Too Dependent on Cell Phones?

Has our society become too dependent on cell phones and other electronic devices. Now-a-days, everyone and their grandmas have cell phones. They have become a part of everyone's daily lives. This is only going to become more prevelent too. Looking at how my generation uses their cell phone, I don't see it stopping any time soon. Even when I reach middle age, there's a very good chance that smart phones will still be a huge part of everyone's daily life. Is this all for the good though?

I once had a professor that said:

We can be connected to everything, except for what is right in front of us.

This quote has a lot of truth to it. With smartphones, we can be connected to anything and everything. It wasn't enough to just check your facebook when you are on the computer. Now, their are apps that allow you to check on your phone at any time during the day. The vast majority of Twitter users only ever access Twitter from their phone. They don't even to go the website at all.

Even when having a meal with others, people will whip out their phones. Whether it is to text someone back, check Facebook, or Tweet about their meal they just had, people just can't put away their phone. Despite the advances of social media, some may argue that it is actually making our society less social.

What do you think? Is this new technology hurting our society?

How Social Media Has Changed Us...For the Good

Think back to how you were communicating 10 years ago. 15 years? It truly is amazing to realize how far we have come in just the past decade or so. When someone thinks of an old cellphone, alot of times the "Zach Morris" phone is the first one that comes to mind. They were big and not very mobile. Look how far we have come. Kids, now-a-days, are constantly sending thousands and thousands of text messages a month. It has completely changed the way we communicate.

Then, starting in the early to mid 2000's, social networking sites started to take off. Everyone had a MySpace when the site was first launching. However, that eventually gave way to Facebook. Now, Facebook is apart of every college students' daily lives. It is often said to be the biggest procrastination tool. With Facebook, you can see how your friends are doing, without ever even talking to them. Why would you ask them what they've been up to, when you can just look at the recent pictures to actually see what they've been up to.

Twitter is the one form of social media that is really changing the way I communicate with people. There are times when I find myself actually having conversations on Twitter (in 140 characters or less, mind you). These are all people who I actually know in real life, and have their phone numbers, but we choose to talk on Twitter. Twitter is a way for you to get your opinion out there, on any topic that you choose. It is instantly posted to the internet. It's amazing how much you can learn about a person, just by following them on Twitter.

The question becomes though, is this a good thing? Sure, we are communicating with more people, and receiving instant gratification. But, are we losing our ability to actually hold conversations? Are people becoming too glued to their smartphones?

What's next? Looking at how far we've come, I can't even begin to imagine what the next 10 years will bring...

Visual Culture

I really did not know how to answer this question at first, as I did not exactly know what Visual Culture actually comprised of. A quick Google search gave me some basic information on the topic, however. It is a very general topic, which seems to cover most media of visual images. This can include anything from TV and movies, to video games, the Internet, and comic strips. So really, any one person participating in one of these means of visual creations, is a part of Visual Culture.

Visual Culture is basically the study of visual images. Some argue that society is switching more and more to a visual point of view. They feel that we are getting away from the written and textual messages that were much more prominent earlier.

Anyone Can be a Writer!

I want it now!

That is the way that many people in the world want their information. The days of having to read the newspaper once a week in order to know what's happening are long gone. People now turn to the internet, where stories are posted minutes, if not seconds, after an event occurs. That is just the world that we live in.

Blogs are a big part of the "new world." With sites like Blogger and LiveJournal, anybody can start up their own site and write about whatever they want. These people are being published for billions of people to read if they wanted. Fifteen years ago, this wasn't the case.

Perhaps the most instantaneous form of information is Twitter. In 140 characters or less, Tweeters can publish their thoughts on virtually anything to millions of other Twitter users. By following the Trending Topics list, one can find out all of the top news in the world. I found out about Michael Jackson's death because of twitter. People seemed to tweet virtually seconds after it was first reported on the news. After that, the news seemed to spread like a wildfire.

Times have certainly changed, and it will only do so more as technology continues to improve. Who knows what the future will hold. We are already connected to the internet and all of its information at all times. It's hard to believe that information will become even more instantaneous than it already is. But, I'm confident that it will. There is always some new piece of technology waiting in the background

My Trip to Orlando - Part 4

4. Sea World

Our final stop on the trip was Sea World. I was very excited for this park, as it had been over a decade since I was last there. The place has really changed over the years, and now even includes 2 premier roller coasters. Of course, the park's selling point is still the animals. I had a lot of fun taking my little cousins around to all of the different shows. They absolutely loved the dolphin show and of course Shamu.

My Trip to Orlando - Part 3

3. Islands of Adventure

Next, we headed next door to the second theme park on the Universal Studios resort, Islands of Adventure. If you are looking for the "big rides", then this is definitely the theme park for you. Two of the best roller coasters in Orlando - The Incredible Hulk and Dragon Challenge - both reside in this park. The park's big selling point is the opening of Harry Potter World. The new ride located within Hogwart's also happens to be one of the best in the park.

My Trip to Orlando - Part 2

2. Universal Studios

The next stop on our trip was Universal Studios. This is the place to go if you want to "ride the movies". Many classic movies like E.T, Jaws, and Men In Black, all have rides commemorating them. The Return of the Mummy, and Men In Black rides are easily my two favorite rides at this park. It is a great place to spend the afternoon.

My Trip to Orlando - Part 1

Over the next several posts, I'll try to give a quick recap of a recent trip down to Orlando, Florida. I'll focus on the theme parks that I went too.

1. Disney World

Our first stop on the vacation was a trip to Walt Disney World. More specifically, the theme park we went to was Magic Kingdom. When you think of a Disney vacation, Magic Kingdom and Cinderella's Castle (pictured above) are probably the first things that pop into your head. This is the one place you can go no matter the age, and always feel like a kid. I've lost count on how many times I have been here, but it never gets old.

Some of my Favorite Blogs

Here is my list of some of my favorite blogs. Some of these blogs are ones that I check out on a regular basis. Others are ones that I just happened to stumble upon for this assignment, but they piqued my interest enough to write about them.

1. Onward State

www.onwardstate.com

Onward State is a blog that focuses just on the Penn State community. I enjoy reading the site because they report on most of the breaking news that happens within Happy Valley. But, they also throw some fun posts in there as well. I remember one from the summer which mentioned something about zombies taking over the campus when school is not in session.

I really like the look of the site too. This is much improved than your typical blog, and actually looks more like a news website. The technology team over at Onward State has done a great job over the past 6 months or so in updating their site. I highly recommend you check out Onward State for your Penn State news.

2. Mashable

www.mashable.com

Mashable is a blog that deals with social media news, as well as technology news. This are two subjects that greatly interest me, so I am usually always on this site looking for the "next big thing". I like the setup of the site, as the most popular stories are always on top. Then, the rest of the stories are arranged in your typical chronological order.

3. Engadget

www.engadget.com

Yep, another technology blog. Can you tell that I'm an IST major? This blog gives you all the updates you could ever want about what's happening on the technological front. Like Mashable, it also has has its current top stories at the top of the page. One complaint is that sometimes, some of the writers can be a little biased. Tend to favor one company over another.

4. The Huffington Post

www.huffingtonpost.com

The Huffington Post is a blog which focuses on American and worldwide news stories. It has dozens of different bloggers, and focuses on everything from Politics, to Business, to Entertainment. Sometimes some of the bloggers let their political ties get in the way of what they're typing. But, this is as great a place as any to catch up on what is going on in the world. Constantly updated.

5. TravelPod

www.travelpod.com

This is a blog that I stumbled upon while doing some research for this assignment. Bloggers from all over the world come to this site and post reviews about trips they are on, or have just finished. Seems like a great way to get first hand knowledge what a possible vacation destination would be like. I feel like the site could be a little more organized, but you can find your way around it. It's a great blog that I know I will be checking out before planning my next vacation.

THON, THON, THON: Images, Media, Links-Oh My!

THON is coming up soon, so I figured now would be a good time to post some THON things. For those that don't know, THON is a year long fundraising effort that ends in a 46-hour no sitting/no-sleeping Dance MaraTHON. This past year, Penn State students raised $7.8 million For The Kids! All money benefits the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

THON Weekend is February 18-20, 2011. Head up to the BJC at some point that weekend. I guarantee you that you won't regret it.

THON 2011! FTK!

A Little Bit About Myself...

Whatsup Guys?

My name is Jimmy Koury, and I am a Senior here at Penn State. I am originally from Harrisburg, PA. I will be graduating in May, with a degree from the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). Upon graduation, I plan to begin the process of acquiring my Pennsylvania Realtor Licence, as this is my current career interest. If, for whatever reason, this plan would fail, I would then "fall back" on my IST degree. There are always companies looking for computer people. Atleast that's what I hope...

I am a big sports fan, and have played pretty much every sport there is at some point over the course of my life. In high school, I focused on baseball and played on the JV and Varsity teams. On most Fall Saturdays and Sundays, chances are that you will find me watching football games. What's better than spending a Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium? Nothing I tell ya!

My primary reason for taking this class is to enhance my web design skills. I have always had a basic understanding of HTML, and how to make a website, but this is something I have always wanted to improve. Because my career goal is to become a Real Estate agent, I figured I needed a way to get a step up on the competition. Having a functioning, useful website to show off all the properties that I'm currently selling could be that extra boost that I need.

I am excited for this class, and hope that I learn alot over the course of the semester.