Weekend update!

Hello folks! Guess where I was this last weekend? CALIFORNIA! Road Trip!!!
We spent an entire day just chilling on the beach for 7 hours. We laughed our heads off. Literally. [it was super uncomfortable.] We shared life stories - particularly dating stories. We bonded so very much. We played football and soccer on the beach. We got our feet wet. We didn't get enough sleep. We didn't do any homework. We played liars dice in a jacuzzi. We saw the San Diego temple. We ate delicious food. We played games. We sang songs. We got sunburnt. We did lots of driving. We had absolutely no plans at the beginning and the whole trip was so spontaneous. We remembered what it was like to see the sun and to be warm. We strengthened our friendships.
Yes, overall it was spectacular. I went with 3 of my wonderful friends and I just love them even more after this trip. The weekend was way too short for my liking.
Here's a quick pic of our beach partying:

And here's our tooth brush partying:

Now I'm back in school, and struggling. Ever heard of senioritis? Yeah, it's a real thing. I have not wanted to do homework EVER this semester. Bad news bears, if you ask me.

I think a lot.
It is not just problems in the world that I have learned not to think about, but concerns in my own life as well. When something happens that should make me mad, I just don't think about it and I am able to forgive and move on easily. When I like a boy, I just push t out of my mind and don't think about it because if I think, I freak myself out and over analyze, so I don't think at all. (this is potentially a terrible plan in dating situations) When I am faced with stressful situations or sad events, I just don't think about it and focus on other things. It's probably not the most healthy way to handle myself, but it's been decently effective thusfar in my life. Though I feel like sometimes it makes me emotionally disconnected from others. That can sometimes prove a problem, but I'm working on it.

Thoughts on Injustice

There is so much injustice in the world.

A lot of the times I say that I don't think about things. And by things I mean everything in the world; every serious concern, every problem, every action. I just am not a thinker, and I just kind of go with whatever happens and don't worry about it. But I've come to a realization recently. I have trained myself to not think about things, because when I do buckle down and think about problems, I get really worked up. I get entirely consumed in the injustice of the world. I can be very opinionated about problems in the world and I want everyone to just be kind and act fairly. I just get so frustrated. And thus, I end up rambling, and just beating the same idea into the ground many times over... which I'm about to do right now.

An injustice that I am currently frustrated with (and have been for years): the way most facilities handle juvenile delinquents.
I recognize that most facilities do not have the resources to hire exceptional counselors and to utilize the best of the best in rehabilitation, but honestly, I am immensely saddened by the way that delinquency is handled in our country. Most of these delinquent youths have not been given the opportunities to better their lives. They were raised in difficult home situations, often with relatives who struggle themselves and are living lives that will lead them to being locked up as well. It's a never ending, vicious cycle of crime, lack of education, lack of resources, and lack of discipline. These kids are not given the chance to become better and they often don't even realize that they are stuck in a terrible world that has condemned them. Now don't get me wrong, obviously it's not completely due to environment that kids become delinquent, it's very much a consequence of their individual thoughts and actions as well, but I think the grand majority of the blame ought to be placed on the environment. If we can improve their environment, then we are improving their chances of succeeding in a productive, law-abiding life. And these detention centers, rehabilitation centers, and other facilities for delinquents often do not give these kids the opportunities they deserve. They need caring, patient counselors who are willing to spend as much time as it will take to help these kids in whatever they need. Those who will go above and beyond their job; who realize that though this is their job, it's much more important than that - they are influencing these kids and potentially changing their lives. They need to be the best influence possible and show their concern.

Soapbox end. This is what being a sociology major does to you.

Technology

So... it's been a while. I don't think I've ever gone this long without blogging. But I'm back! December flashed by and so has half of January. I'm into a new semester and I love school. I've just developed this love of thinking and analyzing, and that is what this post is all about. Enjoy!

I am having a really hard time focusing in the library. Want to know why? Because this world is so individualized and privatized. I look around the library and I just see people all in their own little electronic worlds – on their laptops, cell phones, and head phones. Everyone has so many ways of accessing what others are doing and saying on the internet, but they don’t know anything about them personally. They know them on facebook, twitter, spotify, instagram, blogs, online games, and through texting, but they don’t know the real person. There are some things that just can not be expressed in any way except in person. Some emotions can not be portrayed through texting, no matter how many different smiley, frowny, or winky faces you use. When your main form of communication and socializing is through electronics, you lose a sense of reality. I also feel like you can lose a sense of trust, because these aren’t just spoken words… these are words that have been put into text and can be preserved forever and shared with anyone.

I’m not saying that technology is a bad thing. Oh, I am not saying that at all! But I am saying that when it starts to interfere with normal, everyday communication, then it definitely can be. Or when it becomes your main form of communication. I’ve seen too many situations where someone is with a group of friends physically, but they mentally are not there. They are just on their phone texting someone else or even playing a game, showing that the current situation is not important enough for their attention. This is not okay.

Humans crave personal, human interaction. It is in our nature. But then we go and lose the substance of the interaction by getting caught up on our electronics. It’s a vicious cycle. Some people get depressed because they do not interact in a significant way with others as much as they would like, but then they do things that inhibit any such action from occurring. Technology in some ways seems to be slowly making us completely disconnected from one another. And this is not okay.
So just some words of advice: put it down, turn it off, unplug it. Not always, but occasionally. Just take a break from technology and really enjoy the world. Go have a real conversation with some you care about... Or have a real conversation with some one you hardly know and maybe they can become a great friend. Technology is a blessing and makes life so much easier and more convenient, but it shouldn't be a hinderance or take over your life. Let's not forget to be humans.