It's a Mad World

Music and art are some of the most powerful ways to convey a message to an audience. The music video for "Are You Lost in the World Like Me" by Moby and the Void Pacific Choir did an excellent job of showcasing how technology might be changing our lives for the worst. Between the combination of sad music and 95% of the images being in black and white, it's almost impossible for the person watching to miss the big idea of the picture.

Honestly, the video was sad. Not just because of the things going on in it, but because of how accurate it was. In the music video, a man is beaten up and receives no help from the people around him, but is recorded instead. A woman is taking a selfie while there's a building burning behind her. And the saddest part to me was the woman who humiliated all over social media after her "terrible dancing skills" are posted, and the aftermath of that is her suicide.

All of the people in the video are numb. Our dependence on technology and obsession with being cool or liked on the internet is literally causing us to be detached from the real emotions of the world. People can deny the fact that they're addicted to their phones all they want, but in reality, we all demonstrate addictive tendencies, and if we don't change our ways we will be the people in this video.

"The Surprising History of American College Dorms"

While scrolling through The American Conservative website this article stood out the most to me. The first thought that came to my mind was living here at High Point University. In 2018 Niche.com ranked this school at number one for having the best dorms in America. As a second-year student who lives on this campus in a dorm, I understand why our school was given this recognition.

My dorm represents so much more than just a place for me to sleep at night. I consider myself to be introverted, so after a long day I look forward to going back to my room to unwind and prepare for the upcoming day. I can sing as loudly as I want in there and just be my genuine self without the judgment of others. I cook in my room, do homework, have movie nights with my friends, and occasionally pull all-nighters when I wait until the very last minute to complete an assignment. Living in a dorm also encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and introduce myself to new people. It's almost impossible for me to leave the building that I live in without seeing someone, so I always look at that as an opportunity to interact with someone new.

The article that I read did bring up a very good point that I can agree with about living in dorms. It stated that dorms can be secluding (especially off-campus ones). I can kind of agree with this statement because in the past I spent too much time in my room and never really left it. This was not healthy for myself or my social life.

Does Privacy Exist Online?

There was a time in my life where I would literally post anything on social media without really thinking about it. I was the type of person that would senselessly tweet Drake lyrics on Twitter or post a silly selfie that probably would have been better off if it stayed in my camera roll. But as I've gotten older I've learned to properly manage my engagements and interactions on social media for many good reasons.

 Social media has become apart of my daily life for some years now. An obvious pro is that it allows us to connect with different people all over the world no matter the time of the day. My parents use Facebook to reconnect with old friends from high school and I've used Google Hangouts to stay in contact with family members that literally live across the world. Not only is social media convenient. It's also extremely fast. Instead of having to use a landline or a handwritten letter to quickly get in contact with someone we can easily send a quick direct message on Instagram or use one of the thousands of instant messenger apps we have available to us.

Like all things, social media also has its cons. Because it is so easy for us to share things on different social media platforms people tend to overshare. To overshare means to reveal an inappropriate amount of detail about one's personal life. In the past, I was notorious for doing this on social sites, but I've learned how important it is to be mindful of the things you put on there because some things can't be undone. It isn't uncommon for social sites to store your information and sell it/ give it away without your knowledge or permission. Facebook is one of many sites that have been caught up in a scandal where users have been finding out that their information was being given away. This freaked many people out, but the scariest is that even after users took the initiative to delete their Facebook accounts they learned that their information was still somewhere on the internet.

CNN BUSINESS reported on the issue and stated that "even when you delete your account, it can take up to 90 days for Facebook to remove the content like photos and updates stored in backup systems. But some information, such as messaging history, can still be seen by the Facebook user you wrote to even after your account was deleted." They also went on to say that it wouldn't be unusual if some third-party apps that you've never even used before had access to your personal information.

Significance of the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the nation. Because of this, its decisions are supposed to be followed by all of the other courts in the United States. It consists of justices, who have a lifetime appointment. This means that they are required to serve until death or retirement. Here are the 9 current justices:
1. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
2. Clarance Thomas
3. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
4. Stephen G. Breyer
5. Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.
6. Sonia Sotomayor
7. Elena Kagan
8. Neil Gorsuch
9. Brett Kavanaugh

The Supreme Court isn't just important to us as COM majors, but as human beings, because it rules on cases that affect many aspects of our lives. I think it's safe to say that we've all watched at least one legal show where someone was getting arrested, the majority of us attended public schools, and we all appreciate the fact that we can speak freely. All of these things have something to do with the Supreme Court. Issues such as desegregating schools and legalizing gay marriages.

Many people ask the Supreme Court to handle their cases, but are often denied. According to the video we watched the court receives around 7,000 cases a year, but only 100 of them are accepted. Most cases are submitted in writing and then have to get permission from the court to overlook the cast. Eventually, if the case is chosen, it is heard in public before the Supreme Court. I personally like the fact that lawyers have to make their case in front of all 9 justices because I think that would especially encourage them to put together a strong argument.

In conclusion, the Supreme Court has and always will play a significant role in the history of this country.

Sources:
Video 1
Video 2
Supreme Court Justices

Newest iPhone: What will it bring?

Apple products are arguably some of the most popular technological devices used in the world. Between the simplicity of their designs, easy functions, and widescreen displays it's understandable as to why Apple products always sell so well. 

The first iPhone was introduced to the public on January 9th, 2007, marketed by Apple Incorporations. It was in many ways quite different from the ones we see and use everyday. For one, it was extremely small especially compared to the newer phones. I measured at just 4.5 inches by 2.4 inches. By comparison, the iPhone XS Max that launched in 2018 is 6.2 inches by 3.05 inches. It also had no third party apps at all, and only about 16GB worth of memory. But despite all of these short comings, the creation of the first iPhone was a huge step for Apple towards the creations of their later and more advanced products. 

Here is a comparison of the very fist iPhone to the latest one:

3GS (2009)

Height: 4.5 in

Width: 2.4 in

Depth: 0.36614 in 

Weight: 4.86 oz

Screen size: 3.5 in

Screen resolution: 960x640

Camera resolution: 5 megapixels

Battery life: 12 hrs

XS MAX (2018)

Height: 6.2 in

Width: 3.05 in

Depth: 0.30314

Weight: 7.33 oz

Screen Size: 6.5 in

Screen resolution: 2688x1242

Camera resolution: 12 megapixels 

Battery life: 25 hrs

With the release of the newest iPhone coming up many people (myself included) are really excited to see what new features it will bring to the table. Apple has a habit of sticking with an obvious pattern for the releases of their new phones each year. Their big launch event usually always takes place in the beginning of September. The iPhone doesn't actually arrive in stores on the day of the launch, but customers do have the option to pre-order the device at the end of the event. I personally don't have any realistic expectations for the phone, but I do believe that it will have a better camera resolution and possibly a better battery life. Whatever new specs the device does bring, I know for sure that it will continue to contribute to the way we was humans interact and communicate with each other so freely.