Morissette Updates ‘Ironic’ w/ a "FirstWorldProb" Twist

You may remember Alanis Morissette and her 1995 hit "Ironic" which was ironically criticized for not being, well, ironic. On an episode of The Late Late Show With James Corden, Alanis and James sang a duet that incorporated many "first world" forms of technology and digital communication. I have bolded the words that reflect our more tech-savvy age:

An old friend sends you a Facebook request

And you only find out they’re racist after you accept

There’s free office cake on the first day of your diet

It’s like they announce a new iPhone the day after you buy it

Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think?

It’s like swiping left on your future soulmate

It’s a Snapchat that you wish you had saved

It’s a funny tweet that nobody faves

And who would’ve thought? It figures…

It’s a traffic jam, when you tried to use Waze

A no smoking sign, when you brought your vape

It’s ten thousand male late night hosts, when all you want is just one woman, seriously!

Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?

It’s like you’re first class on a Southwest plane

Then you realize that every seat is the same

It’s like Amazon, but your package never came

And who would’ve thought? It figures…

It’s like Netflix, but you own DVDs

It’s a free ride, but your Uber’s down the street

It’s singing “Ironic,” but there are no ironies

Who would’ve thought? It figures…

There are many humorous "First World Probs" in Morissette's updated lyrics. But, a lot of these minuscule problems are probably applicable to most of our lives. I found it interesting that the lyrics mentioned adding someone on Facebook but then discovering the person is racist. Shouldn't you know someone well before you even add them? Morissette also mentions the irony of buying an iPhone the day before they announce a new one. I think this line does a good job exemplifying that our society always feels the pressure to continuously keep up with constantly developing gadgets and technology. When Morissette mentioned that it was ironic to swipe left on your future soulmate, it made me think about how superficial and disconnected online/app dating can be. There are so many profiles that users might swipe left on their "soulmate" because their profile does not appear as attractive as other options. Or, their bio may not suffice and it would have required face to face conversation to realize what a great match it is. I think that Morissette's goofy song is more than just funny lyrics. Her updated song says something more about our tech-savvy society.

Progress Report

www.dailytech.com/Cell+Phone+Unlocking+Bill+Heads+to+President+Obamas+Desk/article36293.htm

I am making steady progress on my assignment. I want to write about how cellphones are helpful, lifesaving, damaging, and distracting. I think that the topic of cellphone use has given me potential to write about many different perspectives but so far I have only focused on one. I found another article that supports the use of cellphones and also promotes particular safety apps. After completing a second rhetorical analysis document (RAD) form, I feel much more confident in my topic. 

I have gained more support on the lifesaving aspect of cellphones. I found an article titled, "Five Ways Your Cellphone Can Save You", written by Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent. She first uses pathos to appeal to emotions of suspense, hopelessness, and compassion when describing the story of  Leigh Fazzina. Fazzina was in the midst of the biking portion of a triathlon when she got lost in the woods. After the sun had set, she crashed her bike and she received a serious shoulder injury. Fazzina yelled for help but there was no answer. She then tried to make a phone call but there was no signal. But, despite having only one bar of service, her Twitter App was working. Fazzina tweeted, "I've had a serious injury and NEED Help! Can someone please call Winding Trails in Farmington, CT tell them I'm stuck bike crashed in woods.” At least six of her Twitter followers had called the police within minutes. EMTS arrived less than 20 minutes after her tweet. 

The author then goes on to explain multiple way a cellphone can be used to save a persons life or the lives of others. Cellphones can be programmed to show your current location. Carriers like Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T can be used to locate yourself or members of your family in case of an emergency. You can also use a “In Case of Emergency” contact to store the contact information of a person that knows your medical history. Cellphone apps by groups like the American Heart Association can walk people through the steps of CPR. Others apps like DocGPS can direct you to the nearest emergency room in the event of an emergency. 

I think that Cohen's article will provide more quality support for my own paper but I am ready to move on and begin researching a different perspective. I think that it will be interesting to move forward and read about the many different aspects of the argument. How can cellphones be considered detrimental to our relationships? Are our lives dwindling away as we spend hours staring at our phone screens? 

The Perks of Cellphones

I am a self-declared phoneaholic and use my phone countless times each day. However, there is a somewhat negative attitude surrounding the constant use of cellular devices. Some believe that phone addiction causes people to become detached from the "real world".

I wanted to find an article that would help dispel this stigma and show how phones actually help people connect to the "real world". The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation promoted an article by author Chris Higgins called 6 Ways Cell Phones Are Changing the World Beyond the Ways Youre Probably Thinking. The article has a few interesting points including: cell phones make saving and spending money easier, save lives, connect the world,  inform and warn communities, create new market places, and help people find jobs.

Higgins utilizes multiple rhetorical devices to support his claims. He builds credibility by referencing information from the UK government, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, a state program in India, and a study in the Journal of Economic Perspectives. He also uses pathos to appeal to emotions of sadness and compassion when he explains that cellphones can fix some of the struggles that people in third world countries face. Furthermore, Higgins uses logos. He includes facts and statistics in his journal. For example, "...three quarters of the people on Earth have access to a mobile phone. There are now at least 6 billion mobile phone subscriptions active... and 5 billion of those are in developing countries." Higgins' use of logos reveals that phones are improving and/or saving the lives of billions of people in developing countries.

Those who believe that phones isolate people from reality may actually be missing out on endless connections to the "real world". If people analyzed the many world-wide benefits of cellphones they might realize how useful they actually are. Cellphones could perhaps be considered vital tools of communication and opportunity rather than devices of distraction.

Higgins, Chris. "6 Ways Cell Phones Are Changing the World (Beyond the Ways You're Probably Thinking)." (2013). Web. 29 Oct. 2015. <http://www.impatientoptimists.org/Posts/2013/12/6-Ways-Cell-Phones-Are-Changing-the-World-Beyond-the-Ways-Youre-Probably-Thinking#.VjJcgL74vFI>.

"Why Aren't You Having Kids?"

Dana GG posted this heart wrenching video to   Youtube on September 25, 2015. Dana and her husband had been trying for years to have children and had to endure the heartbreak of 4 miscarriages and 1 stillborn birth. The video shows her husbands emotional reaction to the news of his wife's pregnancy. 

Social media has given us access to countless pregnancy announcement videos. But some videos are more heart wrenching than others, because some couples struggle to conceive or experience pregnancy complications that end fetal development.

Is it insensitive to ask couples why they are not having children? It seems like a question that comes up quite often. "How is work?", "How is your significant other", "When are you going to have a baby?" Questioning others about their reproductive intentions is potentially offensive and hurtful.

Writer Emily Bingham wrote a post on Facebook on September 20, 2015 addressing this issue:

“...people’s reproductive and procreative plans and decisions are none of your business.... Before you ask the young married couple that has been together for seemingly forever when they are finally gonna start a family … before you ask the parents of an only-child toddler when a Little Brother or Little Sister will be in the works … before you ask a single 30-something if/when s/he plans on having children because, you know, clock’s ticking … just stop. Please stop. You don’t know who is struggling with infertility or grieving a miscarriage or dealing with health issues. You don’t know who is having relationship problems or is under a lot of stress or the timing just isn’t right. You don’t know who is on the fence about having kids or having more kids. You don’t know who has decided it’s not for them right now, or not for them ever. You don’t know how your seemingly innocent question might cause someone grief, pain, stress or frustration..."

The full article can be found on her Facebook page. Emily brings up additional points including: Single marital status, health issues unknown to the inquirer, uncertainty, and relationship issues. There are many sensitive reasons as to why people do not, can not, or are not sure about having children. Questions about conceiving are usually considered harmless "small talk" but they are capable of being quite hurtful. 

Pre-Documentary Questions

http://www.meatthetruth.com

There are over 1,000 documentaries on Netflix. Subcategories include: biographical, crime, historical, international, military, music & concert, political, science & nature, social & cultural, sports, and travel & adventure. Despite these endless options and genres to choose from, I have only seen handful of documentaries. There are a few reasons why I haven't yet hopped on the Documentary bandwagon:

1) I don't have much time
2) I especially don't have much time for TV

3) I usually spend my free-time reading, catching up on sleep, spending time with my boyfriend, or going to see friends.

If I do decide to set some time aside for "the box" I tend to choose one of my favorite shows. I prefer to watch a few episodes of The Office, Bob's Burgers, Trailer Park Boys, Parks and Recreation, or Ouran High School Host Club rather than a documentary.

Although, I should start making time for more documentaries since they make excellent subject matter for this course. As Dr. Kyburz mentioned in the class syllabus (https://www.dropbox.com/s/xtvdh5rtdu9fyuy/hastag%20CW2.pdf?dl=0) one of the goals of this course is to "enhance our analytical reading, writing, and thinking skills." Documentaries give us endless material to watch, listen, and write about while using analytical thinking skills to develop a deeper understanding of the content. The syllabus goes on to state that "we will be focusing our studies on the uses of digital media for engaging in various forms of activism towards social change." Documentaries are a prime source of digital media and many times express a need for social change. Documentaries change our minds and can help change the future.

Documentaries can encourage people to get involved as well as influence them to change their lifestyle. For example, the documentary FOOD, Inc. exposed the massive amounts of hormones in American food and persuaded me to choose organic food options more often. The documentary was able to change my lifestyle by exposing the food industry's harmful effects on human health and the environment. Documentaries are a form of digital media that encourage personal and social change. Documentaries are particularly useful for this class because they include mass amounts of information and data that can be communicated between peers and together analyzed.

Mixed Opinions About Twitter

A couple interesting points were brought up in class this week regarding social media. There were mixed opinions among students and Dr. Kyburz regarding Twitter. Two different perspectives of the social media site were discussed. A couple students stated that they felt Twitter seemed to be a way for users to let the world know every mundane detail of their average and not-so-interesting lives. This may be because many of us students used Twitter for that purpose when the site became popularized during our high school years. As a result, college students in particular may dread going through their own tweet history only to find evidence of their embarressing, less mature, possibly angsty and/or annoying high school selves.

On the other hand, Dr. Kyburz brought up a valid point. As she mentioned, Twitter is a tool used by countless politicians, doctors, actors, writers, news stations, and organizations. Social media can be used to promote, persuade, inform, and learn. I think that because college students are still students, and not professionals, we don't find Twitter as useful. However, this could change after graduating depending on what field or career individuals choose to pursue. Although, for some of us, Twitter may never be a convenient or helpful tool for promoting ourselves and/or career. As a future nurse, I can't foresee many reasons as to how Twitter could be useful to myself and my patients. In nursing, the best way to open communication with a patient is to let them know to use a call light button during their visit and then give them their doctor's phone number for post visit questions and concerns. 

I think that some individuals in the class are not interested in using Twitter because it does not seem particularly useful now... and it may not seem useful even once we start our careers. But, if students gave the social media site a chance, they may discover that Twitter can be informative and enlightening if you discover interesting "hashtags" or "follow" others that actually do have something to say.