Progress 3

I have my RADs done. I have several blog entries updating my progress. I have a paper. I have (mostly) MLA format. I have a paper. I am close to being done! I'm struggling with the RA and I'm hoping to go over them on Wednesday to see if they make sense and are good, an where else I can fit some in. I still feel like my RA is mediocre at best,but I always tend to be very hard on myself. I've gotten check pluses and checks on my papers, so I can't be doing too bad, right? I hope to get some confirmation and help with my paper so I can have a confident turn in on Friday and hopefully get an A in the class. That's my goal for College Writing 2. I hope I have the RA thing down so I can sleep peacefully and not stress about my grade on the paper. I do still need to complete the printing of my articles and the summary of them, but that will not take much time. My process folder will be STUFFED with drafts, so I definitely have that point checked off on the process folder check list. Just have to keep trucking and get through this paper by Friday!

Progress 2

Trying to keep my paper moving, but I feel stuck. I don't think I can add anymore information that wouldn't be simply fluff, but I still need to reach page limit. The struggle is mad real. I also don't think I'm doing rhetorical analysis right, or even at all. The concept is so abstract to me, it's hard to grasp. I also don't know how to fit in my paper without sounding funny. Like "people catfish because of sadistic tendencies , and the quote appeals to pathos" like the flow just isn't there and isn't being reached. I've never really had this big of an issue with a paper before and it's kind of discouraging when I feel as if I'm doing so much wrong within the paper. It's nothing like I did in high school or in my other writing classes. I feel almost lost! I guess I just need to keep going and trying to fit in the RA where and when I can.

Progress 1

You ever have that moment when you're looking for sources, and you find it. The holy grail of all sources that has all the information you need for your paper. It's the best feeling in the world finding this source. It complements my paper so well, and gives a valid argument why some people choose to catfish. I'm still struggling with the RA, but I know have the information down. It's a little frustrating trying to analyze what these people are saying for anything other than facts, which is the proof I've always been taught to be the most valid. I'll keep working and trying to move along.

I Have Done My Very Best Work on This Assignment

                                                "I have done my very best on this assignment".

But have I? I feel like I haven't changed much in my paper over the weeks, I feel like it's not very good. There's no distinct sides or reasoning. I can't think of a way to connect the topic of 'catfishing' to the course theme of 'slaktivism'. There were not a lot of resources available on the online database about catfishing so I feel like my database is a little lack luster. I've also slacked on doing the RADs, and summarizing the articles. It's the little things that really start to add up. I'm never confident in my paper writing abilities and this paper is no exception. I never feel like I put enough into my papers, even though I do try very hard on my essays. I just don't know what else I can put into my paper to take it to the next level. My title isn't very catchy, either.
On the other hand, I have put many hours into finding the perfect articles, placing quotes and paraphrases into their perfect nook in my paper. I've gotten all check +'s on my drafts, which there are MANY of. I've drafted quite often and revised to make my paper as good as I can make it. I have many sources, but not too many, I even have a source using a documentary quote. I manage to only put one block in my paper, when I've seen other papers with many block quotes. I have a picture in my paper that compliments my topic, and I kept my personal voice out of the paper where it shouldn't be. So, maybe my paper isn't the very best, but I know I have done my very best on the assignment.

Essena Quits Social Media

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Essena O'Neil shocked her followers when she decided to quit social media. She's made a living for some odd years off of Instagram, blogging, Tumblr, and Youtube videos. She says she became to what others thought of her and valued her self worth in the number of likes she got online. I've mildly followed Essena on Youtube for a little bit in the summer. I remember finding myself insanely jealous of her life. She's beautiful, has a great body, is a model, she was able to quit university just to focus on her social media job, she was living what I,and many others thought was the dream life. I remember scoffing at videos she'd post where she said she needed to get her body in better shape. She already had a flat stomach that I would have killed to have. She'd say she feel alone,and I'd think nobody that stunning could ever actually feel alone. When I found out she quit social media I rolled my eyes thinking it was just a publicity stunt, or a way to make her seem more 'edgy' or something like that. I made myself read the article and my hatred for her that was really only derived from pure jealousy seemed to dissipate.She said she quit social media so people wouldn't compare their selves to her,   so she wouldn't be living in a constant 'does everyone like me' state, and she put captions on her instagram photos describing how fake and staged they were. The unattainable image this girl painted for herself seemed to wash away. You always see models in magazines or on TV and think how great and beautiful they are. Perfect hair, perfect skin, flat stomach, nice legs, and you just get defeated because 'I'll never look like that', but the girls don't even look like that. Professional hair and makeup can do a lot. Not eating before a photo shoot will make any stomach look flat. She really did show from her actions that what you see online isn't always true, it all depends on how the person makes them self look.

Catfish Reflection

In regards to my argument paper about why people catfish,it is slowly but surely coming along. I found a pretty reputable source giving reasons why catfishing occurs, and another describing the definition, usage, and origin of the term catfish. These will be great sources for my paper seeing as they are content rich. I still need to do some more research but I like taking things one article at a time.

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I plan to begin 'drafting' or making an outline of what should go in my paper later on today. It's kind of hard to do this paper, because it's breaking the traditional mold of 'write about one side, write about the other side, pick your opinion' paper that's been drilled into my brain since probably elementary school. With my argument, it's describing that it's a complex and complicated reason why people chose to cover their identity online. None of my other school teachers would have ever gone for that approach. I think it's going to be difficult to write this paper, but a good experience to learn as in real life, everything doesn't always fit into the cookie cutter mold that we've been taught. I just have to think it through, find the sources, and believe in myself!

Why Do People Catfish?

'Catfishing' came to the public light by the television show that features Nev and Max helping figure out if their online lover is real or fake. There's many episodes everyone with a different, but similar story. There have been countless people that have been duped by people online posing with a fake persona. This lead me to think, why do people catfish others? Is it solely a personal choice, a mental problem, or does social media play a role? According to Krystal D'Costa from Scientific American, 54% of online daters have believed that they have talked to someone posing as someone else. This may have to do with social media making it so easy to find information about people. Just type into the Facebook search bar and find someone who doesn't have a private profile and you can often find links to Twitter or Instagram. You can also see where they go to school, if they have siblings, find out hobbies, social media isn't very private unless you go out of your way to make it private. Pictures can be pulled off of Instagram or Facebook and used to pose as that person.