Facebook Overload

I actually had a dream about blogging for this class last night. So I'm going to honor my subconscious and write another post today...

I don't think we've had a class where we haven't brought up social media, particularly Facebook. It doesn't matter whether we're talking about Foucault or Malcolm X. So I’ve been thinking a lot about Facebook (and social media in general). Yesterday, I found an interesting article on depression. The article gave a list of unlikely causes of depression, and one of the causes on the list was "Facebook overload". Of course, this one stood out to me. Facebook overload is exactly what it sounds like: it's a term for people who spend a lot of time on social network sites like Facebook (but not just Facebook). 

So what do you think of Facebook overload? Are you surprised that some people have linked it to depression?

Cixous – Fifty Shades of Grey

I can’t go a day without hearing about Fifty Shades of Grey. I hear about it on the radio; Saturday Night Live did a skit on it (for those of you who haven't seen it; check it out below: it's hilarious); and my coworker can’t stop talking about it. While I haven’t read this book—and don’t plan on reading it anytime soon—it makes me think of our discussion on The Laugh of Medusa by Cixous and gender in writing. This book is definitely geared toward women. Jo-Jo and Regan from 106.5 even describe it as “mommy porn” and even had their female intern read the book so they could get the proper female perspective.

So has anyone read Fifty Shades of Grey? If so, what did you think of it, and can you relate it to Cixous? If no one has read it in this class, what do you think of Jo-Jo and Regan getting the female intern to read the book instead of reading it themselves? Have you ever avoided reading a book or watching a movie because you thought it wasn’t intended for you (and I’m not just talking about gender)?

My Experience in PRWR – A Puzzling Blog Entry

After reading a fellow blogger’s post, I’m going to take a different approach to this post. I’m going to discuss my experience with the PRWR program. First of all, I’m in the Technical Writing and Information Design track. I’ve done really well in classes associated with my track, but other than Grammar and Editing, I seem to struggle with core classes like this one. My last writing assignment—the one with the puzzle pieces—is proof of my struggles.

I received my undergraduate degree in English, so I’m not a stranger to classes like this one. But after nearly 6 years in the workforce as a Business Analyst/Technical Writer, my style of writing has changed. As a Business Analyst, I’m supposed to write concisely. I tend to repeat things; I choose one word to describe something (i.e., I don’t say construct in one sentence but create in another sentence). I write for my audience. I have to be very literal. And if I can use a bulleted list to explain something, I do. Essentially, I’m not paid to be creative. I’m not saying that this kind of class isn’t helpful. I believe my liberal arts background has helped me be successful in my field. And this class in particular has been beneficial because it forces me to think critically, ask questions, and answer other peoples’ questions. However, I can’t get out of my writing habits when it comes to writing assignments.

So in closing, I apologize if my last assignment was too repetitive and didn’t make you think enough. I wasn’t trying to concentrate on theory. In hindsight, I wish I didn’t even mention Plato at all. I just wanted to share my writing process and maybe get you to think about your own writing process. Our professor actually gave me the idea when she mentioned the essay that someone in a previous class wrote (i.e., the essay where the person said all these things and in the end it turned out to all be a lie). But instead of writing a narrative, I used a form I was more familiar with (like a user-manual approach). So once again, I apologize for keeping it simple. I guess my biggest mistake with this assignment was not considering my audience. Just please keep in mind that there are different styles of writing, and just because it’s simple and repetitive doesn’t mean it’s not effective.