Send Nudes

About a month ago, you couldn't go online without seeing a video of someone who "spilled" something, the mess in the shape the words "send nudes". This was an popular culture phenomenon, a meme. So to explain the joke: girls will post about guys asking for nude pictures of them. This is a response to that.

An example of the joke

This is a play on another trademark of the technological age. Sexting is not new; as soon as people could send electronic message, people inserted sex. That's just what people do. With the advent of instant picture sharing apps, sharing got even easier. 

What does this say about how technology is affecting relationships today?

People joke about intimacy. Maybe this makes some people uncomfortable, but I think its only natural. Humans have primal, carnal, desires and we're not always good at hiding or controlling them. Our intellectual side needs to rationalize these moments of animalistic behavior. It's only natural, healthy even, that we make jokes about it. Without levity, progress is scary. 

Obsessive Social Media Disorder

No doubt, technology has had a negative impact on intimate relationships, more so for the generations that have come after our parents. Like discussed in class, technology enables us to "turn off" people even when they are sitting right in front of us. My views and hostility towards technology and how it interferes with relationships is driven mainly by personal experience. The ability to follow your friends, s/o, family, and strangers on multiple social media sites trigger an obsession to always know what others are doing. It heightens the anxiety of infidelity because it's literally at the finger tips of your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife. Cheating can now be done without physical interaction; the exchanging of sexts, secretive cyber-based relationships, emotionally being invested in someone other than your partner. It feeds one's insecurities by enabling the tracking and ability to see who's pictures/posts your s/o is constantly "liking" and viewing. It can become obsessive, unhealthy, and ultimately the reason why relationships don't last.

I'm not going to deny that I often use and scroll through instagram, facebook, and snapchat. But I've also experienced the negative impact it can have on someone's relationship/friendship. It took until I was affected by it, to realize how detrimental it can be. Obviously, it isn't just technology that's corrupting the intimacy of relationships nowadays, but it's also the people's lack of morals, compassion, and empathy.

As for online dating- there may be some pros, but it's essentially creating image driven and instant gratification relationships that don't last very long.

"Until Death" Used To Mean Something More

Technology has undoubtedly affected relationships, and quite frankly what we call destiny. Technology, machines, dating websites, etc. have ultimately proved to be detrimental to not only the individual, but to the entire experience. How does one create such an emotional, chemical, and spiritual feeling or sensation through the use of a computer? Or even a text message? I do not understand how ones can be "fallen in love" shortly after utilizing one of these stupid websites. Granted, they help individuals who may be struggling, however, where is the true essence of a relationship in that? I feel there is no dept and all interaction is quite limited. Technology suppresses our natural feelings and emotions that we express. It stunts it's growth inevitably, and we have become dependent on it so much so that we forget what it means to be HERE, with our feet on solid ground. All social and emotional interaction, eye to eye contact, pure compassion are eradicated through the use of technology.

I would absolutely hate the idea of telling my kids one day, "Hey, did you know I met mommy online? on the internet, with the computer?"

I could not imagine. It is indeed sad because soon the world is going to be so encapsulated and consumed by technology that, these newer generations will be completely unaware of how to establish love and what it means to be in love. There will be no romance anymore, there will be no intimacy, and most importantly these experiences will and are becoming a part of the past. There will be no dates or actual conversation.

I am not going to sit here and rant constantly about how I feel technology has absolutely destroyed the realm of love, however I love and hate technology. I just wish as a society we can hold on to how meaningful things used to be without technology. We are rapidly forgetting these things of the past, and older generations are only getting older. Soon, they will not be here and we will not have the opportunity to actual learn. We must take advantage.

Dating without use of technology these days is basically impossible...

People always say that they wish we lived in the generation where boys would actually ask girls on dates, instead of them relying on a semi-attractive person swiping right on tinder or some dating website in order for a boy and a girl to meet or go on a date. It has become so easy for people to rely on online dating websites these days to score a date instead of making an effort in going out and meeting potential matches face to face.  Where have the days gone where boys stand outside girls windows with boomboxes, blasting a romantic song? Or where boys would actually go up to a girls door when picking them up for a date as a sign that they were ready, instead of just texting them "here." These days instead of intimate conversations or physical actions, couples just rely on technology for nude photos, and a quick "I love you," text.  It has made us lazy, and almost selfish at times.

Technology has no doubt made it easier to connect with other individuals who are longing for a partner as well, but it has also made us soooooo immensely lazy.  Romance was thriving in prior generations, and the way people maintain their relationships today, it makes you wonder, does romance still even exist? 

However, being in a long term relationship before, I admit that I loved the luxury of being able to talk to my significant other 24/7 through text messages and calls, but technology could also be dangerous in a relationship too.

The factor that technology has made it so easy to find a partner or someone looking for a good time, has also made it that much easier for partners to cheat or talk to other partners behind their own partners back. In relationships decades ago, in order to cheat you would actually have to make the effort to go out in public and actually meet another person... 

Technology is something that will not go away ANYTIME soon, in fact, it has only been advancing.

Technology can also be sneaky, so watch out for it and its many many features. 

Industrial Cartoon

Industrialization

Industrialization as a whole has indeed impeded on the role of women in the household. The Industrial Revolution absolutely allowed women to be more independent and take initiative, they now had a different purpose to a certain extent, which was outside of the home. New standards were now imposed on the role of women, and a different type of work ethic was now in place. This may have been great at the time, and the perspective towards women now working and being active in the industry must have been something surreal in the moment. Taking all of this into account, the treatment and working conditions that were to come for these women were absolutely horrible. Was it worth being treated like garbage? Was it worth the wage or the burden that was now imposed on the household and children? I suppose it was, in regards to sustaining all life and the cost of living at the time. I feel the Industrial Revolution eradicated some roles of women, specifically in the household, however adding new roles in the factory. Not only this though, I also feel it added double time for the homemaker, which is obviously the woman or the mother. If the father was not around, the woman was inevitably picking up the slack in the home, taking care of the children, taking care of the home environment, on top of being mistreated in the factories and working long/ridiculous hours to earn practically nothing.


I suppose this was the transition process, and if anything this was a catalyst for obtaining women's rights and equality amongst all people. Meaning, this was ultimately required for society to reach such great heights in the time to come.

The good, the bad, and the basic changes

There were negative impacts (of course) as there always is when it comes to changes in history, but there was definitely positive impacts as well when it came to discussing industrialization and the impact the industrial revolution had on (primarily) women and children. Some of the positives were that the industrial revolution opened up many doors to job opportunities for both women and children, which the women were happy about because they were used to the men being the breadwinners of the family...even though they weren't making much. The women were becoming more independent, and allowed them to become a more vibrant and vital part of social activism and labor movements in hopes of changing their dangerous work conditions. The industrial revolution allowed women to support themselves and their families due to what they were making while working.
There weren't really any benefits for children, besides making money to help their family with their economic situations.

I think one of the most obvious negative aspects of the industrial revolution and industrialization period were the conditions that women and children were working in when they were working.  Many people were injured, some even died. Yet, most people didn't care because they were getting their money and thats all that mattered.  Most children developed diseases, and some even became paralyzed, because the children would be assigned to do jobs that took advantage of their small size, even if it was unsafe; they didn't care.

If this stuff was going on today, no company would be able to get away with ANYTHING like this.  Everyone loves filing lawsuits nowadays as well, so the outside population would be overflowing with lawsuits and money being given away.  It'd be a mess, and that is why all companies take care of their workers and make sure their safety policies and benefits are openly available to each and every single one of them.

The start of something new......

The start of the industrial revolution in 1890 was the start of many major changes for children and women who lived in the united states. Before this time women and children were not required to do much work outside the regular house choirs. At this time many different machines and factories were being created and the demand for workers began to raise. Women mostly found jobs in domestic service, textile factories, and piece work shops. They also worked in the coal mines. Many children did not attend school because they too had to take on jobs. The cost of living went up at this point and many families put their children to work as young as age nine. There were also no labor laws at this time that required for breaks from work, age requirement, and other important rules that we have today. 

How Does Empathy Develop?

The Importance Of Empathy
https://www.facebook.com/lifehacker/videos/10154117508751356/

Above is a hyperlink related to this past weeks blog topic, of which I ironically found on facebook.

I don't necessarily 100 % agree that technology is killing empathy. I strongly believe that one's ability to empathize has to do with their upbringing. Sure, technology is definitely having a negative impact on adults and children with their ability to pay attention and care for something other than the screen in front of them. There's a lack of respect when someone is so absorbed and mesmerized by the gadget in front of them that they are obvious to what is going on around them. At the same time, I've grown up as technology has been advancing and it hasn't negatively impacted how I interact, care, or relate to people other than myself. A way that technology could slightly breed empathy is by videos and clips that we stumble upon on facebook of touching stories (family members coming home from serving our country, one's story of losing/defeating a tough illness, etc). One's ability to empathize definitely is influenced by your upbringing and who you surround yourself with, not necessarily how often you use technology.

Sexting

I feel as though technology does kill empathy in some sort of ways. When people get overwhelmed or sad they often turn to their cell phone or computer to distract themselves. If a girl breaks up with her boyfriend he can immediately turn to Tinder to have another girl within minutes. Instead of pondering on their feelings, people are pushing them back and burying them through technology. In terms of relationships, people are no longer falling in love through spending time with one another but are basing their feelings off the loving and sexual texts they are receiving. Even if a man is willing to take a woman on a date, I can guarantee most of the time he will be on his cell phone or vice versa. Before technology, people were actually telling their spouse in person how they feel about them, but now men/woman are hiding behind their phones pretending to be something they are not. Sexting has become a whole new area of relationships evolving into snap chatting and video chatting. Why can't we do these things in person people?!!!

It could go both ways....

After reading this article by Marianne Levine and combining my own personal experience and opinion, I believe that technology does breed some type of empathy, but at the same time very much kill other parts of it as well. I believe technology gives society access to different ways to express emotion and themselves on a broader spectrum, which can be a very positive thing when used correctly. Other times many people have the tendency to express themselves hiding behind a screen which can become extremely unhealthy and cause a lot of communication issues when they face people in the real world. The article states "someone surrounded by genuine thoughtful friends will feel distinctly different blogs, twitter, and Facebook than someone whose company is cynical and vapid". This quote proves that now that technology is so available to people with these isolated issues, it gives them more of a way to escape from what is around them and connect to other who may be just like them. Again, I do believe this can be used as a positive thing and a negative thing.

Empathy, your satisfaction

In regards to technology killing empathy, I do not believe this is 1000 percent true. I know other posts my touch on the idea I am about to explain, however I still agree with it. Specifically, empathy could be drawn from various sources from all over the internet. A wide variety of outlets can be utilized by organizations, groups or even quite frankly people to share experiences or personal issues. They can do this through social media or even ways throughout the internet in general. People then can relate to these particular experiences or issues that others across the globe are experiencing. Through the use of technology, individuals are allowed to get their stories or message across to gain awareness. Granted, technology has allowed this ease of communication accessible to essentially everyone, however, what about essence of thee experience itself? Younger generations are potentially at risk, in regards to being able to establish a personable conversation with another individual, that contains emotion and actual authentic EMPATHY. With the computer, one does not have this. One does not actually expirience the heartfelt compassion of what we call empathy. The look in ones eyes, the facial expression, the tone of ones voice, etc. This is lost with technology, completely eradicated...well unless you videochat but still that is meaningless.

So to a certain extent, I agree technology has killed the authentic feeling of empathy. However, technology has seemed to find a way to replicate it through the uses of social media and the internet as a whole.

Half and Half

I don't necessarily think that technology has killed empathy between humans.  One of the reasons I say this, is because people use social media, and other internet outlets to connect with one another about endless topics.  For example, if you happen to be passionate about a certain charity or cause, you can connect with other individuals on the internet who have the same views and values as you as well.  Also, this past presidential election has brought up many different peoples opinions about the outcome, as well as the decisions the President has been choosing to make.  People have connected with one another over this cause endlessly and people with equivalent opinions have used their resources to connect with one another and protest, or speak out toward a similar ultimate goal or idea.

However, while it helps people connect, I also do agree that the valuable human to human interaction has been lost in a sense...focusing on younger generations.  Older generations still have the same beliefs that human to human interaction is important, and that phones and technology can take up a little bit of your time, but never the majority.  But when it comes to younger generations, yes; it is completely true that their lives are consumed within those handheld triangles, and that they find it easier to interact with each other using technology instead of good old person to person conversation.

So overall, I believe that technology has (in a way) and hasn't (in a way), killed empathy.

After reading the posts from my fellow classmates, I was most in agreement with cassie. Benjamin Franklin, being a revolutionary figure is an extremely interesting time period. Franklin was a remarkable man who was not only a scientist but also a inventor and diplomat. He is most know for his roles in the american revolution, which included assisting in drafting the declaration of independence. Although 1776 is where Benjamin Franklin became this most known, he also took part in ending the treaty of paris in 1987. He played a huge part in the american revolution and the revolutionary war.  Benjamin Franklin was an important figure in american history and a lot would most likely be very different today if it wasn't for him.

I would have to agree with Kat that the Scientific Revolution is the most interesting. During this time, people started to turn away from God and turn to Science for answers. This movement took place after the Renaissance period and eventually led to the Enlightenment. Some key figures in the Enlightenment were John Locke and Francis Bacon. John Locke was a English Professor and physician and is also known as the "Father of Liberalism." This time period saw a transformation in mathematics, astronomy, biology and more. Mathematics began to advance creating algebra, trigonometry and and geometry. Galileo discovered gravity and laws of motion. The mysteries of the universe began to unravel.

Benjamin Franklin; A Revolutionary Figure

Just one of the many founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, was one of the most revolutionary figures in history.  He was not only an author and a publisher, but he was also a scientist, an inventor, as well as a diplomat.  He had very little formal education, but proved he was very knowledgeable to anyone who doubted him.  Franklin is famous for his roles in the American Revolution, which is when he served in the Second Continental Congress, and assisted in drafting the Declaration of Independence in 1776.  But that was not all!  He also took part in negotiating the Treaty of Paris in 1783 which in fact ended the Revolutionary War, which had begun in 1775.  However, his last and final act of public service took place  in 1787, when he stood as a delegate to the convention that composed the U.S. constitution.  Franklin played a big part in the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War, and I  can't help to think of how differently history may have been without Benjamin Franklins essential role in it all.  His role in history was immensely beneficial in many ways.  

The Scientific Revolution

History, by far is my least favorite subject and finding something interesting regarding the many revolutions that have taken place world-wide, isn't easy. I'll admit, when it comes down to it, I'd rather learn about the American Revolution all over again because it's familiar and serves of great significance living in the U.S. But, while searching the web I came across the Scientific Revolution and I didn't think there was a revolution more relevant to this course. Obviously, by the name of the revolution you could guess that it had to do with science and how advancements would further progress until we'd get to where we are today.

The Scientific Revolution was the change in beliefs and thoughts as well as social and institutional organizations in Europe. There is no specific timeline, as different historians have various views as to when the cut-off date it is, but it took place roughly between 1550-1700. This timeline starts with Copernicus and the sun-centered cosmos and ends with Newton and his universal laws. The transformation that took place during this time was the core belief in cosmology and astronomy which then shifted to physics. The methods, ideas, and theorems that were developed during this time, served as the backbone to current knowledge we have of the world today. Even though 1550-1700 was thousands of years ago, we still learn about these scientists' ideas and initial views- it's what shaped the scientists that came after them and discovered more.

The Glorious Revolution

Out of all the revolutions in the entirety of the World, I had chosen The Glorious Revolution. I know this is a long time ago, however I feel it is important to talk about and not only this, it interests me and I will explain why. This revolution was led by James II from 1688-1689 until he fled to France more or less. When James succeeded his brother, Charles II, to the throne, he basically initiated the alienation of virtually every politically and militarily segment of English society by executing ill-advised attempts to Catholicize the army and the government. Ultimately, he attempting to stuff Parliament with all of his supporters. In 1988, everyone feared a Catholic dynasty. Now there is much more to this revolution and I am no Historian, however being Catholic and only imaging this guy trying to influence so many people under his rule is insane. Going to lengths to remove everyone who is not Catholic and to essentially convert everyone is absurd. We speak in class about the French and American revolution, and if we compare the Glorious Revolution, what are similar aspects? how were they different? There was absolute chaos present, uprooted by government and their aristocratic policies, however on the other hand you have James II *attempting* to take control through his faith more or less. I don't know, I found this interesting, for I never studied the Glorious Revolution.