Social media divides us more than connects us

Conflicted from hanging out too much in social media like Facebook. So here I am playing chess against myself while I watch how I am losing my mind to me.

The longer this pandemic stretches, the more isolated most of us feel.

It also doesn’t help when social media platforms censor sources of news which doesn’t fit its own narrative for  example conservative views. Twitter  doesn’t enforce their ‘rules’ consistently.

Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Apple and Google are notorious for this and have been in the news of late.

Even Apple and Google have been implicated when they banned Parler from their App Stores.

So are we consumers  being blindly exploited? Absolutely,  but we do have the option of just closing our accounts and stepping away, right?  Will we?  Now that so many of us are addicted to the platforms?

I have began the process of downloading my content from Facebook. I have closed my Twitter account. Should you do that as well?

This divisiveness is fueled most likely by AI’s or artificial intelligence because no one in the right mind has the kind of time to sit and argue with strangers.

It probably never occurs to most folks that this is the case. This all important documentary “The Social Dilemma on Netflix” should be required screening for everyone in the world.
Continue reading Social media divides us more than connects us

Happy New Year 2021

 

Done in Photoshop, this cinemagraph was exported as GIF so that it can be embedded and loops on any website. If exported as mp4, a video file, it can be displayed on Instagram.

Why not start the new year with a new skill? I though long and hard about what that might be without breaking the bank.

In the end, it was something as simple as looking through youTube and figuring out what I have in terms of resources.

Like many of you, I have a lot of time on my hands although I much prefer to be out taking pictures than sitting in front of a computer.

In case I never mentioned it, I’m currently teaching photography at high school.  Engagement has been tough and that’s probably why I decided to learn this technique of making a cinemagraph.

Feel free to comment. It’s my first attempt and I’m sure my Photoshop work needs refining. It’s not my strongest suite but that’s why learning is often described as life-long.

No one owes you a living

I tried recently to have a conversation with my students while we were in a Zoom class meeting.

I posed this question: “How many of you are ready to leave home and live on your own?”

Since my students are high schoolers, this is just around the corner for them.

Then I told them my own story.

Thanks for watching. Feel free to share this post and post your comments. I’d love to hear from you all.

Have a great day everyone and stay safe and healthy.

Photo tips from a creative Southern California photographer