Week Five, Discussion Board Four

THINGS I WANT

I want…

- An acoustic drumset

- A new piano

- To get 8 hours of sleep or more every night

- A more scientifically inclined mind

- A bigger home library

- Easier access to necessities 

- Fingers that aren’t heavily damaged and scarred

THE JURY IS STILL OUT

- Is [redacted] actually into me?

- Is the sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S actually funny?

- Is my sister a good cook?

- Is Netflix really the best streaming service?

- Am I actually a decent musician?

- As a teenager, is finding a job really worth it in these times?

- The Spanish I’m learning in class— is it proper?

- Was Deadpool and Wolverine really as good as people said it was?

MY MEDIA AND MY OBSESSIONS

- Star Wars

- Minecraft

- YouTube

- Instagram

- TikTok

- Europe (band)

- Snapchat

- Call of Duty

- Rainbow Six Siege 

- Buddy Rich

- Nirvana

- Guns N’ Roses

THINGS THAT BOTHER ME

- Big-name social media influencers.

- The so-called “popular kids” at my school

- TikTok as a whole

- Overly nit picky people who don’t offer anything constructive

- People who refuse to take accountability

- Love stories/movies/tv shows

- People who take pleasure in hurting others (both physically and mentally)

- Kids at my school who vape in the bathroom stalls and keep out anyone who actually needs them.

-People who can’t go more than five minutes without going on their phone

- People who blame their “OCD” when in reality they’re just someone who likes things to be orderly.

-When kids who are extremely ill come to school and get everyone else sick

-When I email my high school dean and wait a whole month before getting a response (it’s like talking to a brick wall)

        If you really think about it, big name social media influencers are a lot like fast food chains. Both are incredibly popular and have a fairly large following, but they lack real depth. Like fast food, influencers offer quick, easily digestible content that catches the eyes of the masses- especially kids. They promote a lifestyle that, on the surface, seems fancy and exciting, but on a much deeper level, is superficial and ultimately poisons the mind. Your brain gets filled with utter garbage and you start believing that other people know what’s best for you. In times like these, that can be very mentally taxing. It also doesn’t help that the constant streams of advertisements and brand deals make you forget what it’s like to be exposed to genuine material.

    On the other hand, while everyone else seems to adore these influencers and internet celebrities, I find myself craving meaningful interaction. Just as a home cooked meal brings me comfort and satisfaction, I prefer authentic content that provides real value and perspective. Creators who share their true selves— their struggles, their imperfections— are more relatable and inspiring. That’s not something you see with e-celebrities who, like the fast food industry, only show the good parts of whatever it is they’re trying to sell. In the end, they fail to realize that food doesn’t have to look good to taste good.