Reflection

It's interesting when you look at your reflection on a spoon, and depending on the side, you're inverted or the correct orientation. Reflections can be helpful in seeing the world from a new perspective and for analyzing oneself. This past semester has been a long reflection of social media usage, its effects both positive and negative as well as its potentials.
We've explored how social media amplifies communication, reaching a larger audience not bound by geographical locations. This has accelerated the Arab spring revolutions and has been a platform for changes on a smaller scale as well. Social media has destroyed people's careers because of users' oversharing, and it has also created career opportunities for viral accounts. Ultimately, we have reflected that social media is a tool and it is up to the user whether they will let it control their lives or be a positive assistance. That being said, there is so much that social media is used for; from communication, education, business and marketing to activism. Parents and children have used it to vent to their followers, demonstrating public shaming and other harmful practices that exploit their loved ones. It is important to be mindful when using social media because of its potential to cause harm, and to sit back and reflect every once in a while if we are being used or vice versa. If we aren't paying, then we are the product. We must be careful with that. 

Empty Bowls

Social media has been under fire for having so many negative consequences and potential harms towards its users.  In the past it was acknowledged how social media platforms have accelerated the spread of videos which can ruin a career or public image. However, there are may more things this tool has been able to accomplish in connecting communities. In gaining publicity for social justice issues, for amplifying the impact of fundraising and for spotlighting causes to make a change.

More recently, I came across an invitation on social media for an 'empty bowls' fundraising dinner advertising a dinner displaying pottery by local art students, symbolizing all the empty bowls in the community of those who are food insecure. This is just one way that social media platforms have been able to connect me, because the invitation is not just in one physical location, but in many online. In reaching more people, it raises more awareness for those that are food insecure. 

Taste test

Do you notice that before chefs bring out a new dish for the world to experience, they run it by some people with sample tastings and to perfect visual appeal? Do people question this? Not at all.

It is encouraged that before it is put out for the world to taste and judge, it is generally approved by some trusted companions to make sure it depicts the chef's experience in the best light. Anything short of that, it would be taken back to the kitchen, improved and sent out again for another trial.

If only social media was like that. People these days are sending out tweets without really being aware of the potential harm (or good) it could cause. They aren't considering the weight of it or the fact that once it is shared with the public, there is no taking it back. Even if deleted, it has been screenshot and seen by followers and that cannot be undone. This is something users should consider with sending potentially easy to misinterpret messages even if it is as a joke. It could ruin someone's career and possibly their life.

Through social media, parents have also exposed their children's humiliation and shortcomings through public shaming. By posting these videos and images online, they are not only destroying their child socially, but psychologically. It makes one wonder if they had done so in the spur of the moment or truly thought about the aftermath of their actions. If they could send out a sample before sending it out to the world to see, it would have likely been flagged and not pursued. 

Distasteful Shaming

When it comes to values and ideologies, many of us have aligned views about certain universal morals.A wise man who gave a Ted Talk explained, there are some people who see humans before ideologies, and there are others who see ideologies before humans. What this translates to online is the brutality of public shaming- tearing people up and forgetting they are human while exposing them for messing up on social media.
In the culinary world, this can happen to a lesser extent when people criticize the cook for not adding enough salt to a dish, over cooking slightly,  or other spur of the moment mishaps that get blown out of proportion and can ruin reputations.
There is nothing that comes out of the act for the one shaming, but it can be a devastating mistake for those who slip up. Online, there is no forgetting. While many can delete posts, it cannot undo the damage once it has been sent out, viewed and screen shot. It only takes one person to ruin careers, even unintentionally. In person, there is not the same audience unless it was captured on camera and shared online. Either way, this practice, whether online or offline, is distasteful shaming, which leads to trolling and other taunting behaviors which go on without consequence to those trolling, but with heavy consequence to the one who slipped up. We must remember that by creating this community online, we are not celebrating free speech, but punishing those who do. 

Not so private

Why do renowned chefs have top secret recipes? It seems almost like a thing of the past, that our grandmothers hold onto their secret prized recipe and one must earn it for it to be passed down.

Some people are of the understanding that recipes are meant to be shared. On the other hand, some will protect their secret recipe and intentionally leave out an ingredient if they reluctantly share it.

When it comes to social media, some people do not care to privatize their accounts and occasionally are guilty of oversharing online. While this is not the same as oversharing a recipe, it can similarly have unintentional consequences. 

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, provide their users with privacy and security settings. These are to protect their content from being public to the world. There is some wisdom behind privacy, and our grandmothers knew all about it.

The ugly side

Toast has two sides and sometimes if the underside is burnt, you can't tell because it's flipped over. Social media is like a piece of toast. It's ugly side cannot be ignored though. Recently in class we discussed negative aspects of social media; specifically, catfishing. 

Catfishing is when people make fake social media accounts with a fake life. It is a spectrum, where where people deceive to different extents. 

Many people resort to catfishing by creating fake social media accounts. Being able to express freely online isn't the concern,  but people who are psychologically affected because they were "catfished".  People look online for spouses and dating partners and then are devastated finding that the other person is nothing like the profile they were communicating with. Social media allows for free expression but doesn't filter out these fake accounts and allows them to continue to deceive other people. 

Filters and Bubbles

So when it comes to social media, filter bubbles do not mean the same thing they'd mean in the kitchen. However, we can still understand their meanings from understanding filters and bubbles you'd find in the kitchen. In social media, filter bubbles refer to a person being isolated to their own personal opinions because website algorithms like Facebook and Google will select what they predict the user wants to see based on past searches and past clicks. This narrows a users exposure to countering opinions and other views.
Idealistically, we'd expect that having diverse friends on social media will diversify our news feed. However, it is clear that filter bubbles will only reflect our own views and minimize posts that are unrelated or opposing. In the kitchen, filters allow liquids to pass and remove impurities or solids. Bubbles are formed with soap and reflect an enclosed space. This same concept is applied with filter bubbles as one is in an enclosed space with irrelevant information filtered out of our screens. 

Fake

With the rising demand for quick news, many fall into the trap of fake news. If fake news was a food, it would be the delicately placed baguette in the bakery display that is actually not edible and made to lure customers in. Strategically made to look appetizing and fresh, when in reality it is stale and has more in common with a rock than bread.
Fake news is made to look like real news, with catchy headlines and believable stories. However, they are usually in nonexistent cities with stolen pictures from another incident. Many people do not take the time to fact check and examine the details presented before hitting 'share' and amplifying the audience that becomes misinformed.

Revolutionary at a price

Social media has made some revolutionary changes in how we communicate and interact. Not just to share tasty recipes with loved ones, but to share news and updates with others across the globe. Imagine if a divine dining experience at a local restaurant was a town secret that you only discovered if you were told by a local. However, with social media, news spreads like wildfire so quickly, that you are no longer limited by traditional communication methods. This is revolutionary.
There is some consequence to this though. Even though news can now be spread far and wide at a fast pace like never before, people fall into sharing misleading information, without having the complete story in an attempt to share with everyone quickly.
What a disappointment it would be if a chef was sick for the day and news spread that he was fired, when he was just out. Details are important, but the need to be the first to spread the news can sometimes overtake people to diminish this importance. This sloppiness cannot be ignored, not in the kitchen nor online. 

Sweetness

Imagine if you worked at a bakery, randomly generating a variety of sweets. Each week, one flavor completely sells out but the customers' favorite doesn't last long. It's unpredictable what they'll like and the rest just barely attracts attention. However, if you look closely, there are a few trends that satisfy that sweet tooth.
We discussed in class how certain videos go viral- and it's completely random!
There is usually some sense of originality and creativity, and it tends to become viral faster if shared by a trend setter.
Having a celebrity, or anyone with a large following, promote a video, app, meme or trend will instigate the spark and can make a video go viral world wide. But it's not that easy to get people to notice you- especially because at least over 2 days worth of recordings are posted every hour. There's too much to keep up!
It would be exhausting for a chef to try to compete in the digital world. With cooking all it takes is patience and you usually get results! But with social media, you could go unnoticed forever- like the plain sugar cookie in a variety basket of more adventurous flavors. 

Thoughts on Time

Have you ever wished you could bake a cake in 2 seconds instead of 2 hours? Imagine a world where you can reach anything with the tap of the finger. You want to translate a paragraph into Portuguese? Do you want to connect with friends in India? The digital world has enabled us to do all this and more. We are finding faster and more efficient ways to connect and access resources. What used to take hours is now at the tip of our fingers and can be completed in seconds! But does this mean we now have more time? Are we really saving time? All this has done is made us addicted to instant gratification, amplifying our hunger for more- MORE! We are becoming addicted, scrolling for hours online- ultimately unproductive but glued to our screens. It really makes you think. Is it worth the wait for the cake to bake?

Thoughts on Distractions

So it's been shown that social media presence in our lives has only added more distractions and increased our desire to "multi-task"-making it harder to focus on one simple task. Imagine trying to saute onions, whilst simultaneously chopping potatoes, AND  caramelizing sugar for bread pudding. Any of these tasks are simple by themselves, but if you look away too long, you could burn the caramel, the onions, or cut your finger off!!
Social media has amplified our need for constant connection- rewarding users with "dings" of notifications when someone likes, comments or messages them. It conditions users to feel instant gratification, but is unhealthy in the long run if one doesn't find balance. Imagine a kid hearing a ding every time his cake is done baking in the oven- any time he hears it, he will feel the same feelings of excitement, even if there is no cake!  It's an interesting phenomenon, because there is no real reward from using social media- it is sweetly distracting us from real life with virtual reality. 

Thoughts on Psychology of Social Media

So we spend a lot of time cooking it up on social media...How is that affecting us?

Social media networking has opened so many doors, but simultaneously has locked us in its addictive loop; rewarding us with zings of notifications, follower requests and likes. We all know the delicious satisfaction of getting the approval of others- and with social media, we have not only been feeding this hunger, but have made ourselves hungrier! People are craving more likes, a larger audience, a bigger stage. 

Yes, sites like Facebook have allowed us to connect with one another, disregarding physical boundaries, but do they actually satisfy our thirst for friendship with virtual relationships?  

We are getting more information in our news feeds on Twitter, but are we getting full of knowledge or simply becoming desensitized to the term 'breaking news'?

During this class, the bare bones of today's social media networks will be spit out, and thoroughly analyzed from various angles before digesting their contents and tasting the impact on users.