Entry #10: Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers - a job description that people have taken in recent years. What exactly is a social media influencer? Up until a few years ago, this job was unheard of. Now, influencer after influencer is popping up. An influencer is generally described as someone who got popular on a certain social media app. You see it all the time. A teen or young adult will suddenly gain extreme amounts of followers, and out of nowhere will be famous across all social media platforms. This is essentially the routine we see in Youtubers or TikTokers. A video of theirs will go viral, then they gain millions and millions of fans from that day forward and now classify themselves as influencers. These influencers make a lot of money just for making 10 second videos on a product they got sent. This is called a video sponsorship. The celebrity gets sent a product, and if they post about it they will get paid. Companies have been known to pay anywhere from $200-$40,000 per sponsorship.

Some influencers start off as normal people who got famous off of one video and now classify their social media presence as a job. 20 years ago we didn't have ways to become known to the world in a day. Nowadays, with how large social media is, we are able to make careers and get paid off of posting simple videos and pictures on the internet. This is pretty crazy to me and makes me want to do more research on how the internet "chooses" who's good enough to become a famous influencer or not.

Entry #9: Influence in the media

The media is a very powerful place. It is where we get most of our information from. I have been noticing recently with the coronavirus going around that there is so much fake news spreading around. On social media, people will comment "facts" about something and people will believe it without it even being true. When you come across a statement or piece of information on the internet, it is very important to research and fact check. People are easily influenced by the media. In regards to whats trending, political opinions, etc. If people are unable to form opinions on their own they will look to the internet and piggyback off of a different opinion. Be sure to get your news from sites with sources and statistics.

Social media is a form of media that is extremely powerful nowadays. 49% of the worlds population, or 3.81 billion users, are on social media. This proves everyone uses social media. A lot of trends and such are formed from social media apps. People try to look and act a certain way due to what is popular on social media at the time. This is dangerous because it is usually unrealistic and changes every so often when the beauty standards change, so people are always feeling the need to change themselves due to social media. Social media can be used for positive change. It can be used to spread a good message, a humorous video, factual information, and more. There are just a lot of negative influences the media has to that people need to be aware about.

I have been a lot more critical when it comes to being on the media. I know that people will use the media to spread false messages. I make sure to research everything I want to know more about so I can form my own opinion based off what I know is true. I notice that a lot of my peers have been posting pictures similar to those of famous social media celebrities.

Entry #8: Trip to Payson

Hey everyone! I hope everyone is having a good start of the week. This past week I got to go camping in Payson, Arizona. I went with my mom, stepdad, and boyfriend. We stayed for a total of 4 nights. Since the coronavirus is going around and we've been stuck at home, it was nice to finally get out of the house. We stayed at an RV sight that was small but fit us in perfectly. The weather up in Payson was so nice. It got really cold at nights but during the day it was cool and in the 80's. A whole lot better compared to the current 103 degree Phoenix weather. I did however get sunburnt during the day. Luckily we had aloe. We also brought our new puppy with us on the trip, and he made it a lot more fun for us. During the trip we ate a lot of good food, played lots of board and card games, took naps, played with the puppy, went on walks, and watched Csi. 

During this camping trip my stepdad introduced me to a show called Csi. I had heard of it before but never watched it. Im glad he introduced me to it because now I love it. I have been watching it when i'm not doing homework. It is a crime show based in Vegas, about a group of crime scene investigators who work different cases. It has 15 total seasons and is on Hulu if anyone wants to watch. 

Anyway, camping in Payson was a great way to escape the heat, get out of the house, spend time with my loved ones and take some stress off of my shoulders. I hope everyone has been finding good ways to use up their time and is staying safe and healthy! 

Entry #7: Hashtag Symbol

Hey everyone, i'm back again. Recently I found myself in deep thought about the hashtag symbol.
This symbol can be used as a number sign or a hashtag. I used to use hashtags all the time when posting pictures to Instagram. I used them to label my posts, so people who were into different things like traveling, music, etc. could see my pictures. Now I don't use hashtags anymore. However, I do see a lot of other people on social media still using hashtags. Hashtags are mainly used to draw attention to your post. People generally use hashtags that are currently popular or trending, so they get views or likes on whatever it is they're posting. To me, hashtags don't have much of a significance. I just see it as a way to get more people to view what you're posting. But I personally don't have a reason to want more people to view my photos, so I do not use them.
Hashtags can have long-lasting and commonly known meanings. A few examples are: #YOLO, #OOTD, #TBT, etc. They all have become known all over the world and are now being used in normal sentences. Hashtags are a symbol used all over social media and even to people like me who don't use hashtags, you come across them more than you realize. Hashtags are typically whats trending and therefore have culture significance. Another time I see a lot of hashtags being used is on national days, like #NationalPetDay, #NationalDanceDay, and #NationalBurgerDay. Many people post a picture dedication to these national "holidays, and use a hashtag so their picture can be found among the others. I encourage readers to start paying attention to different trending hashtags on twitter, as those are good outlets for news information.

My very own blog!

Hey everyone. I know I have posted quite a few entries on my blog so far, but I figured I should make one to give you guys a little more information about myself. Better late than never!

My name is Ashley, I am 18 years old and I attend Glendale Community College in Arizona. I am working to get an associates degree in hospitality. I am likely wanting to become a hotel or casino manager, but have not fully decided. I have travelled to many places so far in my 18 years of life, and getting a degree in hospitality gives me many job opportunities that will allow me to travel even more. I have 6 siblings, all but one are younger than me. I love to travel, eat, swim, and hang out with my friends, boyfriend, and family. I love music, mainly rap/hip-hop and alternative. I have been to 7-8 different concerts and have plans to attend more. I hope you all are enjoying my blog so far, I have enjoyed writing my entries!

Entry #6: "Capitalism: A Love Story" Part 2

Hey readers. I am back to continue up with my overall thoughts of Michael Moore's film "Capitalism: A Love Story". I enjoyed the documentary. It showed different standpoints on capitalism. I didn't have much of a political opinion on capitalism before I watched it, so it helped me form my own opinion. The film showed perspectives of people In poverty, people in the working class, and people who would be considered wealthy. According to the film, we should not have capitalism. In my opinion, i think countries should have a blended economic system. Capitalism doesn't offer people in poverty the same opportunities as rich people. Yes you should work for what you have, but capitalism doesn't give people any help to pull themselves out and have a start at that. In the U.S, there are government funded businesses and private businesses. Im not huge on politics and these are just my opinions after watching this one film and doing some research. Feel free to watch the documentary on your own and leave your opinions in the comments below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUpnFNUmfKw

Entry #5: "Capitalism: A Love Story"

Hey everyone. I recently watched a documentary called "Capitalism: A Love Story" by Michael Moore. I realized he uses a lot of rhetoric devices in the film and I wanted to talk about them.

The introduction to the documentary starts with scenes of different bank robberies. I believe this was included to contribute to the idea that people want money. Capitalism in the economic system is controlled by businesses and individuals rather than the government. If people are left to get their own money, they will do anything they can to get their hands on it. In the film, it is claimed that "there is a rebellion between people who have nothing and people who've got it all." There will always be jealousy in the world, people want what they don't have. If you have money you can get basically whatever you desire, thats materialistic of course. 

The film goes on to interview different small shop owners. Not many people shop at their stores but that is how they must get their money. Everyone wants things to be equal but don't realize that you need to work for what you want. Yes some people get things handed to them, and although that would be nice, its not realistic. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUpnFNUmfKw