You Should Care How Much You Share

            When it comes to privacy nowadays, if there is any, it is vital that each individual does all that they can do to protect it. From Alexa, to Siri, to each signed “terms of agreement,” society seems to be freely giving away the ability to stay individualistic. With every new account we make, we allow creators to know the ins and outs of who we are, and sometimes that is both a good and bad thing. Every like, dislike, follow, or subscription lets the creators of each site decide which products and pages they will throw at you next. In earlier generations, this would have stopped once one shut off their computer, but in today’s day and age, smartphones have taken the individual’s privacy and completely revoked it.

 (Khilko, Aleksey. You can schedule a text message on your iPhone with a third-party app. 11 Sept. 2019.)

               For instance, if we think about the way students walk around on campus, it becomes apparent that rarely anyone is seen without a smartphone in their hands. One simple purchase has led each student to freely giveaway their whereabouts at any given time. In their hands is their own personal tracking device. Yet, most students on campus have iPhones, which is a good thing in this case. In fact, Christopher Soghoian presented the fact in “How to Avoid Surveillance… With Your Phone,” that “If you use an iPhone to send a text message to other people who have an iPhone, those text messages can not easily be wire tapped, and in fact, according to Apple, ‘They’re not able to even see the text messages themselves.’” Since a student’s life can seem fast-paced, most text messages and calls happen just as quickly, but with the privacy Apple allows, a student does not have to over think each word that is spoken or typed. In a world where students are being forced to share more about themselves online than ever, it is important to have an app that is solely for themselves and those they wish to communicate with on it.

                                    (Krales, Amelia Holowaty. Location iPhone. 2 Aug. 2018.)

               Privacy, while important for conversation, is vital for safety. As a woman, walking anywhere is not just “walking;” It is being aware of my surroundings at all times. Yet, how am I supposed to know about a potential threat, if it is due to the lack of privacy on my own phone. I understand that the idea of tapping into smartphones can protect the community at times, but this could harm the community as well, if the wrong people have the ability to tap into another individual’s phone. Soghoian argues that, “the alternative would mean to live in a world where anyone’s calls or anyone’s text messages could be surveilled by criminals [and] by stalkers” ("How to Avoid Surveillance... With Your Phone| Christopher Soghoian | TED Talks"). The world is already a scary place, and the privacy of society is already becoming nonexistent. In order to slow the loss of privacy down, individuals must take into account what they sign up for. Tap in to what is important of yours now, because others might be doing it at this very moment.

Works Cited

"How to Avoid Surveillance... With Your Phone| Christopher Soghoian | TED Talks." YouTube, uploaded by TED, 14 Sept. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni4FV5zL6lM. Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.

Khilko, Aleksey. You can schedule a text message on your iPhone with a third-party app. 11 Sept. 2019.

Krales, Amelia Holowaty. Location iPhone. 2 Aug. 2018.

Nature Called, and It Said It's Time for Change.

 

        (Shutterstock/Vlad61. Studies show that certain chemicals in sunscreen are killing coral reefs.)

            Over time society has proven itself to welcome certain ideals and push away others. When it comes to the environmental movement, like all movements, the rise of support was steady, but there will always be those that value the benefits of consumption over the power of conservation. The pioneer of the movement was the Environmental Protection Agency, once the group created the “Federal Water Pollution Control Act,” which we know better as the “Clean Water Act.” On June 30^th, 1948, society began to see that a strong concern could turn into a strong action. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act wasn’t a perfect first try; it took three different revisions to make the act what it is today. Before 1948, people weren’t concerned nor informed about the harmful pollutants that flowed throughout each type of body of water (“The Modern Environmental Movement”). Without the pioneer group, citizens would not be as environmentally conscious as they attempt to be today.

                                        (Population Connection. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson.)

            Towards the middle of the environmental movement, Rachel Carson changed the world upon publishing her book “Silent Spring.” The threat of DDT to the environment was now under society’s microscope. In fact, Eliza Griswold informed society in her article “How ‘Silent Spring’ Ignited the Environmental Movement,” that “Once these pesticides entered the biosphere, Carson argued, they not only killed bugs but also made their way up the food chain to threaten bird and fish populations and could eventually sicken children.” Once children became a primary concern, adults began to wake up and educate themselves on the toxins spread so easily within the environment. Pesticides are known for killing anything in its path, or harming most bodies at least. If it weren’t for the heightened awareness of Rachel Carson and her endless amounts of research, the quality of the earth’s air and water would be drastically different, but in deadliest ways possible.

            It’s legislation as small as the “Federal Water Pollution Control Act” and revelations as big as “Silent Spring,” that have help lead the majority of citizens become aware of the environment that they live in. Nowadays, most people are conscious about ways to keep the air they breathe and the ground they walk on as healthy as possible. It is apparent that in today’s generation most individuals are consumer-based. More items in their life equates to more happiness, especially if the items are received at such a fast pace. “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle,” is a helpful concept, but it is impossible to do these actions at the rate most people consume. Luckily, society does have the ability to educate themselves to a new extent in today’s time. It is important for each individual to understand the calls of nature, and how it is crying out for help.

Works Cited

Griswold, Eliza. "How 'Silent Spring' Ignited the Environmental Movement." The New York Times Magazine, 21 Sept. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/magazine/how-silent-spring-ignited-the-environmental-movement.html. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

"The Modern Environmental Movement." American Experience, PBS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/earth-days-modern-environmental-movement/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

Population Connection. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson. 1 May 2018. Genetic Literary Project, geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/05/01/how-does-the-science-of-rachel-carsons-silent-spring-stand-up-more-the-50-years-later/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

Shutterstock/Vlad61. Studies show that certain chemicals in sunscreen are killing coral reefs. 3 May 2018. Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/hawaii-banning-sunscreen-with-chemicals-that-are-killing-sea-life-coral-reefs-2018-5. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

Yes, I'm still watching.

 

(Netflix. Netflix. 18 Aug. 2020.)

When it comes to technology, today’s generation is all too familiar with its advances. Yet, one component of change seems to have grasped the attention of all age groups in a massive way. Netflix, founded in 1997, is a streaming application that is in use by most individuals around the world. Anyone who has a smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, or smart television, can access their Netflix account in seconds wherever they are. Since we live in a time in which society is overstimulated, we have grown uncomfortable being alone or sitting in silence with ourselves. Netflix thrives off of this anxious feeling, and offers different types of media to fill the void one is craving so hard to. With just the click of a button, one can be watching a movie, tv series, or documentary. Soon enough our interests become a part of who we are. The characters and plots of our favorite entertainment source allow us to escape our own lives.

 (Fox. Fox video still. 11 Apr. 2018.)

            For instance, my favorite show at the moment is New Girl. Whenever I have free time, I find myself leaning on Netflix as a source for this entertainment. Then comes the binge watching. New Girl has seven seasons made up of twenty-three-minute episodes. It is easy for me to get caught up into the plot, and say to myself, “I have time for just one more episode.” Yet, this isn’t always the case. At times I find myself prioritizing the next episode over other deadlines I have, due to the fact that it is so readily accessible. I don’t have to wait for the next episode to come out in a week, in order to figure out what happens, I have the next few seasons right in the palm of my hand.

            Everything in life has its positive and negatives. Netflix, on one hand, entertains the public and even brings people together through their favorite shows or movies. On the other hand, old time video stores that we once grew up with, like “Blockbuster,” now find themselves out of business. Companies like Blockbuster didn’t have a chance to survive, once the use of DVD’s and VHS’ came to a halt. The world of streaming and immediate happiness is upon us, and society will only continue to feed off of it.

 

Sources:

Fox. Fox video still. 11 Apr. 2018.

Netflix. Netflix. 18 Aug. 2020.

Ruffin, Brooke. "Worth the Risk: Netflix Changes Generations." High Point University, 13 Oct. 2020, High Point. Speech.

The Hype Surrounding Type

               Typewriters are a thing of the past, or so we thought. The aesthetic that is "everything vintage" is making one of the largest comebacks of our generation’s time. A part of this could be that social media and the rapid creations of new technology tend to overstimulate the minds of society. It’s pleasant and calming to be able to return to items that have one purpose and one purpose only. For example, poetry books and small excerpt writings have grabbed the attention of today’s youth. Reading what one feels, but cannot say out loud, is comforting. Yet, many writers nowadays have chosen to use the typewriter in order to perfect their craft. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes from hitting the last letter on a typewriter that a simple pen and paper, or computer keyboard, could never create. (Roth)

(Gades, Samantha. Black Typewriter.)

               Now, let’s slow things down a bit and cover the basics of the typewriter’s history. The first typewriter ever invented was all thanks to Christopher Latham Sholes. Of course, like any invention of the early times, the idea was taken from the British and different tweaks and models had to be made, in order for a final product to enter the workforces and homes of the American society. In fact, The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica explain in their article “Typewriter,” explain that Sholes “signed a contract with E. Remington and Sons, gunsmiths, of Ilion, New York, for manufacture,” and soon named the typewriter “Remington.” When it came to writing with the typewriter, the writing MAY HAVE LOOKED LIKE THIS, since one could only type in capital letters. This was until the double keyboard became a popular choice, due to the fact that it “contained twice the number of keys–one for every character, whether capital or small letter” (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica). Soon after came the type wheels, which most are familiar with, because of its large and pronounced presence on the typewriter. The type wheel was a highly influential part of the machine, because it directed the writer exactly where they should begin typing. Within the evolution of the typewriter there have been the makings of silent, electric, and portable typewriters. Each creation led to a more convenient lifestyle for the writer and worker. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)

(Rebuilt typewriters. Women in the employ of the Typewriter Emporium, reconditioning machines for the secondary market. 1918.)

               A group of writers, or workers, that depended on the typewriter were women. Back in the 1900’s women weren’t meant to be in the workplace; they were meant to be at home with their children. Yet, when the typewriter came into play, so did women! Though the jobs that women were available for weren’t any of substantial power, it was still a monumental movement for women’s rights. This gave women the chance to choose work over the lifestyle that was forced upon them for so many years. Nathalie O’Neill depicts the image in her article “Working Women, Thank the Typewriter,” that due to this shift within the social hierarchy “men were actually pretty miffed about this change, since they saw these women as a new source of competition.” Even though men still had the ultimate power in the office, this didn't stop men from hating the idea of giving any sort of recognition to anyone but themselves, especially women. Over time, not too much has changed. Yes, women have the ability to have jobs of higher power now, but women are also still the face of the jobs they were first given over one hundred years ago. (O’Neill)

               As the years have passed, society has seen the changes and need for typewriters. Whether it is for the woman’s ability to work, the desire for a precise typing mechanism, or a sense of nostalgia, the typewriter has made its mark on the people’s hearts. The sound of each letter being punched onto the paper, will forever leave a mark in history. Typewriters are a thing of the past, or so we thought. In actuality, typewriters are a thing of the past, present, and future.

 

Works Cited

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Typewriter." Britannica, www.britannica.com/technology/typewriter. Accessed 29 Sept. 2020.

Gades, Samantha. Black Typewriter.

O'Neill, Nathalie. "Working Women, Thank the Typewriter." Bustle, 26 July 2013, www.bustle.com/articles/2641-how-the-typewriter-brought-women-into-the-office.

Rebuilt typewriters. Women in the employ of the Typewriter Emporium, reconditioning machines for the secondary market. 1918.

Roth, Katherine. "Clickety Clack: Are typewriters making a comeback?" The Seattle Times, 18 July 2019, www.seattletimes.com/explore/shop-northwest/clickety-clack-are-typewriters-making-a-comeback/. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020.