Halloween Tradition

Halloween is probably my most anticipated holiday after Christmas and before Thanksgiving. In elementary school my Halloween costumes were exactly a witch (2 years) and a clown. I walked around my neighborhood which in my earlier years only reached the corner and then branched out to near the subway and trick-or-treated.

 

In middle school I trick-or-treated only in the seventh grade with a friend. We ventured around her neighborhood with her big sister and her boyfriend in tow( her big sister's boyfriend not her boyfriend...anyways). That was the last time I trick-or-treated. Now I just buy all the candy I want because I'm a big kid now and watch scary movies until the wee hours of the morning. This Halloween will be no different, I presume.

My favorite thing about Halloween, above even watching my classic horror films, has to be stuffing myself full of sweets.

Early American Imprints

In Early American Imprints one can use the Fairy Tales section to write about the impact of tales on the common people of society and how they manipulated their situation into a folksy tale to lighten the severity of the events.

Source Analysis

A valuable primary resource for the spread of Ebola in the USA is "Prevention" because it lists the appropriate methods one should undertake to prevent themselves from contracting Ebola from people that are directly on the scene.

An example of a secondary source about cyber bullying is the article, "Cyberbullying is rife" which shares interviews from teachers who have  had direct contact with students who have experienced bullying.
A reputable source for information on Edward Snowden  and his actions would be the video "Lawrence Lessig interviews Edward Snowden" because Snowden himself discusses his actions and their reasons.

A bad source for a post about President Obama and his achievements as POTUS would be "12 reasons Why Obama is One of the Best Presidents Ever". It could be considered a "bad" source because even though it lists examples it doesn't cite sources and it's kind of biased by an opinion the author already had.
My favorite leisure time activity is reading. A "good" source on reading is "Reading a Novel Triggers Lasting Changes in the Brain" because those quoted conducted experiments on graduate students to demonstrate the effect that reading can have on the brain. A "bad" source would be "Against YA" because it is opinionated and sort of rude and it does not list legitimate evidence to support her statements.

Digital Natives vs Digital Immigrants

Digital natives are those born in the Google generation who have been adapted into the life of the innovative technology we have today. There was no need for transition for them they have the ability to tap into almost anything with a touch screen. It's not a crime to be a digital native, it's just what you've been born into. It's not your fault for the hole in the ozone layer, it was thrust upon you. However, digital natives are not superior to digital immigrants by any means. Digital natives just have the supreme advantage of already knowing what they have to know, but digital immigrants are always capable of learning. And honestly we're all bound to have the experience of a digital immigrant one day.

Our Online Persona

Who am I?
If you look at my online profiles you probably see the exaggerated version of myself. On Tumblr I voice the opinions that I have on pop culture, my favorite shows, books, and movies, that I have to keep bottled up around the "common folk".

I laugh and speculate, cry and scream in frustration with my fandom family, but when I go to school the next day I am reserved and relatively cautious. Now the question is: Is this who I really am? In a way it is. This is who I want to be able to be around everyone else, but I am unfortunately unable to do so. It always depends on the situation, as stated in the article, "Your Online Identity",

"You're always you, of course, but you probably have different identities depending on the situation or who you're with. For instance, at school you might keep a quiet profile and stay out of trouble. But at home, you might be known for your practical jokes and silly side."

To the people on Tumblr I am probably passionate and vocal about everything. I most likely rage about the injustice of the murder of Fred Weasley everyday , but that's just not the case. I am taciturn in public and become colorful behind the keyboard.

Is Facebook Dead?

I agree with the article Teens are officially over Facebook essentially because of my personal experience and what I have observed amongst peers. People do not talk about Facebook like they used to when it was this extravagant replacement to Myspace, instead the new popular culture is Twitter and Instagram. In summary, Facebook is dead. Long live Instagram!

Blogging Skills

 Sherlock, the BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous super sleuth is superb.

On the Internet We're All Equal

In the article, "A Gossip App Brought My High School to a Halt" the horrendous stories of high school students all over the social hierarchy of Staples, a small high school in Westport, Conneticut as a result of the gossip app Yik Yak was detailed.
Yik Yak was an app that was mainly used to spread gossip and slander the names of various students all over Staples. Many students were driven to tears and were in such a state that they had to leave early. Some never wanted to go back. So in the aftermath of such an atrocious event the common question is why would anyone do such a thing?
The simple answer is that it's the only form of release that any of these students have. For the lower classes of the Staples Social hierarchy such as the nerds, homosexuals, or any other student that didn't fit the social norms of the more popular groups this was their way of seeking revenge. These students can't go up to their tormentor on a daily basis and speak what is on their mind for fear of the repercussions, but when hiding behind the anonymity of YIk Yak they can type any malice response they have been meaning to say.
However, the app was not only used by the social outcasts, but probably by the upper class students. Any high school movie, like The Breakfast Club or Pretty in Pink, will demonstrate the tight constraints that the social elite must live by. This app was probably used to vent their frustrations.
The students were impacted so heavily because they're impressionable teenagers and their image is everything. So what can students do to prevent such a situation from taking any further control?
All we can do is not pay any attention to it. A fire cannot burn without oxygen and gossip cannot spread without voices.