and education system in general in Peru is very poor. This young woman had hoped to earn her degree in engineering and gain a knowledge in city planning so she could help those many parts of Peru that did not have running water or electricity. But she had been denied. I propose that we make it easier for those of different countries to obtain student visas so that they can be able to go back to their countries and make them stronger, thus providing better lifestyles for their families. Also, if one of them would like to stay and become a citizen of the United States, we could make it easier for those immigrants that have earned degrees here to gain citizenship. For example, let’s say an immigrant gains his degree and has been a resident for four or five years and wishes to start his career here. Shouldn’t we be all for having better educated people in our country to further the progress as a country? If we do this, those who are illegal may start applying for those student visas so that they could become legal residents while still furthering their education and if they become legal residents, that could stop putting such a drain on our health care system, educational system, and economy.

     Clearly there is not one single answer that could solve all of our immigration problems because we still have problems such as national security, but I think that if we spoiled Americans had more compassion on other human beings seeking a better life, we could thus better our country, its economy, and our relations with other countries. Immigration will forever be a problem, but we can lessen that problem if we can gain a better understanding of those people and improve our distribution of visas (especially student visas) and better yet, we can improve the quality of life to more countries and more people thus making the world a better place.

Coca-Cobesity

As one of America’s greatest cultural icons or artifacts, Coca-Cola, or Coke as it is commonly referred to, is something that essentially every American, or nearly every person in the world for that matter, can recognize and relate to. It is hard to imagine that any American has never tasted Coke before as it is present in nearly every restaurant, sporting event, or party and in fact many people drink it on a daily basis. But there are a few things for those avid Coke drinkers to consider before they just start guzzling down bottles and bottles of Coke.

            According to a recent study, the average American drinks up to fifty gallons of soda a year. And since Coke is the most sold cola beverage in the United States, we may assume that much of that is Coke. Americans in these days have been subject to record levels of obesity and that may be linked to drinking cola drinks because by just drinking one 12 ounce can of soda a day, a person can gain up to one pound per month because of its high levels of sugar, so we can assume that at least part of America’s high levels of obesity is contributed to the consumption of cola drinks. If one would like to burn off that can of soda they would have to walk for at least 30 minutes. Other health risks also come from drinking Coke too such as; osteoporosis, tooth decay, or even heart disease. So while Coke tastes great and may be okay to drink conservatively, as in not every day, we should refrain from overdoing it and pay more attention to our health.

            One thing that Coke does in order to get itself out there in the public eye is how it displays itself. Its simple colors of red and white and easy to recognize cursive lettering gives Coke the ability to be recognized almost instantaneously by Americans. Whether it is in bottles or cans, Coke can be recognized from a mile away. And even Santa Claus loves it. When Christmas time comes around and we see Santa Claus in all kinds of propaganda, we can even associate him to this iconic beverage from all the commercials at that time of year that we tend to see. So is it any wonder that Santa could stand to lose a few pounds because he drinks so much Coke? The point being that any American man, woman, or child can recognize its colors, logo, or the things it is associated with. Since it is so easily recognized and has that family appeal, people tend to buy it and consume it because when they see it in the stores or restaurants they have impulses to buy it because those images from commercials and other advertisements are on their minds. Whereas if Coke did not have that image or the ability to be easily recognized, do you think it would be nearly as popular or widely consumed? Probably not. This marketing technique also can cost coke drinkers not only in their health, but also in their pocket. If one person drinks two 12 ounce cans of soda a day, that person may be paying more than two hundred dollars a year.

So, while there are iconic things in our culture, Coca-Cola can be seen as being one of the biggest that we have in today’s society due to its immense popularity and its ability to be easily recognized. But those that are avid Coke-drinkers or any avid drinker to any soda must keep in mind their health as well as their pocket books before they become hooked. Keeping Coke intake to a small amount is important, but there are always occasions to enjoy it, in fact, that is something that is a slogan we are all familiar with: Enjoy Coca-Cola.

Paraprofessional: The Perfect Job for a College Student

          When a college student is going to school full-time, it is hard to find a job that pays well, that does not require you to work too many hours, and still gives you time for homework and a social life. That is why I believe that one of the best jobs that a college student can have, especially if the student is majoring in education, is one that I currently have which is a paraprofessional for the Washington County School District. A paraprofessional is someone that assists the special needs children in their classes with their homework and makes sure they stay on task, which proves to be relatively easy while receiving great satisfaction from helping these children.

            This job fits perfectly around a student’s school schedule because you can either work in the morning or in the afternoon, which leaves the student freedom to choose to go to school in the morning or afternoon, whichever is his off time. Also the hours are great because you only have to work four hours a day, five days a week and the latest you will have to work is three o’clock in the afternoon, leaving the rest of the day for homework and free time. The pay is very decent too with other benefits that come from working at the school district such as discounts off your cell phone bill and other stores and just seeing these children succeed and progress in their classrooms. Also, paraprofessionals at the school district are in demand, so getting a job is not entirely difficult to get.

            While there are many benefits to working with the school district, there are some bad things as well that need to be changed. For example, employees only get paid at the very end of the month, which can cause financial problems if money runs out during the month because the employee will have to possibly wait weeks for a paycheck. I, for example, started working around the twentieth of August and in order to get the job I had to pay around two hundred dollars for tests in order to get the job and I will not receive a paycheck until the end of September even though I have bills to pay now and am out those two hundred dollars for the tests. One other thing that can make this job hard is sometimes, because they are special, the children can become uncooperative at times and can throw temper tantrums when they do not get what they want. Things that could make this job better may be having two paychecks a month to make it easier on employees (especially the new ones) and the schools should have a room to take the kids that may be throwing temper tantrums to have them cool off in and having some kind of rewards program for the kids when they do their work, for example, a piece of candy for every homework assignment completed.

            All in all, the positives of the benefits, schedule, pay, and general satisfaction of helping disabled children outweigh the negatives for a college student that come from working at the school district and are well worth the sacrifices that have to be made in order to get the job.