Salad for a good change...

          The world is becoming more and more interconnected. Globalization changes how people consume, work and live almost everywhere in the world. Globalization is the increasingly interconnected and interdependent nature of communication systems, economies, cultures and politics of contemporary societies. It has been a topic of controversy for at least two decades now. Supporters of globalization argue that it helps bring people of different cultures together through shared values. Supporters believe that with International non-government organizations (NGOs) spreading common values across the globe, we might even be able to solve national and ethnic conflicts peacefully. On the other hand, critics of globalization and global culture believe that it represents the Westernization of the rest of the world, causing some cultures to lose their identity, and thus resulting in cultural homogenization.

          To me, the most apparent feature of globalization is multiculturalism: the idea that different cultures can coexist peacefully in a single shared space (for example a country or a city). Because we grew up in the 21st century, it might be easy to forget that there was a time when people of different cultures did not interact with each other; instead, countries such as Japan and China tried to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. In America today, especially in cities such as New York City, we can see the effects of globalization in our daily lives. Imagine taking a 10 minute walk in the city and introducing yourself to random people you see on the streets. Can you imagine the number of countries that those people represent? Perhaps we will find that out of the new people we met, no two are from the same country!

          Of course, there are many other aspects of globalization, other than multiculturalism. Supporters claim than the expanding global marketplace promises the spread of wealth to more people. “Almost no human alive today lives with stuff only manufactured in their home country but a thousand years ago, only the richest of the rich could benefit from the Silk Road” (Green). As more products become available to more people, living standards are improved and lifestyles change. Modern information technology and mass media, such as radio, television, phones, and the internet are global standard; information is distributed worldwide, making it easier for people to keep themselves up to date with international news and keep in touch with family or friends on the other side of the globe. On the other hand, critics argue that the rapid spreading of cultural products of globalization (movies, cable tv, music, software, sports, fashion, fast food, etc) leads to homogenization/global sameness. However, globalization also provides more diversity within cultures. 

          America used to be called a “melting pot,” where an individual becomes a “standardized member of an organization who is able to cooperate better with others” (Magala). Today, a more accurate way to describe America would be metaphors such as “salad bowl” and “mosaic,” a mixture that still lets us preserve our diverse identities; it allows us to be more creative and because everyone stays their own person, we get more perspectives on things. Despite what critics argue, globalization have to be a melting pot in which cultures lose their identities. Globalization can and should mean “the ability to learn from each other; to exchange ideas, knowledge and practices while valuing and celebrating each other’s differences" (Brophy). I agree with Bill Hunter, Lehigh University’s representative to the United Nations and a major figure in globalization, that globalization should be compared to a salad bowl, where the ingredients/people retain their own textures and flavors (Brophy). 

          I believe that the pace of globalization will increase over time and this is not necessarily a bad thing. The interconnectedness and interdependence of countries has improved the quality of life for many people. I believe that people should not try to resist the influence of a global culture, because it will bring them many benefits they could only dream of in the past. Although they might want to preserve their cultural identity, sometimes change can represent improvement instead of destruction. In the end, globalization will bring more improvement than destruction.

Learning about Lemons...

The internet makes researching and learning a lot easier. Teachers always tell stories about flipping through their encyclopedias to find information for their research papers. Those who could not afford to spend $1000+ on a set of encyclopedias had to make trips to the library. Today, all that information is available online. "Wikipedia is an educator’s fantasy, all the world’s knowledge shared voluntarily and free in a format theoretically available to all, and which anyone can edit,” said Cathy Davidson, a professor at Duke University.

Even if I had the weirdest inclination to use fruits and vegetables on my hair and skin, it would take a lot more time and money to figure out how to use them effectively. With the internet, however, I do not have to go through trial and error; all it takes is a simple Google search to find what I wanted to learn about. One day, for example, I became curious about what lemons may be used for, other than for flavoring foods and such. I googled “lemons home remedies” and began opening links in new tabs. I think I opened a total of about 20 tabs (I don’t know why I thought it was necessary to open 20 tabs on lemons, but it seemed necessary at the time) on the uses of lemons; turns out, lemons may be used for health, as a beauty aid for complexion and smooth skin, for keeping insects out of the house, as a scented humidifier and much much more. The point is, I learned a lot from a simple google search about lemons and the amount of time it took for me to find that information is incomparable to the amount of time it would have taken just a few decades ago. The digital age makes learning a lot easier; grom professors to students, everyone is using the internet to spread information. That is the real revolution of the digital age - everyone is willing to share their information - for free.

Aside from making information a lot more accessible, the digital age also brought about a variety of new tools that can be utilized to aid students in learning, including online courses, chatrooms, PowerPoint, Twitter and the iPod. Today, computers and Web 2.0 technologies have a greater influence in classrooms than ever before. Some educators argue that Web 2.0 technologies are unnecessary distractions in the classroom. Some professors, such as Timothy Snyder from Yale University, ban laptops from their classrooms completely; the negative impact of digital technologies in the classroom is too great for him to even consider using them. Other professors believe that Web 2.0 technologies allow students and professors to communicate more effectively, creating new, exciting and unparalleled learning experiences. These professors try to embrace digital technologies in the classroom, but sometimes it may or may not be the most effective way to help students learn.

 I believe that educators should neither outright reject nor accept digital technologies without critically analyzing both their positive and negative impacts in the classroom. As Yardi says, “A good educational environment requires teachers who motivate their students, facilitate knowledge building, engage participation, and foster a passion for lifelong learning” (Yardi 148). Thus, whether students learn in a traditional classroom or through online courses is irrelevant. What matters is that students are engaged in thought provoking discussions that will lead them to think about ways to improve their world. With a good education, students should be able to apply what they learn to help bring about change.

The Game of Learning (Or not)

        Wake up early, turn on computer, plop down on the chair, wait for computer to start up, and play League of Legends until somebody else wakes up to cook breakfast. That’s basically my brothers’ weekend morning schedule. Instead of washing up and pouring themselves a bowl of cereal or something, they rather play games until they get yelled at. The worse part is, I wake up to the sounds of constant mouse clicking and my brothers’ screams of frustration. Despite how “fun” they claim League of Legends to be, I never see them actually smiling when they play.

In his February 2012 article, Steven Newman addresses the positive and negative effects of video gaming. Playing games helps with hand-eye coordination and faster reflexes. Playing games is also a way to relax and relieve stress. The virtual world helps gamers escape from their worries; for the moment, they can put themselves in a fantasy world to seek treasures and fight strange monsters. Gamers get quick gratification from feeling like a hero on a quest or a story. Needless to say, they enjoy being the main character in the story, moving the story forward, and being a major part of the action. There is also little or no risk when it comes to games. When the character dies or loses, one can start over and try again. After all, games are supposed to be light-hearted and fun, right?

          Although gaming does have it’s pros, I believe it is important to acknowledge and consider the cons. Certain games are simply too inappropriate; violent games like Grand Theft Auto have made violence seem “normal” and dehumanized the victims in those violent crime sprees. The gamer is encouraged to go on a rampage, not only killing innocent people but also killing police as well. Even if violent games do not actually cause people to become more violent, these are not qualities that we would want to teach young children. Children are learning to have this expectation to enjoy violence as they grow older. “Mature” games are actually just more violent and gruesome, not actually “mature” in any sophisticated way. 

Not only is the quality an issue, but quantity is an issue as well. Excessive gaming has proven to disconnect people from the real world. Someone who plays games too much is more likely to become more anti-social than someone who does not. Trying to escape from reality can become a double edged sword; eventually it isn’t hard for them to prefer the virtual world to this one. In the virtual world, they are the main character and the story revolves around them. 

(picture taken from google images)

To compound the problem, games are made to be addicting in order to sell to as many people as possible. But after a certain point, games could become too addicting. Even though many people do not want to admit it, they are out of control when it comes to playing games. This isn’t just a speculation; gaming addiction is real. In his blog, Dr. Bill Jenkins states that “gaming dependence has been shown to create dysfunction in five domains: academic, social, occupational, developmental and behavioral.” There has also been multiple recorded instances where gamers have actually died while playing games, either because of the enormous stress on their body or because of not moving their body adequately at all. 

Many people try to validate the negative effects of gaming with the positive ones. Even the blog takes a light tone about the incidents; I think they should have taken those incidents as a grave reminder to all the people who obsessively play games with complete disregard for their physical or mental health. No matter how many benefits  games have, they are too addicting to take lightly. Many of those victims were in their early adulthood, just a year or two older than me; I cannot imagine dying over something so little as a game. For me, these cons of gaming outweigh the pros by far so I try to stay away from games as much as I can. 

Productivity: down the drain

Taken from here. The endless cycle of procrastination that will ultimately drive me crazy!!

     Must stop procrastinating!

  Most people would agree that technology makes our lives easier. Yes, it’s true that technology has made great advances in fields such as agriculture, science, medicine and so on. Even the way people talk and communicate has drastically changed. From old fashioned snail- mail to Facebook, people connect to each other much faster and easier. However, the only major advance social media has given me is in the field of procrastination.

    Before social media came about, I did not really have any real means of procrastinating. At most, I walked around the house aimlessly, opened the refrigerator every few minutes, looked outside my window at cars, trees, or anything else to stall time with. In less than 30 minutes, I would get bored of procrastinating and go do my homework again. Without any distractions, I could focus on my work and get it done as soon as possible. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to go outside and actually have fun with my friends.

    With the advent of social media such as Facebook, Youtube, Tumblr and Twitter, it has become much easier to connect with my friends and that much easier to procrastinate. Even my friends who have moved away to college are just a few clicks away. My newsfeed constantly updates with funny links, pictures, and statuses of their new college lives. When they are not on Facebook, I can look through old pictures of myself, friends, and family members; picture after picture, album after album, all on my computer screen like an endless slideshow. With it’s plethora of applications, Facebook is like a pool of quicksand, sucking up my time. Sometimes I want to give myself a small break, only to find out that I’ve been on Facebook for hours on end; I think I will have to deactivate my Facebook in order to get any schoolwork done this year.

    I know I’m not the only one who finds Facebook to be the source of most of my procrastination. In March 2012, salary.com surveyed more than 3,200 employees to show how much time they waste at work and what they do. 64% of the people surveyed admitted that they visit non-work related websites every day. 39% of the employees spend about an hour surfing the web, 29% spend up to two hours, and 21% waste up to five hours a week at work! I was not surprised to see that Facebook was the top website the employees visited; 41% of the employees wasted their time on Facebook during work. 

     But Facebook is not the only problem; Youtube is another one of my weaknesses. I might have wanted to use Youtube to look for helpful Calculus videos one minute but before long I’m tempted into watching a music video another minute and then I look for skin care tips the next. Each time I’m finished watching one five minute video, my mouse almost unconsciously hits the next button. All of the information is organized right in front of me and is never out of reach. Even with a deadline looming above my head, I feel the temptation in my fingers to watch one more video, just one more click.

     When I reflect on how unproductive my day was, I always get so frustrated with myself. Social media and the internet in general has severely affected my ability to spend my time wisely. It is ridiculous and I hate it. When I think about it, I feel so powerless. I’ve told myself countless times that I will not procrastinate, that I will not go on Facebook tomorrow, that tomorrow will be more productive. Perhaps I can stay away from my computer. If I do not turn my computer on, then I cannot go on Facebook or Youtube and waste hours of my time. Great idea! But wait, I need to use my computer for homework. Sometimes I wish my homework did not depend on the computer or the internet as much; at least if it was handwritten, I would not be able to procrastinate as much.

     Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate Facebook or Youtube; after all, I can talk to my friends who have moved away for college, like their funny statuses, and share Youtube videos on how to use a tomato as a facial cleanser. But while I love doing all those things, I hate the way I spend my time on Facebook and Youtube. It’s just too easy to procrastinate. (I would hate the other social media websites too, except I decided not to make accounts on them. Best idea ever.)

     On yahoo voices, Calvin Wolf, a teacher, shares his thoughts on social media. He witnesses “students lagging on notes and classwork, distracted by the glowing screens of their pocketed smartphones” in his classroom daily. His students believe that Facebook and texting actually “helps” them focus on schoolwork. Wolf says, “The teens insist that, once they check their messages, status comments or wall posts, they can better focus on their work. They also claim that, as long as they get their work done, they should be able to use their phones as long as they aren't distracting anyone else. What is perhaps most alarming is that the teenagers may actually believe what they are saying.” I think it is interesting that Wolf and I both find the digital culture to be alarming, although I am a teenager myself.

     Ironically, I’m using social media to do my homework. It’s almost like this course was made to tempt me into procrastinating even more. While everyone else seems to be comfortable with social media, I just want to avoid it more and more every day. Most of my friends accept procrastination as a new normal but it’s obviously a bad habit that is not going away anytime soon. It’s scary to think that an entire generation of kids are going to grow up with these types of social media around them every day. With all the social media around them, how will they manage to get anything done? Or would their productivity just go down the drain? Well, at least I know they won’t be getting bored from constantly opening refrigerator doors. That stuff is terrible for the environment.