Social Media has conquered our abilities to communicate face to face virtually rather than physically. The evolution of communication has changed dramatically over the recent years, and it’s just plain out sad. Communicating through inbox, isn’t what I call communicating directly. Getting a love message just isn’t as powerful as getting a love letter. We’ve driven our selves into the virtual world, where we think we’ve seen everything, but really, it’s all just in our mind. What ever happened to traveling, taking a step out of our bedrooms, taking in some sunlight, breathing in the fresh air, and seeing the world that’s put out in front of us? We have a life filled with the endless of possibilities, and we’re limiting ourselves to a world where we sit attached to our devices. You could be in the most beautifulest place on this planet, surrounded by soon to be extinct animals, and I could guess that you wouldn’t realize it because you are to busy updating your Twitter. The people on this planet need to be re-lived, because from what it seems, we are becoming human beings that we are not. In this life time you can do just about anything thats actually worth living for. Get up and do something.
California, known for it’s beaches, fine wineries, and yes, it’s drought. In recent news, California has approximately a years worth of water left for its population. What does this mean? Increasing prices of drinkable water. Soon enough, what will California survive on? Mother earth has it’s inexplainable weather changes, but all due to what? Our priority as human beings is to take care of our earth. It’s literally all we have to survive on this planet. With no certain life on other planets, its a must to cherish our planet, for its a miracle of life. The golden rule states, treat others the way you want to be treated. We all want to be treated well, with all its fame and glory, so why don’t we treat our planet just as so? Treating out planet well, will bring us back many goods, and that being rain. If everyone were to do one act of kindness to our earth, imagine how marvelous our planet will be.
Females have the advantage to reproduce and create a new human being. There’s a 50 50 chance that baby would be a male. As so as that male child grows, he will have an advantage to take over any career he wants receiving a well pay. But what if this child is a female? Sure, she can pursue in any career she wants, but will she receive equal pay in certain fields, as male do? See, a women can do anything a man can do, and maybe even better. After all, women did bring man to earth.
Look at it this way, a man is very close to his mom. Whether or not, he listens to all she has to say and interprets it into his life. Women have control over these men, so why don’t women out there get equal pay as men, at least. Why can we have a female president instead of constant male elections every four years? Everyone is considered to be equal in our country. Why don’t we make it so? Purple, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, and maybe even pink. What is this list, you may ask? Well, indeed, it is just the colors of the rainbow. Yet, some of you folks may say its boy and girl colors. Wait, what? Since when did colors identify our gender? The same question asked Kaitlyn Jones in her article, “Stop telling my kid to dress like a girl.” She argues that her child's gender shouldn’t matter on clothing or accessories, after all she is a baby. With it being one of Jones first children, she wanted to keep her clothing as basic as possible. Her husband and herself had agreed on purchasing the “basic neutral colors” since they could go for either gender. After all, they have been planning to continue using the baby clothes for any future baby that come their way. Although, they never thought they would've come across a comment as; “She? Oh sorry, I thought it was a boy” and “Well, your baby isn't wearing any pink. You should put her in pink.” All just because they’ve mistaken the baby’s gender.
I think it’s outrageous on how colors identify a specified gender. Why can’t guys wear pink? After all, real men wear pink. It’s all just a color, just like fruits and salads aren’t just for girls, like fast foods aren’t just for guys. We shouldn’t be defined by material things, but rather who we truly are. If I say I like trucks and the color blue, do you automatically think I’m a male? Probably. Am I? Probably not, but let me tell you this: you live the way you want to live. Treat others how you want to be treated. Be original, and not what others want to see. You have the power to be unique, and stand out from all the rest. If your a guy, and you like barbies and painting your nails, by all means, go for it. If your a girl, who likes trucks and likes to wear baggy clothes, by all means, go for it. You are you, and if you’re happy, thats all that matters. The “F” word is commonly mistaken as a curse word. Although that wasn’t the case for Firoozeh Dumas, an Iranian American writer. In her well written article, “The “F” Word,” she brought forth a sense of humor to tie in with the audience. Those who have foreign names will comprehend Firoozeh Dumas’ story, one I recommend reading.
When Firoozeh Dumas was in grade school, no one could pronunce her name, to where no one wanted to hang out with someone who's name was too complicated because that’s just an embarrassment for them both. Moving to a new school, Firoozeh Dumas instantly wanted to change her name to an American name, just to make life simpler. She changed her name to Julie, rather than keeping her unique name, which means turquoise. I understand what Firoozeh Dumas went through, because I, indeed, past through it myself. It was short names she’d respond to: Froozy, Frizzy, Fiorucci, Frooz, Fritzy, anything that started with F, really (and the occasional “uhhhhhh…”). Living in America is great and all, but when coming in from a different country and having to deal with name calling, isn’t at all so great. My last name, coming from past ancestors, was indeed unique. Until one day in grade school, when signing out on the restroom sheet, someone decided to come on by and change my name into something ridiculous. Yeah, I got the joke, but I was no where nearing laughing. It was wrong on so many levels, that I ended up disliking everyone. Something I was always told was, “Why are you named after a flower?” and I immediately responded with, “Why not?” Honestly, why should we be ashamed of having such unique names? It’s what makes us stand out from the crowd and makes us who we are. I love my name, and I’m not letting some stereotype ruin it for me. Thin, thin, thin; everyone wants to be thin. From head to toe, everyone in my generation is expected, yes expected, to be thin. Even the latest advances of technology is expected to be thin, or thinner. Living in America, the most famous of celebrities are placed on magazine covers, televisions, and even merchandise items, showing to the world that being thin is like the new black, or even the new sexy. A want to be thin in our world has never had an urged this big until recent years.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Ellen Goodman, in her article “The Culture of Thin Bites Fiji”, compares the culture of Fiji and present day America, with the astonishing remark of television being the cause of the new trend; being skinny. Before, Fiji was at once, a settled island, where being fat was not a problem. In fact, women would give themselves complements on gaining weight, to where going thin was seen as disease. As soon as the use of the television came to view, teenagers were at the risk of eating disorders, 74% of those teens in this study claimed to feel “too big or fat” and 62% began dieting, as Goodman states in her article. Our society is brainwashed to thinking that you have to look great to be happy with yourself. What ever happened to feeling great? During my life time, I have not seen or experienced anyone who straight off the bat, wants to be thick, or better known as being ‘fat’. In my family, I’ve always been the chubby fat one; always been the one who was bullied because my shirt fit to tight or to big. I was never complimented on my size, until I reached a size 3 in jeans. I remember receiving comments like, “Omg, look at you,” or “ Did you lose weight? You look great!” Truth be told, I didn’t feel at all that great. From then till now, I’ve reached up to a size 7, and I feel great. Who ever said being thin means being happy? Eating disorders isn’t something to joke about, yet it isn’t something to consider. If you are unhappy with your body image, make a change, but do it safely; the healthy way. Trying to lose weight? Exercise regularly and have a healthy eating plan. Trying to gain weight? Lift weights, and/or eating more fiber foods. Theres a way for both, and it’s all the healthy way. Again, it isn’t wrong if you want to lose weight, as it is to gain weight. Do the best for YOU. Do it because you want to, not because someone told you to. Food. We all eat it, but how many of us are eating it right? Author of cookbooks and NYT writer, Mark Bittman, in his argumentative article, “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?”, overstates the benefits of buying healthier food options. His purpose is to bring to a closure that junk food, in fact, truly isn’t the cheapest way out in buying food. He sets his article forth by evaluating ethos, pathos, and logos. Bittman begins his article, creating pathos, by stating that America is overweight due to eating junk food, since it’s the cheapest option, particularly those with lower incomes. Yet, Bittman wants to unblind those who believe in this saying, creating the logo appeal. He develops ethos as well by comparing a meal for four at McDonalds to a regular meal prepared at home. Bittman continues by stating that the long route in placing a plate of food on the table is not easy, but convenient. He closes his argument by stating, “The smart campaign is not to get McDonald’s to serve better food but to get people to see cooking as a joy rather than a burden, or at least part of a normal life.” Fast food restaurants prepare food in different shapes and sizes, making our life easier. Although, the long way is usually the best way; and in this case, the tastiest. I agree with what Bittman had to say in his article. After living in a household of five members, and shopping at a grocery store for the food we need for that week only, made me realize how truly convenient it was than going to McDonalds every four hours. But let’s not forget, “that the real way is the better way.” We refer each other as he, she, him, or her. But is it right to refer each other as "it" if we don't know there specified gender? Writer of the Nation, Patricia J. Williams, in her magazine article, "Are We Worried about Storm's identity- Or Our Own?", reflects on the stereotypes many of us focus on. Williams purpose is to clarify that the well being of us all shouldn’t be referred to or differentiate based on our gender, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. Williams establishes her use of ethos, pathos, and logos through out her article. ` Williams begins her article by describing to us how her son acted upon at a nursery school at the age of 2. He was friends with a cheerful little girl, and soon enough imitated her every move, creating the rhetorical strategy of pathos since it causes the "aw" effect towards the little kids. Williams then shifts on over to introducing us to Storm, a baby who became the center of an international controversy because the child’s parents refused to revel Storm’s sex. Creating ethos, Williams states “ After all, it is a much under-interrogated political truism that “we’re all just people,” or “we’re all equal” or “ it doesn’t matter what your religion is” or “ I don’t see race.” Who cares about anything else if “we’re all American citizens”? Towards the end of her article, Williams has the use of ethos and logos by interpreting the English language, stating that there is no such pronoun that makes a whole, or a reference to common humanity. Therefore, what is it to be meant if we were limited of our choice of words. We characterize each other by the way we see ourselves and the people around us. So why not have ourselves open to the endless of possibilities? Williams develops a well written article, although not enough to convey the reader into her claim. Self image has bombarded the minds of young girls of all ages. As these young girls grow in their development, they unwontedly are becoming more and more sexualized then ever before. Freelance journalist, Stephanie Hanes, in her argumentative article, “Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess effect”, examines the current disturbing trend many of us find of little girls, the growing of their sexualization. Hanes develops her article using pathos, ethos and logos. Hanes begins her article using pathos by narrating Mary Finucane, who started noticing a change in the way her 3 year old daughter played. Hanes uses ethos and logos by providing us with statistics of young girls being exposed to this unwanted manner. Commerce marketing is a fallout in society, as they say sex sells. But “ once it’s bought to light in a satirical way, it loses its power,” as Jackie Dupont says, the programs director at Hardy Girls Healthy Women. Hanes article does a well job informing her audience the effects of telemarketing, and the princesses themselves. However, her article implied on being put off in an unorganized manner. Society has fault in the result of young girls developing their sexualization at an early stage of their lives. After being, parents as well take the fault for not being involved in the situation to put a stop for further generations. Little girls are being exposed in various ways in their growing of their sexuality. Just like Hanes ends her article, “We can’t sit there and say, ‘Oh the kids are so messed up,’ we have to look at ourselves.” A grandmother inside a mall in protest to the Abercrombie store.
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AuthorDahlia Costas: nature seeker, traveler, photographer, blogger. Set yourself free to the endless of possibilities ArchivesCategories |