Someone to Watch Over Me - Theodora Stites

After reading this essay, I find the writer to be a tad crazy. She would much rather meet new people and communicate via social network etc. People these days have become so detached. It is as though we can't have a normal conversation face to face. We are dependent on technology and if we were to lose it people wouldn't be able to handle social situations. The author also describes how she keeps tabs on friends and (ex-)boyfriends. There are those out there who do sit online for hours at a time "creeping" on peers lives for various reasons whether it is to see if you are doing better than this individual or you are truly a "stalkerazzi." One quote that really jumps out at me and I couldn't agree more with it is, "Online, everyone  has bulletproof social armor." I have seen this first hand, especially on facebook. There have been females who have messaged me having some kind of issue, getting all big and bad stating they want to fight me etc. When I see these individuals in person they do not say a word or even look my way. They feel as though they can say whatever they please because they are safe behind their device. If you have a problem with someone you should have the decency to say it to their face. This sort of behavior doesn't make an individual look appealing. This generation is lacking social skills because they are constantly using some sort of technology 24/7. Technology has it perks, but it could be destroying us.

Ideas for Essay 2

I have been pondering some possible ideas for this second project. The first idea would be to observe an intramural soccer team on campus. The second possibility would be to view an area where fellow students tend to hang out. Finally, the third plausible concept could be to examine workers on campus such as cooks and other employees at dining halls.

High School's Secret Life - Emily White

Throughout this essay Emily discusses life in high school. She describes the various cliques as tribes. I believe she uses this comparison because in high school you have a certain social circle you pertain to. In this circle are other individuals who have similar interests etc. In high school you usually don't step beyond your clique unless you need something from another clique. As I look back on my high school days I can't say I disagree with White's views. I went to Dartmouth High School and you could say there were "tribes" so to speak. Our tribes were grouped by who grew up in a fortunate or less fortunate family. The "popular" students had money while everyone else was just average or barely getting by. Then it was broken down further by the stereotypical tribes jocks/cheerleaders, nerds, and so on. Everyone was more or less cordial with one another, but we knew our place. An undesirable person could speak with a popular person, but once the conversation was over there was chance of talking behind the persons back. Be kind, but trust no one kind of attitude. You could go from clique to clique exchanging conversation or what have you, but at the end of the day we were true to our tribes.