Final Post

Social media is a platform form which individuals share all sorts of information about what is happening in their daily lives. The content can range anywhere from selfies on Instagram to a heartfelt plea listed on Facebook for needed help about a worldwide catastrophe happening thousands of miles away. It is a channel for which good can make a very strong presence as it can bring people together in countless ways.

Unfortunately, just as everything else in life, there has to be some sort of opposition. Social media can be a place for which a lot evil can occur. Just as bullying and harassment exist in our everyday life, they too exist online. Because ridicule and rudeness seem commonplace in today's world, individuals have become desensitized to seeing it online. Where making fun of and being rude to people were looked down on in the past has become more acceptable in today's technological conversations. It is now more difficult to stand up for those who are are receiving the abuse. Our culture has changed tremendously in this manner. Whatever happened to the idea of standing up for people and not being controlled by the media?

This idea of of standing up for others leads into the idea of compassion and its power to displace shame in the media. Compassion is an act of caring and standing up for those who are being shamed. It is some sort of level of love and kindness one individual has for another. It could be associated with Carl Roger's idea of having Unconditional Positive Regard. If people strive to have more compassion, this world, whether online or not, would be completely different. The mentality of people would move away from being okay with shaming to taking down those who are dehumanizing others.

Even though I am only one person among roughly seven billion people who exist on this planet, I can make a conscious effort to do something about what is happening to people on social media. Personally, all it may take is for one person to take a stand and say something. Instead of having posts glaze over my eyes quickly as I zip through my feeds, I could take the time to look out for those who may need a cheerful comment. One never knows of the impact a simple hello or a cheerful comment could have on the life of someone who may be currently shamed and ridiculed by those around them. If I can look outside of myself, there are always people who could use my help. I hope to be less sensitized and more alert of those around me. I want shaming to stop. No one really deserves to be treated that way.  

   

Facebook Project Analysis

As this semester comes to a close, I take the time to sit back and look at the so-called progress I have made while running my dad's business' Facebook page. As you might recall, the name of his business is Trigger Control Firearms Training. The purpose of this company is to allow clients/customers to be taught  proper control and handling of firearms at whatever the skill level and work towards getting their concealed carry permit.

With taking over a Facebook page that had been dormant for sometime, the intent was to rekindle the business and start bringing in some income for my dad through the interest of new and old followers of the page. To begin this process, I had to establish some ground rules with my father as to what content we wanted to focus on posting and what the ultimate goal(s) was going to be. As my dad handed the reigns over to me, I wanted to begin by getting more followers. I took this idea to my wife and I's personal Facebook page and invited all of our friends to like the page. What I thought would be a great idea due to the amount of friends we have accumulated over the years,  didn't turn out as planned. We gained an initial spike within a couple of days of posting that plea to our friends. After starting with a whopping 117 likes, over the next two or three days we raised our total to 137. The issue we had was the spurt of excitement only lasted those few days, thus leaving us with a flat plateau for a good chunk of the semester.

Once I began posting various articles and pictures over the beginning weeks, I conversed with my dad about what our target audience might be. Having this in mind would direct us in a straighter course to the outcomes we desired. The following are the three general types of people we wanted to focus on:
1. Todd is your everyday Joe. He wakes up early in the morning to head to his office cubicle where he spends eight hours a day on his computer performing his daily tasks. After a long day at work, Todd comes home and flips on the television to watch news as he eats his dinner. The hot topic of the day is the issue of gun control and what politicians are trying to do about it. Todd is someone who thinks guns are a good thing but has never actually shot one. Over the next week or two the same issue of gun control appears quite frequently. Todd decides he wants to take some beginner classes.

2. Christine and Joseph have been married for fifteen years and have three kids. They live ten to fifteen minutes outside of the downtown area are of the city in which they live. The city they live in has a typical amount of crime for its size. Christine and Joseph's neighbors have been broken-in into several times over the last few months and the two want to be able to protect each other and their kids. Joseph is a little more experienced with guns than Christine but both have their concealed carry permits. With the crime rate being a little higher than normal in their neighborhood as of late, they want to seek out a local firearms instructor for some lessons.

3. Matthew and Tiffany are partners in the police force. They have been heavily trained in the usage of using hand-guns and other firearms. They both know the importance of having a gun for personal protection and the protection of others. The two of them have often looked for ways to help promote the importance of maintaining the rights guaranteed to them in the Second Amendment. In an effort to help the community, they began looking for a reputable instructor who knows what he/she is doing. Because they are so busy with their personal jobs, they need help to train and make aware of the issue of gun control.




As the semester progressed, the posts became a little more consistent. They ranged anywhere from 2-4 posts a week. By doing this, it would keep the page's followers informed and alerted as to what was happening with the company and if anything new had risen to the service. My biggest problem this semester was getting interaction from people. Some hits did really well and others were flat out awful. I struggled to identify what people wanted. I went as far as meeting with Professor Young to discuss what kind of content would help to generate likes, comments, and reaches. The best post for the page was of my dad teaching my wife to shoot a gun for her very first time. It blew any other posts out of the water as far as reaches, etc. go. After my conversation with Professor Young, we established that people wanted more personal content: information that showed my dad in action, little tips and tricks people could know about guns, and what guns in general made the best concealed carry permit guns. When the posts were more directed and involved less steps to follow, the results began to slowly increase. 

Now that the semester is coming to a close, the data has been collected and analyzed as to how well I did in running my dad's page. What began with high hopes ended in somewhat crushed dreams. I had really wanted to make a lot of progress for my dad in regards to having another channel for him to use in gaining new customers. The amount of interaction from friends and those viewing the page was no where close to what I was hoping. Maybe, I had failed to show the significance of what guns can do for us and the importance of being certified to carry a concealed firearm. I had thought people would comment left and right as to what I was posting and to hear what people had to say. I was wrong in this area as well. Some posts were lucky enough to get just a couple likes or to reach a few people. I did partially reach my goal in getting people to verbally pronounce their interest in taking classes from my dad. When I saw people commenting and expressing their interest, I was quite excited of the possibility of this taking off!

Yet, when I really think about how this page went, I can honestly say it wasn't as successful as I hoped. I critiqued myself on all the things I could have done better and focused hardly on the areas that I succeeded at. Here is a list of few areas I feel I could have improved on/help the page to grow:

1. Better cross-promote/get people to share articles and pictures

2. Figured out earlier on what posts people wanted and really run with it

3. Help my dad establish an actual class time for those who want to take classes from him

4. Better execution of original plan

5. Boost one or more posts (pics of fake ad below)

I have grown up around firearms my whole life. I don't remember a time when my dad didn't have a job that was unrelated to guns. When I lived at home with my parents, I always felt safe, no matter what. To me, guns bring security and protection. Now that I am married and have a family of my own, I want to keep us safe from the big bad world. I took on this page, not because I am extremely knowledgeable on the topic, but know what positive things a gun can do/provide for one's life. Though this page was not one hundred percent successful, there is a good chance I may continue running the page and see if I can help it grow and bring more success to my dad. 

Facebook Ad

The purpose of my Facebook ad is to attract a very specific audience in the local communities surrounding the area where my father lives. The idea is to promote the business of Trigger Control Firearms Safety and help the residents in the these areas get their concealed carry permits. I recognized that when I was trying to narrow down specifications for the geographical area, the state of Utah itself was to large of an area. When potential customers go searching on Facebook, I tried to identify words that would associate with the theme of concealed carry permits. Though I chose to not go forward to purchase the real ad, the specifications within the ad could always be tampered with depending on the reach of where the company is looking to put its focus (like coming to St. George). The following are pictures of the ad developed for this company.

Automatic Attitudinal Response

As I have sat here over the last hour, I have contemplated and pondered what AAR's were present throughout my blog. My topics range from religion to the Zika virus. Each post was thoughtfully typed and put together. I read and reread each one. I went as far as trying to pick apart each post to find what AAR's were present. If I am honest, I struggled to identify any. Maybe it was personal arrogance or I simply failed to identify them.

While reading through numerous posts by my peers, I began to see things they identified as problems in their writings. Many of them dealt with religion and the apparent ideas that had been implanted into their minds because of their religious upbringing and mindset. So I decided to dive deeper into my religious post, trying to conjure up some AAR. After a few more minutes of deep thought, I finally identified my AAR, it was my reservation. My peers were willing to open up and not hold anything back. They allowed their thoughts to flow into their writing without much use of a filter/sensor. One class mate, went as far as admitting that he felt the Mormon church to be crazy, of course explaining why he felt that way. I could tell that was a courageous statement for him to make because a good percentage of our class make-up has to be Mormon or have some kind of Mormon-affiliation.

Myself, on the other had, has sought to remain relatively neutral, stating what I think people would want to hear/read. Maybe taking a neutral stance to show respect for all individuals because of the effort to avoid offending someone. Yet, what is posted is a heartfelt blog post. I just may not say all that I want to say pertaining to that particular topic. I have some strong feelings, especially when it comes to religion. I just backed off a lot because of that neutrality I sought. Don't get me wrong, I have a deep love for people off all faiths or even no faith. Take our conversation in class about coffee as an example. Professor Young asked us to put ourselves somewhere along a scale as to where we viewed coffee and our stance on it. I did not raise my opinion, due to the reservation I put forward. But due to religious beliefs, I choose to not drink coffee because of the health risks I have heard of and because it is a commandment in my faith to not drink it. These are the types of things that I am talking about. I hold my opinion to myself because of the reservation issue. Maybe it will take courage to truly open myself up and express more of what I think instead of finding those neutral beliefs I want to share.

Society may have some influence upon my thought process, teaching me that I need to have a sense of political correctness. I need to be reserved in expressing my writing because someone out there may be hurt because of something I say. To seek peace in whatever situation possible. Yet, to control my voice is not what the Founding Fathers would have wanted. Freedom of speech was included in the First Amendment for a reason. Opposition in thought and idea is what makes America so grand. This country teaches people to be diverse and unique. No two people are exactly the same on this planet. So that should carry over to my ability to share what I have to say. I am entitled to my thoughts and beliefs just as much as the person that I met in the grocery store.

If my thought process is to be reserved, then in order for me to fix this AAR, I need to insert a solution(s) into my writing. Though the solution may be simple, it is easier said then done. This style of writing is something that has caked up over the years of being in schooling and writing the numberless amount papers required of us as students. The solution needs to be a willingness to risk and trust my readers as I begin to open up about the thoughts I have pertaining to the different topics. I hope people enjoy my writing now, but I am sure they would appreciate if I shared my thoughts in a deeper manner. Their respect for what I have to say may equal the respect I share for their thoughts. As I continue to write on my blog, I will make a concerted effort to open up more in my writing and share those deeper/more intimate thoughts I may have pertaining to life.

Well Informed #3- Religion 3.0

When the U.S. Constitution was being written in the 1700's, the Founding Fathers sought to declare what would be some of the most important building blocks for which America would be able to stand on throughout time. These fundamental truths would be what separated the United States from many countries, if not all, around the world. America would be looked at as the promised land, so to speak. Right now in our country, several of these fundamental building blocks are being challenged by members of society and government officials. Among those, religion seems to be the topic everyone has some sort of opinion on.

According to the First Amendment, it states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." This means that citizens of this country are guaranteed the right to worship whatever they wish and they shall not be persecuted because of it. If one wishes to practice religions such as Buddhism and Judaism, they are entitled to do so. This simple idea of worshiping one's God(s) is the very reason why America exists today. The Pilgrims sought to settle in this land after they left their homes due to religious persecution. They wanted a land that would promise them religious freedom.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment

In today's society, there has been a massive separation between church and state. Separation of church and state means that the government does not recognize or favor any particular religion/faith over another. If this country was founded on the principle of religious freedom, one religion should not be favored or disfavored any more than the rest of the religions. The idea of separation of church and state does have its gray areas. According to Dictionary.com, it states that the Supreme Court has banded prayers from being said in schools but has displayed Christian Nativity scenes on government grounds. The topic in my mind seems to be nothing close to black and white when it comes to the idea of separation of church and state. 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/separation-of-church-and-state

Religion to me, no matter the faith one practices, teaches correct principles. It strives to help individuals become kind and loving. It teaches people to strive for what is good in life: to simply be a good person that treats others with love and respect. You have faiths that preach the gathering of saints in church buildings on designated days. There are faiths where individuals practice their beliefs to themselves. No matter the style that is practiced, good principles are being taught and followed. 

I am a very religious person. I was raised in a LDS household and was taught simple principles such as treating others with respect and love. As I have grown older, I made the conscious decision that religion to me was something that made me a better person. When I chose for myself that I wanted to live my life within the LDS lifestyle, it filled a whole in my soul. I served a two year mission in London, England. Since London is the melting pot of the world, I came to to meet wonderful people from all different backgrounds. I spent many hours talking and getting know people within various religions like the Muslim faith. The Anglican faith is the national religion for England in which many citizens associated themselves with. These two religions are just two of many that I came to understand while living among those people. Due to this experience, I have come to appreciate, understand, and love people from different backgrounds with different religious practices. In my mind, I felt that if I wanted to share what I believed in with others, I needed to be willing to listen to what others believed. I am amazed by the amount of similarities various religions have throughout the world. 

Today's society has taught individuals to become offended if something around them is different from what they are accustomed to. If people choose to not believe in a God and or follow any certain denomination that is entirely their choice. I understand and accept the theology of those individuals. If I strive to do that for others, I should have the ability and right to worship in the way that my faith teaches me to do so. People should not be offended when others strive to live by what their religion teaches them. America is a religious free country and should remain that way. Things like removing the phrase "One nation, under God" from our Pledge of Allegiance takes away from what our Constitution teaches us. 

Religion gathers people. Religion teaches individuals good principles. Religion is a constitutional right.   

On the Media #3

Pestilence In A Warming World

Global epidemics have always thwarted planet earth with their ugly faces and disastrous intentions. They sweep across the land bringing panic, sheer horror and ultimately death. The last epidemic that swept across the borders into the United States was that of Ebola. It murdered approximately eleven-thousand people through its short tenure. Now, in 2016, we meet a new face that has disastrous intentions to bring more pain and suffering to humanity. That new face is called the Zika Virus. This virus, like the West Nile Virus, is being transported about by mosquitoes. Yet, the hosts of the two viruses happens to be different types of mosquitoes. 

In the audio clip I chose from On the Media, Bob Garfield introduces the idea that climate change is the root problem for this epidemic breaking loose. He states near the start that due to the earth's climate temperature rising, it is proving to be the perfect breeding ground for the mosquitoes (Aedes Aegypti) who carry the virus. 

Garfield then introduces David Hasemeyer, staff writer for Inside Climate News, who recently spoke about the connection between climate change and the uproar of the Zika Virus. Hasemeyer spoke of the finding of this mosquito back in the year 2013 in Central Valley. He said scientists were puzzled because these mosquitoes were normally found in hot and humid climates. They later identified Central Valley to be an ideal location for these mosquitoes to breed because the temperature there was on the rise and the area was in drought. Bob Garfield, like many others, associate the birth place of mosquitoes to be in pockets of standing water. Hasemeyer agrees with this idea that Garfield has but identifies that these particular mosquitoes were able to populate because humans were storing their water in open containers or barrels and the mosquitoes had access to that water. 

Hasemeyer also made mention of two other diseases that have been thriving due to the rise of our climate's temperature. Those diseases are Lime Disease and West Nile Virus. 

People have become very skeptical in believing the information that has been put forth to the public about climate change. They feel that it is all a hoax and are not sure where to turn for correct information. Garfield asks Hasemeyer to give a credible description from the scientific perspective for the public to believe. Hasemeyer explained that climate change is a key element in the outbreak of the Zika Virus. He goes on to further explain that the Zika Virus needs to be treated as an opportunity to teach the public about the reality of climate change.    

Both issues discussed in the audio clip are real problems that our nation and world are facing. There is a global epidemic with this Zika Virus spreading rapidly throughout the human population. People's lives are at stake and not enough people care to know about what is going on. Issues like this never phase people till it strikes close to home and it may be too late to search for solutions. Climate change is a key element to this spreading epidemic and yet people don't seem to care about it either. This issue has been proven to be real. It’s no longer some made up story told by our government to scare us, but an actual issue that is affecting our way of life. If issues like these don't shake humanity to its core, what will? Apparently disasters like Hurricane Katrina didn't have the effect it should have.

As I wrap up my post, I want to give a few last thoughts pertaining to my feelings in regard to the Zika Virus outbreak. I have come to notice that humanity loves to claim that ignorance is bliss. People love to hind behind the curtain of innocence because they feel safe and can use it as a crutch to avoid knowing what it happening out in the world. The problems we face, like this epidemic, scare people. They would rather live their life not knowing what is going on around them so they can live their lives with no problems and worries. Yet, the world needs people to be aware of what is happening. People need to understand that climate change is presenting new possibilities for diseases to spread, etc. We contribute to the very problem we are scared of. Sooner or later people will come to realize that ignorance is not bliss because all of humanity, sooner or later, will face the problems the world is presented with.   

http://populationgrowth.org/climate-change-here-and-now/

Well Informed #2- Learning 2.0

What is happening to American education? People all across the country are pointing their fingers at a number of different so-called causes to this national dilemma. All I heard growing up was how far behind America was in educating its young people. Countries like Japan and South Korea reigned when it came to having supreme educational standards. They left countries like the United States behind in their wake, not giving them much of a chance to catch up. Is there much that can be done from our point of view to help the aching and suffering school system of America?

As I reflect back on my grade school, middle school, high school, and university years, I find myself imagining specific teachers that I gravitated towards when I attended those specific institutions. I bonded with these teachers because I felt they cared about me and my education. Yes, they had their handful of students, like myself, who they looked out for. Yet, I made certain connections to teachers who I felt where genuine in their teaching and sought to help me get the education I needed. These teachers wanted me to be the next Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, etc. of the world. When I think of the success I've had so far in my education, I resort back to those teachers and the lessons they taught me.

If there are good teachers/professors out there who care for and do everything within their power to help an ailing student, why does the education system suck? I mentioned earlier that people are pointing their fingers at all sorts of sources for this problem: teachers, funding, lack of interest of students, priorities, etc. These are just a handful of possible reasons why schooling results tend to be withering away. I just want to give my thoughts on a couple of these reasons and share whether or not I believe what is being said.

In an article posted by Forbes.com, it said the reason why so many students struggle in areas like reading and writing is because the teachers teaching them are "not very good themselves."  The author, George Leef, continues in his article by convincing his audience that the requirements and standards to become a teacher are not as high as they should be. He went as far as to say that a good portion of the teachers hired on are near the lower end of the totem pole. Leef then states another problem he found, "But if the product of these schools is so poor, why isn't there any pressure for serious change?" His response to this question taints the appearance education executives by saying they are happy with where they are at and don't want change to come. In Leef's viewpoint, the solution would be to change the standard for those who can teach and those who can't. He references the route Japanese teachers take in order to teach. There are no education degrees. People graduate in specific fields and then seek to try to be an educator. A solution that seems to be working.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeleef/2013/10/24/a-key-reason-why-american-students-do-poorly/#54e9c8d84753

The other possible problem I wanted to address is a lack of interest coming from the students. These thoughts won't necessarily be backed up by articles or facts, but as a current student, I feel I have a smidgen of  credibility. Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to do well in school no matter what. I worked my butt off to earn all the A's and A-'s shown on my report cards. I have wanted and still want to see what I reaped from the my own blood, sweat and tears. Yet, I look at others and I don't see that same will to succeed in school. In middle school and high school, a good portion of kids just desired to get a high enough grade to pass so they could move onto the next grade and play sports. This just wasn't the typical amount of students who struggled with this problem, it was a great deal of kids, who I knew to be smart, but just didn't care for school. Whether their focus was on making as much money as they could or other reasons, I just didn't understand why they did what they did. The importance of education can be taught from all sorts of people: parents, teachers, friends, etc. All someone needs is just an individual who is willing to show a sense of love and commitment to those students.

After I have harped on the education system for the last hour, I desire to share my final thoughts on the topic. I know that this country is struggling when it comes to educating its citizens. Results continue to fall for whatever the reason may be. I know there are solutions out there, but the real question is are people willing to make an effort to fix this problem? Maybe it is as simple as increasing the wages of the teachers, to give them more motivation to perform their best work. Or maybe, the solution is to change to workplace so that educational degrees, and specifically college degrees, have more of an impact when hiring employees. That would require for degree standards to raise, but if one is to have success in real life, effort and hard work are required. Learning is an essential aspect of life. No one can go anywhere or really do anything without it.

#learning