Every year on April 22, our nation celebrates Earth Day in hopes to raise awareness of preserving and conserving our planet. However, in this day and age, Earth Day has become the excuse for people to jump on social media platforms and post aesthetically pleasing nature pictures in hopes of likes or follows rather than supporting environmental protection. Former U.S. Democratic senator and governor of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson became concerned about the deteriorating environment in our nation. During the 1960’s Nelson was witnessing many environmental crises take place and inspiration from the youth's Vietnam anti-war movements sparked the idea of environmental consciousnesses. Nelson … [Read more...] about Nature posts don’t spread awareness on environmentalism
social media
How social media made a positive impact during the pandemic
Social media is often seen as the villain in today’s society, but could it actually be the secret hero of the Pandemic? Whether it be posting their thoughts on Twitter, scrolling through memes on Reddit, liking a friend’s photos on Instagram, or watching videos on Tiktok, most people consume social media on a regular basis. With so many people using these sites, it is no wonder that the effects of social media have been so thoroughly studies. The results of this research have often not been kind to the prospect of social media being beneficial. Many of these studies have shown how social media can become addictive, how seeing edited and perfected photos can lead to self esteem issues, … [Read more...] about How social media made a positive impact during the pandemic
Students share their thoughts on social media
The impact of social media on students can be excessive, especially when most of them are busy trying to get their degrees. Many students have a variety of social media platforms. Although it may seem beneficial to see other people's lives, students struggle by spending their time looking to see what the newest trends are. Nataly Rees, a communications major, says, “I think that social media has a lot of pros and cons and removing it altogether wouldn’t necessarily get rid of the cons because those things are still present in entertainment and all around us. I think that social media offers a lot of evils, but it also provides people with platforms to reach out to others with similar … [Read more...] about Students share their thoughts on social media
Opinion: Reflecting on 2020 as a year of change
2020 has been one strange year. We are currently in a pandemic, the United States has elected a new president, and we witnessed people in America fight alongside the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Live Matter has become a global movement against racism and police brutality. Thousands of people from multiple different countries gathered to protest racism and police brutality after the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police. The Black Lives Matter movement began to rise in July of 2013, 17 months after the death of Trayvon Martin. However, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter did not become nationally recognized until 2014, when Michael Brown died by police hands. This … [Read more...] about Opinion: Reflecting on 2020 as a year of change
Advice: How to avoid social media
Social media nowadays can be very toxic and time-consuming. People find themselves having to post every day and spend a lot of time on apps such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Reduce the constant use of social media and let go of those habits. Let Go of The Phone A few tips on avoiding social media is to not always have a phone around. Having a phone around causes a person to lose interest in what they are doing just because that person wants to check on their social media page. Avoid using a phone when hanging out with friends and family. It’s more fun when a person can dedicate their time and energy just to the person and not the phone. According to the Pew Research Center, 79% … [Read more...] about Advice: How to avoid social media
Quarantine life through the eyes of Remy
Former CSUSB student Jorge Razo is taking advantage of the extra time during quarantine to showcase his creativity. Razo has been generating memes involving Remy, a character he created in 2013, being stuck at home during this pandemic. Razo has enjoyed drawing ever since he was a kid. "As I got older, I didn't have the same free time to draw, so I set aside all my drawing supplies and forgot about them for many years," Razo said. "It wasn't until I started reading children books to my daughter that the idea to write her a book and illustrate it came to mind." In 2013, Razo started an instagram page and called it "wiidoodle" and used the platform as an incentive to draw every … [Read more...] about Quarantine life through the eyes of Remy
Student candidates campaign via Internet
The 2020 Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) Elections are underway, but the road to victory for candidates has been an uphill battle as cyber campaigning has become the new norm. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, candidates have marketed themselves through various social media platforms and Zoom meetings. Though campaigning has become completely digital, this hasn’t changed the morals, values, and identities that students are choosing to campaign for. “It’s just a learning curve for how we are going to do what we would usually do on a virtual platform. Marketing is going to be a struggle,” said Presidential candidate Sage Keyner. Keyner has been involved in ASI for … [Read more...] about Student candidates campaign via Internet
Sexting: a criminal trend on the rise
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department teamed up with the Redlands Unified School District (RUSD) to discuss "Sexting: Teen Criminal Trend" with concerned parents on February 10, 2020. Clark Morrow, a Crime Prevention Program coordinator from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and MaryRone Shell, a Community Outreach Communication and Social Media Specialist from the Redlands Unified School District, met with concerned parents and students to bring greater awareness to the dangers of teen sexting. Although with a fair turnout, RUSD’s board room was silent when Mr. Morrow described how easily underage youth commit prison-sentencing crimes related to … [Read more...] about Sexting: a criminal trend on the rise
New Instagram update, more likes or no likes?
Instagram’s newest update has been causing some controversy over followers not being able to see how many “likes” they get from their posts. On November 14, Instagram announced on their Twitter account that they are, “expanding the test of private counts globally and you’ll no longer see the total number of likes and views on photos and videos posted to Feed unless they’re your own.” CEO of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, stated that “our hope is to better understand how this idea changes how people feel about using our platform, particularly young people.” It is no surprise that social media has a huge effect on today’s society, especially with the idea of becoming a “social media … [Read more...] about New Instagram update, more likes or no likes?
Are social media influencers concerned for their safety due to what they post online?
Social media influencers get paid to put their lives online, but is it worth it once their safety becomes a concern? Popular social media influencers have had to deal with fans stalking them and showing up at their houses. The fans do this in hopes of meeting their favorite influencer. They don’t consider the boundaries they are crossing which put these influencers in danger. These social media influences consider their online presence as a part of their career. With such a large audience online, they are given many opportunities that others without a following would not get to experience. Dante Paul, owner of the furniture company West Coast Coffins, considers his account to be a … [Read more...] about Are social media influencers concerned for their safety due to what they post online?