Reading Summary 6

This article was about spam and add blockers on the internet. It basically told us how the majority of people think if you’re blocking content, you’re overly sensitive and can’t take certain content which makes you weak in some way. However, many people suffer from PTSD and many people can not see certain images or they will have anxiety and maybe some other bad reaction to it. People are bombarded with millions of unwanted pop ups daily and some can not escape it because they are literally everywhere. For example, when I try watching free moves online there is always this horrible picture of open pores under ones skin and it makes me and the friends that I am with cringe inside. Images can shape our thought process and actions and in order. This article also mentioned cyber bullying and how it affects teens, children and even some women in the workplace that ay be dominated by men. People are harassed through the internet because it’s a mask to who you really are and what you are actually capable of doing. It gives the idea that there is a lot of abuse going on online, not only within ads, pictures, content pop ups and more but also through people and certain apps. The temporary solution to this problem may be to block sites and people however, it’s not going to fix the underlying problem of the free internet being a channel of abuse for many people. It is also said in this article that the millennials have a certain immune to this sort of abuse since they were the first young people exposed to this kind of internet and are used to the ads, pop ups and content that may randomly jump out at you. The older generations are more likely to be feel harassment over certain things like this because they aren’t used to it. Older generations are not used lots of things jumping out at you when you did not permit it to. They are used to things coming more slowly. Many older adults also have PTSD because of wars they might have fought in and such things of that nature. I believe one reason for the conflict is because they were used to a slower society and in recent years, America alone has  drastically changed te way we live through technology. Throughout the world, things re getting faster and more of the world is interconnected through the medium of the internet. Many of the older generation are struggling to keep up or they oppose it all in general. We have to find a common balance to fit the need of all the people that now live in this digital age so everyone can participate in our growing and advancing society.

Reading Summary 5

In this article, written by Phia Bennin and Brendan McMullan, talks about how focusing a certain color can help us focus more. When we pick a color to focus on, we start to see it everywhere and in everything. The reason for this is because were focusing on one specific type of color alerting our brain to keep a look out for that certain color or shade. Our brain works in mysterious ways, and one mysterious thing it does is carry out the commands our thoughts give it. He explained how he went on a color walk, picked a color, then the color he chose started to pop out at him. This is no coincidence, if I think about the color pink I’m all of a sudden going to start seeing it and when I am noticing it my brain is sending out alerts that that something is what I’m looking for. Just like looking for something with your eyes, your brain has a task to find it so you’re not just looking at everything but concentrating one a particular object. The goal of the experiment was to think creatively and without barrier, helping students unwind and relax. The person responsible for creating this experiment was William Burroughs. He intended for it to take one’s mind on an adventure to help them relax. They also explained that after the experiment, students saw the world as a more vibrant place through looking at the world via different colors. Anyone who is interested in trying this experiment is advised to get some free time where you have nothing to do or any obligations to fill. Pick a color and focus on one that makes you feel really happy, most likely your favorite color or a bright color that will most likely brighten your mood. Not only did they notice the colors and how they related to the environment around them but the world came together through the colors, they were better able to connect things and relate them together. This experiment is great for getting lost in relaxation and forgetting about all the complicated things that may be going on in your life.

Built Environment Description of Phipps Plaza (Interior)

Phipps Plaza was opened in 1969. It’s target customer are the rich and wealthy customers that mostly reside in Buckhead and other rich people from various countries touring America or Atlanta specifically.  Phipps was described as a relaxed upscale shopping experience by most who pay it a visit, another person had described the place as a “high end fashion model’s dream”. There are lots of hidden messages I found when visiting this mall. One is that the middle class and poor aren’t really welcomed. I partially got this notion from all the designer stores in the mall. To be able to afford some of the simplest clothes in Phipps, you at least have to own a house. These are not specific requirements, however, if you can afford a house you might be in the income range to shop here. Even Lenox has stores the middle class can afford like Forever 21, Wet Seal, and Victoria Secret. Phipps Plaza is full of designer stores who meet the needs of their rich clients who add to the malls revenue. I went in a store called Naturals while observing the mall. The salesman in the store tried to sell my friend and I expensive salt scrubs claimed to be from Israel. I started asked him if there was an H&M, Forever 21 or any store of that nature in the mall and he replied “Oh NO honey! This is Phipps!” Right then, I understood the reputation Phipps holds throughout Atlanta, Georgia and the rests of the country. It truly is a mall catered to the famous and wealthy people. With waterfalls, couch chairs, neutral colors, a chandelier, and lost more bright lighting throughout the shopping center, Phipps definitely wheels in the high end customers who are familiar with luxury and class.

Digital Record #3

The layout of the ground level floor in Phipps Plaza gives you an overview of what this mall stands for. On the main floor, which is shown, you can hear a waterfall in the background an there are comfortable couch chairs and couches for people to rest comfortably. I believe there is a hidden message in this interior space saying “We will take care of you if you take care of us.” This means that as long as the rich people in Buckhead keep feeding into the economy of Phipps, Phipps will continue to treat their customers well above average. This is definitely not your typical mall.

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Digital Record #2 (Interior)

These two grand stair cases made me feel like I was in a really fancy place. How high they went symbolized how high I have to reach to success in my perspective. Everywhere they had very expensive stores, expensive furniture, and even the chairs were nice. When you walk into Phipps you get that upscale feel for the mall. A grand stair case is only in someone’s home if they have wealth, which obviously the people in this mall do.

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Digital Record #1 (Interior)

This grand chandelier in the middle of Phipps Plaza creates an expensive look to this grand estate. Owned by Simon, the number one real estate company in the U.S., Phipps meets the luxurious standards its shoppers hold it up too. Wealthy people are more likely to have a chandelier in their house I believe this is one of the marketing tools the property group uses to draw in their rich customers who often reside in places like Buckhead and parts of north Georgia. Having this chandelier send a subtle message that this shopping mall has more class than the others. 4

Annotated Bib #6

www.reporternewspapers.net/2013/03/21/shoplifting-at-lenox-lifts-crime-numbers/

“Theft from Lenox was one of Buckhead’s biggest crimes in 2012”. The Atlanta Police Department works closely with Simon Mall to keep the upscale Lenox customers safe. With a mall containing millions of people coming through a year, it’s only expected for there to be some shoplifting. However, this is one of the top crimes in Buckhead. This is mainly caused by those who don’t live in Buckhead and can’t afford the clothes that are high priced in the store. The police say these crimes are mostly committed by juvenile who come to Lenox via MARTA and take rides back to their homes. Police also characterize these juvenile as children that are below average performers in school, not involved in after school activities and have idle time to get into trouble. Trends of shoplifting are decreasing since new police measurements and security have been put into place but the long term visual won’t be able to be shown for a short time.

Annotated Bib #5

http://www.simon.com/mall/lenox-square/about

I looked through some images of how Lenox Mall used to look. Apparently, it wasn’t an enclosed mall. This goes to prove how many changes Lenox Mall has gone through to get to the high scale status it is. I found an archive of a picture from inside Lenox Mall from the eighties and things didn’t look as they do now. This pictures didn’t show all the extravagant stores Lenox has to offer, it showed wide open spaces like an outlet mall. They opened their doors just before 1960, targeting to tend their businesses to rich, wealthy, white homeowners near Buckhead. Suburban communities soon started shopping in this area as the Mall drew more people. Its renovations has added to its tourist attractiveness. Even from the people who own the mall, Simon Property Group, you can tell they cater to the upscale customers who have more money than most people.

Annotated Bib #4

http://www.yelp.com/biz/lenox-square-atlanta-2

Yelp is a review service website designed to show customer reviews on places. As I surfed the web I found some reviews on Lenox’s inside environment. There are many mixed emotions about Lenox Mall. On one hand it is an upscale Mall that provides attributes to Buckhead making it display the wealth that describes the people who live around it. However, some people don’t like the crowdedness of Lenox and believe it’s too congested for their taste. Some eve prefer Phipps Plaza to Lenox Mall. No matter where you go in this area of Buckhead it’s very rich, classy, and upscale. Designed for the rich, wealthy, and mostly white homeowners who live in North Atlanta, Buckhead, and classy high rises throughout the city. People describe Lenox as a good mall to “people watch”. This is defined as entertaining yourself by watching the actions of those around you in a mall. Lenox is very crowded and gets more congested as time passes on. Moderately priced stores have led people earning less than the wealthy shoppers to flock to this high end fabulous mall bringing in diverse crowds, changing the nature and environment of Lenox. This being a website where people have observed Lenox from the inside and written their opinions on the internet, I thought I’d be a good website to analyze Lenox’s interior environment along with observations I’ve made by myself.

Mid-term Reflection

In this class, we write in a less formal style than previous classes I’ve been in. We are told to incorporate pictures and different multimedia to connect our writing with the topic asked to write about. In our reading summaries, I try to analyze each paragraph and go into depth about what they are talking about. When talking about the built environment I go into how the built environment affects people that live around the area. I talk about how the people in control have power over the masses by shaping their environment. Now that I have a rubric for the reading summaries through our grades I can improve my writing for the better and really analyze any blog or piece of writing. I do need to improve on using my sources correctly. Some of my strengths are using images to connect to my writing. I should expand on the captions I put for them and insert them into my paragraphs instead of at the end. It will be easier to connect. This class is teaching me a lot about how to incorporate writing structure into our digital world. Many of these skills I will be able to use at a professional job and beyond, making my resume look really good. In the future I’m going to attempt to do some of the extra activities offered to us. The extra readings and practice will help me in the rest of my assignments throughout the semester.