"Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" Non-Fiction Reading Response

Before clicking that post button, think twice about tweeting about your horrible job and posting the picture of your teacher on Instagram. It may just seem like a joke or taking out your anger, but in the world, it seems like a whole lot worse. Alessandra Potenza expresses that privacy is very hard to find online, especially on social media in her article, “Guess Who’s Looking at Your Facebook Page?” Once it is online, anyone can see it- parents, teachers, and or employers. It is always up there and can never be erased. In other words, the claim Potenza is making is one of the only things you can’t find online is privacy.

        At the start, Potenza shows that there is no privacy online through someone losing their job from a post. Potenza starts off her article by introducing Kirsten Kelly, a waiter in Ohio. Potenza writes, “She posted her Facebook status update on a Friday night in July. By Monday, she was fired.” A customer had shown her manager a post Kelly wrote that complained about the lack of tips she was receiving. This shows social media hurt her because she became unemployed from the post. Online on a public website isn’t somewhere to complain about problems because it can have many consequences. Kelly thought she would just get yelled at at most, but after that day, she realized the manager can do anything he or she wants. This part of the text shows me, there really isn’t much privacy online. Sharing personal information on websites is mistakenly thought of as private. However, in reality, there is no security on information online, especially on social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Therefore, the example of Kirsten Kelly shows privacy is unavailable online.

        Furthermore, Potenza shows privacy is unavailable online by telling the story of Emma Sullivan. She was a high school senior when she tweeted about Governor Sam Brownback and faced consequences for her actions by her principal, who found it offensive. Potenza writes, “Two years later, the incident is still all over the internet if you Google her name. And she worries it might affect her chances of getting a job.” This illustrates how the internet is like haunting ghost. There is no privacy online because her story is still around two years later. Posting things on the internet can permanently scar her from getting a scholarship, job, and many other things she might need in the future. Once it was out, its out, and she couldn’t take it back. She is stuck with for the rest of her life. From one pose, anyone can become famous, but known for something they will probably regret. Just because it is deleted, doesn’t mean it is offline. It is like a heavy burden that will never unload off your back. Emma Sullivan’s story shows posting things online can haunt people because privacy is so hard to find.

        After reading this article, I realized that one small post, picture, and or tweet can turn into a horrible nightmare. This makes me think of labels because on many occasions people get labeled from their online profile. Take Emma Sullivan for example, from now on she is remembered by her offensive comments. Online profiles seem to define us. This has created an interest in social media and thinking before I put something online. This article shows me how social media has become such a big part of many of our lives. Social media is how people get to know each other. However, anyone can get to know anyone. This concludes it, but what I’m still thinking is, is privacy even in the online dictionary?

Museum of the City of New York Trip Response

The trip made me think of rebellion. Many activists go against authority to prove a point. Is this considered illegal? They are technically going against the law to prove a point. However, it is to make the world a better place. Most of these rebels served a time in prison because the courts and government considered them to be breaking the rules. This makes me wonder because many of them used a non-violence plan to stand up. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. used speeches such as “I Have a Dream” to end segregation. I wonder was this considered illegal? They are just trying to act on something that is unjust. Segregation discriminated on race and no one should be judged on race because they are unable to control that. You are born into a race and you can’t change it. It is unfair to separate blacks from whites, so taking a stand and rebelling gets you to spend a time in jail. Therefore, the trip made me think whether or not rebellion is considered legal and the unfair consequences of it.

In addition, the trip made me think about being brave and courageous. It takes guts to stand up to authority and many people certainly did to fight for their rights. It also made me think about how the government mainly enforces things that will benefit them and the people they mainly care about. They encouraged segregation by saying separate but equal, although people didn't listen to it. Segregation was only determined not right when the blacks decided to go against it by using speeches and other methods. If it wasn't for people rebelling against it, there might still be segregation occurring today. However, they didn't encourage bike lanes and gay marriage because it was not typical thing to do. There weren't bike lanes ten years ago and many people weren't gay long ago. They even made a stereotypical Gay Bob doll to make fun of it. Also, I see many white bikes around the city that show where someone has died from a bike accident. This shows the importance of bike lanes because people need to feel safe when riding, not like they might get run over. New laws that people have brought up to benefit themselves and many others, are not enforced as much as laws the government made up. It seems like the government is biased to something they want rather than what the people want.

Lastly, women rights were a big issue back then and it makes me think about what people do to try and get their point across. Suffrage was a movement to try and earn their rights in which women marched through the street wearing long, formal dresses to try to be treated seriously. They wanted men and women to be treated equally. Since, the government opposed this, they had to try harder to get their rights. Many people believed they shouldn’t have rights and many suffrage cards making fun of women. This shows people that oppose it trying very hard, too. People who believed in an act and people who didn’t that fight to express their opinion shows me how hard someone works to fight for what they believe in.

  My Original Poems- Limericks

Women had no rights Blacks lived a bad life That was unfair As if they breathe different air So they acted and started a fight

People lives weren’t well It seemed like they were in hell They said no more Opposers thought what for So they started to rebel

Gay Bob Toy

White Bike Memorial

A Suffrage Card Opposers Made

    

Carrie Reading Response

Low self-esteem and self-harm has become a major issue in teen life and has caused many stories to end tragically. It was no different for Carrie. Carrie by Stephen King focuses on the telekinetic powers of Carrie, a girl living with a religious, abusive mother. She becomes really depressed and turns her powers into a weapon. Social issues such as bullying, religious discrimination, and abuse are the main reasons of depression for Carrie and many others.

Bullying was one of the main reason from the start of the story that showed signs of depression. Carrie was made fun of lack of knowledge about growing of age although that being her mom’s problem. When Carrie experiences her first period at school, King writes, “Then the laughter, disgusted, contemptuous, horrified, seemed to rise and bloom into something jagged and ugly, and the girls were bombarding her with tampons and sanitary napkins...They flew like snow and the chant became: ‘Plug it up, plug it up, plug it up, plug it-’” This shows Carrie being bullied because of inexperience. Carrie was being punished verbally and physically for her mother not telling her about her period. This quote proves that she has been a victim of harassment. Through all this, she was unable to keep her head up and fight through it, leading to depression and performing homicide. This doesn’t just happen in books because in reality it happens in everyday life for many people. Amanda Todd was a girl that made one mistake and was taunted for the rest of her life because of it. She gave up her life showing the terrible effects of bullying. Teens need to notice this and made aware that it does occur despite the negativity of it. It will hopefully teach them to be nicer to others.

In addition, religious discrimination has also been a large factor in Carrie’s depression. Her mom’s influence on her has made her very religious and value God. She believes everyone except her and her mom will go to hell. During prom nominations, Carrie thinks, “George and Frieda. No was Frieda Jason was a Jew.” This quote shows Carrie making fun of others like how people were making fun of her. Bringing other people down to increase your self-esteem is not an excuse especially someone’s physical feature and or religion. People are unable to control their religion because they usually grow up in their parents’ religion. Religion is a big case in the world, too. Many kids in Israel has been kidnapped and killed by others because they didn’t like that they were Arabs. Carrie is just talking to herself, but it can lead to drastic results like this. It may seem funny to the bully, but it is really offensive to the recipient. Carrie thinks of anyone unlike her as lower, which is how everyone treats her. So, she should think about how she feels when she is bullied because that is probably how Frieda will probably feel. Teens need to realize this to make them think before they discriminate on religion.

Furthermore, Carrie’s homicidal actions are partially caused by abuse. Her mom has been abusing her ever since she was little, mainly because of religion. Her mom would force her into a closet to pray for her sins. A part in the book that shows her mom abusing her is when King writes, “She [her mom] was clawing at her neck and cheeks, making red marks and scratches. She tore her dress.” This quotes proves the fact that her mom was abusive. This abuse led to Carrie despising her mother, resulting in Carrie using her telekinetic powers to stop her mom’s heart from working. Her mom’s abusive relationship with her led to her murder rampage because when she killed her mom after her mom stabbed her, it was certain she was taking everyone down with her. In our society, abusive relationships are unfortunately, very common and similar to this. They are controlled by someone in the relationship forcing the other person to do something. Carrie and her mom have the same relationship in which her mom forces her in the closet. In both cases, the person being abused had no way out of it and are too scared to speak up. Teens reading this book should learn to speak up and report it because abuse is not something to overlook.

As these examples has proven, Carrie became really depressed mainly for three reasons- bullying, religious discrimination, and abuse. Carrie is truly not a role model when it comes to dealing with these problems. None of them are fun and should be tolerated with. The interesting thing about the book is through all the terrible social issues, it is entertaining. However, the issues teach people how not to deal with them, in hopes of people doing the opposite- to speak up and to not do it. Everyone has problems and the end result is up to the way you deal with it, so the book should encourage readers to learn how to deal with problems such as bullying, religious discrimination, and abuse the way that will benefit them the most.