YOURS TRULY RAVEN

I have always been drawn to photography, music, lyrics, poetry, fiction writing, etc. All these things have helped me to express myself in ways that I never would have imagined possible. Especially in times where things weren't always the best, I turned to creative ways to say what I wanted to say without actually saying a word to anyone in specific. I know it's not healthy to keep emotions bottled up inside so some new media forms have given me a way to actually say things and feel like someone might be listening even if no one actually is. I haven't been really active on my social media platforms lately due to work and school, but for this assignment I chose to post one of my photos captioned with some of the lyrics that I wrote on Instagram. The picture below is of myself taking a picture while I look outside into the rain. I really enjoy this picture and I'm extremely proud of it because it looks surrealistic and really captured how I was feeling in the moment. I ca...

Creativity comes in all different forms. You could write lyrics, make music, write novels, etc. New media gives people the chance to share that creativity with others across the globe. It also challenges them to think of things that have never been done before in order to get a proper following.  Take for example, Youtubers. They blog their everyday lives and post it for others to enjoy. Through the likes and comments they receive on their videos, Youtubers are able to measure how well that video did. They use the feedback that they get from their audience to see what kind of videos they should post next. If their video did really well they might continue to post videos similar to that, but if it did poorly, they might rethink their approach in new creative ways in order to keep their audience entertained. In a world where everyone is doing the same thing (working, going to school, etc.) Youtubers want to stand out. There are lots of people who want to make their lives on yout...

Just like with anything, virtual worlds can be used for just about whatever the user wants to use it for within that virtual world's constraints. If they want to be mean to other people, they can unfortunately be mean. If they want to say nice things to others within the virtual world, they can say nice things. It really all depends on who the person is behind the screen and who they choose to be within it. One way in which virtual worlds can be used is to help people interact more with others. In the article 'Naughty Auties' battle autism with virtual interaction by Nicole Saidi, "[David] Savill [,the creator of Naughy Auties,] has Asperger's syndrome and said he wanted Naughty Auties to serve those with autism spectrum disorders and their friends and family." This virtual reality serves as a way for those with autism to be more interactive without having to be face to face. You can communicate with others "on your own computer, in your own room, your ow...

In my personal opinion, a Twitter discussion allows people to be themselves more than a Blackboard Discussion does. I feel like what I'm saying sounds a lot more like me when I'm posting on Twitter. On Blackboard I feel like I have to be 100% professional. When someone shares something funny I can't respond with acronyms like 'lol' and I can't include emojis. I personally use emojis to show the faces that I might be making when they can't see me. I feel like emojis adds a lot to the conversation because when you can't see or hear a person, the meaning behind the message can get lost. Emojis give me another way to communicate any meaning lost that might have occurred without them.  In-class discussions, however, allow us to see nonverbal signals that people give us so emojis aren't needed. For example, if we see people nodding their heads along with our comment then we know that we're probably on the right track. If people are giving us weird look...

If I'm not at work, doing school work, sleeping or eating, I will check my social media accounts. I haven't really posted much on them lately just because I have so much to do, but I do notice what type of environment I'm entering every time I log into my accounts. With Facebook I always feel a sense of connection. There isn't anything too complicated about Facebook other than its privacy and posting settings. It allows you to connect with your family and friends that might live a distance away. You are able to see what they're doing and how they're feeling based on what they post and share. Of course they could be putting a fake smile on and posting happy things when they are sad, but that's another story. Also, on Facebook you are able to learn more about people you don't know. It's a networking site that allows us to get to know others. It feels mainly positive.  When I log into Twitter I get a more calm laid back vibe where I can more or less be ...