lebkels

[lebkels]

What Does Google Tell Us About a Brand?

People look things up on the internet every day. I mean, you're here on Tumblr right now. You had to look something up, surely. But what can a Google search tell us about a brand?

For this experiment, I chose to simply look up "Twitter." (It's still Twitter in my heart.) Twitter is owned by Elon Musk, who is usually in association with the app. The site has constant buzz, as it is a popular site to flock to when an event occurs.

The site has both praise and criticism. However, since the app has changed over to X, there has been numerous levels of hate toward the app. It's also a social media app, so the influx of posts cannot always be closely monitored, causing some unsavory posts to slip through the cracks.

In my findings, the brand absolutely needs to change some things. The switch over to Musk was never fully addressed, as well as his outbursts that were never addressed either. As the owner of the site, it feels like this should be addressed and corrected.

All in all, a simple Google search can tell you a lot about a brand. Picking an app that is known for its controversy may be a bit unfair, but it still needs to be talked about. Don't forget to Google search your brands!

[lebkels]

I Fasted from Social Media for 24 Hours

I was tasked to take a full 24 hours off social media. This meant no Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X), Snapchat, or YouTube. I'm always online. It's constant. I knew this would be a challenge, and it certainly was. Here's a breakdown of my day.

10 AM- I woke up around this time and said to myself, "This is the day we do it!" and then instantly opened Instagram out of habit. I was feeling off this day so I decided to skip one of my classes. I went to my morning class as per usual. It was weird to not check my DMs the second I had a free moment.

11 AM- I had lunch in the dining hall. I had brought a book but my friends joined me. I was so distracted that I didn't even think of going online. However, the second I was out of the dining hall, I opened Instagram out of habit.

12 PM- I was back in my dorm resting instead of going to class. My partner woke up around this time. When they're awake, I'm on my phone more often since we're long-distance. I'll usually scroll social media while I wait for a text back. It was an odd change up to my day. The hardest part of the whole day happened here. I had learned about a new topic and couldn't scour the internet to learn more about it.

1 PM- I spent roughly an hour browsing Etsy and book giveaways on Goodreads. I got bored after a while and decided to draw some patches for my partner. I found a podcast about the previously mentioned topic and zoned out for a good while.

2 PM- I moved on from the patch designs to working on my senior art project. I wanted to use what would have been class time to keep working. I forgot about social media during this time. It was delightful.

3 PM- In my notes I wrote when doing this, there are two words under this time slot. "Radium Girls." All caps. I had stopped working around this time because I couldn't stop thinking about the Radium Girls of the 1920s. I spent a solid hour researching them.

4 PM- I bent the rules a little bit. I do social media for work. Unfortunately, no one else could post our weekly Wednesday meme, so I popped onto Instagram, uploaded it, and closed it again. Simple as that. Part of me is disappointed looking back, but I see it as something different since it's for work.

5 PM- Took a nap.

8 PM- Woke up and instantly went on Instagram out of habit. Can you guess what I do when I wake up?

9 PM- I got food with some friends and played a video game for a long while. It was a lot of fun.

10 PM- I always get a little burst of energy at night so I worked on some homework. Not much else.

11 PM- I was still working on homework but bounced between that and chatting with my roommate. I got kind of restless around this point, wanting to go scroll online. I eventually gave up on that and watched Friends with my roommate.

12 AM- I've never watched so much Friends. My roommate went to sleep and I was left alone. I wanted to go scroll Instagram so badly. It's been my nighttime regulation activity since I was about 15. It felt weird to just sit around in the dark.

1 AM- Yet again I have only written "Radium Girls." Did more research around this time.

2 AM- I got ready for bed and played games on my phone until I fell asleep. It was a weird day without social media. My 24 hours wasn't done yet, but I was.

10 AM- I woke up again and went on Instagram. I was back online again as if nothing ever happened.

Final Thoughts- Not my favorite thing I've ever done. It certainly proved a point and showed just how addicted I am to social media though. I learned that scrolling is a pacifier to me. It's the stimulation and regulation my brain craves all the time. Being distracted and having something else (e.g., drawing, crochet, TV) to stimulate me is a good alternative. It was an interesting experience, but I can't see myself doing this outside of anything for a class though.

[lebkels]

So, why are family vlog channels bad?

Family vlog channels have never had a good rap. Since the popularity of the popular vlog-style diary, parents have been airing their children's dirty laundry for the whole internet to see. With the news of the arrest of the mother of the popular 8 Passengers channel, the media has started to question the ethical implications regarding family channels. How do these channels harm our children?

Would you want your childhood mistakes aired online for the world to see?

I think not.

Children involved in family vlog channels have to deal with their privacy becoming public. These kids do not consent to their sensitive information being shared. A mother once recorded her son's punishment after being caught vandalizing his school. She and her husband wrecked his room and made him pick it up. She shoved her phone in his face and asked, "What did you learn?" Children's punishments do not need to be aired for the world to see. People make mistakes, especially kids, and this does not need to be a spectacle.

Teens and adults who grew up on the internet are now speaking out against their parents.

As the media keeps an eye on the children of influencers, news has arisen that these kids (now adults) have filed lawsuits against their parents in regard to the abuse that they suffered due to being a part of these family vlog channels. These lawsuits are usually well deserved, at least in the public eye. Usually, these suits are regarding payments not being paid or for child abuse. It depends on the case.

Children of influencer parents have trauma-related mental health issues.

Numerous studies and statements have been released regarding the children of family vloggers. It is found that many have PTSD or anxiety disorders that can commonly be found rooted in trauma, likely due to abuse. These children also rarely get the help they need, or if they do, that is as publicized as the rest of their lives.

So what can we do?

Don't interact with this type of content. Report any noticeable abuse to the respective authorities. It is important that we speak up for those who can't just yet. Keep kids safe.

[lebkels]

watercolors by trans artist tuesday smilie

[lebkels]

My Top 5 Reads of 2023 (so far!)

In January of this year, I decided that my New Year's resolution was to read more books. Growing up, I loved reading. I constantly had my nose in a book. As I got to high school, this love fizzled out, and even more so when I got to college. This year, I told myself that I would fall back in love with reading; I just had to put the effort in. Having absolutely inhaled books since making this promise to myself, here are the top 5 books I've read this year.

I Am the Ghost in Your House - Mar Romasco Moore

At number 5, we have I Am the Ghost in Your House. This story follows a girl and her mother who were born invisible. They jump from city to city and steal to make a living. When Pia's mother completely disappears, she reaches out to the people around her and, for once in her life, makes friends. This read was fascinating and gripping. As someone who was once an awkward queer teen, I saw myself reflected in Pia and her longing for some of the people around her. It started off slow, but picked up fast, and I flew through it.

The Shining - Stephen King

You know how people say that the book is better than the movie? I think that may be true for The Shining. The Shining is my favorite movie, so of course I had to read the book. The story is completely different than the movie. They're practically two different stories. But this isn't bad. I thought that this new story was fascinating. The ending was much better in my opinion. King's writing is so descriptive and delicious, it makes you want to devour his books.

The Rabbit Hutch - Tess Gunty

At number 3 is the literary genius of Tess Gunty. My partner read this and let me borrow it. It sat on my shelf for about a year and I'm sad I didn't read it sooner. The book is so profound. It follows the lives of an apartment complex in the middle of a dying town in Indiana. Gunty spins a story of a girl who worships mystics, a woman who monitors obituaries for a job, three boys who sacrifices animals, and a man who covers himself in glowstick fluid for the fun of it. Sounds absurd, right? It is. It's so beautifully absurd.

Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Number 2 for season 2, haha. The book is beautiful. Good Omens follows a demon and an angel who have known each other (and been in love!) since the Garden of Eden. The book is beautifully paced, and while a bit outdated, the show updates everything perfectly. They go hand in hand so well. The story is so fun and playful and a wonderful little comedy.

Endpapers - Jennifer Savran Kelly

This is my favorite read of the year. The book follows Dawn, a genderfluid bookbinder in NYC. When fixing a book, she finds a piece of paper that she resonates with. A woman dressed as a man. This starts a wild goose chase to find the original bookbinder, his daughter, and other artists to help create her magnum opus. I sobbed through the entire end part. It's beautiful. It's moving. I can't wait for Savran Kelly's new work.