Reverse Racism?

After writing a whole non-opinionated research paper on why affirmative action support rates have dropped, I feel the need to input my opinion on the topic. For those who do not know, affirmative action is the use of programs and quotas put in place in admissions and employment in an attempt to bridge the race gap: socially and economically. While many people feel affirmative action is important due to the fact minorities were treated so poorly in this country for so long, others feel that selection based on race is racist towards whites. As more and more cases appear before the Supreme Court regarding this controversial topic, people are choosing sides.

I believe that affirmative action is absolutely necessary in today's society. As a white, economically stable child, affirmative action does not help me at all, yet I am still able to look past my own gains, and see what is best for this country. There is a huge gap between the wealth of whites and minorities, and affirmative action is a way to attempt to change this. As of 2013, an average black household makes only 59% of the annual earning of an average white household. (Business Insider). This horrifying statistic can be bridged with he help of affirmative action programs. With minorities having the initial upper-hand in selection, more minorities will rise to the top of the economic totem pole, and therefore this gap will begin to close.

Not only are whites the ones being accepted to high-level college, they are the ones who excel in the work force. With 71% of college graduates being white, a whopping 96% of CEO's are white. (Civil Rights Education Fund) This is due to the fact that whites generally hire other white people, and therefore enter a revolving door complex: where the same high level jobs are being passed down to other whites. This leaves the upper-class work force with little to no diversity: a problem that affirmative action can help to change. Overall, I believe that affirmative action is crucial to input into our society, or America may regress into the racially segregated society we were 100 years ago.

Seflie Sunday

Each and every Sunday, teenager's Instagrams are filled with photos of themselves, with the caption "selfie Sunday". A selfie, as recently added into the Webster Dictionary, means a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smart phone. This phenomenon has exploded over the last few years, and now comprises over 30% of all pictures taken by young people. (http://www.relevantmagazine.com). The question now arises: why are selfies so popular? 

In my opinion, the skyrocketing number of selfies can be attributed to the American theme of Narcissism. Narcissism is the admiration of oneself, mainly referring to physical and mental achievements. America is seen as a very narcissistic country, which would explain why people are taking so many pictures of themselves. With so many interesting things happening all around us, many Americans cannot look past their personal bubble, and decide to photograph themselves instead. This obsession with ourselves may strive from the importance the American public and media has put on material possessions. Things such as clothes, accessories, and even make-up is a way for both men and women to propel themselves into a higher class, and photographs wearing/using these material possessions may make the selfie photographer believe they are raising their social status. Also, people want to show off their stuff at all times, and selfies allow people to brag about their stuff in a discreet way. 

On a more optimistic level, the rise in the selfie may be due to the usefulness of the selfie. One of the most frustrating parts of texting is that it's very hard to convey tone. A simple photo displaying a facial expression can help to suggest sarcasm, humor, or whatever tone one wishes. 

As selfies represent the narcissistic attitude Americans hold about themselves, it also shows America's high level of innovation. Technology was missing a personal side, and selfies make this contact seem much more realistic, as it is literally face-to-face communication. I believe selfies are a very American idea, for both good and bad reasons. 

ESPN Alerts: Quick and Easy

Almost all sports fans with smart phones have one thing in common: they all receive alerts from ESPN notifying new and important stories in sports. The interesting thing about these alerts is how brief each message is. One would assume that a true sports fan would want more than a 25 word blurb about the newest news. Yet, many people are completely satisfied with the short alerts they get, and seek no more information. While thinking about this, I began to wonder: What is so appealing about these alerts?

I have come to a few explanations. My first guess is that because they are so short, they allow busy people to stay up on the current sporting events. Instead of turning on Sports Center and watching a 30 minute segment, a quick text message gets the information into their brain, and takes up a fraction of the time. This lack of available free time can be attributed to the hustle-bustle lifestyle many Americans live in this day and age.

My next conclusion that explains this phenomenon is that these alerts allow non-sports fans to talk and act like a sport fan. In modern day America, especially among males, sports is a huge talking point. For males not interested/knowledgeable about sports, a social barrier can be created. By signing up for these free alerts, a non-sports fan can get sent metaphorical flashcards filled with talking points that can help bridge the social gap created by this lack of knowledge.

My last reasoning is because they are simply the next step in the technological innovation of sports. Many sports fans, myself included, love these alerts because they make sure that there is nothing we have missed. Any major game, trade, or event happening in the sports community is documented by these alerts, and ensure that all sports fans are aware that these events are transpiring.

I believe that these ESPN alerts are a great representation of modern day America. They allow people to be knowledgeable, social, it frees up time, and ensures complete understanding. These are all themes that Americans hold near and dear to their heart. As more and more technological innovations occur, Americans will be able to know and do more, while actually doing less.