the impacts of social media

  in this TED talk, wael ghonim, an egyptian activist, talks about his involvement in the egyptian revolution. in the beginning, wael states that he believed that "if you want to liberate society, all you need is the internet". he was a crucial factor in the egyptian revolution due to his impact on social media.  he used the internet to spread awareness of the egyptians' situation. he started and created a page called "we are all kahled said". this page resulted in protests against the egyptian government. many people agreed with his opinions and joined him in the fight against the egyptian government. however, things backfired soon after.

  ghonim was kidnapped by government officials due to his involvements in recent revolts. his family and friends started worrying. fortunately, they had a feeling officials had taken him, so hundreds of people demanded his release. after several days, he was freed and the egyptian ruler had been overthrown. 

  when ghonim used the internet for the egypt's advantage, he also realized the downsides of the internet. he informs the audience that there are five critical challenges facing today's social media. first, ghonim states that people "don't know how to deal with rumors". rumors are passed down disguised as the truth and they spread rapidly throughout the social media. secondly, people create their own "echo chambers". their conversations are one-sided and they only converse with others who agree with them and we can mute, unfollow, and block those who oppose our opinions. 

  thirdly, internet users tend to fight with one another when conversing on the internet and forget that we are fighting with actual people behind an username. fourthly, it is hard for a internet user to change their sometimes rash opinions because word travels so fast on the internet. people can share, comment, and like your post and an opinion you don't agree with anymore can spread like a wildfire across the internet. next thing you know, there's a controversial topic about your short time opinion. fifthly, internet users tend to talk against each other rather than talking with each other. our conversations on the internet is so bland and we simply comment and like post to agree with a person's opinion. this doesn't allow open conversations or engagement with other users.

  in conclusion, wael ghonim strongly believes that the internet is a place where human impulses are unstoppable. ghonim wants internet users to write posts that are more engaging than popular and avoid one-sided opinions. he wants users to change other people's opinion through rational conversations and be more engaging. in the beginning of the TED talk, wael ghonims says, "in order to liberate society, all you need is the internet". he now believes that "in order to liberate society, we first need to liberate the internet."

  

my personality

  

 according to the 16 personalities test, i am a ENFP, the campaigner. i agree with this character category because it is an accurate description of my character. the test gave me very precise details about my strengths and weaknesses, relationships, career choices, and many other topics.

  

  the test stated many strengths and weaknesses, many positive and a few negative, yet they are accurate. a few of my strengths is that i am curious and i like experiencing new things which i totally agree with due to the fact that i am always excited to go anywhere besides staying home all day. another strength is that i am energetic and enthusiastic. i also agree with this because i am pretty energetic and am not exactly the lazy type. i like socially connecting with my friends and i am not awkward telling them anything. unfortunately, i have many weaknesses. one weakness is that i am independent to a fault, i don't really like working with other people when doing projects because i believe i do better by myself than with others. secondly, i find it hard to focus. i get distracted very easily when in class or at home. i get carried away in my train of thoughts and forget what i am asked to do. i also overthink things, i worry about countless unnecessary things such as death and things that might happen to my friends and most importantly, my dog. overall, i agree with my strengths and weaknesses a hundred percent.

  the test also stated my relationships with friends. the test couldn't be anymore correct. i tend to stay with friends who i can go places with and tend to do a lot for my friends. however, my friends and i are open-minded and don't hesitate to tell something to another.

  this test was very informative about my career decisions. i wholeheartedly agree with the results. i cannot choose one single job because i have so many interests and think every job is pretty exciting in its own way. for example, i would like to become a teacher,  a lawyer, a doctor, a zoologist, and many other things due to its significance. money doesn't really decide the job i want to become. i want to have more new experiences as an adult because i am in charge of myself and i have no curfew or a mother telling me when to come home. i also wouldn't do any jobs consisting of many higher ups because i would most likely question their authorities as a higher up.

  in conclusion, i am pleased of my ENFP characteristics and have no disagreements with the results of the test. 

my favorite actor

  robin williams once said ¨you´re only given a little spark of madness. you mustn´t lose it.¨ i like this quote because he wants people to never lose their sense of fun and madness because that makes you unique and different from the people all over the world. i believe his spark of madness made him such an amazing actor. 

  my favorite actor is robin williams because he was a renowned actor in my childhood. he appeared in movies such as mrs. doubtfire, the night of the museum, and flubber, but the first movies i had seen that robin williams were aladdin and jumanji. he has starred in many funny movies. i enjoyed mrs. doubtfire recently and it was admirable how daniel (robin williams) disguised as a nanny to watch over his family. i also enjoyed flubber in the past. a scientist (robin williams) had created a ¨living¨ invention that wrecks havoc in his lab. unfortunately, his presence in my childhood ended in 2014 when robin williams past away. however, due to our digital age we can now stream and watch the movies that robin williams made in the past.

digital citzenship

digital citizenship means the simple rules of using appropriate, responsible behavior while using technology

  the types of technology i use is social media, devices used for communication, and the internet along with the world wide web. technology is beneficial because i can communicate with my friends and family through calls, texts, and video calls. i can also use technology as a resource. however, i can sometimes get lost in the world of technology and forget what i should be doing. i also get stressed and tired because of my interests in technology like games and shows.

  two types of digital citizenships are safety and kindness towards others. i know that i should not be involved with strangers in which i do not know and have never met. i also know that i should not give out any personal information like my address and number out to the public for everyone to view because there are stalkers and weird people out in the world. another thing is that i know that i should not start  or provoke unnecessary online fights with people and i should not use profanity and racism on social media. i also know i should not cyberbully another user on social media or through private communications.

  as a student, i can use technology in many ways. one common way is to use technology as a resource. google and other search engines can help provide information for projects and assignments. another way is communicating more easily among my friends and family. if i need help with anything i can call or text my friends and i can call or text my family for assistance in anything outside of my home. technology will help me in the future when i need to write essays for maybe college and high school. i can easily type my essay and edit it without erasing or having to write legibly. i can also research using technology.

in honor of thomas edison

"i have not failed. i've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - thomas edison

  i believe this quote means that not getting the answer one or twice does not mean you have 

failed, but means that you have found an answer that is not correct. for example, edison didn't improve the lightbulb in one day. he failed 2,000 times before accomplishing, yet he didn't give up. the quote represents his perseverance through the improvement of the light bulb.

thomas edison did not CREATE the light bulb, he IMPROVED the light bulb so that it would be easy to produce making it cheaper, long lasting, and more reliable.

dear past self

 dear past self,

  this is you. your future you. i'm writing to you because i am bored. i want to tell you more about you in the future. you or we have a beach house mansion all to ourselves, but you decided to let your family move in so you can keep a eye on them. you graduated from harvard university and you are a lawyer and a teacher. we have ten cars and they're all baby blue ( but you have to share with your family ). we also still live in los angeles. as for brownie, she is still alive, as happy as can be. you have other dogs too. gray, a husky, potato, a golden retriever, and finally mold, a german shepherd. the reason we named the husky gray is because he is gray. the reason we named the golden retriever potato is because he is yellow. the reason we named the german shepherd mold is because he grows on you after a while. now about mom and dad. all of humanity is immortal now. unless you commit a crime, the government pulls the cords on you. literally. we're basically robots except that we still have feelings and can reproduce. humanity has artificial body parts that never die and can last hundreds of years, so yes, mom and dad are alive and well. esther is still the same annoying sister you have. she just lives in new york because she's in the fashion career. stella is very well, she is just like an ordinary person now. it's going to be really weird when you hear her talking. reading this should not make you full of yourself. act like yourself because anything you do out of this letter will affect your future. hope you enjoy your present.

your future self,

simon chung

one problem i could end

 one problem i would end would be greed. this cannot be solved through protests, speeches, marches, or laws. this cannot be solved because it is part of human nature, but if we could simply wipe out greed out our human nature, that would solve multiple problems. humans would know the true meaning of sharing and simply have and make stuff they need and not what they want. for example, if we were to stop wanting things we don't need, we can end world hunger, create peace among humans, and even have a greener environment. greed is a desire for more. we cut down hundreds of tree for extra paper we don't need, we process food using natural resources we don't need. if humanity was not introduced to processed foods, we wouldn't crave unhealthy things and could possibly reduce our garbage. we would be intelligent enough to create normal, organic food using fruits and vegetables. i highly doubt cavemen had issues with obesity besides hygiene. creating unnecessary things is dangerous to the existence of humans. many inventions we have is just to make things easier, but if we go too far with inventions that would make humans lazier and cut down our resources, we would become like the people in WALL-E and the earth would be a giant landfill. this is why i would want to end greed.

dear alien

dear alien,

  this planet is called earth. earth is an amazing place filled with wonders. it has animals and insects roaming, but unfortunately it is also inhabited by creatures called human beings. on this planet, humans are superior in the law of nature. we are smarter, stronger, and more advanced than any creature on the earth. however, we are horrible beasts that kill one another for land and paper called money. in our history, we humans kill because of disagreements and freedom, we enslaved our own race, and even slaughtered innocent animals for unnecessary reasons. we created weapons for wars among humans. we are inconsiderate of our land and do whatever we want. alien, if you were to show yourself to earth, your appearance may frighten us humans or amaze us. we might invite solemnly to our planet and treat you kindly, but many people who are curious may do dangerous and cruel things to ¨explore¨ you and your species out of ¨fear¨ you may one day destroy us. we humans can be the most kind and loving but also the most cruel and dangerous. we destroy things and realize the damage after the destruction. we are the cause and the damaged earth is the effect. however, many humans on earth have different views on nature and law. some believe we must treat the earth kindly and responsibly because there is no other planet that can provide us the things this earth does. we humans are overrun by fear in our choices. it makes us do horrible things, but some people overcome the fear and nevertheless still do horrible things. 

  on the other hand, we humans are intelligent creatures that have created things to discover new things on this earth. we may have lived centuries on this land, but still have much to learn about earth. we humans are capable to love and care for another. we can create peace among ourselves and avoid the wrong decisions. you may be offended by the term alien in which we use to address you, but that is a term for unknown things outside earth. we have never seen another race of creatures but ourselves. sometimes we humans feel lonely from the belief that we may be alone in this world.
  do not try to understand us humans. it would take centuries to discover our way of thinking because each human is an individual with different views. so alien, enjoy your stay at our planet and i hope you are allowed to leave earth with no difficulties despite what the government might do to you, your ship, and your gadgets.
  
  your human,
  simon chung

my dream job

  my dream jobs are to be a teacher or a lawyer. i want to be a teacher because of the fact that i am able to teach children who will one day become incredible advocates and leaders. i will also be able to educate both my students and myself. another reason i want to become a teacher is because of the fact that i can be involved in my students´ dreams and possibly even inspiration. plus, i can get a bunch of gifts from the parents of my students, but mostly because of the inspiration and education i can bestow upon my students. however, i am not certain about the grade level i would want to teach. 

  i would also like to be a lawyer because i want to get to know, stand, and object for the laws that this country is based on. i would also like to help clients who are unjustly sued or charged because of their wealth or situation and i get that money too. however, i do not want to get involved in cases in which requires charging a innocent person and helping someone i know is a cruel person.

  these are my dream jobs. 

my role models

  my role models are my teachers and friends. my teachers are the people who teach me throughout my education. they inspire me because when i grow up i want to become a teacher, and seeing my own teachers and how they teach are one of the many things that want me to become a teacher. as for my friends, they are the people who keep me company and expand my knowledge of my community and the world. without my friends, i highly doubt that i would ever know how to ride a bus to a specific place.
  first off, my teachers inspire me with their teaching techniques. for example, how my teachers engage a class, control their students, take care of the misbehaving kids, and how they reward their students. secondly, my friends inspire me with their way of handling real life ¨issues¨ and how they are responsible (in some way).
  these people are my role models simply because of their impact on my life as a teenager and that they are inspiring and motivating as people in my lives. without my teachers, i would probably have a different career goal. without my friends, i would not know what and how to ride a metro to a place like grove. i am forever thankful for these people and are my most important inspiration in my life. 

my semester goal

    this semester, my academic goal is to complete all of study island by the end of march. this is because study island is one of my requirements for scholar assembly and for the eoty lel to hawaii. in order to achieve this goal, i will try to achieve at least one blue ribbon everyday or every other day. this will help me get closer to my goal because if i were to complete one ribbon everyday, i would get seven ribbons every week which will help me complete study island. if i need assistance on a topic in math or english, i will personally go to my teacher for help rather than helplessly trying to understand the concept. this will benefit both my study island and my understanding of the topic. finally, i will try my very best to avoid guessing because guessing will lead to many correct or incorrect answers. in result, i will have a lower average and must answer more questions to reach the minimum average for the lesson. that is why i will avoid guessing on questions. however, if i do not complete these steps toward my goal, i will not be able to complete my goal. this is my academic goal for this semester.