I've Heard the Same Audio 9 Times in a Row Please Help

     Have you ever spoken to someone, and you can tell how much time they spend on an app? You can hear it in their voice and the phrases they use and reuse. I initially remember this happening when people used Vine. The Infamous "What's 9+10?" and "Damn Daniel" or even "1738" were phrases I heard and said almost everyday when they were popular growing up, as I lived with two brothers and was easily influenced myself. For us, it was a sort of kinship. It was an inside joke that our parents and all elders were outside of, but we could use it to foster relationships with other people of our own age. 

    Yet, when the Vine app died, this sort of occurrence wasn't as common. That was, of course, until Musically became TikTok, and everyone became obsessed again. Now, a crucial difference between Vine and Tiktok is that in the former, most people created their own videos and individual ones would go viral, or become popular. However, in TikTok, creators are able to use the sounds of other people and explore them in different contexts to explore their meaning and appeal. Because of this, the video itself doesn't need to go viral if the sound is sufficient enough for people to create something new with it. Also, since multiple videos can be created using the exact same sound, one is more likely to hear the same sound multiple times on TikTok even if they are only on it for a few minutes. 

    When put into this perspective, it is easier to see how people can become used to saying something aloud since they are always hearing it, especially if it is something catchy. This is how people have gone from saying "And I Oop-" to "Me Personally" and "Be F***** For Real". It's how psychological or spiritual terms such as trauma bonding and manifestation have come to be part of ordinary conversation among younger generations. The more time one spend on TikTok, the more they hear particular phrases and subject matters, and the more comfortable they become with discussing them on their own, even if they haven't done any of their own research. 

    

Five, Six, Seven, 8!

     Most people seem to be under the impression that in order to dance, one has to be trained to do so, but I can assure you that is not true! Now I'm not going to say to just throw yourself onto the dance floor if you've never done that before, but what if before you do that, you improvise your own dance to the music that you connect with the most but at home? 

    At first, you might feel kind of awkward or silly moving around, but that's okay. Dancing isn't just about moving in cool or attractive ways; it's about finding what feels right and letting the music take you away. I've found that one of the best ways to do this is to not watch yourself as you dance. This will help you focus on the music and allow you to stay within your body. From there its just about finding your rhythm and showing your heart just a little bit. Don't be afraid to let yourself smile like you're lovesick or act out a lyric word for word- just don't stop moving, even if something throws you off! 

   Being comfortable moving around in one's body is crucial if one wants to dance, and improv is just one way to start. Of course, one can also seek lessons, but I think this is more beneficial to people because along with helping you how to dance, it is helping you let go of the tension that builds up in your body over time. If you try this, you'll feel a moment where the world is gone and it's just your heart beating, and I hope after that you'll want to dance again. 

-Celeste

#Blog #Entry #7 #Influencer #BloggingForBreakfast

     Something that has always defined younger generations is their ability to use technology to reach people around the world almost instantly. People first found ways to virtually share their thoughts and lives through websites like Facebook, although they were more likely to only see posts of people they were friends with. However, it was in these early stages where the Pound Sign became a Hashtag, and people were able to broaden their horizons to find meme pages or posts about (literally) anything they want, from animal videos, to relationship posts, to #relatable posts. From this point on the world that one was able to explore on their phones was wider and more accessible than the world that was right in front of them. 

    Since then, the most popular social apps have shifted along the years beginning with Facebook, then Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Vine, Tumblr, Twitter, and most recently, TikTok. Each of these has allowed people to reach each other in different ways, but the usage of the hashtag can be consistency found in all of them, demonstrating that it has co-evolved with the internet and its users. For instance, they were mostly used at first to express emotion or eventfulness, such as #ILoveMyMom or #AtTheBeach. It was a way for people to give more of themselves to something they were sharing online without actually writing about it. Then, as people began exploring meme pages and subject-oriented accounts, they were able to use hashtags to find different posts about what they were interested in simply by typing up keywords into a search bar. This opened doors for people to interact with companies, websites, people, and groups that they may have never known about before. In turn, some were able to use this to their advantage. This is how people have been able to use hashtags to gain popularity for themselves or a cause. One of the most recent examples would be the #BlackLivesMatter movement that got millions of people around the world to protest police brutality and share their perspective online. However, this is also how #Influencers were able to gain wealth and popularity just by having a YouTube channel or posting on Instagram and selling products to their audiences.

To older generations, it might be unbelievable how far reaching their original Pound Sign has become, but nonetheless it only continues to advance. This is because there is no easier way for one to become rich than to become well-liked by millions, and utilizing a hashtag is one of the best ways for one to reach the audience they want and gain the momentum they need to market themselves. However, it is also important to remember that hashtags are not only used by capitalists but by ordinary people too. They're used when a fan page shares an edit, when a singer releases a new song, when a new dance is created, and when something really funny is said. There will always be negatives to the ways in which the internet is able to connect people together, but most are likely to agree that the positives far outweigh them.

-Celeste