Connecting the Dots of Social Media: Cars

I must not have been here for this assignment so I am going to do it now.  I chose the topic of cars.  I use my phone to navigate everywhere.  I can't imagine having to use a map or how people did it 20 years ago.  GPS is a life saver! Using GPS can be dangerous though if you get lost and look at your phone too long so I think it's great that they are going to have cars make using phones less hands on.

I also agree that using GPS and being able to use a direct route will save on gas and be more economically efficient.

In the article it talked about the Tesla model S.  I have seen Tesla's here and there but they aren't super common yet. They look really nice though.  In the article it mentioned that the model S has a 17 inch screen in it which I think can be a very positive screen.  Most of the screens in cars are pretty small which makes it hard to read what they are saying.  It takes more time to read the small font and can be more dangerous.  The larger screen in the Tesla will make it easier to read and less time will be spent looking at it.

Contextual Analysis FINAL DRAFT

When Robin Williams committed suicide on August 11th this year, posts about him on my Facebook and Instagram were one after the other. My friends were shocked that he would do such a thing as take his own life. He was Mrs. Doubtfire, he was Alan Parrish, he was Peter Pan, he was Genie. Overall he seemed like a happy man, a guy whose main goal was to make people, especially children, laugh. His role in some of my favorite movies was funny and witty so it was hard to picture that this man could have been so miserable. When I found out he had passed away I couldn't believe it, especially the way it happened: suicide. But then it made me realize how little I knew about celebrities outside of their roles in movies. It's so easy to get absorbed in an actor or actresses' role in a movie or television show that we think that's who they really are when in reality it could be the complete opposite.



This picture of Robin Williams and the quote "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it," was a favorite among Facebookers, Instagrammers, and Tweeters. I saw this post probably a hundred times in the first week following his death. People would follow this picture with their condolences and say how sad they were that he died and that he was one of their favorite actors, but did they really care that much about him before he died? That's the point I'm trying to make. People could care less about a celebrity or know absolutely nothing about them other than their participation in popular movies but as soon as they die everyone seems to feel obligated to pay their respects.

It's almost as if they are afraid that if they don't say something nice or act like they are deeply saddened by the passing, that the deceased will haunt them. Like Robin Williams would be offended if there weren't hundreds of posts in social media after his death. I'm pretty sure that wherever Paul Walker, Joan Rivers, and Robin Williams are, they couldn't care less about their popularity in the media anymore.

Because of the frequency of the Robin Williams posts during the week of August 11th, I became annoyed. Yes, I was sad too that such a seemingly happy man took his own life but I didn’t need the constant reminder! It had been 3 or 4 days and I’d be scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and still every other post would be of that picture of Robin Williams and the quote that went along with it. I chose not to post when Mr. Williams died, I was shocked when I heard the news but didn’t feel the need to use the tragedy as an excuse to post something, nor did I want everyone who read my post to be instantly saddened and depressed by the news as I was when I would see the posts. If I were one of Robin Williams’ family members and I had to continue to be reminded, although it’s not like you can ever forget, I wouldn’t like the frequent posts either. A little over a year ago my little brother who was 11 at the time passed away unexpectedly due to an allergic reaction to some peanut butter he had accidentally eaten while at a friend’s house. It was devastating. Once all the funeral craziness was over, and all our family went back home then it was time for the real grieving to take place. I remember scrolling through Facebook in my down time and I would randomly come across a post by one of my family members about donating to the expenses or they’d be changing their profile picture to a picture of them with my little brother. When I would see these posts my heart felt like it fell into my stomach and immediately tears would fill my eyes. I can only imagine what family members of celebrities feel when they have to see their deceased loved one plastered on the front of every magazine or the topic of every news production or the subject of numerous people’s social media posts. This is something a lot of people don’t consider.



Another recent celebrity death was that of Paul Walker who died in a car accident at the beginning of the summer. Posts about him also blew up social media. Most of these posts, unlike Robin Williams, were of girls that were heartbroken because he was so hot and that’s why they were sad that he had died because now they could no longer fantasize about him without feeling that weird. What a lack of sensitivity. When I was looking for the picture that most people posted when he passed away which I’ve posted above, I found a disturbing picture posted by numerous websites. It’s a picture of what’s supposed to be Walker’s face although it’s hard to tell because there is a huge gash right in the middle of his face.



The photo is extremely gruesome and disturbing. How did these websites get the permission to post such a sensitive picture if it is in fact deceased Paul Walker. All I could think after seeing the picture was what if his young daughter saw it? And the chances are that she probably will. It breaks my heart that reporters and news stations and other websites could be so insensitive. It’s no one’s business to see those kinds of things except the family.

So why do we mourn these deaths the way that we do? Why do we feel the need to pay our respects to people that we’ve never met before? Jacque Lynn Foltyn, professor at National University of San Diego offers an explanation, “We care about these celebrity deaths because these people intersect with our personal biographies,” she continues by saying, “When these people die, we reflect on our own lives and we feel a sense of loss because they have been in our lives, many times, for decades and we followed…their maturing, we followed their successes (CBS News).” Foltyn states that most people know more about celebrities than they do about their own neighbors. Michael Jackson’s death was one that shook the nation.



His funeral was extravagant and artists such as Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson, and Usher. America was glued to the TV screen to watch Michael Jackson’s funeral take place in Hollywood Hills. Jackson’s death was such a significant tragedy because his name was so well known and he was an icon for just about everyone. Larry Hackett, managing editor of People magazine says, “In the case of Michael Jackson…when you watch the videos of Motown dancing and the moon walking and all the music videos on MTV, you’re also replaying your own life (CBS).”

The reason why Americans are obsessed with celebrity lives is because they find ways to relate their own lives to the actors or actresses. When it comes to Michael Jackson, so many people were heartbroken when he passed away because they grew up listening to Jackson’s music and whenever they hear songs such as ‘Billie Jean’ or ‘Thriller’ it takes them back to when they first started listening to his music. Americans relate to these characters and because somewhat obsessed in thinking that these characters exist so when they pass away, they are emotionally attached.

References

Michael Jackson memorial service. (2014, September 12). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson_memorial_service

Why We Mourn Intimate Strangers. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-we-mourn-intimate-strangers/

5 Robin Williams Quotes to Make You Smile - Intent Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://intentblog.com/5-robin-williams-quotes-to-make-you-smile/

Fast and Furious 7 Will Continue Without Paul Walker [Video]. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://guardianlv.com/2013/12/fast-and-furious-7-will-continue-without-paul-walker-video/

Paul Walker Face after died in fatal Car Crash. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.metatube.com/en/videos/211906/Paul-Walker-Face-after-died-in-fatal-Car-Crash/

MailOnline, L. (n.d.). Michael Jackson memorial: Singer's daughter Paris, 11, breaks down as she pays tribute to 'the best daddy ever' Retrieved December 9, 2014, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1198105/Michael-Jacksons-funeral-memorial-service-place-Staples-Center-Los-Angeles.html

Facebook Ad: Top Gun Air Systems

Doing this facebook page was a huge eye opener for me.  I've never been much of a poster when it comes to my own facebook page and other social media networks that I'm a part of so I was definitely out of my comfort zone.  I know about Top Gun because I am good friends with the family that owns the company.  They mean a lot to me so I wanted to make sure I did a good job and promoted their business in a way that they would be proud since the majority of my likers are members of the family.  I wanted to post a variety of things from maintenance tips to friendly reminders and pictures.  I think I did a good job.  

I could've posted more but the posts I did do were meaningful.  I encouraged members of the family to share my page and it's posts and some of them did so.  One of the ways I tried to promote more likes and shares was posting at different times of the day to reach more people and I tried to post things that pertained to others and that would give them helpful tips.  

One thing that I didn't accomplish that I wanted to at the beginning of this assignment was to get a picture of all the men and women that work for top gun and make it the cover photo.  I asked the family a couple times but they said it would be too hard to get everyone together to take a picture.  Overall I am happy with my page and plan on continuing to post after this class is over.

Likes:  In order to get more likes I tried to post a variety of posts.  I noticed that the pictures I would post of the workers on the job site would get more likes than the maintenance tips that I posted.

Reach: I was a little disappointed with the people I reached.  Most of my followers were either in this class or family members.  It was hard to get more followers since this is a small, local business and not very many people are interested in these local businesses other than the people here in St. George. My most recent post of the underground system in Kayenta reached 362 people which is pretty good.

Visits/Posts/People:  The majority of the visits were from family members of the owners of Top Gun.  I've posted about 12 times which is a little bit shy of the 30 post goal.  I wish I would've posted more but like I said, posting things is a little out of my comfort zone but I'm getting better.

A More Sustainable St. George: Energy

There are several different ways that St. George is trying become more sustainable as far as energy is concerned.

SunSmart: Here in St. George it is warm and sunny 99% of the time, 310 days out of the year the sun is shining. Not taking advantage of solar power would be a shame.  Our city's utilities have built a large solar PV (photovoltiac) facility which lets residents purchase solar power.  Switching over to solar power avoids delivery over long transmission lines and increases sustainability and energy security.  One kW unit costs $5,000 and a half unit is $2,500.  Purchasing these units can be claimed on your taxes. The unit lasts a minimum of 19 years.  The CO2 decrease would be equivalent to driving 2.2 fewer miles AN HOUR.  Home owners and companies also have the option of putting solar panels on their roofs.





St. George also has a Clean Green Program which allows residents to use more renewable energy sources for power.  St. George supports solar and low impact hydropower sources.  In order for citizens to use these programs it would only be $2.95 more per month.  The cost would go from $.0671/kWh to $.0966/kWh.

In October 2005 St. George developed it's Net Metering Program which allows residents to reduce by harnessing energy from the wind and the sun.  This reduces energy costs, doesn't produce emissions,is renewable and reliable, reduces utility peak demands, and contributes to the nations energy security.

There are also some things we can all do to help conserve energy and save money that don't require purchasing solar, wind, or water power.  Set thermostats to 76-78 degrees during warm weather.  If a room isn't in use, close the vent.  Also, clean and replace air vent filters monthly.  Compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75% less energy than normal incandescent bulbs.  These are some things that many people don't know can make a big difference.

Celebrity Deaths (Rough Draft)

When Robin Williams committed suicide on August 11th this year, posts about him on my Facebook and Instagram were one after the other. My friends were shocked that he would do such a thing as take his own life. He was Mrs. Doubtfire, he was Alan Parrish, he was Peter Pan, he was Genie. Overall he seemed like a happy man, a guy whose main goal was to make people, especially children, laugh. His role in some of my favorite movies was funny and witty so it was hard to picture that this man could have been so miserable. When I found out he had passed away I couldn't believe it, especially the way it happened: suicide. But then it made me realize how little I knew about celebrities outside of their roles in movies. It's so easy to get absorbed in an actor or actresses' role in a movie or television show that we think that's who they really are when in reality it could be the complete opposite.

This picture of Robin Williams and the quote "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it," was a favorite among Facebookers, Instagrammers, and Tweeters. I saw this post probably a hundred times in the first week following his death. People would follow this picture with their condolences and say how sad they were that he died and that he was one of their favorite actors, but did they really care that much about him before he died? That's the point I'm trying to make. People could care less about a celebrity or know absolutely nothing about them other than their participation in popular movies but as soon as they die everyone seems to feel obligated to pay their respects.

It's almost as if they are afraid that if they don't say something nice or act like they are deeply saddened by the passing, that the deceased will haunt them. Like Robin Williams would be offended if there weren't hundreds of posts in social media after his death. I'm pretty sure that wherever Paul Walker, Joan Rivers, and Robin Williams are, they couldn’t care less about their popularity in the media anymore.

Because of the frequency of the Robin Williams posts during the week of August 11th, I became annoyed. Yes, I was sad too that such a seemingly happy man took his own life but I didn’t need the constant reminder! It had been 3 or 4 days and I’d be scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and still every other post would be of that picture of Robin Williams and the quote that went along with it. I chose not to post when Mr. Williams died, I was shocked when I heard the news but didn’t feel the need to use the tragedy as an excuse to post something, nor did I want everyone who read my post to be instantly saddened and depressed by the news as I was when I would see the posts. If I were one of Robin Williams’ family members and I had to continue to be reminded, although it’s not like you can ever forget, I wouldn’t like the frequent posts either. A little over a year ago my little brother who was 11 at the time passed away unexpectedly due to an allergic reaction to some peanut butter he had accidentally eaten while at a friend’s house. It was devastating. Once all the funeral craziness was over, and all our family went back home then it was time for the real grieving to take place. I remember scrolling through Facebook in my down time and I would randomly come across a post by one of my family members about donating to the expenses or they’d be changing their profile picture to a picture of them with my little brother. When I would see these posts my heart felt like it fell into my stomach and immediately tears would fill my eyes. I can only imagine what family members of celebrities feel when they have to see their deceased loved one plastered on the front of every magazine or the topic of every news production or the subject of numerous people’s social media posts. This is something a lot of people don’t consider.

Another recent celebrity death was that of Paul Walker who died in a car accident at the beginning of the summer. Posts about him also blew up social media.



Most of these posts, unlike Robin Williams, were of girls that were heartbroken because he was so hot and that’s why they were sad that he had died because now they could no longer fantasize about him without feeling that weird. What a lack of sensitivity. When I was looking for the picture that most people posted when he passed away which I’ve posted above, I found a disturbing picture posted by numerous websites. It’s a picture of what’s supposed to be Walker’s face although it’s hard to tell because there is a huge gash right in the middle of his face. The photo is extremely gruesome and disturbing. How did these websites get the permission to post such a sensitive picture if it is in fact deceased Paul Walker. All I could think after seeing the picture was what if his young daughter saw it? And the chances are that she probably will. It breaks my heart that reporters and news stations and other websites could be so insensitive. It’s no one’s business to see those kinds of things except the family.



I understand that everyone has an opinion and wants to voice it and social media is a perfect way for them to do so, I am guilty as well. However, when posting our latest post we don’t tend to think much about the impact it will have on everyone who sees it, unless it’s a selfie in which case what you want people to think is all that is considered. Whether it’s a celebrity or a close family member, death is nothing to be taken lightly. Celebrities have families too who also have things like Facebook and Twitter where they see the posts, respectful or not, and have to be constantly reminded.

Edward Snowden: Traitor or Patriot?

What Edward Snowden did was highly controversial but justifiable in my opinion.  What the government was doing was shady and a lot of Americans were left in the dark.  The way Snowden went about revealing the secret was not okay, he leaked the information to other countries, however, I think his intentions were good.  Edward Snowden felt that America deserved to know that their data was being monitored without their knowledge or consent.  He took major risks in revealing the information and it forced President Obama to come out and come clean about the whole thing, something he and Bush should've done long before.  Snowden did betray the government and the CIA but he was being loyal to his fellow Americans and letting them know important information regarding their phone calls.  Edward Snowden is not a traitor and released the information for the good of the American People.

Critical Analysis Topic

For my critical analysis paper I want to write it on celebrity deaths in the media and how once they've passed away they are talked about as if they were saints but before when they were still alive people would only have negative things to say and people would talk crap on them. For example: Robin Williams or Michael Jackson.