The Horrors of the Internet

Journal 3-7

I. 
               After all of the talk last week about the “Tank Man”, I was very curious about what other people thought of the incident. What was the response of other citizens in China? After much research, the answers have been found, well sort of.

               The general responses of people in other countries are ones of gratitude, bravery, and happiness. They are inspired by his actions and his enormous amount of courage. In China however, things are different. The Chinese government censors so much information that most of China does not even know that the event even occurred! If you Google Tienanmen Square in China, you will not find the multitude of images of "Tank Man" that you would in the United States. When interviewed, many Chinese students did not even recognize the image of "Tank Man", or they were taught to not recognize it. All in all, the true response of the Chinese people is unknown because of the oppressive strength of the Chinese government.

II.
                This past week in Ethics class, we finished our discussions of the "Tank Man", discussed the power of economic growth on China, and began talking about the power of the internet. We also began discussing the technology of the future. All in all it was a very interesting and action-packed week .

               My favorite part of this week was our discussion of futuristic technology. I love thinking and imagining what will happen in the future, so this was right up my alley!I think that it is amazing how greatly the world of technology has changed just in my life time! I remember using cassette tapes to listen to music, only having 6 television channels (where only 4 really worked well), and playing board games for fun. Now we have televisions that are taller than men and more t.v. channels and shows than we could ever watch, as well as iPods, cell phones, GPS systems, and in some cases, robots to do our work for us! It is kind of scary to think about how fast our world is changing around us! So many things are evolving, and I can't even imagine how much different the world will be in 5 years, 10 years, or even 20 or 50 years!

               Over the weekend, we had to watch a Frontline video about "Growing Up Online". I found this video to be very, very interesting! Before our discussions about the Internet, I never really realized how dependent I was on the Internet! I remember when my family first got the Internet, and it is amazing to look back and see the progress it has made! The first internet my family had took over 5 minutes turning on, and once it was on, it took another 5 to get to a web page! Now it takes my computer less than a few seconds! Now, our world revolves around the Internet, and we can rarely escape it! The Internet does provide us with a great and endless resource that can truly help us, but it also can be very dangerous. People can steal our identity, money, and information through viruses, as well as tear you apart on a social networking site. There have been many deaths and injuries that have been brought about through the internet as well. I honestly think that people are still trying to learn how to deal with the full magnitude of the Inernet, and until that happens, I think there will always be trouble.

III.
               After all of this talk about the Internet and technology, I am very curious as to how many people actually use the Internet? I remember the Internet taking off and watching it grow, but how much has it grown?

Please stay tuned for the answer next week!

Sources

Growing up online. (2008, January 22). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/

Mobile computing – technology advancement for modernity. (2011, March 20). Retrieved from http://mxcomputing.com/publications/mobile-computing-technology-advancement-for-modernity//

Tank man. (2011, March 12). Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d8/Tianasquare.jpg/300px-Tianasquare.jpg

 

Ted, T. (2009, June 3). I will never forget tank man - will you?. Retrieved from http://www.tedstake.com/2009/06/03/i-will-never-forget-tank-man-will-you/ 

The internet. (2011, March 20). Retrieved from http://www.carefulmarketing.com/

Tank Man

Journal 3-6

I. 

Last week I was very curious about the genocides in history. Which was the worst reported genocide in history? After much research the answers have been found!

The worst recorded genocide was in China under the orders of Mao Ze-Dong in 1958-61 and 1966-69 where he killed 49-78 million. Jozef Stalin is in second place with 23 million in the USSR in 1932-39. Adolf Hitler is in third in Germany in 1939-45 with 12 million. These numbers are very staggering, as well as shocking. Most people consider the Holocaust to be the worst genocide in history, when in fact it comes nowhere close to being the worst. 

On an interesting note: In Stalin's and Mao's cases, one has to decide how to consider the millions who died indirectly because of their political decisions. “The Chinese cultural revolution caused the death of 30 million people, but many others died of hunger. Stalin is responsible for the death of 23 million Russians, but only half a million were killed by his order.” 

II.

            This past week in Ethic’s Class, we spent a lot of time talking about bravery and heroic imagination. We finished The Ghosts of Rwanda and began to discuss the “Tank Man”. All in all it was a very interesting and informative week!

            I think that the most interesting part of the week was our discussion of “Tank Man”. Before this class, I had never heard about the story! I am very glad that we covered this, or else I may have never found out! I cannot believe the astronomical amount of bravery and courage that one man had to stand up to those tanks. I am also equally surprised that the operators of the tanks did not run him over! They only tired to go around him until “civilians came and took him away”. All in all, I think the whole situation is kind of fishy, but I truly admire his bravery. I do not know many people in this world that would be able to do that!

            We did briefly discuss the fact that “Tank Man” was never identified, but we never discussed anything else. After doing a little research, I found that the British tabloid the Sunday Express named him as Wang Weilin, a 19-year-old student. Weilin was later charged with "political hooliganism" and "attempting to subvert members of the People's Liberation Army." This claim has been rejected though by Internal Communist Party of China documents, which reported that they could not find the man. One party member was quoted as saying, "We can’t find him. We got his name from journalists. We have checked through computers but can’t find him among the dead or among those in prison." Numerous theories have sprung up as to the man's identity and current whereabouts. The rumors now say that the man is now living in Taiwan.

III. 

            After all of this talk about “Tank Man”, I am very curious about what other people think. What was the response of other citizens in China?

Please stay tuned for the answer next week!

Sources

Lost to genocide. (2011, March 12). Retrieved from http://tamilentertainmentfromireland.com

Tank man. (2011, March 12). Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d8/Tianasquare.jpg/300px-Tianasquare.jpg

Technology. (2011, March 12). Retrieved from http://moremeteos.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/tiananmen_tank_man_time_cover.jpg

The worst genocides of the 20th century. (2011, March 12). Retrieved from http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/dictat.html

Ghosts of Rwanda

Journal 3-5

I.

                Two weeks ago I was very curious as to how many people are still bullied in high school, middle school, and elementary school. I wondered what  the average number was? Also, how many people stand up for others, or do they just become bystanders? After much research, the answers have been found!

                 According to the 2009 Indicators of School Crime and Safety, one third of teenagers reported being bullied at school, and only about one third of the bully victims actually reported being bullied. In middle schools, 44% of students reported bullying problems compared to the 20% in elementary and high schools. These statistics are staggering and need to be fixed!

II.
               This week in class, we spent a lot of time talking and discussion the Rwandan genocide. We learned the background about the situation, and we also began watching The Ghosts of Rwanda. All in all it was a very interesting week!

                I thought that the movie was the most interesting part of this week. I had learned about the Rwandan genocide before, and had seen Hotel Rwanda, but The Ghosts of Rwanda was totally different. It really hit me emotionally. Seeing the actual footage from the genocide was difficult. Watching a movie with actors is one thing; you can kind of tell yourself that it isn't true and didn't happen. Watching the real footage is different; you have to believe it. It honestly makes you wonder how the world let this happen! I can't really describe how I felt watching that movie; I don't think that there are words. I just remember thinking how much I didn't want to see the pain of the people, but my eyes were glued and I couldn't make myself look away. I felt that if I did, I would be letting one of the 800,000 people who died down.

               One thing that we did not get a chance to talk about was our opinions on how the situation should have been handled. Personally I would have kept the UN troops in Rwanda, and probably even increased the numbers of troops to get the situation under control. I would have also tried to evacuate as many Tutsi and Hutu moderates as I could to save as many lives as possible. Also I would initiate some peace keeping/compromising  actions to stabilize all political and cultural tensions. Hopefully with all of this, the situation would be resolved. If I was in charge, those are the actions that I would have taken to hopefully correct the conflict.

III.
               This week we talked about the Rwandan genocide. I am very interested now in the impact of other genocides. Which was the worst reported genocide in history?

Please stay tuned for the answer next week!

Sources

Ghosts of rwanda (2004). (2011, March 6). Retrieved from http://www.socet.org/php_BB3/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=260470 


Ghosts of rwanda. (2011, March 6). Retrieved from http://www.fundfilm.org/films/films_detail.cfm?id=766 


National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2009" 


Ross, A. (2009, June 11). Helping other people escape - bullying. Retrieved from http://www.thetankgroup.com/?p=3

Be the Difference.

Journal 3-4

I. 
               To me, Heroic Imagination means everyday heroism. Everyone has a stereotype of what a true hero is, but when in fact anyone can be a hero. You don't have to wear a cape or have super powers to make a difference; you can do small actions that have huge effects. Heroes have to act and can not be bystanders. If people can learn and train themselves to always act, they can be a hero and make a big impact on the world!

II. 
               Heroic imagination and traditional leadership are different concepts, but they also have some similarities. Both involve people stepping up and being a leader, whether by example or by command. By participating in both styles, a positive difference is made on the world. Heroic imagination however is focused on the leaders behind the scenes. These leaders are everyday people that have made the choice to act and help others. In traditional leadership, normally one person is raised up on a pedestal leading others. These leaders are out in front for the world to see, unlike the heroic imagination leaders that are back in the shadows waiting to act.


III.
               There are many people who embody the heroic imagination. One "well known" person is Ginger Littleton, a school board member involved in the shooting incident during a school board meeting in Florida. 
She decided to stay in the room even after the gunman ordered her to leave. She swung her purse at him, in an attempt to knock the gun out of the gunman's hand. She fell to the ground, and the gunman stood over her but did not kill her.Some people think that she is just crazy and was trying to get herself killed. I feel that she was actually a hero in waiting and was extremely brave. I think she truly exemplifies heroic imagination.

               There are also many other general examples of heroes in waiting. One example would be someone witnessing the stealing of a woman's purse and then chasing after the criminal. Another example would be someone helping a child that looks lost or alone and then helping them find their parents. A third example would be someone who witnesses another person falling or getting injured and then helps them, gives them first aid, and helps them to a hospital. A final example would be someone who witnesses a shoplifter in the act and then turns them in to stop them. All of these examples showcase normal everyday people who decide to act and make a positive difference in someone's life.

IV.

Be the Difference. Be the Hero.

               

Sources

My super hero (a contest). (2009, August 15). Retrieved from http://mssinglemama.com/2009/08/15/my-super-hero-a-contest/ 


Rambling gunman dead after opening fire at florida school meeting . (2011, February 26). Retrieved from http://www.pastapadre.com/forum/showthread.php?p=251144

School board shooting: clay duke turns gun on himself after confrontation (video). (2010, December 15). Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/15/AR2010121503060.html

What is hip?. (2011, February 26). Retrieved from http://heroicimagination.org/about/what-is-hip

Stand Up!

Journal 3-4

I.
               Last week I was very curious about the results of Bystander Experiments. I was curious as to what the statistics were? After much research, the answer has been found!
               Many similar "Bystander Effect" Experiments have been conducted over history. They all received a variety of specific number results, but the trends in the numbers were similar. It has been found that  
greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress. When an emergency situation occurs, observers are more likely to take action if there are few or no other witnesses. If someone sees a large amount of people not helping, they will be more likely to move on and assume that nothing is wrong. They pass on the blame to the others in the crowd.

II.
               This past week in class, we continued our discussion of the Bystander Effect. We studied more real life examples, as well as some more experimental results. All in all it was a very interesting and informative week!

               This week, I was actually able to speak up and take action during an event instead of becoming a bystander. It sounds like a very generic event, but it actually did happen. During one of my classes, there was a group of students talking about and making fun of some other students in the same grade. They were saying how bad their new haircut looked, or how horribly they dresses, and began to make up rude nick-names for them. Even though they were not talking about me, it still hurt me. I have been bullied before in my life, and I know how awful it feels. After I heard these students say those rude comments, I stood my ground and told them to stop. I said," Stop it. You are being so rude and immature. It is horrible to talk about other people that way, so stop." Then I walked away, and I have not heard them make any comments since then. Through this experience, I have learned that it is a good thing to stand up for what is right, even if the majority is not. I am very happy that I made the decision to stand up. I know it was the right thing to do, and I am very proud of myself. I also know that the others students whom the students were teasing are very glad too.

                The University of Arizona created a program called "Step Up" in order to train it's students to develop the skills to stand up for what is right. The basic goals of STEP UP! are to: raise awareness of helping behaviors, increase motivation to help, develop skills and confidence when responding to threatening behaviors, and ensure the safety and well-being of others. It also lists the Five Steps to take when making a decision: notice the event, interpret the event as a problem/emergency, assume personal responsibility, know how to help, and implement the help (Step Up!). Personally I feel that this is a great program, and JRHS could use on like it. I think it has great intentions and has the potential for success. I do feel though that all JRHS students may not appreciate the program as much as they should. I think that they might just brush it off and not pay any attention to it. I do think that it could maybe be worked into the Leadership Center, and then be expanded into the school from there. If the general public sees others following the program, then hopefully they will too! Just as the Step Up motto says, we would be true leaders and be making a difference!

III.
               After witnessing a form of bullying, I am very curious as to how many people are still bullied in High School, and even Middle and Elementary as well. What is the average number? Also, how many people stand up for others, or do they just become bystanders?

Please stay tuned for the answer next week!

Sources

Cherry, K. (2011, February 21). The bystander effect: what is the bystander effect?. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/a/bystandereffect.htm

Hosick, M. (2010, December 10). Arizona stands out to step up. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2010+news+stories/December/Arizona+stands+out+to+Step+Up 

LATANÉ, J. (2011, February 21). Bystander intervention in emergencies: diffusion of responsibility . Retrieved from http://www.wadsworth.com/psychology_d/templates/student_resources/0155060678_rathus/ps/ps19.html 

Scarsbrook, K. (2010, February 24). Anti-bullying day. Retrieved from http://www.thestayathomemother.com/archive/200902
Step up! be a leader. make a difference.. (2011, February 21). Retrieved from http://www.wadsworth.com/psychology_d/templates/student_resources/0155060678_rathus

 Students. (2011, February 21). Retrieved from http://www.stepupprogram.org/students/

Bypassing Bystanders

Journal 3-3

I.
                Last week I was very interested in the crisis in Egypt. I was wondering how everything would turn out, and if anything would be solved. As the week has past, there are new developments in Egypt!

               On Friday, President Mubarak resigned from office after previously making statements that he would not. Currently Egypt's military has dissolved the country's parliament and will run the country for six months, or until elections are held. Also the military suspended the constitution and will appoint a committee to propose changes to it. Then, the public will be able to add to it and then get to vote on the amended constitution. Egypt will be undergoing some extreme changes, it's government will have some major "renovations". Only time will tell if these changes will be for the good or for the worse.

II.
               This past week in Ethic's Class, we continued our discussions of the Milgram and Asch experiments, as well as the Stanford Prison Experiment. We discussed the "Bystander Effect", and it's applications on everyday life. All in all, it was a very interesting week in calss!

               My favorite part of this week was learning about the Bystander Effect. I felt that it was very interesting as well as very shocking! Seeing people just walk by others who were in danger or trouble made me very uncomfortable.It made me wonder how many people would pass by me if I needed help? Would I pass by someone else if they needed help? Have I? These questions bothered me a lot. Thinking about it now, I would assume that I would definitely help out someone if I could see that they were in danger. I think that I would be more prone to help others if I could see that they were actually in some sort of medical danger, such as someone laying on the ground or bleeding. I do think that I would question taking action if a child were just having a temper tantrum. Children do that all the time, so it is hard sometimes to judge what is really going on. Hopefully in the right situation, I would take action and save someone's life.

               In class we discussed the Stanford Prison Experiment, but everyone did not get  a chance to talk about their views. After learning about this experiment, I have come to the conclusion that it was very very wrong. I know the experiment was to determine the impact of power and superiority on people, but I think that was lost in this experiment. The subjects became too consumed into their roles and arguably became insane. I feel that the experimenter should have stopped the experiment after witnessing this. If I were put in the experimenter's position, I am 100%sure that I would have called off the experiment, if I even started it in the first place. If I were in the experiment, I do not think that I would  responded in the way that the subjects did. I feel that I could have kept myself together to remember that it is an experiment, and not real.

III.
               After talking about the Bystander Effect, i am very curious as to what the statistics are behind it. In other studies, how many people passed by someone in danger? What is the average?

Please stay tuned for the answer next week!
Sources

Bourke, T. (2008, September 21). The lucifer effect - beyond good and evil . Retrieved from http://www.philosophyoffreedom.com/node/2416
CNN Wire Staff, Initials. (2011, February 13). Egypt's military dissolves parliament, suspends constitution. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/13/egypt.revolution/index.html?hpt=T1

Garcia, T. (2011, February 11). News about the egyptian revolution came from across the media spectrum. Retrieved from http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/news-about-the-egyptian-revolution-came-from-across-the-media-spectrum_b15070
The bystander effect. (2010, June 8). Retrieved from http://kalldoro.wordpress.com/tag/bystander-effect/

Tiku, N. (2011, January 28). Egypt’s mubarak defies calls to resign. Retrieved from http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/01/egypts_mubarak_defies_calls_to_1.html

Conflict, conflict, and more conflict

Journal 3-2

I.
               Last week I was very interested in other people's results in "The Prisoner's Dilemma". I was curious about how others responded. After much research, I have discovered some more information, but was unfortunately unable to find a specific answer.

               During my research, I found that there were over 20 different versions and variations of this experiment. Every person that completes the experiment is different and comes from a variety of backgrounds and upbringings, so they will all make different choices. If these people were actually being interrogated by police, it is human nature to fend for themselves and to not think about others. In an experiment though, people are proven to be a little more risky and daring when there are no consequences to their actions. Because of this, people do not normally work together to achieve a tie.


II.
                This week in Ethic's Class, we spent a lot of time talking about the current conflict in Egypt. Also we briefly touched on some charities and the "greater good", as well as the Milgram and Asch Experiments. All in all, it was a very informative week.

                My favorite part of this week was learning about the conflict in Egypt. Before this week, I honestly had no idea as of what was going on in Egypt! I only knew that there was some anger going around but I had no idea as to how significant this issue was! I was very glad that I was able to research and learn more about it. Living in the sheltered world of the United States, it is easy sometimes to forget that there are places in the world with corrupt forms of government. We are so fortunate to live in a country where there are rules put into place to prevent severe forms of corruption that could tear the nation apart. I think it will be very interesting to see how this conflict turns out. Hopefully in the world's best interest, the Egyptian people will come to a compromise very soon!

                 At the very end of the week, we briefly touched on the Milgram and Asch Experiments in class. We did not get a lot of time to discuss this during class. I thought that the one word that could describe these experiments is : interesting (in both good and bad ways). I think that these experiments provided researchers with very valuable information, but I thought that the way they went about getting it was wrong. If I were in these experiments, I would want to know the real reason behind the test rather than a lie. I am kind of torn when trying to figure out if these experiments are ethical or not. I think I will have to learn more about these experiments to determine my final views. 

III.
                  With the current conflict in Egypt, I am very curious as to how it will all turn out. I wonder what will happen this week? Will the conflict be solved?

Please stay tuned for the answer next week!

Sources

Asch conformity psychology experiment. (2011, February 6). Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/asch-conformity.html

Cole, J. (2011, January 11). Why egypt's class conflict is boiling over. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/30/opinion/main20030008.shtml 


Milgram experiment. (2011, February 6). Retrieved from http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Milgram_experiment


Prisoner's dilemma definition. (2011, February 6). Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/prisoners-dilemma.asp 

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Initials. (1997, September 4). Prisoner's dilemma. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/prisoner-dilemma/