#czarinablogpost

By: Czarina Ramos

From my personal experience, I never thought that it would be possible to have the words “Facebook” and “productivity” in the same sentence. I feel like others much like myself, tend to negatively associate anything social media related with inefficiency. After all, this is the reason why most businesses ban such sites from being accessed on their office computers.

Whenever I sit down on my computer to try and start an essay I usually end up talking to a friend through Facebook chat or watching hours worth of videos on YouTube. Of course my laziness and lack of motivation have on impact on my tendency to procrastinate. However, I find it so much easier to find ways to be distracted when I’m fully connected to social media. My addiction to social media is so incontrollable that I actually have to go on an official hiatus during exam periods.

Before reading Madeline Vann’s article on “Social Media Success with ADHD” I never thought of social media as more than a distraction. For this reason, I found Vann’s article to be very interesting and ironic. Vann talks about the benefits of social media to those individuals diagnosed with ADHD. It’s great that people are starting to take a more positive perspective on social media, as it creates a medium for individuals to creatively channel their ideas and openly express their feelings.

Many people use sites like Tumblr and other blog sites to create online diaries or even inform others on interesting topics, projects, and issues (e.g. the affect of social media on health in year 2020). Social media can be a great learning tool for students as it allows them to share and retrieve information at such a quick rate. Joseph Baker of Edudemic explains the many benefits of social media use for teens and students in his article called “How Students Benefit from Using Social Media” (Baker, 2013).

Through investigation we have learned that social media can be a beneficial tool, but it is also important to remember that too much of it can be detrimental to our learning and overall health. For this reason, it is important for users to remember that a balance needs to exist between work and play. 

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By: Czarina Ramos

Many people believe that obesity is socially contagious. Then you think about it, this theory is not completely ridiculous. It is human nature to be influenced by other people’s actions. Say for example, you have a friend who is obese, then they may put you at a higher risk for becoming obese yourself. While the same theory can hold true for siblings, genetics are not fully to blame. In December 2011, Dr. Anthony Komaroff published an article called Social Networks can Affect Weight and Happiness in Harvard Health Publications. Dr. Komaroff points out a study that examined how a participant’s chance of becoming obese would increase by 57% if they had a friend who also became obese (Komaroff, 2011).

Obesity and becoming overweight can be easily spread through social media because when an individual sees someone they know doing something, then they can accept this behaviour as normal. Whenever I log onto Facebook, I see pictures of my friends from high school, and notice that they have become heavier over time. This weight gain could be due to the psychological and emotional stresses from college/university and other responsibilities. However, when I look at their pictures I see weight gain as a nature and inevitable process—but it doesn’t have to be that way.

While social networking can easily be connected with the rise in obesity rates, there are ways where it can also be used to positively effect one’s overall health. There are now tools available that can actually combine social networking with weight loss. Social sites like MyFitnessPal.com, allow the user to track their food intake and exercise while connecting with others who have the same goal. Sharing your health goals online can be a great way for people to gain encouragement from their friends and also meet other great people willing to share their experiences and provide support.

If we let social media negatively impact our eating and dietary habits, then it will. Changing habits can be a bit of a challenge for most, but if we don’t start making healthy eating and exercise habits now then I wouldn’t be surprised if the current obesity rate doubled by year 2020. No one needs to go this fight alone. The best thing to do to fight against the battle of obesity would be to get your friends and family actively involved with your new goals. Since your health behaviours can have an impact on the behaviour of others, it is important to share your achievements to inspire them to do the same.

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By: Czarina Ramos

Social media has become the new drug of choice for many in the twenty-first century. Once you start it is hard to withdraw from. There’s something about using social media that makes it so addicting. Perhaps it’s the feeling of content when a user refreshes their feed to find out the latest real-time updates from their friends. Social media is a great way for people to meet new people and stay connected with old friends. The irony comes when people actually arrange to meet in real life and still think it’s socially acceptable to be on their phone the entire time. 

Marisa Murray’s observation pretty much hit the nail on the head. Whenever I go out for dinner, I am guaranteed to find at least one person at each table who spends the entire night on their phone. I will admit, once in a while I’ll pull out my phone during a date to check up on how everyone else’s Friday night is going on Facebook. Sometimes, I almost forget that I’m being rude for sending a Tweet while my friend is fully engaged in conversation with me. Amanda Forest’s hypothesis on how Facebook is more appealing to those who are socially awkward does hold some truth to it. Whenever I’m in a new or unfamiliar situation I tend to pull out my phone because it makes me feel safe. If I’m in a room full of strangers with no one to talk to, at least I feel connected when I log onto Facebook and have someone I can chat with.  

Social media has made face-to-face human interaction a thing of the past. Facebook Addiction Disorder – The 6 Symptoms of FAD posted by Amy Summers of SocialTimes in May 2011, talks about how Facebook addiction is affecting the healthy balance of the typical user. Summers explains the term “Facebook Addiction Disorder,” defined by 6 symptoms: tolerance, withdrawl symptoms, reduction of normal social activities, virtual dates, fake friends, and complete addiction (Summers, 2011). There may not be enough clinical evidence out there right now to prove that FAD is a real condition. However, it is apparent that Facebook has addictive properties, and perhaps we should start to implement interventions for those who need it and treat it as any other addiction.  

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By: Czarina Ramos

With social media increasing rise in popularity, many are investigating whether these social networking outlets actually have any benefit to the user’s health. Whenever the topic of social media and health is brought up, the common consensus is to associate its use with weight gain. However, recent studies have shown that there may actually be a way for social media to actually help an individual lose weight.

Whenever I scroll down the feed on any of my social networking sites, one of the things I always notice first are articles or status updates related to health. I can guarantee that we all have at least one health nut on our friend’s list. They’re usually the ones who post recipes for “Gluten-free Couscous salad” or constantly update their status to say, “spending the day at the gym.” There are many reasons why people tend to share these updates with their friends. According to an article posted on ACE Fitness called, “Does social media help or hinder your clients’ weight-loss efforts?” research shows that individuals do this to gain social support and a sense of self worth and accomplishment (Green, 2013). Whenever someone posts an Instagram picture of themselves lifting weights at the gym and receives dozens of “likes” then it motivates them to continue doing what they’re doing, because they know they are getting a lot of support.

It’s always a nice to post a picture of yourself 50 pounds lighter than you were a year ago, and have so many people respond positively to you with words of encouragement and congratulations. Of course, over time having those few friends who post constantly about healthy diet and exercise tips may get annoying. I feel like most of the time my friends get annoyed with these kinds of people because they are jealous. However, I believe having friends who are concerned about their health and well-being can be very beneficial. Instead of being irritated with their posts, people should actually view them as a source of motivation. Just think, “hey, if they can do it, I can do it too!”

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By: Czarina Ramos

Adolescence is the most difficult stage of life, especially in western society. When youths start to undergo puberty, it becomes a very complicated and confusing time for them. At this stage of life, children begin to develop into young adults and may become increasingly self-conscious about their image.

I remember when I was just starting high school in grade 9. At this point Facebook and Twitter were becoming popular and everyone had an account. Back then, people didn’t care who they were Facebook friends with. People would always just accept requests and send them out to everyone, the more friends you had the more popular people thought you were.

In high school I was a very shy person. I wouldn’t say I was “unpopular” or a “loser” but I had my own small group of friends and wasn’t the party type of person. Whenever I was alone or with a couple of my friends, we would log onto Facebook, and our Newfeed would be filled with pictures and pictures from a party that happened the night before. Of course, the people posting these pictures were from the more “popular” group of kids. The girls were thin, blonde, and beautiful, while the guys were tall, muscular, and handsome. Perfect is the only word to describe their lives. Every time I logged onto Facebook I thought to myself, “why can’t I be more like them?”

It’s not hard to believe that teens can actually become depressed from using social media sites. Click Here to find out more information about "social media depression" and why experts believe it's a growing concern. These days, no one seems to be content with what they have. Everyone is so busy thinking about the things that they don’t have, that they forget to appreciate the things that they do have. Teens and other social media users need to get a reality check and realize that there’s always more to a person than what they decide to share online.   

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By: Czarina Ramos

Today’s society makes it very difficult and confusing for someone to be comfortable in his or her own skin. In Western culture, the media creates the standard of the ideal body type by glamorizing figures that are “lean” and “slim”. Since this is happening, many people go on crash diets or give up food entirely to obtain this view of perfection.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association a person suffers from an eating disorder when they become obsessed with their weight and diet (CMHA, n. d.). Eating disorders are both a mental and physical disorder that has the potential to be life threatening. There are many causes for people to develop an eating disorder. The most common causes include: low self-esteem, lack of control, and poor body image (CMHA, n. d.).

On October 5th, 2013 Nature World News posted an online article titled “Social Networking Sites Promoting Eating Disorders”. The article explores the idea of how teens are easily influenced by what they see on social media, and how these influences allow them to develop poor eating habits (“Social Networking Sites,” 2013). The article further discusses current physical trends such as “thigh gaps” (ie. when someone stands with their feet together without their thighs touching), and how obtaining these physical goals create added pressures into the average teen’s life (“Social Networking Sites,” 2013). Many people are aware of these fads because of how quickly they spread through social media.

As an active and frequent user of Facebook and Pinterest, I can vouch for the fact that I am aware of some exercise and diet fads. I have many friends who share articles on “5 Minute Brazilian Butt Lifts,” and “No Carbs” or “Soup Only” diets. Many people are lazy and look for the easy way out, which is why these insanity workouts and diets are so common.

The great thing about social media is you get to choose what you want your followers and friends to see. Social media is a great way for people to show off.  Of course, no one wants to post a picture of themselves when they aren’t looking their best. What some people with low-self esteem don’t realize is that looks can be deceiving. Education and emotional support play important roles in preventing eating disorders. It is important for youths to be informed on how even models on magazine covers require some sort of Photoshop to look the way they do.  

In the end, we are all human and we have imperfections that make us who we are. Instead of focusing on others, it is important for us to focus on ourselves and appreciate what we have. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to be confident, because that is what truly makes us beautiful.

References:

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Facts about eating disorders. (n.d) retrieved March 10, 2014, from Canadian Mental Health Association Web Site: http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/facts-about-eating-disorders/#.Ux6bd-ewJFE

By: Czarina Ramos

Our generation and every generation after ours will be inaugurated into the age of technology. Children are quick learners as they are very impressionable. My niece is only two years old and she already owns and operates her own iPad! Today, children can use the internet to watch videos, play games, and even learn new things. Despite the many benefits the internet has to offer, there are also many negatives that come with excessive internet use especially since most of the time kids aren’t being monitored when they go online.

There are a number of things that can put a child at risk from having their own social media account, (e. g. viewing inappropriate materials, and online predators). One of the biggest risks for today’s youth is online bullying. Bullying is something that has been around many decades before the internet even existed. However, now the internet has made cyberbullying possible for children to become victims of harassment at their own homes.

Social media makes it easier for bullies to torment their victims, because with a click of a button they are able to send a nasty message or post an embarrassing picture for everyone to see. Many parents are unaware of whether their children are being bullied because their kids may be reluctant to report it. Some people don’t even view cyberbullying as a problem because it is thought to be a victimless crime in the sense that no one is getting physically abused. Even though cyberbullying doesn't leave any physical damage, it can contribute to a low self esteem and eventually suicide. This letter written by a 2nd year student at Wilfred Laurier University talks about how social media is becoming the new platform for suicide notes.

Of course, many believe that bullying is a part of growing up—but it really shouldn’t have to be. It is never appropriate to harass someone verbally, physically, or emotionally. Unfortunately, the chances of fully getting rid of this problem are impossible. However, the problem can be reduced by taking the following measures to educate: parents, teachers, and children about the issue and provide them with available resources for help. 

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By: Czarina Ramos

It may be hard to believe, but winter is coming to an end! With the spring season right around the corner, more people are starting to seriously hit the gym to get their “beach bodies” summer-ready. While some are engaging in an active approach to weight loss, others are frustrated because they don’t understand why they are having so much trouble losing a few extra pounds.  

Obesity rates have made a noticeable rise for the past couple of years. According to a study by Memorial University in St. John’s “obesity rates in Canada have tripled between 1983 and 2011,” (“Canada’s Obesity Rates,” 2014). Shockingly, Canada’s obesity rates have basically tripled in less than 30 years! According to this analysis, medical professionals estimate that by around 2020 approximately 21% of adults in Canada will be obese (“Canada’s Obesity Rates,” 2014).

So what does any of this have to do with social media? Well, not too long ago everyone was blaming the television for the reason why people were gaining weight. Today, the same story seems to be happening with sites like, Facebook. Facebook is great because it allows users to connect with friends without having to leave their home (or bed). Therefore, Facebook and other social networking sites are seen as a sedentary activities because they involve minimal physical activity.

The reason why people are gaining weight because of Facebook is due to the amount of time they spend online. The more time you spend online, the less time you spend on physical activity (Young, n. d.). This rationale makes sense, because when you think about it: if an hour of your time is invested into surfing around on Facebook, then that’s an hour not spent on playing sports or working out. An article in Men’s Fitness.com called, “Is Facebook Making You Fat?” suggests that users should set a time limit (one hour a day) for social media use to avoid overuse. The article also recommends using Facebook as a “weight-loss motivator” by updating your status to something active. For example, sharing your fitness goals and progress with friends can actually inspire them to become active as well (Young, n. d.).

It’s easy for people to place blame on something else rather than actually doing something about it. I’m not saying that we should all tire ourselves out on the treadmill everyday until our legs give out. Working-out is not everyone’s “thing”, but getting up and moving around is much better than sitting and doing nothing. My advice: the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and actually see results starts when you click “log-off” and go out for a walk—it’s all about baby steps, my friends.  

References:

Canada's obesity rates triple in less than 30 years. (2014, March, 3). retrieved March 8, 2014, from CBC News Health Web Site: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-s-obesity-rates-triple-in-less-than-30-years-1.2558365