Julie Cutler’s blog

Why is it that people feel the need to post negative comments? Are they trying to be funny or are they actually trying to make someone feel like crap?

Over time, many people get desensitized to what’t on the internet. There was a time when people thought about what was okay to post and what wasn’t okay. However, now people post whatever they want without thinking about the consequences.

Another reason why we are seeing an increase in negative comments is because people can post anonymously. Being able to post anonymously makes people think they can say anything they want. They don’t understand that people can still get offended or hurt from an anonymous post.

Posting negative comments on social media is not cool. This about what you say about other people before you do. Would you like it if someone was say mean comments about you?

If you are thinking about taking a trip to Utah, here are some amazing places you should visit.

Salt Lake City, UT

Capital city of Utah. Salt Lake City is a valley between the Wasatch mountains and The Great Salt Lake. There are plenty of fun things to do.

Arches National Park

Visit Arches to discover a landscape of contrasting colors, land forms and textures unlike any other in the world. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.

Lake Powell

Lake Powell is a reservoir, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona. Most of Lake Powell, along with Rainbow Bridge National Monument, is located in Utah. It is a major vacation spot that around two million people visit every year. It is the second largest man-made reservoir by maximum water capacity in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing 24,322,000 acre feet of water when full.

Park City

Park city is a small city on the wasatch back. There are many amazing ski resorts and lodges that are available all year round. Many people visit Park City in the winter because of the beautiful mountains and amazing snow.

Snowbird/Alta

Plan a great weekend of skiing at Snowbird or Alta. These are my two favorite places to ski in Utah. There is great snow, and amazing lodges. Like hiking? Visit Snowbird or Alta in the summer.

Very few teens say that using social media has a negative effect on how they feel about themselves. However, there are many suggestions that social media is creating issues such as cyberbullying and depression. Even if social media is effecting someone in a negative way, that person may not be able to stop using it. Then they get stuck look/reading about things that don’t make them feel good. I believe this cycle is the reason we are seeing more problems with depression.

Teenagers need help to realize that social media can have a negative effect on them if they let it happen. If social media is making you feel like crap, take a break. Spend time doing something that makes you feel good.

I personally have had times where I needed to take a break from social media because of how bad it made me feel. There are also times where I made the mistake and stayed on social media even though it made me feel even worse.

Take a minute and think about how social media makes you feel…

Does your performance on something such as a sport or concert change when you know there is an audience?

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Social scientists have identified something called the audience effect. It’s the shift in our performance when we know people are watching. In live, face-to-face situations, the audience effect can make athletes or musicians perform better, but it can sometimes psych them out and make them choke, too. When I know there is someone watching me play tennis, I can see a change in how I play. However, that change is not always good.

A group of researchers conducted an experiment to test the audience effect with small children. The took several 4-5 year olds and showed them patterns of colored bugs and were asked to predict what was next in the sequence. However, one group repeated the answers into a tape recorder, one group was asked to record their explanations, and the last group had to explain to an audience.

The results showed that the children that were asked to record their answers, proformed worst. The children that had to explain their work to an audience, did the best. Researches also found the same effect with adults and adolescents.

This idea of audience effect is why people think blogging and writing on the internet, is a better way to get students to write more thoughtfully. When you are blogging and posting on social media, you are expecting someone to actually read it. Unlike when you are writing a paper you know only the teacher will read.

After learning about this in a class im taking, I too think blogging is a good way to get students to write more thoughtfully.            

Have you ever taken a moment to think about how and when you were introduced to technology? Before today, I never thought about how I gained the knowledge to be able to use the technology in todays world. I grew up with televisions, computers, cell phones, and many more forms of technology. I somehow was able to learn how to use these incredible tools by simply just growing up with them. However, there have been many advances in technology since I was introduced to them and they are still advancing. There are constantly new forms of technology every day.

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I am currently taking a class that brings up the idea of education through social media. one of the first assignments was to make an infographic about my views and experiences with technology.

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I found it genuinely interesting to think about my first memories of technology, how I learned to use it, how my usage has changed over time, and what I think about technology as a whole. We are in an era where technology is beings used more and more.

Technology is being used all around the world for many reasons. Teachers are using technology in class rooms as a way for student to learn. People are suggesting student are more motivated to learn when using a game on a computer. However, should children be growing up with the mindset that using technology is the best way to learn?