Simply Nicole

[nicolee425-blog]

My Final Project

The end is finally here and we are done with the course! I’ve learned a lot about multimedia and the millennial generation, but I also realized how much more I have to learn. For my final project, I created a Wordpress site on the topic I chose: Self Confidence and feeling comfortable in your own skin. It’s a topic that is talked about often among our generation, but I felt that there can never be enough sides to the story. So upon beginning my project, I realized how hard it is to consistently blog. Seriously, new found respect for those famous bloggers, YouTubers, etc. It is HARD to post on a schedule, or often enough to keep potential readers interested. We were assigned the project maybe 2-3 weeks ago? and I wrote down all the rough drafts of the posts I wanted to put up, but being the horrible time manager and awesome procrastinator I am, I did not start actually posting it until this past week. I do regret not being able to post more because I felt there was more multimedia platforms I could’ve explored including creating my own videos, but I do intend on continuing my blog (maybe expanding on the topic and going into fields I find myself more engrossed in). All in all, the whole process of the project was really fun. It opened up a new social media outlet for me since I had never worked with Wordpress. The difficulties I came across was 1. creating the name for my website that I felt wasn’t too cliche, but not super boring 2. actually creating the site with it’s theme, colors, fonts, and my own logo and 3. bringing myself to actually post (it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be). Putting my thoughts into words, then making it understandable for anyone else besides myself was a struggle I was not prepared to experience. 

I have learned a little more about my own voice in blogging through this project. The whole process for this project taught me a lot about maintaining my own blog, but also made me appreciate blogging more. It was a lot more freeing because it was on a topic I chose rather than the assignment blog posts we had throughout the semester. It also created a new found love for blogging for me, which is why I want to keep this Wordpress site going (like a mentioned before). I also realized that it’s hard to reach out to a wide range demographic. And it’s hard to write in a way that you hope will attract the type of audience you are aiming for. So in the end, I realized that blogging, even though you can hope for a certain type of reader, should still be a very personal thing where you write in your own voice. The people that do end up reading my blog will be the types of people that are attracted to my voice, rather than my accommodating and compromising my writing and voice to reach a certain type of reader.

Here is the link to my Wordpress!

https://faultyperfection.wordpress.com/

[nicolee425-blog]

Being Vulnerable

I’m actually SUPER excited to do this final project because we’re able to pick a topic that we are most comfortable with and most passionate about. I’ve decided to do a series of blogposts (maybe 5-8) on being comfortable in your skin and being able to proudly proclaim your identity to the world. I have always been very reserved and that did bother me at first. But I’ve come to realize that there are introverts and there are extroverts. Just because I choose to listen to people and stand on the outside doesn’t make me a lesser person than someone who is more outgoing and is comfortable receiving more attention. I will also be including Christian views of how to be comfortable in their own skin, because that is how I was able to do so.

i want to do different blogposts that include my own experiences, advice I find through research, and the stories of others. I hope that my blogposts will be very inspirational and comforting to other people who struggle with being comfortable in their own skin. I want to share how I grew from being super insecure with who I was and constantly being unsatisfied with what I was, to being an open book to others, not worrying about who I was as long as I was confident in who I am.

For technological aspects of the project, I will be using all sorts of media in my research from podcasts, videos essays, videos, and articles. For questions I want to investigate I would like to ask: 1) Why are people uncertain in their identities in the first place? 2) Where in Christianity does identity become important? (How does Christianity help in finding one’s identity?) 3) How are millennials and people today changing the way they “discover” themselves? 4) What are some practical ways to be comfy in your own skin? 5) What is the biggest obstacle to trying to find comfort in who you are and why is it so hard? Some of these questions are questions that aren’t going to be answered from research with videos and articles, but through my own experiences as well as th experiences of people around me. 

[nicolee425-blog]

Two Ways to Make College Easier

This video is so completely necessary for all Rutgers students. It’s an issue that everyone knows exists and complains about, yet I never see anyone actively try to post guides on how to “bus” at Rutgers especially. Your do’s were very helpful, especially with the hygiene rule. I’m always personally super self conscious that I smell, so i’m always careful and use  deodorant, but there are times when the bus smells like there are people that chose not to put deodorant on that day. Also, thanking the bus drivers is VERY important because without them, we would not be getting from campus to campus safely or at all. They are driving the same routes for extended amounts of time, so expressing just a quick thank you when getting off could just make their day. I liked the white board element used in the video. It made it fun and visually entertaining. 

COLLEGE KID MEALS from juliecakes on Vimeo.

Yes! I’m always struggling with deciding what to eat that would not cost a lot or take a super long time to prepare or require an extensive set of skills to make. You guys picked the perfect foods to make too because so many people (me included of course) love mac&cheese and brownies! I love the changing speeds used in your video and the “instant replay” in the mac&cheese portion. The music made it more entertaining to watch too. I’ve actually looked at so many mug recipes but have been hesitant to try them because it just looks too good to be true, but seeing that you loved the brownie mug recipe, looks like I’ll give that a try too.

[thefighter-stillremains]

The Millennial Generation has various options when it comes to eating.  However, the easiest way for the Millennials to get food is to eat out at a restaurant or get fast food. While these options seem to be the more convenient options they aren’t always the best. Eating at restaurants requires individuals to travel and also spend a decent amount of money.  Eating fast food requires traveling, can be cheaper than most options, but is also extremely unhealthy.  If individuals of the Millennial Generation took the time to make their own food they would have much healthier food choices and better options for food.  

Here our group cooked Chicken with all fresh ingredients.  We spent under $20.00 and were able to make multiple servings of our dish.  Our dish consisted of healthier eating alternatives.  We used lean meat that was skinless (chicken), reduced or low fat ingredients (fresh ingredients), low-fat cooking methods (baking), and limit high sodium ingredients (we only used a little bit of soy sauce).  Eating healthy is a real challenge for the Millennial Generation but our video really highlights that if you put in that little bit of extra effort you can have amazing results. 

Susan, Nicole, Teresa, Laura

Works Cited 

Fieri, Guy. Dirty P’s Garlic-Ginger Chicken Thighs. Food Network , n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. <http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/dirty-ps-garlic-ginger-chicken-thighs-recipe.html>.

Robinson, Lawrence, Jeanne Segal, and Robert Segal. Healthy Eating. Helpguide.org, Oct. 2015. Web. 1 Nov. 2015. <http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthy-eating.htm>.

[collectiveadventurer-blog]

Video 1: Water On Mars: “Mars is not the dry arid planet we know as” (NASA)

Hello viewers/bloggers! It’s yet another week here of blogging from yours truly. This week is all about the video world and home a plethora of videos that are out there have some kind of information to help us understand something in society. This week, in honor of one of the best films I have seen “The Martian”, and also my love for the wonders of space, I decided to look up videos regarding the most talked about news in Space. Over the past weeks there have been headlines regarding the possibility of having water present on planet Mars!

But yes, according to experts in NASA have confirmed that there is present liquid water on the surface of the rocky planet. However, this is no drinking water that we are used to here on planet Earth. According to scientists, this water is “binary” meaning that it is not drinkable. However, it is still incredible that experts are finding out that there are qualities of Earth present in another planet of the Solar System. Can you imagine having life on planet Mars? What would that mean for planet Earth? Could life possible be extended to Mars? Is Mars livable now that we are seeing water being formed there? These are just the many questions that many of us are asking ourselves regarding the possibility of life on somewhere other than our home planet, and that is what makes this topic, video, and headlines fascinating. I love reading and learning about new occurrences regarding space because it;s an environment so unknown to us. So to find the known in the unknown is also another fascinating aspect to this wondrous topic. But just imagine how life would be different if it was in another planet other than what we will home? 

If you guys are interested in learning more about what and how exactly the water on Mars got there, watching the clip above you might explain just that. Also, if anyone really just wants to learn anything science or space related, you should definitely google water on mars! Really, it’s just a fascinating topic and thing to think about. Don’t worry about all the scientific terms in these sources, they are pretty clear explaining the basics :p OH! Also, for anyone who has not watched “The Martian,” go out and see it! It’s worth the money!

[nicolee425-blog]

I just watched The Martian this weekend too and loved it! I thought it had the perfect amount of funny and sarcasm but had the real stuff in it to if that makes sense. It’s crazy to think that there could ever be life on another planet, let alone anything like water on some place so insanely far away. Life would definitely be more interesting, if we had another PLANET to go vacation at. 

[tahnylfromgeny-blog]

Oh videos, interest me :)

Ok so lets start out by saying I had no idea what to watch! I was so lost on what I wanted to watch because my attention span is not a big one! So I just ended up searching random things and came across “How to Start a Blog and Make Money.” Our generation is one that seems to be taking full advantage of making money off of social media and even building careers off of it. This video gives the following tips: 

not kill your blogs with ads and provide services

“forget yourself and think of your audience

 I liked this video because she pretty much gave her secrets of successful blogging and I thought it was cool to watch being that we are in a Blogging course. Our generation has taken blogging to a whole new level and I fully believe there is an art to blogging. To keep subscribers loyal is hard! People subscribe and unsubscribe everyday, you truly have to keep people coming back for more and keep them interested. I think blogging is sometimes underrated, it is a ton of work! Some people think by just sharing and reflagging, they have a great blog… No! Without your own material it’s just like why do you even have a blog? You aren’t and won’t be providing me with anything straight from your own thoughts or experience, everything is just recycled. Therefore, leave the blogging to those individuals that can keep the crowd coming back!

The second video I watched was one I had to watch anyway with Halloween coming up. Honestly, for the past 2 weeks, what I want to be for Halloween has been the biggest stress factor of my life LOL. So I finally decided that I want to be the Bride of Frankenstein and that’s what I am sticking with. The video I watched was a makeup tutorial on how to do the face. I liked this tutorial because she used all makeup rather than buying arts and crafts supplies. I’ve noticed that the beauty industry is truly taking over the Yotube world. There are tutorials for everything from makeup, to hair, skin routines, how to wash your face, etc. In all honesty its very informative and helpful because there are so many products out there that sometimes you would rather watch a video or two on it first than waste money and not know what to do. People make money off of these videos as well because companies pay them to review their products or just send them their products to review. Now of course, us as viewers are just hoping they are always being honest. I know me personally I’ve started using Youtube for makeup tutorials, skin regimens and hair tutorials. The hair tutorials are the best because being broke and in college, can’t always pay someone to do what you want them to do to your hair. But back to this particular video, I liked it because she recorded everything she did, listed all products listed and even gave insight in how the products lasted through the night. I commend Youtube video bloggers because I know those videos take a ton of time to make and edit 

[nicolee425-blog]

The points you made about both videos are so accurate. Blogging has almost become “the thing” to do nowadays with people our age. Even I want to start a blog, but am still struggling with what I want to concentrate on. But it really is a growing industry just like how makeup gurus on YouTube are becoming more popular. I personally am happy that there are so many of them because there are so many different types of face shapes and skin tones that it’s hard to find a YouTuber that could match your needs. With so many options though it makes it easier to mix and match to accommodate to your face shape and skin tone.

[leonieprincessbananahammock-blog]

Lemon Tea

The first video I watched was a beauty tutorial by Patricia Bright. Patricia is a popular youtube star that I discovered by accident. I normally do not wear makeup but one day I decided it would be wise for me to learn a basic routine that would be appropriate both day and night. I began searching for videos that showcased women with a similar complexion to me so that I could buy the same products they used. I kept finding great tutorials but they used entirely too much makeup for my taste. I wanted a natural look. This is how I stumbled on Patricia’s youtube channel. I love the way she does her makeup, it always looks slightly understated and professionally done. She also does a lot of other videos like style hauls and videos with her husband. In the video below Bright explains how she cleared her skin and toned out the dark spots. She washes her face like normal. This secret ingredient in her skin care regimen is lemon. A couple of times a week, after washing her face she rubs lemon all over her face then lets it dry. The acid in the lemon works as a natural toner. I can attest to this. I use to make a lot of DIY homemade beauty products and use them all the time. I made my own shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste whitener, etc. I really believe in using natural chemical free things on you skin, hair, etc. I have since gotten lazy but before I used to use the lemon about 2 times a week. My skin noticeably got brighter and my dark spots faded. If you were to try this I recommend starting out just once a week because the lemon can dry out your skin a bit.

The second video I chose was how to make Indian tea. I chose this video because I absolutely love tea. Growing up my grandfather would make me tea. He would get tea leaves and brew it in a special spot and pour me a cup of delicious earl grey tea. Those memories will forever be cherished and it was because of them my love of tea was born. I drink all types of tea. Green, white, black, chai, chamomile it doesn’t matter I love tea. Through different jobs I have had the opportunity to taste authentic Indian tea. After drinking it nearly every day for an entire summer, it quickly became my favorite. Now I almost exclusively drink some form of Indian tea. I usually do not have the time to make a good batch like the one in the video. Instead I go to the Indian marketplace and buy Masala tea. I mix three parts water to  one part 1 milk and add a little bit of sugar. If you try this recipe or any Indian tea recipe it is important that you drink your tea with either cake rusk or biscotti. This completes the tea experience. It has come to a point where I can not fully enjoy tea unless I have one of these things. For me tea time is me time. I use it as a few minutes of relaxation and I really look forward to it each day.

[nicolee425-blog]

I like how you chose videos that were about the things you enjoy and love the most! I agree that learning how to do anything with makeup is hard and finding that one YouTuber that caters to your needs with the same complexion is even harder. I love tea too so that second video I something I’ll definitely give a try. I’ve always gone straight to the different types of tea bags and simple tea leaves you just leave in hot water, but seeing such a different type of tea made so meticulously makes it look more worth the time and yummier. 

[nicolee425-blog]

Why is the sky blue?

i chose to look at a completely random video that answered that question all little kids ask: “Why is the sky blue?” In the video by The Curious Engineer titled “Why is the Sky Blue and not Violet?”, this question along with other questions like why the sun is yellow or why clouds are white, are answered. The format of the video was a voice over while the imagery was a cartoon depiction of the information being relayed by The Curious Engineer. It was much more entertaining and catered to visual learners than a video of a person staring at a camera spitting the information at you would be. This informational video did well to answer a question we all wonder about at one point and made it interesting to watch as well. Video essays don’t have to be just boring recitations of information with a qualified person on screen, but can and I think should be made more fun so people actually want to watch it.

Another video I came across was about cake. Yes, I was watching food and baking videos and then found this one that was more informational than just watching someone cook/bake. But this video really proves how sciencey baking is. With fat ratios, to flavors, to acidic reactions and combining all these ingredients to create the perfect chemical reaction that is a delicious chocolate cake, Thomas Joseph shows the viewer how important a little more butter and chocolate can change the entirety of the cake. I actually LOVED this video because i love food and baking especially. Usually I will just watch videos of people baking without any explanation as to why they put in the ingredients they use. Being able to see the chemistry behind it using ingredients we wouldn’t normally relate to anything having to do with chemistry was very intriguing. I definitely found a new YouTube channel to subscribe to!

[bloggingdeadpool]

On a chilly, fall night, Podcast 219 came into existence on the second floor of Scott Hall on the College Avenue campus of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.  Composed of Asia, Lauren, and myself, we recorded “Netflix and Chill…or nah?: Dating in the Millennial Generation” in our namesake room, 219. 

This podcast focuses on the subject of online dating and the language that shapes the dynamic of our relationships in cyberspace and beyond.  As Millennials, we live in a truly remarkable time where we are afforded the ability to explore an entirely different dating pool than generations before us never could have been able to experience.   In this podcast, we touch on how we are able to connect with people around the globe although many of our encounters occur with those within relatively close geographical distance.  Even with this, many people take to utilizing the affordances of altering who they truly are before meeting others in person in a concept called “catfishing”.   We will also cover how Millennials have also developed certain terms, phrases, and other forms of language that has shaped the way in which we interact with each other.  

So join us on a comical exploration of the way the advancement of technology in our society has changed the dating scene, and let us know your thoughts and opinions!

                                                 Works Cited 

“Hey, Bae, It’s Time to DTR. Dating Lingo, Interpreted.” <i>Washington Post</i>. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2015.         

 "Online Dating: Advantages According to U.S. Singles 2013 | Statistic.“ <i>Statista</i>. N.p., Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2015.    

Toma, C. L., J. T. Hancock, and N. B. Ellison. "Separating Fact From Fiction: An Examination of  Deceptive Self-Presentation in Online Dating Profiles.” <i>Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</i> 34.8 (2008): 1023-036. Web.

“U.S. Adults Who Met Their Spouse or Partner Online 2013, by Age | Statistic.” <i>Statista</i>. N.p., May 2013. Web. 03 Oct. 2015.    

“U.S. Dating Websites Ranked by Visits 2015.” <i>Statista</i>. N.p., June-July 2015. Web. 03 Oct. 2015.

“What percentage of  people are in committed relationships with people the met online?”.“5 Facts about Online Dating.” <i>Pew Research Center RSS</i>. N.p., 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 03 Oct. 2015.

(via https://soundcloud.com/asia-dockery/netflix-chill-or-nah-dating-in-the-millennial-generation?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

[nicolee425-blog]

Your podcast flowed so well from the intro through your conversations and topics. It was fun to hear all the  terminology coined by all the “young people” today. I definitely felt a little old not knowing what some of the words were. You guys all investigated all the words with such interest and a lot of input. It made listening to the podcast fast and entertaining! Referring to “dad-bods”, it’s funny how we can make trends out of almost anything. I feel like it’s about the whole self expression mentality, where we are always trying to make new terms and new trends to make ourselves stand out. Honestly, I can see somewhere down the road an entire substandard language being developed with all these new terms being developed what feels like every week and month. The stats you guys talked about were actually surprising for me too like with eHarmony. I definitely thought eHarmony would have the biggest number of users, but I guess being free or having to pay really affects the numbers. I personally don’t use online dating stuff but looking at it objectively, it just looks a lot more efficient than going out and trying to meet people randomly. Overall, really enjoyed your podcast. It could definitely be an actual podcast!

[thoughtfulbananamentality-blog]

(via https://soundcloud.com/user-456970804/millennials-in-social-media?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

Who thought a 6 second video could make you famous? Well in our first podcast, “The Impact of Social Media,” Raul, Julie, and myself talk about probably one of the most talked about topics in our generation; millennials. In our podcast we revolve around the revolution of social media and what it has done to those who create their own material using different social media platforms like YouTube, Vine, and even Snapchat. So what can happen after making videos for these different platforms? If you get known, companies will actually reach out to you to promote their products. So people who reach up to 250,000-300,000 followers are big enough to work with. In our podcast, we interview three well known internet celebrities who made their debut by simply posting a video on social media. They probably didn’t think it’d turn out the way it did, but they’re doing better now than they were before. Our three guests are Tyler Oakley, Lilly Singh aka Superwoman, and Jerome Jarre. Hope you enjoy! Works Cited “The Fast-Growing, Profitable Market For Kid "Influencer” Endorsements On Twitter, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, And Pinterest.“ Fast Company. N.p., 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. Tyler Oakley: Birth of a YouTube Superstar | FRONTLINE. YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYtW9zbBzeU>. Superwoman (Lilly Singh) on Youtube Success, World Tour, #StupidCute: Media Spotlight UK. YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trB80IzVKqs>. IISuperwomanII Answers Your Questions | What’s Trending LIVE. YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHyKEhbqXho>. Social Media Star on the Art of Making Viral Videos. ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2015. <http://abcnews.go.com/Business/video/social-media-star-art-making-viral-videos-24790081>. The Goodbye Song for Children. YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcws7UWWDEs>. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown (Clean) HD. N.d. YouTube. Web. 09 Oct. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUsL89gKBNo>. Round and Round. N.d. Jamendo. Web. 08 Oct. 2015. <http://jamen.do/t/1178009>.

[nicolee425-blog]

One of the amazing benefits of being millennials and entering the job market in this society is the ability to create our own careers/jobs. I remember watching a Youtuber Jenn Im’s video with her best friend, Stephanie. One of the questions they asked was what their dream job was to which they responded with the same answer. They both want to create their own jobs because who else know what makes you happiest better than yourself? Just like you guys talk about, we are all about individualism and self expression. The jobs that generations before us created are not compatible to what millennials want to do today. It was interesting to learn about how companies reach out to people who have accounts or videos that go viral. It shows how society is accomodating, or changing, to use social media as a means of earning money. The fact that we can make money on making videos about the things we love is awesome!

[thefighter-stillremains]

(via https://soundcloud.com/susan-627772661/opening-for-podcast-for-sound-cloud?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=tumblr)

Susan, Teresa, and Mengjie 

The Millennial generation is known as the generation of technology.  Since birth we have all grown up with various sources of technology at our fingertips.  We have been around for the birth of social media and it has now become any everyday part of our lives. Social media comes in many forms, from text posts and blogs, to images, and videos.  We focused specifically on the social media outlets of tumblr, instagram, and snapchat. We found that individuals use these social media outlets a lot, specifically to share things about their everyday lives. Here we interview individuals and give our input on how social media effects the way individuals actually view themselves.  

Works Cited

Buckley, Olivia. Teens and Tumblr: What’s the Issue?. N.p., 24 Jan. 2012. Web. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/olivia-buckley/teens-and-tumblr-whats-th_b_1224867.html>.

Clasen, Anthony. Why is Instagram so Important to Millennials . N.p., 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 2015. <http://blog.iconosquare.com/instagram-important-millennials/>.

Ehmke, Rachel. Teens and Social Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 2015. <http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2013-11-26-self-esteem-and-anxiety-digital-age>.

Let’s Chat . N.p., 9 May 2012. Web. 2015. <http://blog.snapchat.com/post/22756675666/lets-chat>.

Soltero, Álvaro. The Relationship between Social Media and Self Worth . N.p., n.d. Web. 2015. <http://thesocialu101.com/the-relationship-between-social-media-and-self-worth/>.

[nicolee425-blog]

Your choice of topic is very relevant to today’s society and it made me think about how I view the social media outlets I use. A few of the questions that were asked in your first interview were asking how we view ourselves through social media and I found it very interesting. We are always in want of more likes and more attention on the content we post. I agree with a lot of what Dina answers. We seek instant gratification and praise from peers and sometimes even strangers. The purpose of social media in today’s context, particularly snapchat, is to almost show off and boast about all the events and cool activities we do. I also liked how you brought in the issue of stalking/cyberbullying because it is such a relevant danger with all this access to social media outlets and different websites that enable us to communicate with strangers. Social media has made it easier for people to feel more confident behind the screen, just like how Amanda talks about her friend who is conceited, posting selfies on Instagram all the time. 

[nicolee425-blog]

Fashion and Music

Nicole and Edressa

Music and Fashion has shown to be one of the most power things that can define a culture and a particular period in time. For us, we decided to focus on music and fashion during the period of 80s and 90s. We wanted to make it more specific to millennials who were born in the timeline that characterizes millennials of the 80s and 90s and how growing up in those periods helped influence the way that they use music and fashion and integrate the two together. We also slightly dived into the idea of social causes and social justice and how that somehow influenced or was influenced by music and fashion in the 80s and 90s all the way to now. .Lastly, for our interview, we were able to take a slightly different direction by trying to understand the way millennials from other countries understood music and fashion in their culture and also in the context of American culture. This puts things into perspective as to how music and fashion not just of the 80s and 90s but in general can impact people culturally and beyond.

Van Dyke Lewis. “Music and Fashion.” Love to Know. Love to Know.

2 October 2015. Web. http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-history-eras/music-fashion

Complex Magazine. “The 90s Greatest 90s Fashion Trends.” Complex Magazine: Complex Style., 22. Sept. 2011. Web. 2 October 2015.

http://www.complex.com/style/2011/09/the-90-greatest-90s-fashion-trends/

Michelle Persad. “90s Fashion Trends That Made You Cool Back in the Day” .” The Huffington Post., 9 April. 2013. Web. 2 October 2015.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/90s-fashion-trends_n_3040200.html

Radio Website

http://www.last.fm/tag/90s/artists

“Music and its Influence on fashion: Decade by Decade Part 2.” A Stylish Living. Wordpress.com, Web. 3 October 2015.

https://astylishliving.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/music-its-influence-on-fashion-decade-by-decade-part-2/

Complex Magazine. “The 80s Greatest 80s Fashion Trends.” Complex Magazine. Complex Style., 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 3, October 2015.

http://www.complex.com/style/2012/12/the-80-greatest-80s-fashion-trends/

[nicolee425-blog]

Podcast Preview

A clip from our podcast recording:

[rachel-blogs-sometimes-blog]

Generation Hire Me!

Watch out, millennials are entering the job market! We’re graduating from university with degrees under our belts, many of us having advanced degrees, multiple majors, and technical skills. We have our resume lined with achievements of extracurricular and unpaid internships. We spent years thriving within the academic context, most of us doing so while juggling additional jobs to pay for this golden ticket of a college degree. We were told this would be our ticket to success. A ticket many of us made sacrifices to obtain. So with these idolized papers in hand, we enter the job market. A job market that now tells us these papers, while necessities, are not guarantees for the position. We are asked for years of experience for an entry level job and are mocked when we attempt to relate our university experience. A societally required experience that took us out of the job market in the first place where we could have devoted our time to gaining that oh so valuable “entry level” job experience instead of worrying about graduation requirements. Millennials are graduating and ready to enter the job market … or are we really?

Before even submitting our application, us millennials already face the stigma surrounding our generation. We may be educated, we may be qualified, we may hold great potential, yet many employers assume the worst just from a quick glance of our date of birth.

Although the above video can be classified as a parody, many employers group our entire generation to act this way. Maybe we all do act this way because I can’t help but think some of the statements in the video hold legitimacy. Specifically the opening line of “so glad I graduated with honors so I can make copies all day.” Can you blame us millennials for being angered that our thousands of dollars college experience amounted to the oh so glamorous job of copy assistant. A college experience that is even more necessary yet requires exponentially more sacrifice than generations before. Can you really blame us for being mad that we have to suffer 10-15 more years of college loan payments because that’s what was required of us to secure a job that required no more skills than copying and organizing office supplies? Of course you can. We’re just the ungrateful millennials. 

Our generation is the scapegoat older generations just love to exploit. Millennials are mad at the no-win world the baby boomers have created. The video cites destroying the environment, creating the unpaid internship, and destruction of the economy - just to name a few. Older generations don’t understand the technological shift of the work place. Computers and phones are only seen as leisure activities, not as methods of productivity. Failing to understand technology’s contribution, we’re seen as lazy for being on these devices when in reality we’re being efficient. Our hard work is not compensated or even acknowledged simply for existing in modern technological realm. We’re millennials and we’re fighting an uphill seemingly losing battle to acquire work. We’re not lazy, we’re efficient. We’re not entitled, we’re motived. We are not selfish, we are angered yet determined to beat the rules of an unfair game.  

[nicolee425-blog]

YES. It’s so frustrating applying to all these entry level jobs and then having to provide proof of several years of experience. These employers make it so hard for college graduates to get that first job out of school to start building up their experience. I also agree with your point that we are the scapegoats for older generations. They made the world we live in today, yet they’re always blaming us for not being able to find a stable job, or wanting more. It’s really just a difference in generation that I think older ones can’t seem to accept or acknowledge.

[theabsoluteartist-blog]

Millennials, Me, and Depression

           Now, I don’t know about how you all feel, but for me, it’s just plum difficult to get out of bed more often than not. And I don’t just mean I’m too tired to get up. This is a kind of exhaustion that goes beyond the physical; it’s left me mentally drained, physically weak, and with a lack of desire to do anything. I’ve barely been eating, my sleep schedule has hit a bare minimum, and my work habits have been drastically slacking. This sort of thing is known as clinical depression, and it isn’t just me who is feeling the effects of this illness.

           While I felt the effects of depression when I was much younger, these more difficult side effects have emerged in my more recent college years. This college emergence of depression is incredibly common, and it’s believed that at least 44 percent of college students have experienced symptoms of depression. The article talks about Millennials as being the products of “being groomed to be academic overachievers, but became, in reality, emotional underachievers.” While it acknowledges the feelings these Millennials have, it seems to focus more on this concept that we need to learn how to cope.

           I agree somewhat- some people don’t have the coping capabilities of others, and those are skills we learn with experience. However, feelings are valid, regardless of how extreme they might seem to an outside party. In my case, my motivation to do anything has drastically declined, and I’m constantly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Sometimes I go through phases where it is easier to encourage myself to get out of bed and be productive with my day. Sometimes one event takes my life by storm and my sadness flares back up in ways unimaginable. Sometimes it’s difficult to do anything when you don’t have the energy to- likewise, when you don’t have the energy to begin with, it is difficult to do even the most minute of things you set out to.

           Depression is often concurrent with levels of stress and anxiety, and Millennials most definitely feel the repercussions of these issues as well. There are higher demands of Millennials in both school and the work force, and that certainly adds to what makes us as a generation anxious and overwhelmed.  While my stress and anxieties aren’t necessarily a result of my hefty workload (I have been overextending myself for years), it does have something to do with the prospect of not feeling adequate in my planned field of study. I ideally would like to go into art therapy, which is a form of psychology. With all of these issues I’m attempting to tackle, sometimes things seem incredibly bleak. I often find myself wondering if I would ever be able to help someone else if I feel like I am incapable of helping myself. Being depressed is often sugar coated as merely “being in a funk,” and that it can be easily overcome. Sometimes it can. Sometimes it takes work: a LOT of work. But there is always a light at the end of the tunnel (and if you’ve managed to get through this entire blog watching me rant a little, bless your little souls).

[nicolee425-blog]

First, thank you for sharing your experience with depression. I feel that so many people suffer from it, but not enough people are able to talk about it, which I think makes it harder to deal with it. The biggest thing to remember when you’re feeling at your lowest, is that regardless of how exhausted you feel, there will be a day where it will be better. Nothing lasts forever, including the bad things (even though we all wish the best things did last forever). Just like your last gif, never lose hope!

[laurenimc-blog]

Millennial Dating

Online dating has become increasingly more popular over the years. In 2005, 44%, said they think online dating is a good way to meet people. In 2013 that number rose to 59%.  With these statistics its safe to say we all do it, and some of us even have a profile on more than one site or app at the same time. As of June of this year Match.com has over 35 million significant users, and Plenty of Fish doesn’t fall too far behind at 23 million users. OkCupid another site used by many Millennials has 10.15 million users and, to my surprise, eHarmony only had 7.1 million users.  

Keep reading

[nicolee425-blog]

You picked a super interesting topic to blog about. One of the reasons for using online dating websites and apps that wasn’t included in the study you talked about is how I’ve heard people say that they use these sites and apps because they don’t have the time to do the searching and the looking around themselves. The ease at which our generation tries to date now is reflective of how we want instant gratification. Yes, dating online does expand your dating pool, but it also takes away the effort you put into “finding” that person as well. It’s weird to see how much dating has changed and how many millions of people have hopped on board with online dating.

[nicolee425-blog]

A Different Language

So this weekend I had a huge wiff of the technology we millennials use today. For those of you who don’t know, the Rutgers Fall Hackathon was this weekend on College Ave. From the start of the hackathon, everything sounded like a different language to me, an English major with no programming or coding experience. There were speakers from Morgan Stanely, Google, Github, and other companies. They even had the creater of C++ come as the keynote speaker which I assumed was a big thing to the hackers, but meant virtually nothing to me (I felt a little bad about not caring). Despite being unfamiliar with any coding or hacking language, all of this information these speakers threw at me still sounded intense with their coding demonstrations, the offers they had for excellent hackers, and what their companies were looking to invent and program. 

I honestly didn’t know what I was going to write for this blog post, but then it seemed so appropriate to talk about the hackathon. The first one at Rutgers was x amount of years ago (maybe 4 or 5? not really sure). And that one was SO much smaller than the ones we have now. Back then there’d be a few tables with hackers trying to make apps and it was much more casual. NOW there are hundreds of hackers that fill up the College Ave Student Center, crowding together and struggling to find seats. 

The popularity that hackathons have reached today is proof of how much technology has taken over our generation and how important technology is. SO many students are discovering new ways to code and hack, new apps to develop, and new everything else computer that we didn’t know about like ten years ago. The purpose of using these hackers has also become more important. One of the companies, Morgan Stanley (I think), was offering a prize of a analysis of the winner’s eligibility to work with them, along with an overnight stay at the company and the choice to win an oculus rift or a personal 3D printer. The prize would only go to someone who could develop any sort of app that would help children’s hospitals (I can’t remember the details because I started spacing out after the coding talk). Nevertheless, I was and still am amazed at how much an app could do (like the Rutgers Buses one developed by a hacker at last semester’s hackathon), and how important the use of technology and the ability to manipulate it has become so crucial to helping society today.

Hackathon made me want to learn coding because it’s a different language that is becoming more and more prominent. I feel that down the road (not sure how far down the road) coding will be an essential part of the workplace for all employees. Just knowing how to analyze books and Google things won’t be enough. So it looks like I’ll be learning new language: coding.