Blog #7

These blog assignments help me become a better writer. I do enjoy doing the blog assignments I thought I wouldn’t. Turns out its actually not that bad and can be interesting. I just enjoy getting a new topic every week and then being able to give my opinion/stance on something. It’s a way to help me be able to say what I want to say out and actually be able to know no one is going to judge me on what I say. I mean sure they may disagree on somethings I state or they may even agree with some things I state. The bottom line is I enjoy writing these blogs.  Also these whole blog assignments help us get the chance to read what others are saying. As well as, getting to know what goes through their minds and what they are thinking. I do enjoy reading others blogs, because of it. I like knowing what other people think and be able to see where their mind takes what we are given into a different direction than myself. I just think it’s a cool thing. It’s enjoyable for me I would say. I do like reading others comments. The reason because is they actually took the time of the day to read what I had to say and then comment upon it. That way I am able to read what they had to say about my blog. Another thing is I think it’s great because if they have a different point of view than myself. They’ll be able to come on and tell me what they agree with and what they disagree with. What stood out to me I would say is, well I read everyone’s blogs. So whenever I go from one person’s blog to another I am able to see how everyone’s mind processes and their different viewpoints. I just find it so amusing how we are given a topic and what we do with that topic is up to us. So that’s what I think is so great about it we get to just view each other’s blogs and see how we each take the topic in a different direction.

BLOG #6

I believe Mike Rowe, was making some great valid points. He said some interesting things that I didn’t sit and thought about until now. I have a lot of things that stood out to me. I think that it was cool how his grandfather only had an eighth grade education, but yet he was able to do a lot of things. He stated his grandfather was able to build a house without using a blue print, and able to fix the toilet. He also talked about how people always tell us, we can’t be successful without college. Then he said that, that is not true. He tells how while he was on “dirty jobs” he would sit and talk to the person he was working with that day. Then ask them about their education. Some said they didn’t attend college. Yet were still making enough money to support their families and pay for everything in cash. He talks about how they had the poster that schools advertise that said “Work smarter NOT harder.” The poster had a  picture of a young man showing that he graduated college cap and gown smiling. Next to another man who was wearing his work clothes looking as if he worked as a mechanic. He then says how later on he took that poster and changed It to “Work smart AND hard.” He was then going into that people go into college and get a degree and then what? They act as if they don’t know what to do from there. He tells us the thing we think we want to do may not be what you want. He compares it to how he wanted to do exactly what his grandfather did. Then turns out he didn’t want to actually do what his grandfather does but, he wanted to work the way he works. Although, I get where he is coming from and it made me sit and think if what I am doing here at Blinn is what I want to do or not. I think I am going to continue to get my degree that I am designated to get. I knew there were other things to do in life like going to a trade school or something, and then getting a job after that.  I could go to school get an education and do what I think I want and even if I don’t like it. I know that I can just go back to school and study for something else. That’s what going to school is for is to figure out what you want to do with your life. 

BLOG #5

“…People’s view of social media have grown a bit darker. That’s because we seem to be hitting some sort of saturation level. Being online isn’t just something we do. It has become who we are, transforming the very nature of the self.” – David Brooks.

Social media is supposed to be a way for us people to be able to connect to each other without being actually in front of each other. It’s supposed to be a way for us to talk to our family or friends that are across the world. Now social media has been used for just more than that. People get online and begin to socialize and talk down on others knowing they couldn’t do that in person. It’s easier to live online than it is in the real world. People feel as if “I can be whoever I want” while online. It’s so much easier to pretend to be someone you’re not.

That’s where “catfish” have been created. Catfish is when you are a fictional person online, in other words you pretend to be someone you’re not. People think it’s easier to live online and just think they can live the double life. You are one person on and offline. People have misused social media in so many ways.

Another problem is we the people have grown addicted to our phone screens. “According to a British study, we check our phones on average 221 times a day --- about every 4.3 minutes.” -David Brooks. That is a lot of times per day. There are only 24 hours in a day, 8 hours we’re at least in school or at work, another 8 hours should be dedicated to sleep, that’s 16 hours, and the other 8 hours is dedicated to whatever. If every 4 minutes we look at our phones that’s 6 hours a day dedicated to just our phones. “A decade ago almost no one had a smart phone. Now the average American spends five and half hours a day with digital media, and the young spend far more time.” -David Brooks.  Why have we’ve grown so addicted to our phones? Because, of social media and the fear of feeling left out. Always wanting to feel a part of something, mainly because no one wants to feel alone. Everyday something is published online whether it’s true or not, people buy into it. Even if they knew it wasn’t the truth they will still want to put their two cents in. And if you’re not in the mix, then you’re out and that’s when you feel alone, and left out. Everyone’s on the next big thing while you are still trying to catch up. That’s not how we should be living our lives. We need to communicate more in person than, online because we are losing what we have known as humanity. We’re letting robots take over the world. We need to open our eyes. 

The Time I worked In A Call Center..

I don't really know what to write about so I guess I'll tell you about my experience  working in a call call center. It was the worst thing I could've ever done to myself. So let me start off by saying I worked for an electric company that is all the way in California. The company is called "Southern California Edison." Literally we would have to tell our customer's that we lived in Rosemead, California, and say nothing about living in Texas, because they thought that we would get bomb threats etc, however there were a lot of the those for the real headquarters in Rosemead. That was awkward, because a customer would ask me about the weather and I didn't know what he was talking about so I had to do like one of the mangers told us in training "Stick To Business!"  Now i'll tell you about the training, the training was fun! Only because my training group made it fun, because we'd joke around with the trainer and we'd have potlucks, Some days we'd sit around and listen to calls so we can get a feel of what it will be experiencing. That was fun, the customers were nice and the representatives were even more nice. Training lasted five weeks, and then we were put on the floor taking to actual customers all the fun came to an end on that day. My first call wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Then came the terrible calls, it made me reevaluate my whole reasoning of wanting to work there (by the way I only worked there, because I was told that it was an easy job and the money was GREAT!). I'll tell you about one of the calls I experienced. So this customer had the everlasting never, they continued to cuss me out and yell at the top of their lungs it was this lady, her husband, and her son, Just all at once I sat there put them on mute, called my manager over and I literally was about to lose it, but I didn't mainly because they hung up which really didn't hurt my feelings. I usually got excited when someone would call  and ask “I think there is an outage in my area I’m not completely sure can you look that up for me?” And I would say “Yes sir/ma’am just give your account number so I could access your account.” And they would give it to me and as soon as I got into their account I would see the words “disconnected for nonpayment,” and then I would go back and politely say “Hello ma’am/sir I am in your account and I see that you have been disconnected for nonpayment.” Then, everything just goes from nice to terrible I get cussed out because, they didn’t pay the bill and it was just too much and so very annoying. Once, I actually forgot to mute myself while I was laughing super hard and loudly at this customer, I didn’t know what to say or do. I was like “oh well I’m quitting soon anyways.” I didn’t tell them I was going to school, I just hinted I wasn’t going to be working there much longer. After seeing what happened to my friend once she said she was leaving for school, she was fired on the spot and I was not about to get fired I will quit before that happens. I never got in trouble for the phone call my manager just kind of laughed (between me and you I think she didn't get mad because, she thought I was just the best worker there was). So after a while I stopped going to work and then, I moved down here to Bryan/College Station to go to school here at Blinn. I haven’t felt so much relief since I’ve left there.