I Don't Need It

I Don’t Need It

           

            For anyone who was born in the 80’s, 90’s, or 2000’s; the Internet was most likely to be a big part of their lives growing up. For myself, I was born in 1995 and the first time I heard about or saw people using social media was when I was in the fifth grade. My neighbor who was a senior in high school thought it was crazy that kids in my grade were on MySpace and AIM at 10 years old. I recall one summer afternoon where my neighbor, my mom, and myself were looking at kids MySpace profiles. My mother was appalled. She felt these kids were way to young to be posting anything on the Internet.

            My mom watches the news a lot and can get paranoid about the stories she hears. She feels that the Internet is a dangerous place with thieves and predators. She knows that there is obviously good in it, considering that she has an online business, but she feels that it is something that you need to be really careful with. As a result, I was not allowed to get any social media until I was sixteen years old. I went all through middle school and the first have of high school without it. I would hear kids talk about what their “away message” was or why they were never “on” in the summer until AIM became “stupid”. Then I heard about people “getting Facebook”; so now there were two big social media outlets that people used that could share both pictures and messages. Then of course, MySpace became “mad dumb” so people were all about Facebook for a couple years.

            I made my Facebook when it was at the peak of its popularity, 2011, the summer going into junior year of high school. Everyone wrote on my wall saying, “yes you finally got a facebook!”. It was funny how people were so excited for it. Facebook was the norm, everyone in high school had one and was on it everyday. Christmas of 2011 was also the year where you heard every kid in school got an iPhone for Christmas so now there was more accessibility for social media for the average high school student. Then about a year later Twitter and Instagram became very popular. The Facebook craze started to ease and towards senior year it was hardly used by my peers unless it was for school freshmen group pages.

            I used Twitter and Instagram a lot. They are great forms of expression and are much more personalized because you can control what comes on your feed. Who can see what you post is not dependent on who shows up on your feed like on Facebook. I feel in love with Instagram. It got me into photography and I got to keep up on skateboarding more. I used it so much everyday that it got to the point of where it was unhealthy. During senior year, it would bum me out if pictures wouldn’t get a lot of likes. “Were they not cool? Was I not cool? Did people not like me? Or did people not like the picture? Why?” Why would I think like this? I’m not too sure. I feel like you want people to like you and want people to think you are cool. If you are cool on social media, you are cool in real life right? People yearn for acceptance and approval from others.

            I took a year and a half break from Instagram from freshmen year to junior year of college. I did it because it became too unhealthy for me. I wanted to care less about it and feel refreshed. I did not want “likes” to determine my self worth anymore. I didn’t want to obsess over pictures of people. I wanted to not have the feeling of always wanted to check the app or refreshing the feed. I wanted to spend time learning new thing and stop being stuck in the same stop. I wanted to not feel addicted to something. I wanted to not have the fear of missing out.

            Today, after the break, sometimes I felt like I did not learn anything from it but I have gained a new look at social media. I have a greater appreciation for it and I want to work in/with it in a future career. I learned how powerful it can be to people as a marketing and personal influential tool. I have learned to be healthier with it as well. I did not want to be all caught up in it again. To me now, a person’s social media account does not fully represent the kind of person they are.

Social media is like a form of an alternative identity. I feel like social media is also kind for that reason too because I did not like my life was any different with or without Instagram. There is people who do not choose to use any social media. There are people who boycott the system and reuse to use social media. My best friend Brian is completely off the grid. He refuses to use any forms of it. He would rather a phone call to catch up or hang out in person. He also feels like that social media is a place for embarrassment. He doesn’t want to post something and have someone think it is lame. Then as a result they would later think he is lame. He also just doesn’t want people to know what he is doing either or information about himself. He is a much more personal guy. He doesn’t see the point of social media and thinks it is really dumb.

The debate will continue for years until a new form of technology comes out that advances connection between people. CNN discusses that life can be great without. Your professional image can be easier to upload. You can focus more a real life conversation and getting social anxiety. It is easier to keep your privacy and waste less time. You may have less friends that way, but your friendships will be more valuable. (Imam)

Work Cited

Imam, Jareem. "The Anti-social Network: Life without Facebook." CNN. Cable News

Network, n.d. Web. May 2016.

<http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/18/tech/social-media/facebook-

deactivation-ireport/>.

Analysis on Media Marketing for Sports Camps

            For my final blog for Mass Communication’s, I thought there was no better way to explain my learning of communicating to the masses than analyzing my own life experiences with my baseball camp business. Ever since I broke my ankle, I was granted a new opportunity I never was granted before, that opportunity is simply stated as time. With a broken ankle, a couple of crutches, a computer, and this newfound time on my hands, I truly was able to discover the power of the media and how effective marketing and communication can be.

            It all started with an idea, how do I grow my Mini Warrior Baseball Clinics, without spending money on advertising considering college loans are on the horizon for me. Also, I needed to factor the fact my bank account wasn’t as it’s highest, I was unable to get places considering my injury, and I needed money to make money. Enter: Go Fund Me. The money I was going to make working was now out of the question because I couldn’t move, so I created an informative page hoping to raise a few hundred dollars. Through the use of Facebook as my social media platform, I garnered over 75 shares of my Go Fund Me page explaining my story and what my purpose was for running my camps. My goal was $500; I raised over $1300, which was awesome because I really needed all of that to market to the crowd I am marketing to today. Through the use of Go Fund Me and Facebook, I already wasn’t just getting the word out there about my stories, I also was receiving attention for my camps. Thanks to the Go Fund Me page, a local blogger from New England who has a twitter account with over 4,000 followers reached out to me. I was able to have him write me up a story, which was liked and re-tweeted on twitter over 20 times which gave my cool camp story, and injury, more recognition and exposure. The use of social media marketing when it comes to the success of my camps has been absolutely crucial as we will continue to examine in the next few paragraphs.

            Every single local little league has a Facebook page, through the use of Facebook Messenger; I was able to get in touch with many local leagues, in turn, booking presentation meetings while I was laid up. I was also able to advertise via my Facebook page, which has nearly 100 likes now, whereas a month ago had 30, so that was great progress as well. Social media allowed me to connect with other leagues as well as my Gmail account. Through the use of email and Google search, I was able to find out who every single little league president was in the Central Massachusetts area and get their email addresses to constantly send them a little email reminded to allow me a presentation. A short and convincing subject line was all I needed to retrieve their attention. The same was done through Facebook Messenger. If you keep it short and sweet, they are bound to read and give you 20 seconds of their time.

            I am now up to 9 different baseball camps scheduled this summer with 9 different towns and organizations. In turn, I needed a professional website to attract potential customers and clients. I completely redid my Mini Warrior Baseball Website. It went from looking like something out of a child’s coloring book, to a professional website with a professional layout from Wix. I can thank my Go Fund Me page for that. I then used Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ to attract customers to the site. The creation of a blog also aided in having parents return to the site for updated tid-bits of coaching information.  The web is by far the most powerful form of media marketing.

            When it comes to social media marketing, killing the community aspect has been extremely successful for me thus-far. But according to experts Tracy Tuten and Michael Solomon’s opinions, there are four main aspects of social media marketing one should target. The one I wouldn’t be able to target is e-commerce because I have no online payments as I do everything with cash or check. The other two concepts are entertainment, like a Candy Crush Game, but in my version it would be pictures and videos shared through Instagram or Snapchat of the clinic for parents to see. The other aspect is publishing which I use my brochures and flyers and connect them through social media websites (Tuten & Solomon.)

            My best form of marketing was when I reached out to the Worcester Telegram, which is one of the top 5 largest newspapers in New England serving specifically central Massachusetts. I knew if I had a high quality story written in that paper, it would get me some good exposure. A front page paper in the Sunday Sports section, the most looked at section of the paper on the busiest day, with the most viewers, right at the beginning of the high school sports baseball season, was the best possible way I could receive exposure. The article received over 100 shares on the Telegram’s Facebook page and 197 Facebook recommendations on their website, which can be seen at this link, http://www.telegram.com/article/20160430/SPORTS/160439961 .

            Through my own website, social media, and the Telegram, I was really making a name for myself with my clinics.  Slowly but surely the media can be an absolutely powerful thing. I was able to understand why so many people pay so much money to have ads in a paper, or to have a billboard, a TV commercial. The power of repeatedly seeing something is so great in the world of business and mass communication/marketing. Fortunately, these expensive pieces of exposure were absolutely free because I had a really cool story.

            The benefit of media marketing is exponential. So many people not only signed their children up for my clinics, but they also referred me to other local little league boards of directors. Prior to the newspaper article I was in with 6 towns, following that article, I was up to 9 and working on 10 completely booking every single week I have in the summer but gosh will it be worth it. The goal is to coach over 400 kids this summer all while raising over $10,000 for local little league’s to spend over the course of the next year on whatever it is they see fit.

            The best thing about media marketing with sports camps, and mine especially, which has a feel good story behind it, is that the sports camp or mine, baseball, in particular, leads to other forms of exposure. Because my Telegram article was so successful, local town specific smaller papers where I am running the majority of my camps in have reached out to me directly. With this said, I was able to write smaller stories specific to more than half the towns I am currently in. I was also approached by the news anchor for Charter TV 3 Worcester News Tonight Sports section, which receives over 30,000 viewers a night in the Worcester and surrounding town’s area. Talk about perfect exposure.

            Point is, at the end of the day, media marketing is fantastic. I will never argue that one bit. Especially when it is free. But I tell you what, nothing compares to the marketing the presence of a person can bring. When I set up my marketing tables at local little league’s and talk with parents directly, that is when I get my kids to sign up for my camps. Sure it is one thing to have multiple media outlets do a story on you, but nothing is more powerful than the person-to-person communication with a parent. Nothing is more genuine, and nothing works better. My moral for this blog; thank god for social media, for newspapers, for the internet, for blogs, and for the television… but when it comes down to it, even in a day where technology and the internet dominates us, communication at its finest roots of interpersonal interaction, that is the most powerful form of communication there ever will be.

Works Cited

Person, and Jennifer Toland. "Despite Injury, Leicesters Ryan Petrone Honing Youth Baseball Clinics." Telegram.com. Gate House Media LLC., 30 Apr. 2016. Web. 11 May 2016.

Tuten, Tracy L., and Michael R. Solomon. Social Media Marketing. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Print.

Blog #3: Instagram and Depression in Teens and Adolescents

            In today’s world, people live on their phones and social media. As the Internet age progresses, new and more consuming media is affecting the world’s most vulnerable population: our youth. Adolescents and teens are easily influenced by what they see on in media, and for adolescents with a depressive disorder, media can perpetrate serious harm to adolescent and teen mental health. Though not a large percentage of adolescents and teens have a depressive disorder - only about two-to-eight percent of adolescents “experience their first episode of major depression by age 16” (Ferguson & Woodward, 2002, p. 225) - it can lead to serious health issues in adulthood. Despite positive social benefits associated with social media, such as community engagement, collective and individual creativity, growth of ideas, establishing important online relationships, and developing an individual identity, it can yield or enhance effects of adverse mental outcomes affecting one’s well-being. Researchers have named the phenomenon “Facebook depression,” when teens spend enough time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and develop a depressive disorder (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Though, in research, I think it can be something more than developed depression from time logged on social media. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the relationship between depression and social media use, particularly Instagram.

            Adolescents and teens are easily influenced by what they see in media, according to social learning theory, and as cognitive development theory dictates, children’s cognitive capacities differ at different stages, which affects how they understand media content (Strasburger, Jordan, & Donnerstein, 2010). Therefore, adolescents and teens at different ages are being presented the same media messages but are interpreting them completely differently. Though, the risk for depressive behavior does not lie in sexually risqué pop-up spam or sly credit frauds scamming for social security numbers: it’s in digitally mediated peer-to-peer contact on social media sites. (Although, exposure to sexually explicit and violent content can lead to normalization of socially unacceptable behaviors; Strasburger, et al., 2010.) The factor that affects adolescent and teen self-esteem is solely the tone of the peer feedback received on profiles. In fact, “peer acceptance and interpersonal feedback on the self… are vital predictors of social self-esteem and well-being” (Valkenburg, Peter, & Schouten, 2006, p. 584). In other words, people (and children) feel really good when someone likes our selfie or comment on our status. This digital note or a ‘like’ can validate social status, or can reassure social acceptance.

Aiming to fit in or stand out, people project their best selves on social media. According to the psychologist Carl Rogers’ concept of the ideal self, people construct their best persona to show the world, based on not only the person we want to be, though arguably more importantly, on the person we want to be seen as. The inconsistency in what is observed as one’s ‘ideal cyber self’ versus his or her self-image may be a factor for the high rates of depression in social media users (Sunstrum, 2014). This first observable difference in self-perception causes mental turmoil and anxious and depressed questioning of the self and judgment. Although, teens and adolescents are not just seeing themselves on Instagram.

            Other people’s profiles are just as important to vulnerable youths’ self-perception and self-esteem as their own are. Even passively viewing other’s profiles or pictures can affect one’s self-esteem and can cause feelings of resentment, envy, and loneliness. This is especially seen in teenage and adolescent girls, and is linked to low self-esteem and depressed moods; appearance-based media is linked to body image disturbance (Lup, Trub, & Rosenthal, 2015). This all has its basis in comparing oneself to others. In every person is the critical inner voice, which “offers a negative filter through which to view our life” (Sunstrum, 2014), and depressed people give into the voice, viewing themselves as negatively as possible. Negative comparison “has been found to place people at risk for rumination [reflecting heavily upon something; in this instance, the self], which can lead to depression” (Lup, et al., 2015). Those who are critical enough of themselves, the ones who doubt their abilities or attributes - their looks or popularity - are the teens and adolescents whose well-being is negatively affected by Instagram. The depressed youth are becoming more and more adversely affected by every Instagram feature.

            Though Instagram (and other social media sites) allow use past friends and family into the unlocked abyss of accounts. Another cause of depression in Instagram use, as Lup, et al. (2015) found, is the number of stranger accounts the user is following. The “#Instasad” study found that the more stranger accounts a user is following, the greater the depressive symptoms. An example of a stranger account would be a celebrity such as Kylie Jenner or Rihanna, who post about their lavish lifestyle, or other content blogs, devoted to humor or astrology (which would likely not affect self-perception). Though, even when passively viewing a stranger account, the teen or adolescent juxtaposes himself or herself literally with a Jenner.  However, fewer strangers led to an association with positive social comparison. The 2015 study found that greater depressive symptoms are associated with Instagram when the user constantly is comparing him or herself to others.

            This is especially important for adolescents and teens from lower socioeconomic classes. Though Ferguson & Woodward (2002) found that family socioeconomic background has no effect on depression, “teens from lower income families […] are more likely to use online social networks than teens from wealthier households” (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickhur, 2010, p. 17). Albeit, it is a stretch to establish a relationship between depression and socioeconomic level, mediated by social media use, but it may be important for further research or to just be cautious.

            Though it may sound insignificant, this is a serious problem for the 2%-8% (in 2002) of youth that have depression, and should be to more people. Like it or not, social media is a part of human communication and daily life. Online lives, according to O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson (2011), are an “extension of [our] offline lives” (p. 801), and have real-life implications for what is even observed on the Internet. As well, Ferguson & Woodward (2002) found that adolescent depression “is a precursor of long-term depression and anxiety (p. 230), and, “in combination with problematic social, familial, and personal factors may be associated with a range of adverse outcomes” (p. 230), such as anxiety, panic disorders, and social and other phobias later in life. Depression in adolescence leads to depression and other disorders in adulthood, and is being enhanced by social comparison offered by Instagram.

            Action must be taken in order to stop depressed teens and adolescents being adversely affected on Instagram. Fortunately some solutions present themselves. Strasburg et al. (2010) suggests media education, similar to the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, who all require media training. Although helpful, media literacy itself will not change users’ views on Instagram: users may know everything about how to use it or even that it causes depression in some people, but still fall to its trap. But that’s it, it’s not a trap: Instagram isn’t causing the harm, and neither are your friends or even those stranger accounts (which you should unfollow, because low stranger following rates are associated with more positive social comparison; Lup et al., 2015). It’s you and your brain being super critical of yourself and even lying to you. You don’t have to compare yourself to what you see on Instagram. You’re perfect with no filter.

References

Ferguson, D. M. and Woodward, L. J. (2002). Mental health, educational, and social role outcomes of adolescents with depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 15(3). 225-231. http://dx.doi.org/1001/archpsyc.59.3.225

Lenhart, A., Purcell, K. Smith, A., and Zickhur, K. (2010). Social media & mobile internet use among teens and young adults. Pew Internet & American Life Project. 1-37 http://www.pewinternet.org/2010/02/03/social-media-and-young-adults/

Lup, K., Trub, L., and Rosenthal, L. (2015). Instagram #instasad?: Exploring associations among Instagram use, depressive symptoms, negative social comparison, and strangers followed. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 18(5). 247-252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0560

O’Keeffe, G. S. and Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). Clinical report-The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families. American Academy of Pediatrics 127(4). 800-804 http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0054

Strasburger, V. C., Jordan, A. B., and Donnerstein, E. (2010). Health effects of media on children and adolescents. Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics 125(4). 756-767 http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-2563

Sunstrum, K. (2014). How social media affects our self-perception. Retrieved from Psych Central website: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/03/14/how-social-media-affects-our-self-perception/
Valkenburg, P. M., Peter, J., and Schouten, A. P. (2006). Friends networking sites and their relationship to adolescents’ well-being and social self-esteem. CyberPsychology and Behavior 9(5). 584-590

To Abort or not to Abort

To Abort or not to Abort

Abortions happen all around the world. It is also one of the lead reasons for deaths in both third world and second world countries. By making it illegal in these countries, it increases the deaths due to unsafe abortions. According to the World Health Organization 68,000 women die and millions have complications due to unsafe abortions. “19-20 million abortions are done by individuals without the proper skills, or in environments below minimum medical standards, or both. Nearly all unsafe abortions (97%) are in developing countries.” This is being called the preventable and silent pandemic. “Access to safe, legal abortion is a fundamental right of women, irrespective of where they live”.

For decades there have been debates on whether abortion is morally acceptable and if it should be legal. The current law is that an abortion is permissible within the first 3 months of pregnancy, the next three months you can also have an abortion but it becomes a sort of grey area and more complicated to receive one, and the last trimester of the pregnancy it is illegal to have an abortion. This ruling was made due to a case Roe vs. Wade. This law started when someone became pregnant and wanted an abortion.  She went to the courts and started fighting them saying that she was raped and that she needed an abortion. Throughout the ruling everyone came to agree that an abortion would be permissible within the first three months of a pregnancy.

            To this day, people still argue on whether abortion should be morally permissible, legal, how much time before you can no longer get an abortion, and other details. There are extremes to both sides; one is that abortion is never permissible no matter the condition. If a girl is raped and becomes pregnant they think that is still not grounds to get an abortion and kill a human. On the other side of the extreme view, they think that abortion is always permissible and that it is up to the pregnant women to decide if she wants to give birth to a child or not. There are some facts and figures that are really surprising that should be mentioned. The number of abortions from 2000 to 2008 has actually decreased. Most Western industrialized countries have lower abortion rates than the United States does. Almost half of all pregnancies are unintended, and four in ten unintended pregnancies end in abortions. Over 50 percent of women who have abortions are in their twenties and 18 percent are teenagers.

            We must not focus too much attention on the extremist views because they are set in their ways and will not reason or listen to other points of views. Some women who become pregnant and want an abortion want it for selfish reasons, whether it be because they simply don’t want it, they can’t afford a baby, they want to have a baby because they have vacation coming up, etc. My personal belief has always been that it is up to the women whether she wants to have an abortion because it is her body and no one else’s. I felt that the government had no right to tell a woman that she had to bear a child and give birth if it was against her will. Especially in cases of rape I thought that no questions asked she had the right to an abortion. Doing more research on the moral obligations towards the human race and discussions about abortion, my view has been slightly altered.

Once a woman is past 9 weeks along, the only option is to terminate the pregnancy is by an in-clinic abortion. This procedure can cost up to $5,000 but will vary with healthcare coverage. Aspiration, often called the vacuum aspiration, and is done up to 16 weeks after the woman’s last period. This procedure can be done in the first trimester. This tends to be chosen over the abortion pill because it has a higher success rate. And is done in a doctors office using local anesthetics. This method is 99.5 percent effective, if the procedure fails then it is repeated.

Rapper Nicki Minaj has brought her abortion public to Rolling Stones Magazine. I think that Nicki Minaj was very brave when she decided to write about her abortion in one of her songs. I not only think that it represented her character, but it also showed that she wants her audience to know the truth and know that she might regret her decision or she might be happy about it, but she shows her fans and that sometimes life is going to be hard but you just have to take it day by day and remember that things will get better. Bringing this information public also bring both negative and positive attention from all over parts of the spectrum. In her song “all things go” with the lyrics “my child with Aaron would’ve been sixteen any minute.” In an interview with Acculturated, she talks about how having an abortion was one of the hardest things she has done and how that decision haunts her everyday. This is sad to hear but unfortunately this happens all around the world. Abortions have become very common throughout the 21^st century.

In response to her coming out with the abortion publicly, these are a few negative comments:

“Just because someone earns millions does not mean they have to share their deep and darkest secrets with the world. I do believe some things are best left private, and then amongst friends and/or family, when the need to share does arrive. Please don't feel you owe us any of this info Nicki, it is extremely personal.”

“Her awful "music" haunts me.....”

“We don't get pregnant every time we have sex....”

“I respect her honesty, but I hate when women say "I didn't have anything to offer the child" um what about life? Giving birth to a human and giving it life is the biggest, greatest, most beautiful thing it will ever receive. Life.”

“No longer a fan....geez...some things should be kept private.”

“Adoption. Adoption. Adoption”

This is where social media can have a huge negative impact on publicly saying something that is so personal. To Nicki, it was just a way to come to peace with that very difficult decision she made when she was 16 years old. But to the social media world, it was a way to instantly judge her by giving negative comments without even knowing what she went through. This is a great example of why pro choice should be accepted. Who am I to tell someone what they can and cannot do without walking a day in their shoes?

And after seeing how common it has become, I worry for our future generations. I am pro choice and believe every woman has the right to choose what she wants to do with her life. Hearing Nicki’s side to the story, and knowing that she is still pro choice even after having an abortion shows her true colors. This is where the question continues, where is the line drawn? We have pro-life groups like the March for Life that is 100 percent against abortion in all cases. They look at it as unnecessarily taking an innocent life. From seeing both sides to the argument, I have been able to stay with the mentality that it is ultimately the woman’s choice in whether or not she wants to keep the baby. These arguments strengthen my belief in empowering women’s decision on this matter especially due to the fact that if a woman did not want to have a baby then she shouldn’t because the fetus was not granted a right to use the mother’s stomach and even though it has a right to life, it does not outweigh all the right’s that the woman has with her own body, and it does not grant the fetus any right’s towards the mother. This topic will forever be a contemporary moral problem and will always be discussed because of how complicated it is but we all have to make a great effort to studying and learning about this especially since it happens so much and is so controversial.

References:

·      "Premature Twins Born One Week Before Legal Abortion Limit Miraculously Survive." LifeNews.com. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.

·      "A Matter of Life or Death." The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Dec. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.

·      "Plan B One-Step®: Home." Plan B One-Step®: Home. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.