75% youth cannot survive without the internet.

this is just an article i came upon in the Lancaster University alumni mag. how did i get it i have no idea. but anyways..taken from 994 youths aged 16-24, the stats are:

75% couldnt live without the net

45% feels happiest when online

32% believes they can access all info online and that there's no need to speak to a real person about their problems

82% turn to the net to look for advice/info for themselves and 60% for others

37% would use the info online to give advice to others.

76% believed the internet is a safe place "as long as you know what you're doing" and believe that they have the skills to sense and know if there is misrepresentation of any info.

the article however makes it sound like the internet is fantastic the way it plays a vital role in the young generations lives and how the online population have become the confidant for those who are struggling.

its odd however that they don't bring up the fact that their are still so many young people falling prey cheaters online. just that day a classmate told me about how her friend got cheated by a blogshop.. (ok that's next chapt but yes..) furthermore, the advices/infos on the internet can be put up by practically anyone, unless its an established website, but knowing the younger generation, wiki suffices for all info. in what way can these 'advices' help any of the troubled teens? no way. the fact that the internet has become their 'confidant' is really saying how they are isolating themselves and going into recluse as they reinforce the brick wall surrounding them. because on the net, i can pour out my troubles to... nobody actually. but psychologically i feel better. the problem however doesnt go away and when i go offline, it all comes back in a reality punch. what happened to human touch? what happened to humanity? what happened to listening? what happened to loving? nothing. everything is now virtual for them... i think it's quite a waste and feel quite sad for them.

social media, www, internet. all these are REALLY useful tools/technologies. but if overused/abused. say byebye to your personality and humanity.

week 2 - social media

“Social media is a bad idea – the rise of

social media has caused more and

more problems like Internet addiction,

social isolation, and invasion of privacy -

especially with the young generation!”

this is the question that our lecturer posted to us last week.. and before i answer it, i shall give a lil overview on what social media is exactly.. the following clip is a really cute and simple version of what social media is..

basically, social media is the boom of web 2.0.. with the technology on the internet for anyone and everyone to give or share their input, information, or even entertainment.

i of course agree that Social Media is a very useful and helpful thing.. the benefits are really uncountable. with Skype, i can talk and even see my friends in australia easily! FREE!!! haha. that really amazes me all the time. Instant messaging isnt that fantastic to me, cause skype kinda just blows them all away. unfortunately, not everyone has skype, and a lot of people are not comfortable talking face to face now.. (i'll get to that later)

then we have blogs, where we can jabber on about what goes on in our lives, bore other people or entertain them, have a place to rant about our problems etc.. but what's great about the blog to me, is that it's an avenue for me to post my experiences (about my faith) to share with others. cause i believe that it's only when we share that we can grow spiritually.

next we have podcasts. which i think is a very good source of music/videos that can be downloaded, created, and definitely shared. however i dont use this because no $$$. hahaha. it's cheap really, just that you need a credit card to have a itunes account to dwld these podcasts. so yes.

i would think that the social networking sites are considered social media as well since they do allow posting of thoughts/insights, media, songs etc. everything really, and can post your blog's posts as it updates. i'm not exactly a fan of networking sites like Facebook and all. because i dont see why there's a need to have 'friends' that i really don't care for, and whom i would never speak to if i see them. but of course a friend of mine decided i needed one and set it up for me. and now i only log in once in a while to get photos and that's it. so i guess it's good cause if not the photos that are taken by others will always be lost and i would never receive them. there are other bonuses of course, eg. to keep in touch with new acquaintances that i made in Philippines when i there.. to really net work and ask for help if needed.

so these are all the benefits that social media has created and given to us nicely. however.. the thought of the increasing social media and the extend of its use giving more problems does make sense. in fact, i do believe strongly that social media can be used in a degratory way for mankind. its like a double edged sword.

1stly, there is a WHOLE LOT of people now addicted to FB. always needing (let me emphasize the NEEDING) to log on just to plant their farms, feed their animals, cook their food whatever. and really, if these games are educational, or they just wanna waste 10 mins of their time while resting or waiting that's fine. but these people are really addicted to this! wanting to play every moment they can, rushing home to play and playing for hours in a row! even playing at work. of course they say it's not an addiction and that it's fun... but really. bejewelled has been around for ages, only now that it's on FB and they can compete with their friends in terms of points every adult wants to play it. it just doesn't make sense.

and remember when i talked about how people are uncomfortable talking on skype cause its face to face and voice to voice and real time and everything. i work with a lot of youth. and i think its so odd how a lot of them cannot open up to me (or any of my friends) face to face but they can if its online. they don't know how to explain their feelings, they are not even in touch with their feelings because everyone posts their thoughts and nobody really cares about the other person online. not really anyways because if there's real care, it wouldn't be on a public network like FB or blog comments. so yes, in this way social media is promoting the self centeredness that we already have and are just encouraging everyone to try to outshine the other with the highest ratings, or most friends or whatever.

i dont think that social media is an invasion in privacy because those who delve into it or use it, knows that it is opening up some part of their lives. so yeah.. its the users who are giving up their privacy.. not the cause of the technology. however, i strongly believe that social media is degrading the human brain and just making the younger generation more and more stupid. because now they dont know how to express themselves OUTSIDE a blog. now they have a free 'world' where noone (ie their parents) can touch them, and the can cuss the F-word every other sentence or so. and now they have a channel that not only invites but promotes gossip. it's really sad to see the younger generation stumbling over words as they come out of their mouth and not being able to think of a witty comeback in a word battle because online, you can wait and think (or check online) for a good comeback! its really quite sad.

in conclusion. i'm not a fan of social media. the only thing i like is skype but nobody skypes as much. and of course im' okay with blogs if its for a good use/cause. other than that, i think IM is a total waste of time because you don't even vaguely care about any person that you can only speak to online and not face to face.

week 1 - Introduction to internet

well, one of the things i learnt this week is about the beginnings of the internet..

1stly, the internet originated from some defense thing for the americans! so it basically started as a tool to keep them safe.. used by the army i think. but yes, thought it was classic that america invented the internet because it's all about freedom.. on the internet, you can do plenty of things that you may be restricted from in reality. eg. vent your frustrations via a blog.. or make new friends from across the world thru social net working sites.

another thing i learnt is that there are different 'versions' or 'types' of internet. there's web 1.0 which is basically a webpage that is a read-only, very passive type. in other words something that is one way, no interaction or communication except for maybe a simple feedback form. very HTML and javascript based.. like an informational web site! eg, my church website..

then there's web 2.0, 2nd generation of the internet, which uses syntax.. which is a programming thing that is actually a combination of symbols, and characters that creates the site. ( a little lost in the understanding here.. even though i researched more into it..) but yes. a lot of internet programming Jargon here. no worries. its simply a site where you can upload and maybe download stuff. whole lot of interaction, information sharing, collaborations, and really a more active and less limited platform where you can actually change the face of the site.

eg. this blog! hahahaa. or let me show you my personal reflection blog..

then last of all there's web 3.0 which is obviously the 3rd and predicted generation for the internet..known also as a semantic web.. where the computer itself can analyze, compute and compare data.. where it will become a world where machines and communicate with machines without human intervention (except maybe to fix the machines in times of breakdown...) but yes. sounds like a vision into the new vision but yet, not a very promising future.. (think iRobot...)

My views on these different generations are rather contradicting.. there is of course the numerous advantages of these different platforms and the advancements.. with web 3.0, it would be a lot less tedious to search for things that have been searched by other people before.. it would be a whole lot easier to search for information and to share videos and interact with people. it might be in fact so easy that it would evolve til our lives can be fully lived just by logging on to the net!

but then again, it's during the long and tedious searching of something that hone my skills and scanning, understanding, summarizing, and filtering a long article. it is when i slowly find for the video i want or music i want that i stumble across music (that may not be in the same category) that i happen to like!

i guess though there are plenty of perks with the web 2.0, and i love that we can interact and network and the global communication system isnt so 'global' anymore.. really, my friend in europe can be in the unit next to me, from the speed and way we communicate.... sometimes, the slow way filled with obstacles help mould and challenge (in a good way) the growth in me mentally.

NEW DIRECTION

okay, the next few posts shall move from communication to the INTERNET.

for the course Introduction to the Internet that i'm taking now, i'm suppose to post weekly reflections on what i've learnt. so here goes! ((:

technology - good or bad?

dont worry, im not gonna practise my comparison and contrast essay here.
we were discussing the new communication techonologies that day in class, and a lot of the views/inputs from people were good ones. i mean, yeah of course technology has aided us mere humans in a huge tremendous way. for some of us, without the tiny little device called a handphone in our pockets 24/7, we will feel cut off from the world and at such a loss. of course then we have those who are online every second of the day just chatting with people.. CHATTING?!?! is there not any other better ways to do with your time? but ok! maybe they enjoy chatting with random people they hardly know and will never say hi to in life... then there are plenty of people around who has their blogs- online journals and such. and its a good idea i think. i have one.. okay counting this 2. but yes i have a personal one, and i use it to jot down my thoughts and feelings as i used to in a physical journal. but as my handwriting evolved and i started writing faster (for no apparant reason) my wrist started to hurt a lot. basically, typing is faster, easier to edit, and a nicer feel. (yeah i like punching these key pads. quite fun) so yes. technology is good. without it, it would take a million years to communicate with my friend in australia. without it, i would not be able to see my sister's pictures while she was in europe. with out it, i would not be able to see my cousin all the way in UK.

but not all forms of new technology is good now. they have what. um, some play online thing.. and people (like my elder sister and SOME CLASSMATES) are so hooked on to it!! its like a form of addiction where every night they have to log on and play (bridge!!! and others..) and once they start. they'll say "ok ill play one game" and that ONE game will ALWAYS almost DEFNITELY evolve into 5 6 games that lasts til about 3am in the wee hours.

i have no idea what form of benefit this games online thing has, but i'm sure entertainment is one.. but the same entertainment night after night that does not develop your brain in any way whatsoever. ok fine, maybe it helps you strategize a bit better, but i'm pretty sure the cons of it taking away your eyesight and dulling your sense due to lack of sleep is way more than that bit of improved strategization. (is there such a word?)

PLUS! all these xbox and ps.. i always wished i had one. its TOTALLY MAJOR fun. but ill never let my kids grow up with one.. thats a whole different story. kids these days learn so much rubbish from these games, they pick up violence as easily as i learnt to burp. and they use 4 letter words in almost every sentence! (ok exaggeration here...... but i was shocked when a kid friend of mine (p1) was already spewing out the F-word behind his parents back..) i'm certain i only heard of that in like. um. secondary school? im so innocent. but yes. technology these days are really helpful and good, they help in our communication form and allow us a more efficient way. but what does techonlogy itself communicate with us? they tell us that we are a lazy, inefficient, unintelligent spieces without them. and hey, what can i say. they are right. if we dont be careful, one day us humans will all be triple chin and double elbows. and we'd probably need technology to help us get around as well. HAHA.

ps. i have NOTHING against technology. i actually like it. ((: i just think its amusing how we're so dependent on it.

BAO JiA WEI GUO (PASSION AND HONOUR)

passion and honour is a ch 8 series. it was the 9pm show not sure when.. but recently repeated again bout 12 midnight.. so i remember it quite vividly.

as lecture was going on about mass media and someone mentioned propaganda and such. i remembered while i was watching the show that it was like MAJOR message from the government. (GOOD msg. not bad msg.. ahhaha)

but yes. a lil overview of the show.

its about a family with one dad. hes like some sir in the army.. and he has 3 sons and a daughter. so all the boys go through army. one is a commando still. and basically the whole show is about them.. their various friends, love interest and job. the aunty also works in the army and one of the sons future girlfriend also in the army. so yes. the whole wide worlds in the army.....

throughout the show there would be episodes where they will launch into explanations of why the army does various things and what they do and such. eg. there was once one of the sons went running with his friends. and they were saying how good his timing is then still train with them. so his friends were thanking him. and he suddenly launched into an explanation of how we should keep fit for ippt and how you can earn money through getting gold or whatever and why the army has ippt for their soldiers blah blah.

also there were several parts where they introduce the weapons and tanks super randomly. it was like showing the dad's job and what he does. but it was so weirdly random.

i thought it was a good way to create awareness of what the saf does and how it helps build men out of boys.. but it was a too overwhelming i think. it lead my family and i to think that the saf were a bit too desperate to promote their things.. it didnt fit that well into the show part and it was so scripted and openhouse type when those episodes arose. maybe its only a good idea to use subtle mass media when its really subtle. like plant a little seed first instead of full blown advertising.. kinda turns people off i think. 

did any of you guys watch?? comment please, how you felt watching the show.. did you realize it was major saf promoting.. (im sure you did) it was with tay ping hui, bryan wong, nathaniel ho, felicia chin, dawn yeo..

Interpersonal relation in circle trilogy (book)

jx lent me all 3 books in the stated trilogy, and it was major cool mann! last book kinda spoilt the excitement abit by rushing through the winning of the war. but thats another story for another day.

Morrigan's Cross (September 2006)
Dance of the Gods (October 2006)
Valley of Silence (November 2006)

the author (nora roberts) stated in her site that relationship has always been a key role in her books, hence i wanna touch on the various interpersonal relationships that develop throughout the 3 stories:

Hoyt (ancient sorcerer) and Glenna (modern witch)

Cian (good vampire) and Moira (queen-to-be in another world)

Larkin (shap-shifter, prince of another world) and Blair (warrior)

Lilith (queen evil vampire) and Lora (french evil vampire) (( yup! lesbians!!!! ok no, vampires are bisexual. HURH)

basically im gonna touch on the stages of interpersonal relationship.. funnily all the relationships here (except the lesbian couple, has practically all the stages present.)

stage 1: initiating

first time hoyt and glenna met was actually in a dream/reality crap. so quite a bit of screening and filtering here, blocking each other out from their minds so on so forth. magic stuff. they were very cautious around each other cause of their different centuries existence. (they met physically finally in the 21st century)

cian is hoyts twin brother who accidentally became a vampire. but a good, with a bad attitude, one.

moira hated cian the moment she knew what he was - her mother was killed by a vampire.

there was a huge load of pretense and hiding from real feelings as she tried to not show her hatred.

he in turn didnt care about the first encounters although rather attracted to this plain looking girl. (not his typical type)

larkin and blair only met later in the trilogy, and the first part of their development centered around fighting with each other (fun and practise).. not much real feelings or backgrounds. (initiation moment)

lesbian couple didnt really go into the initiation stage...

stage 2: experimenting

hoyt and glenna had a tremendous load of cultural and social differences to talk about - different centuries and countries.. glenna - NYC, hoyt - ireland.

experimenting stage lasted almost throughout their blossoming relationship as he constantly learnt about her and technology, and she learnt about his family and background.

cian and moira had not much small talk.. cian doesnt do talk. haha. but yes, experimenting.. mostly in their own minds, thinking of each other, but wishing they werent. major denial actually

larkin and blair had quite a few small talk during their fights.. where they realize their attraction for each other. slowly larkin began to find out blairs feelings towards guys in general due to previous rejection. (she's a demon hunter and people of our world and time generally dont believe in vampires)

stage 3: intensifying

all 4 couples had physical moments with kissing and whatever nots, admitting their feelings to each other and to themselves, coming to terms with the commitments. blah blah blah.

stage 4: integrating

the first 3 couples are part of the circle of 6. theyre formed to fight againts the vampires who aim to take over the world.. sounds damn lame, but its nice to read. so anyways, yup. so this part was very very shown in the books.

as the 3 different relationships developed in different parts, hoyt and glenna first, larkin and blair 2nd, cian and moira last, the group had to balance and shift in terms of relationship standings, acknowledgement, and identity. the network that was once of strangers and family members now had to change and become one that had interpersonal relationships. was really a web of a mess actually. but they did quite a good job integrating couples in.

even vampire pair had to have this stage as the rest of the vampire clan had to bow down to lilith as queen, and in turn lora as princes.. 2nd in command due to her closeness and relationship with lilith despite both of them having their own little lovers on the side. the clan looked upon them as a couple and the circle of 6 knew that hurting one would hurt the other just as much.

stage 5: bonding

to cut the long story short, they all got married sooner or later.

in the epilogue, they all had kids as well.

even lilith and lora had a little demon child they shared.

stage 6: differentiating

there were some conflict with larkin as blair, as they fought over whether to burn the homes of larkins people down to not allow vampires to take over them.. 

the others were quite slight disagreements, but plenty of reaffirmation of their love. plenty of communication going on throughout the story within all relationships respectively. cian and moira however found it hard to express theirs as cian doesnt really connect very well with his feelings.

since these stories are happily ever after stories....

the vampire couple died before they could reach stage 7 and 8.. actually theyve been living for several centuries.. so i doubt they ever reached that.

all the other couples didnt reach that either! except cian and moira. cian returned to his own safe world and didnt want to risk things and shrinked from his relationship with moira til towards the very end of the last book.

happily ever after still, none of them died, all of them lived in everlasting love. stage 8, 9, ad 10 are non-existence.

thats all for todays post! haha. most lilkely not have any comments due to not many people reading the book.

cept jx of course.

but hey! post anything you feel like. cheers.