Hannah Brubaker

Technology is a large part of my life, as it almost entirely takes up my day. I wake up from an alarm on my iPhone, walk downstairs and make a cup of coffee using an espresso machine, complete work for my internship on my laptop, run errands in my car, cook lunch/dinner using a stove or microwave, watch a movie before bed on the television, and repeat the routine another day. Each step that makes up my lifestyle cycle involves an aspect of technology. From the coffee maker to the television, both technological inventions impact important tasks in my life. Even though I am constantly surrounded by technology, I have never really given much thought regarding my individual relationship with technology. Instead, I’ve focused and honed in on other people’s relationships with technology in their lives. Cyberbullying is a large effect that has spawned from the development of media, especially on social platforms and conversational sites. Comment sections are always bound to have nega...

One of the most prominent and infamous political figures in today’s world is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He is widely known to be a dictator, and has a quite ominous reputation. Un was back again in the news recently, but not for any usual political reasons. Instead, it was reported that he was “gravely ill,” leading to his “death” after undergoing cardiovascular surgery. This was a shock to people everywhere, as nobody would have thought Kim Jong Un, a powerful figure having been credited with killing several people, is now on his own death bed. This left all who heard the news wondering, is he dead or alive? The headline that Un was seriously ill first emerged a couple weeks ago, and stated that he was not doing well after having heart surgery in months prior. Normally, reporters fact check this by investigating the claims--but North Korea is different. North Korea is largely shut off to the outside world, with no negative press regarding the country being broadcasted t...

The “Mediasphere” is essentially the collection of any and all media within the world, whether it be broadcasted and published, or a simple post on the internet. The media is something that one can never truly escape, as it is what makes the world go round. Without the news, the public would not know what’s occurring locally, nationally, or world wide. Eliminating the media would essentially cause a frenzy, as it would leave the public to fend for itself. To be more referential, the coronavirus is a topic that would have never gone away if it was not for the reports from the media. If there was no media, then the world would not have been aware of what the virus was, how to combat it, or the detrimental effects of the illness. Millions, if not billions, would have died from the disease. The existence of the media, however, has allowed the virus to slowly decline--as people know (from the media) to stay home and wear a mask in public. The mediasphere is a wide realm, with many elem...

When applying for a job, it is now a known fact to make sure your online reputation is spotless. If an employer sees an inappropriate image on one’s Facebook or Instagram, that employer will most likely not hire that person. Just the other day I found out a girl in a sorority in Texas got fired from a job because her company saw a month old Snapchat that she had posted to her Snapchat story. The company paid another company to unlock her social media accounts, where all of her previous posts were displayed. Even though Snapchat claims that a story is only visible for 24 hours, it essentially lasts forever.  An online footprint, or “electronic tattoo” as Juan Enriquez calls it, is incredibly important in regards to one’s reputation online. A post from years ago could easily resurface once uploaded to a social media platform, which we have seen over and over in today’s current climate. For example, Kevin Hart was let go from hosting the 2019 Oscar’s due to an emergence of a pr...

Social Media is an aspect of life that I feel like will never decline, as new innovations are created every day. Anyone and everyone is always trying to make their mark on social media, whether it be a company, organization, celebrity, etc. Marketing on social media is a huge part of society today, and we have seen it a myriad of times. For instance, Kim Kardashian started her own interactive game for users to play; the plot being the user being a D-list celebrity trying to work their way up to the A-list. It was a huge hit, and several of my friends played the game and became addicted to it. This example shows that new additions to the social media realm are always being created, with some becoming an instant hit. TikTok fully debuted in September of 2016, under the original name of “Musical.ly.” At first, Musical.ly was a social media platform with the primary intent of users uploading short second videos of themselves lip synching to any song of their choosing. In 2017, the pla...

The Coronavirus has shocked the nation, and the entire world, and catapulted society into a new normal. Instead of leaving one’s house to go about their day, people are having to stay indoors--indefinitely. Speaking in regards to American culture, this is a jolt to the millions who call the U.S.A. their home. We are used to going out to eat, working out in gyms, greeting one another with a handshake or hug, grabbing a cup of coffee from a local cafe in the morning, sitting down in class, hanging out with friends, and the list goes on. Overall, the coronavirus has surely rocked the nation as a whole. With all this being said, there is one state that has been affected the most--the state of New York. I have yet to ever meet an individual who does not like New York. The state, and specifically New York City’s ambience and essence of nostalgia makes an adult feel like a kid in a candy store. With the city being the most populated destination in America, it became an instant ...